Spain launched its long-awaited 'digital nomad visa' — here's who qualifies and how to apply

• The Spanish government has officially approved a new digital nomad visa for remote workers.
• In order to qualify, you need a university degree or three years of professional experience.

After over a year of anticipation, Spain has officially launched a digital nomad visa allowing remote workers to live and work in the country for up to five years.

The visa, bundled within a new startup law aiming to help the country's burgeoning tech scene, was passed by the Spanish parliament in November and received final approval from congress in late December.

Here's who can apply, according to requirements recently published in Spain's official state gazette and federal immigration agency:

• You must be a citizen of a country outside the European Union.
• You must be employed by a non-Spanish company (or companies, for freelancers) for at least three months prior to your application. The company must be at least a year old.
• Provide documentation showing your job can be completed remotely.
• Have a university degree or three years of professional experience.
• Make at least 200% of Spain's monthly minimum wage of €1,260 (which currently calculates to around $32,445 a year).
• Any additional income made within Spain cannot exceed 20% of your total salary.
• Have no criminal record in the past 5 years, both in Spain and your home country.
• You must have health insurance.

It's important to note that while Spain's income requirement for digital nomads is currently set to 200% of the national minimum wage, the government has until March 31 to modify the visa's salary requirements.

Spain is set to raise the national minimum wage by 8% this year to 12 monthly installments of €1,260, which would make the visa's income requirements €2,520 a month.

If you meet all the above requirements, you can apply at your local consulate or embassy — just be sure to have all those documents in hand.

How Spain's visa for remote workers compares to Portugal's digital nomad visa:

Spain's digital nomad visa is very similar to its neighbor Portugal's, which was released back in November. Both Spain and Portugal's digital nomad visas can be renewed for up to five years.

With its favorable climate and proximity to major European hubs, it's no wonder why the Iberian peninsula is becoming a digital nomad hotspot. An attractive benefit of both programs is that recipients can travel visa-free throughout the Schengen Area, a region containing 26 European Union member countries where travelers can move freely without dealing with border control.

The major difference between the two visas is that Portugal has a slightly higher minimum income requirement (for now).

In order to qualify for Portugal's digital nomad visa, remote workers must make at least four times its minimum wage to apply. Portugal raised its monthly minimum wage to €760 in January, bringing the income requirement to €3,040, or $3,257.40 a month — a little over $500 more than Spain's.

Radim Rezek, CEO and co-founder of Flatio, a housing platform for monthly stays that targets digital nomads in Europe, told Insider that Portugal is "much more developed" in terms of attracting remote workers and tech entrepreneurs to its shores, something that Spain has sought to imitate.

"There is a little tension between them, so they kind of compete — but in a good way of course," he said.

Some local workers fear the digital nomad wave will raise the already high cost of living

While proponents of digital-nomad visas say the programs can boost local economies, some critics worry that the influx of foreign remote workers will raise housing prices in areas that are already struggling with inflation.

From Mexico City and Puerto Rico to Barcelona, many local workers have voiced concern that the influx of international remote workers since the pandemic has done more harm than good.

Spain's Startup Act and digital nomad visa saw support from both sides of the political spectrum. Nadia Calviño, the country's economic affairs minister, called the bill's approval "one of the most enjoyable moments I've experienced in the Parliament."

"It's a law that will allow Spain to be at the forefront in the push and promotion of talent in this rapidly growing digital economy," she added.