In January, Spain will officially join the list of European countries offering digital nomad visa programs to attract international talent. According to information published by Forbes magazine, the new visa was ratified last week by the country’s congress and will allow people working remotely for foreign companies or with their own businesses to live in the country without the need for an ordinary work visa.

Digital nomad visas allow remote workers to spend short or extended periods working independently abroad. The general definition of a digital nomad is a professional who is able to ‘take’ their work wherever they go. In the most basic terms, these are people who work completely remotely, with only a computer and an internet connection.

Spain’s goal is to “take advantage of the explosion of remote work options accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The hope is that this will boost talent and investment in Spain and enhance the country’s credentials as a global business hub.”

Any non-EEA national employed by a company outside of Spain who can work remotely from home or abroad with an internet connection is eligible for the Spain remote work visa. EU passport holders are already permitted the right of residency and working from home in Spain without needing a visa if their stay is under six months.

The measures are part of the “Spain Entrepreneurial Nation Strategy,” “designed to regulate and simplify administrative procedures for the creation of startups with a favorable fiscal regime, including tax and social security incentives,” the government explains. “It also includes measures to develop venture capital, private equity funds and angel investors in Spain.”

The novelty is part of a recent law, which will now go to the president of the government to be sanctioned and promulgated by the king, before being published in the Official State Gazette.

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Source: Forbes | GCS