Our Step-by-Step Plan to Move to Spain on the Digital Nomad Visa

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Dear Stella,

Have you ever considered moving to Spain but felt overwhelmed and uncertain about what the process would really entail? We get this question a lot and, unfortunately, due to the amount of time that has passed since we each relocated (and our personal circumstances being different to many of those who ask), we often feel we aren’t able to provide the detail that prospective immigrants would need. However, providing these insights for you is a priority for us and so we have teamed up with Alejandra, a digital marketing professional, who is currently preparing her relocation to Spain under the Digital Nomad Visa.

In this post, Alejandra does a beautiful job of walking you through what each step of this process has looked like for her and her family. Of course, no two situations will be exactly alike but we believe the detail that Alejandra has provided will leave you with far more clarity and direction for planning out your own relocation. As a Mexican citizen, she is navigating the unique two-year path to Spanish citizenship available to many Latin Americans. Through her work with relocation specialists and her own hands-on research, she has spent the past year consulting immigration lawyers, scouting cities, and planning an international move with her partner and four pets.

We are very excited to share her first-hand knowledge with you so, without further ado, we bring you Alejandra…

Our Step-by-Step Plan to Move to Spain on the Digital Nomad Visa

Moving to Spain is rarely a spontaneous decision. In our case, it has been a carefully layered process that began in May 2025 and will culminate, if all goes according to plan, in August 2026.

What started as curiosity about life in Europe turned into a scouting trip to Spain, countless conversations with immigration lawyers, comparisons of visa pathways, spreadsheets of our finances, and long discussions about how to relocate with three cats and one dog.

If you’re considering how to live in Spain, especially if you have Latin American heritage, I hope sharing our process helps make yours clearer and less overwhelming.

The Scouting Trip

Before committing to any visa process, my boyfriend and I took a four-week scouting trip to Spain. We wanted to experience daily life, not just see the tourist highlights. That meant:

• Walking residential neighborhoods instead of historic centers
• Visiting grocery stores and checking everyday prices
• Looking at long-term rental listings in local real estate agencies
• Talking to locals and expats about bureaucracy and integration

 

The Two-Year Citizenship Path for Latin Americans

As Mexican citizens, we are eligible to apply for Spanish citizenship after just two years of legal residency. This reduced timeline is available to nationals of Ibero-American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, or others listed under Spain’s agreements.

For many non-EU nationals, citizenship requires ten years of residency. But Spain has agreements with several Latin American countries that significantly shorten this timeline. This fast-track benefit is only for nationals by origin of these countries, not those who obtained citizenship through naturalization.

That realization reframed our entire strategy. We weren’t just looking for a temporary stay in Spain. We were potentially planning a long-term future that could include dual citizenship and EU mobility.

 

Why We Chose the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa

Once we understood the citizenship timeline, the next step was choosing the right visa.

While the student visa is a common entry point, we ruled it out because time spent on it is considered estancia rather than residencia, meaning it typically doesn’t count toward the legal residence period required for citizenship. Since we’re aiming for the two-year citizenship pathway for Iberoamericanos, we needed a visa that counted immediately.

Because I work remotely in digital marketing, the Digital Nomad Visa in Spain made the most sense. As a remote worker earning income from outside Spain, this visa allows the main applicant and dependents to legally live in Spain while continuing their professional activity abroad.

There are also practical benefits that made this visa attractive to us:

• Initial authorization can be granted for up to three years when applying from within Spain
• Time under this visa counts toward long-term residency, and it is easily renewable.
• In our case, the residence counts towards the two-year citizenship pathway.
• Full legal residency status, which allows you to register locally, obtain a TIE, sign long-term leases, open bank accounts, and integrate into Spain’s healthcare and administrative systems
• The possibility of applying under Spain’s special tax regime for inbound workers, which can reduce my income tax obligations to 24% for their first six years

The visa also allows dependents to legally work in Spain. For my partner, this means he can pursue his music career and participate fully in the local scene without legal uncertainty, making it possible for us to live and work in Spain together.

 

Spain Digital Nomad Visa Requirements

For the financial requirement, applicants must show proof of steady work, such as an employment contract or established freelance activity, and meet a minimum income requirement. To apply for the Digital Nomad Visa, this currently means earning at least 200% of Spain’s minimum wage for the main applicant, an additional 75% for one dependent, and 25% extra for any additional dependents.

Beyond income, applicants must:

• Work remotely for companies or clients located outside of Spain
• Show a stable professional relationship (employment contract or established freelance activity)
• Demonstrate relevant professional qualifications or experience
• Obtain private health insurance valid in Spain
• Provide a clean criminal record certificate

 

Why Vigo, Galicia, Keeps Calling Us

We are currently leaning toward Vigo, in Galicia, for several reasons.

• Mid-sized city with infrastructure but less saturation than Madrid or Barcelona
• Active music scene without the extreme competition and costs of larger capitals
• Access to beaches and nature
• Opportunity to learn Gallego

We are not committing to live there forever. But for this stage of our lives, it offers the balance we are looking for: creative opportunities, proximity to nature, and international access without the intensity of Spain’s largest cities.

 

The Hardest Part: Moving With Four Pets

We are relocating with three cats and one dog. This has been the most complex aspect of our planning.

Most airlines allow only one pet per passenger in the cabin. That means we may need a friend or family member to fly with us, or split the move into two trips, or explore charter flights and split costs with other pet owners.

Beyond flights, there are additional considerations:

• EU pet health certificates
• Vaccination timelines
• Microchips
• Approved carriers
• Pet-friendly rental housing

Finding rentals that accept multiple pets can already be challenging. Doing so from abroad adds another layer of difficulty. We plan to hire help to coordinate rental negotiations and airport pickup logistics for us and the pets.

Legal Support: Lawyers vs. Full Concierge Relocation

We explored two main types of support: immigration lawyers and full relocation services. They all offered a free consultation.

For immigration lawyers, we consulted Abogada Cinthia Cedeño, specializing in extranjería, who was the most expensive option, and Entre Trámites, which was more affordable.

Both consultations were conducted in Spanish and had prices in euros. Quotes ranged from approximately €600 to €2,500, depending on the scope, covering visa processing, empadronamiento, and TIE applications.

We also explored full concierge relocation services from StartAbroad, where our consultation was conducted in English and had prices in USD. They have a la carte relocation services, services ranging $1-5K and may include:

• Visa support
• Rental search and lease negotiation
• Empadronamiento coordination
• TIE appointments
• Airport pickup
• School search for people relocating with kids
• Guidance for relocating with pets

These options all guide you on gathering your paperwork and checking it for you in advance to ensure you’re eligible for all requirements, and they submit the paperwork for you so that your visa residency application flows smoothly.

The Administrative Order: What We’ll Need to Do in Spain

Our current plan is to apply from within Spain rather than from our home country. Everyone recommends this route because it can be faster, provides more flexibility, and gives you a longer initial authorization period compared to consular applications abroad (3 years vs 1 year).

The sequence we are preparing for includes:

1. Entering Spain under a tourist visa
2. Registering as pareja de hecho
3. Securing a rental and completing empadronamiento
4. Submitting the Digital Nomad Visa application from within Spain
5. Completing TIE issuance after approval

Understanding Empadronamiento and Residency Steps

After arriving in Spain, the administrative process continues.

Empadronamiento is registration at your local town hall. You need a residential address to complete it, which typically means having a signed lease.

After that, you apply for your TIE, the physical residency card.

These steps may sound simple on paper, but appointments can be limited and documentation must be precise. Planning timelines carefully is essential, especially if you’re counting your residency toward future citizenship.

Final Thoughts

We plan to move to Spain in August 2026. We began planning in May 2025. That means well over a year of research, consultations, budgeting, conversations, and revisiting decisions.

We’ve chosen the Digital Nomad Visa because it supports both our current professional reality and our long-term goal of qualifying for Spanish citizenship.

Moving abroad, at least in our case, has meant comparing lawyer quotes in spreadsheets, reading Facebook groups about empadronamiento appointments, calculating income thresholds down to the euro, and researching airline pet policies more than I ever thought possible.

If you’re considering a move to Spain, my biggest advice is to understand your specific options before committing to a plan. Book consultations with immigration lawyers. Compare different service providers. Ask detailed questions. Speak to expats who just arrived and others who have been there for years. Their perspectives are very different, and both are valuable.

Residency strategy matters. Where you apply from matters. The order in which you complete administrative steps matters. And if citizenship is part of your long-term vision, those early decisions become even more important.

Choosing carefully before you move can make the difference between spending your first years in Spain constantly fixing preventable issues and actually settling in and adapting smoothly to your new life.

 

Thank you so much to Alejandra for these detailed insights! Please know that, due to Alejandra’s high praise for StartAbroad, we have decided to join their affiliate program. As such, we may receive some financial compensation for any services you contract through the affiliate link in this post. The prices will be no different for you, but if you are inspired to purchase something through our suggestion we would greatly appreciate your support in this way.

Please let us know in the comments if you have any questions or thoughts on the relocation process.

Sincerely,
Spain