Digital nomads who want to carry out their professional activity from Spain will have it very easy as of January 1, 2023, the date on which the specific visa for international teleworkers will come into force. This will translate into less bureaucracy, more facilities and more tax incentives for digital nomads. From now on, they will have the opportunity to live and work in Spain for five years.
A few days ago, the Congress of Deputies approved the Startups Law, which includes this visa for international teleworkers. With this law, the Government seeks to turn Spain into a hub of entrepreneurship and attract investment and digital talent. The law incorporates improvements and will now be further processed in the Senate and be approved at the end of 2022, according to the official forecast.
This visa will be used to carry out a project or professional activity remotely from Spanish territory for companies located outside of Spain. The duration of the visa will be one year, extendable up to five, and it will allow digital nomads to enjoy a special tax regime whereby they will pay IRNR (non-resident income tax) and not IRPF (income tax on non-resident persons). The law also makes it easier to obtain a visa and residency for highly-qualified startup workers as well as Spanish workers not resident in Spain for at least the last five years.
The visa is open to any country and may be requested by professionals who have a minimum salary not very different from the Spanish SMI (about 1,000 euros), which is a great competitive advantage over the Portuguese visa for digital nomads, which raises income to about 2,820 euros per month.
Foreign investors and freelancers who work for Spanish startups will be able to take advantage of the inpatriate regime provided that 40% of their turnover is for these companies, and they will pay IRPF at 24%.
The visa is also designed to curb depopulation in the interior of Spain, so it includes elements to promote entrepreneurship in the rural world.
The law not only seeks to attract talent but also to retain it and those who finish their studies in Spain will have more time to look for a job or start a business in the country.
Therefore, starting from January 2023 it will be easier for remote workers to work with more than 360 days of sunshine, with a lower cost of living, benefiting from tax exemptions, excellent 4G coverage (in almost the whole of Spain) and with quality of life considered one of the best in the world.
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If you want legal assistance and plan your international teleworker visa, at Telework Andalucia we offer that service. Contact us without obligation:
