Shorouk Express
Picture this scenario, you were granted Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) for a period of three years by applying within the country because you met all the specific conditions, but now six months down the line, you lose your job or some of your clients. This is actually not that uncommon at all, particularly if you’re self-employed.
Firstly, there are two ways you can get the DNV in Spain – one is by being an employee, working remotely for a company abroad and the other is by being self-employed, working for several different clients or companies abroad.
You will have been granted the visa based on several different conditions, one of the most important being that you meet the income requirements. For 2025, this equates to €2,762 per month, plus extra if you’re bringing a partner and children with you on the visa too.
READ ALSO: The requirements for Spain’s digital nomad visa
Another important requirement if you’re self-employed is that you contribute monthly to Spain’s social security system. If you’re an employee working remotely, then your employer will be in charge of paying this, or it will be covered by social security contributions in your home country, if it has an agreement with Spain.
According to Law 14/2013 on remote workers, it clearly states that “the conditions leading to the authorisation of the visa must be maintained throughout its validity”.
Law firm Para Inmigrantes explains this further by saying you must meet “a series of obligations to be able to continue legally in Spain”.
“It is important that you continue with your professional or self-employed activity once in Spain” they add.
CONFIRMED: Spain’s new income requirement for digital nomads in 2025
Advertisement
But, what happens if your situation changes and you’re fired from your job or you no longer have enough work from your clients?
Technically you won’t be meeting the original conditions of your visa if you’re no longer working for your company or meeting the income requirements because you’ve lost a client and now you’re earning less.
Legal firm Visal Immigration state that the above law emphasises the importance of reporting any change that may affect your visa conditions.
In this case “it is imperative that the interested party informs the Large Companies and Strategic Collectives Unit (UGE) within a maximum period of 30 days. This notification is essential to ensure transparency and legality of any alterations to circumstances”.
In other words, if you lose your job or a client, you have a period of one month in which to tell UGE what has happened. This is the body you applied to in the first place, if you applied from within Spain.
María Luisa de Castro from Costa del Luz lawyers explains: “My advice is to communicate this to the corresponding Oficina de Extranjería and request a grace period for you to meet requirements before the next renovation date”.
READ ALSO: How does Spain’s digital nomad visa income requirement compare to others globally?
Advertisement
The issue is likely to be handled on a case-by-case basis, because in some cases you will be earning less, whereas in other cases, you won’t be working at all. Technically though, if you no longer meet the conditions, the UGE could remove your visa and your right to live and work remotely in Spain.
Visal Immigration state that “If modifications are not reported and are detected by the administration, the situation will be assessed. If the established requirements are not met, the authorisation could be revoked. It is vital to understand that a lack of communication can have serious consequences and affect the validity of the residence and work permit”.
In order to minimise the chance that this will happen, it’s crucial to continue paying your social security contributions if you’re self-employed.
In any case, if you want to continue living in Spain, it’s essential that you look for another remote job or new clients as soon as possible, which will satisfy the visa requirements.
If you manage to get another job, then you will need to inform the UGE of this as soon as possible.
Advertisement
But it’s important to get a job under similar conditions as you had before, because if not, you may have to reapply for your visa.
According legal group Abogacía y Peritaje Sáinz “In the event that a self-employed person becomes an employee or if the employed teleworker changes companies, a new authorisation would be required because it is necessary to verify that he or she is affiliated with Social Security through that company”.
They also add that if there’s a change in contracting a new foreign company, you must also submit a new application proving all the requirements are met.
This essentially means that it may be necessary to start your DNV application all over again, particularly if you’re changing from remote employee to self-employed or the other way around.
Advertisement
While you may still be able to stay in Spain and look for a new remote job, the real issue might come when you try and renew your visa.
Currently the UGE are not checking income and tax returns throughout the year, but when it comes to renewal, they will need to know that you still meet all the conditions.
Abogacía y Peritaje Sáinz writes: “You must demonstrate at the time of renewal that you have been registered with social security and that throughout the validity of the authorisation you have maintained contract(s) that allow you to prove the means of living requested in Spain”.
It is not yet clear what the UGE will decide when it comes to renewal if there were several months in which you didn’t make enough money or maintain your contract, but at the actual time of renewal you must have secured a new job or clients.
