Visas8/10Easier visas than about 90% of cities
- Visa-free stay
- Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- Digital nomad visa
- Yes
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: exteriores.gob.es
Good to know
Good to Know
- This 90/180-day visa-free allowance is a Schengen-wide limit, not specific to Spain — days spent anywhere in the Schengen Area (including quick trips to France or Portugal) count against the same total.
- Owning property or having a long lease in Girona does not extend your visa-free days; you're still capped at 90/180 unless you hold formal residency.
- If you want to stay longer than 90 days in Girona, this baseline visa-free entry does not apply — you'd need a separate long-stay national visa (e.g. Spain's digital nomad visa), which is a different application process.
- Keep a mental or app-based log of entry/exit dates, since the EU's short-stay calculator or a Schengen day-counting app can help avoid accidental overstays.
- ETIAS (a low-cost online pre-travel authorization, not a visa) is expected to become mandatory for visa-exempt nationals by late 2026 — no action is needed yet, but check closer to your travel date.
- The income threshold is tied to Spain's minimum wage (SMI) and is revised every year — always check the current figure before applying rather than relying on last year's number.
- The Beckham Law flat 24% tax rate is a separate application (Modelo 149) from the visa itself, with a strict 6-month deadline from Social Security registration — miss it and you're stuck on standard progressive rates for your whole stay.
- Whether freelancers on the visa qualify for the Beckham Law is genuinely murky — most advisors say it's designed for employees, so self-employed applicants should get personalized tax advice rather than assume eligibility.
- No more than 20% of your income can come from Spanish clients/employers, so plan your client mix accordingly if you take on any local work while based in Girona.
- As of 2026 you can no longer switch from a Non-Lucrative Visa to this Digital Nomad Visa while already inside Spain — that conversion path has been closed.
- 183 days physically present in Spain in a calendar year is the key line for becoming a Spanish tax resident (worldwide income taxation), so track your travel days carefully if you want to avoid or intentionally trigger residency.
Visa Free Entry
- Country
- Spain (Schengen Area)
- Days Allowed
- Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, calculated cumulatively across the entire Schengen Area (not per country) — time spent in France, Italy, Portugal, etc. counts toward the same 90-day total.
- Baseline Rule
- 90 days within any rolling 180-day period
- Who Qualifies
- Nationals of the roughly 60+ countries on the EU's visa-exempt list (Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806), including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and most Latin American countries. Spain follows the common Schengen policy rather than a separate national one.
- Purpose Covered
- Tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, short-term study, non-work internships, volunteer activities under 3 months, or other non-gainful activities.
- Official Source URL
- https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/washington/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Condiciones-de-entrada-en-Espana.aspx
- Overstay Consequences
- Overstaying the 90-day limit can lead to fines, entry bans, or denial of future entry; the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) is rolling out to digitally track entries and exits and enforce the 90/180 rule more strictly.
- Upcoming Change ETIAS
- The EU's ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) — an online pre-travel screening, not a visa — is expected to become mandatory for currently visa-exempt travelers in the last quarter of 2026. As of now it is not yet in force and no action is required.
- Non Qualifying Nationals
- Citizens of countries not on the visa-exempt list (e.g. India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China, most of Africa and South/Southeast Asia) must obtain a Schengen short-stay visa in advance from a Spanish consulate before traveling.
- Passport Validity Requirement
- Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended departure date from the Schengen Area and must have been issued within the last 10 years.
- Process For Qualifying Nationals
- No visa or pre-approval is currently required. Travelers must enter via an authorized border-crossing point, present a valid passport and proof of identity, and be prepared to show evidence of the purpose and conditions of their stay, sufficient financial means, and a return/onward ticket if asked by border officials.
Digital Nomad Visa And Tax
- Visa Name
- International Telework Visa / Visado de Teletrabajador de Carácter Internacional (commonly called the Spain Digital Nomad Visa), introduced under the 2023 Startup Act. Applies nationwide, including Girona (Catalonia) — there is no separate regional visa.
- Who Its For
- Non-EU/EEA nationals working remotely for companies or clients based outside Spain. Both employees and freelancers/independent contractors can apply.
- Renewal Path
- The permit structure allows a maximum of 5 years under the Digital Nomad Visa framework: an initial 3-year residence card (in-country route) can be extended once for 2 more years, or a 1-year consular visa is renewed within Spain for further periods reaching the same 5-year cap. Renewal requires continuing to meet the income threshold (updated each year) and still deriving most income from non-Spanish sources. After 5 years of continuous legal residence, holders can apply for long-term EU residency, and citizenship becomes possible after 10 years of residence (2 years for most Latin American nationalities).
- Visa Ease Tier
- moderate
- Tax Residency Trigger
- You become a Spanish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Spain in a calendar year, or if Spain becomes the center of your economic/professional interests. Below 183 days, only Spanish-sourced income is generally taxed.
- Visa Ease Tier Rationale
- Spain offers a genuine Digital Nomad Visa path with multi-year renewal and a favorable Beckham Law tax regime, but it requires substantial income (~€2,849/month), extensive documentation, and navigating complex tax-residency and social security rules.
- Social Security Notes
- Employees of foreign companies from countries with a Spain social security agreement (e.g. US, Canada, Australia) can often stay on home-country social security via a certificate of coverage. The UK currently has no such bilateral agreement covering remote workers, and many freelancers/US W-2 employees end up registering as 'autónomo' with RETA instead.
Application Paths
- Consular Route
- Apply at a Spanish consulate in your home country before traveling. Grants an initial 1-year visa. Consular fee around €80, plus NIE fee around €9.84.
- Processing Time
- Roughly 15–45 days for consular decisions; the overall process (including document prep) commonly takes several months.
- In Country Route
- If visa-exempt (e.g. most Western passport holders can enter Spain as a tourist), apply directly with Spain's UGE-CE within the first 90 days of a tourist stay. Grants a 3-year residence permit outright, skipping the shorter first cycle.
Documents Required
- Valid passport
- Completed national visa application form
- Proof of remote work: employment certificate confirming remote-work authorization (employees) or signed contracts with foreign clients (freelancers)
- Proof of company operating history (1+ year) via a certificate from the relevant company registry (e.g. Companies House, Secretary of State)
- Proof of income meeting the thresholds above, generally via recent bank statements matching declared income
- Degree certificate or documentation of 3+ years' professional experience
- Criminal record certificate (apostilled/legalized) covering the last 5 years
- Private health insurance policy with full coverage in Spain, no co-payments
- Proof of accommodation in Spain
- Social security coverage proof: an A1/Certificate of Coverage where a bilateral agreement exists, or registration as autónomo with Spanish Social Security otherwise
Income Requirement
- Basis
- Set at 200% of Spain's Salario Mínimo Interprofesional (SMI, minimum wage), so it moves every year when the government updates the SMI.
- Single Applicant Annual
- €34,188
- Spouse Addition Monthly
- €1,069
- Single Applicant Monthly
- €2,849
- Per Additional Dependent Monthly
- €357
Other Core Conditions
- No more than 20% of total income may come from Spanish clients/companies (freelancers) or a Spanish employer.
- Employees must show at least 3 months' prior tenure with their employer; the employing company must have been operating for at least 1 year.
- A university/postgraduate degree or a minimum of 3 years' relevant professional experience is required.
- Clean criminal record covering the last 5 years, plus private health insurance with full coverage and no co-payments.
- As of 2026, immigration authorities (UGE-CE) have tightened scrutiny of bank statements and employment contracts, and expats can no longer convert a Non-Lucrative Visa to this visa from inside Spain.
Special Tax Regime Beckham Law
- Rate
- Flat 24% on qualifying income up to €600,000/year; income above that is taxed at 47%.
- Benefits Besides Rate
- Exemption from Spain's wealth tax on foreign assets and, in most cases, no obligation to file Modelo 720 (overseas asset declaration), though Modelo 720/721 rules can still apply to specific asset categories.
- Name
- Special Tax Regime for Impatriates (Régimen especial para trabajadores desplazados), known as the 'Beckham Law'
- Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Duration
- Covers the year of arrival plus five further years (up to 6 years total).
- Application Process
- Not automatic — must be actively elected via Modelo 149, filed within 6 months of registering with Spanish Social Security (or starting work in Spain, whichever is first). Missing this window forfeits the benefit for the entire stay.
- Standard Regime Comparison
- Without the Beckham Law, Spain's standard progressive income tax runs from about 19% up to 47%, and tax residents are taxed on worldwide income.
- Eligibility Notes
- Applicant must not have been a Spanish tax resident in the previous 5 years. It is most clearly available to Digital Nomad Visa holders who are employees of a non-Spanish company; self-employed freelancers are generally excluded unless they qualify under separate 'highly qualified professional' or startup-founder provisions. Some 2025 court rulings extended eligibility to remote employees on the visa, but treatment of freelancers remains inconsistent across advisors — get a Spanish tax lawyer's confirmation before counting on it.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this visas research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Girona
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.