Visas in Las Palmas

Good to Know

• The Canary Islands (including Las Palmas) are fully within the Schengen Area for entry/visa purposes, even though they sit outside mainland Europe and have a separate tax regime (IGIC instead of mainland VAT) — the 90/180-day rule applies exactly as it would in Madrid or Barcelona.
• This visa-free entry is only for tourism/non-work purposes — it does not grant permission to work for a Spanish company. Many remote workers do stay under this basis while working for a foreign employer, but this sits in a legal gray area; those wanting a clearly compliant long-term setup should look into Spain's Digital Nomad Visa instead.
• Track your Schengen days carefully with the European Commission's official Short-Stay Calculator, especially since biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) registration launched in April 2026 and will track days automatically and precisely.
• From late 2026, an ETIAS online pre-travel authorization will become mandatory for visa-exempt nationalities before flying to Spain — plan to apply for this in advance once it launches.
• Registering with local police (empadronamiento or foreigner registration) is required if staying more than 30 days at one address in Spain, even as a short-stay visitor.
• The Canary Islands (where Las Palmas is located) follow the same national Digital Nomad Visa rules and Beckham Law as the rest of Spain — there's no separate regional visa or tax scheme for Gran Canaria.
• The income threshold is tied to Spain's minimum wage (SMI) and is recalculated every year, so budget for it to rise again in 2027.
• Bank statements need to visibly match your declared income — several immigration lawyers note that simply showing a contract with a gross salary figure is no longer enough on its own.
• The Beckham Law application is a separate step from the visa itself, with its own strict 6-month deadline from your Social Security registration — missing it means losing access to the flat 24% rate.
• If you're a freelancer rather than a salaried employee, double-check current eligibility for the Beckham Law with a local tax advisor — some sources describe it as employee-only, while the Startup Act text extends it to some self-employed profiles, so individual circumstances matter.
• Converting from a Non-Lucrative Visa to the Digital Nomad Visa from within Spain is no longer permitted as of 2026 — plan your initial visa choice carefully.