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Spain

International Telework Visa · Madrid

Sun, healthcare and a genuinely attractive 24% flat tax for remote employees make Spain a heavyweight — provided you can navigate the Beckham eligibility rules.

From 24% (special regime)Citizenship in 10yBeckham 24% flat taxSchengen accessWorld-class healthcare
Model your move
Income needed

€2,849/mo

Processing

20–45 days

Visa length

1 year

Safety index

75/100

Internet

210 Mbps

English

Moderate

Climate

Warm Mediterranean

Time zone

UTC+1

The real numbers

Model your move to Spain

Set who's coming and what you earn. We'll handle eligibility, taxes, contributions, living costs and what you'd have left — and compare it to home.

Staying more than ~183 days?

Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.

Your monthly life in Spain

Pre-filled with typical costs in Valencia. Drag or type to match your life.

Rent & housingEssential
$1,200

A nice place in a popular area

UtilitiesEssential
$120

Power, water, gas

Internet & mobileEssential
$33

Home fibre + data

GroceriesEssential
$290

Food at home

Getting around
$40

Transit, rideshare, fuel

Health insuranceEssential
$90

Private cover nomads usually need

Dining & fun
$250

Eating out, coffee, going out

Everything else
$243

Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.

Total living costs$2,266/mo

You meet the income requirement

Needs $3,105/mo.

Your qualifying income

$6,000

Take-home / month

$4,560

76% of income
Living costs / month

$2,266

38% of income
Left over / month

$2,294

38% of income
Where your $6,000 goes each monthSavings rate 38.2%
Per month$6,000

Tax in Spain

Effective rate

24.0%

Beckham Law
Income tax / mo
$1,440
Social security / mo
Not charged

Typically covered by your home country under a totalization agreement, so €0 locally.

Total deductions / mo
$1,440
Take-home / mo
$4,560

Private health insurance is mandatory for this visa — it's already counted in your living costs above.

Telework-visa holders employed by a non-Spanish company can elect a flat 24% on income up to €600,000 (47% above) for up to six years.

vs. United States

Tax

22.8% at home → 24.0% here

$73/mo

Same lifestyle costs

$4,532 at home → $2,266 here

+$2,266/mo

Money left over

$101 at home → $2,294 here

+$2,193/mo
Your money goes 2.0× further here than in New York (PPP-adjusted).

Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.

Requirements

What it takes to qualify

Income & savings

Monthly income (single)
€2,849
Basis
200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI)
Family add-on
+€1,069 spouse · +€357/child
Combine two incomes?
Yes

Add 75% of SMI for the first family member and 25% of SMI for each additional dependent.

The visa

Program
International Telework Visa (Visado de Teletrabajo Internacional)
Introduced
2023
Duration
1 year, renewable
Max total stay
5 years
Fees
$110 (approx)
Who can apply
Employees, Freelancers
Bring family?
Yes
Schengen access
Yes

Consular fee plus a small TIE residence-card fee. Apply from abroad for a 1-year visa or from inside Spain for a 3-year residence authorisation, renewable to five years.

Taxes & contributions

What you'll actually pay

Income tax

Treatment
Foreign income can be taxed
Headline rate
24%
Tax residency at
183 days
Employee social
Usually home-covered
Self-employed social
€320/mo quota

Autónomos pay an income-based social-security quota: ~€80/mo in year one (tarifa plana), then ~€200–€590/mo by net profit. The figure shown is a mid-scale estimate.

Health insurance
Required for the visa

Without the Beckham election, residents pay progressive IRPF up to ~47%.

Special regime · Beckham Law

Rate
24%
Duration
6 years

Telework-visa holders employed by a non-Spanish company can elect a flat 24% on income up to €600,000 (47% above) for up to six years.

This visa requires private health insurance. Get covered with SafetyWing (sponsored)

Reviewed Source: Spain immigration portal

The long game

Path to residency & citizenship

1

On the visa

Year 0–5

Live legally on the International Telework Visa.

2

Permanent residency

~5 years

Settle permanently with full rights.

3

Citizenship

~10 years

Apply for a passport.

Dual citizenship: Case by case

Permanent residence after 5 years; citizenship after 10 (just 2 for nationals of Ibero-American countries, the Philippines, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Sephardic Jews). Spain generally requires renouncing other citizenships except for those nations.

Reviewed Source: Spain immigration portal

On the ground

Typical costs in Valencia

Rent (1-bed)

$1,200

Rent (family)

$1,850

Groceries / person

$290

Utilities

$120

Internet

$33

Transport / person

$40

Health insurance

$90

Dining / person

$250

Cost index 50/100 vs New York · prices are about 61% of US levels (PPP). Monthly figures shown in USD.

The honest take

Highlights & watch-outs

What makes it great

  • Flat 24% tax for up to six years via the Beckham regime.
  • Excellent healthcare and lifestyle for the cost.
  • 3-year residence track renewable to five.

What to watch

  • Citizenship takes 10 years and dual nationality is restricted.
  • Spanish proficiency needed for daily life outside big cities.

Reviewed Source: Spain immigration portal

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