🇪🇸 Spain visa requirements

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can stay indefinitely. That's it. For everyone else, it’s a bit more complicated.

Who gets to stay without a fuss?

If you hold a passport from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you're golden. No visa, no time limit, just pack your bags and go. For citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and a handful of others (around 60 countries total), you get 90 days within any 180-day period in the Schengen Area, which Spain is part of. This is your tourist stamp allowance. It's visa-free, but it's not unlimited.

For most other nationalities, you’ll need to apply for a Schengen visa in advance. This usually means proving you have enough funds to support yourself, a return ticket, and travel insurance. The process can take weeks, sometimes months, so don't leave it to the last minute.

The 90/180-day dance and its pitfalls

That 90-day limit within any 180-day period for visa-free travellers sounds simple, but it trips people up. It’s not 90 days per country; it’s 90 days across the entire Schengen zone. Spend a month in Spain, a week in France, and 40 days in Italy, and you’ve hit your limit. You have to leave the Schengen area entirely for 90 days before you can re-enter.

What happens if you miscalculate? Overstaying can lead to fines, deportation, and bans from re-entering the Schengen zone for years. Fines can range from €100 per day of overstay up to €10,000 and even jail time. It’s not worth the risk. Be meticulous with your entry and exit dates. And yes, they do check exit stamps.

Working remotely on a tourist stamp: a legal tightrope

Can you work remotely from Spain on a tourist visa or your 90/180-day visa-free allowance? Technically, no. The tourist stamp is for tourism, not for employment, even if that employment is remote and you’re not earning money within Spain. Spanish authorities, and Schengen border guards, generally frown upon this. It’s a legal grey area that many digital nomads inhabit.

Enforcement varies wildly. Some individuals work openly from co-working spaces for months without issue. Others have been questioned at airports or during police checks. If you’re running a small blog or doing a few hours a week, you're likely fine. If you’re managing a team or have a full-time job with a foreign company that requires significant hours, you’re technically breaking the rules. Spain does have a digital nomad visa now, designed specifically for this purpose. It’s a much safer, albeit more bureaucratic, route.

What’s new in Spanish visa land?

Spain launched its dedicated Digital Nomad Visa in mid-2023. This is a game-changer for remote workers who want to stay longer than 90 days legally. It allows non-EU citizens to live and work remotely in Spain for up to five years, renewable. The income requirement is roughly €2,520 per month for a single applicant, or 200% of the minimum wage. It requires a clean criminal record, health insurance, and proof of remote work for at least a year.

Beyond the nomad visa, there haven't been major shifts in the standard Schengen rules for most nationalities in the last 12-18 months. The eVisa system for Schengen is still in development and not yet fully rolled out for Spain, so don't rely on that for immediate travel plans. Always check the latest requirements with the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country before you book anything.