Spanish Digital Nomad Visa 2026: Salary Requirements and Net vs. Gross Income

The salary requirement is the part of Spain's Digital Nomad Visa that confuses most people. The biggest misunderstanding is not the amount itself, but how immigration authorities interpret your income evidence.

This guide explains the 2026 requirements for the Digital Nomad Visa and how to avoid common pitfalls that lead to preventable denials.

Quick Reality Check

This path fits you if you:

• Work remotely for a non-Spanish employer or clients.
• Have stable, recurring income and clean financial records.
• Can document income with contracts plus bank evidence.

This path is harder if you:

• Have irregular freelance revenue with no clear pattern.
• Need to count future income that has not started yet.
• Depend on one-time savings instead of recurring professional income.

The Core Income Rule

Spain links Digital Nomad Visa income to the SMI (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional), the minimum wage benchmark used in this visa category.

Spanish authorities and consulates generally apply the following thresholds:

• Main applicant: 200% of SMI
• First dependent: +75% of SMI
• Each additional dependent: +25% of SMI

Because the SMI can change annually, treat any fixed euro amount found online as temporary. Always verify the current threshold at your consulate or with the Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE).

Net vs Gross: What Actually Matters

In practice, case officers focus on your gross contractual income and whether bank movements consistently support that declared amount.

What helps:

• Employment contracts or client agreements with clear monthly/annual pay.
• Payslips or invoices that match your contract terms.
• Bank statements showing consistent incoming payments.
• Tax filings that do not contradict your declared earnings.

What hurts:

• Presenting only net take-home without gross context.
• Big, unexplained gaps between invoices and bank deposits.
• Sudden short-term income spikes used to "dress" the file.

A Simple Way to Calculate Your Target

1. Confirm the current SMI (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional) used by your processing authority.
2. Convert this to the annual or monthly format required in your jurisdiction.
3. Apply the visa multipliers (200%, +75%, +25%).
4. Add a safety buffer so your evidence is clearly above the minimum.

A practical target is to stay comfortably above the minimum and show consistent income for multiple months.

Income Evidence That Usually Works Best

For employees:

• Employer letter confirming remote work permission from Spain.
• Contract detailing length and salary terms.
• Recent payslips plus corresponding bank statements.

For freelancers/contractors:

• Active service contracts with clear payment terms.
• Invoices plus matching bank credits.
• Tax returns or equivalent filings.
• A portfolio of clients (to reduce concentration risk).

Most Common Rejection Patterns

• The contract states one amount, but bank deposits show another.
• Required documents are not apostilled or officially translated.
• Income is above the threshold only in one or two recent months.
• Dependents are included without enough additional threshold coverage.
• Missing explanation letter for variable freelance income cycles.

What to Do This Week

1. Recalculate your income threshold using the current SMI (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional) reference for your specific consular district or the UGE.
2. Build a single evidence folder containing contracts, invoices/payslips, and matching bank statements.
3. Write a short cover note explaining your income model in plain language.
4. Check that your dependent math is fully covered with a buffer.
5. Confirm health insurance wording early, because income and insurance failures often happen together.

Next step: read Private Health Insurance for Spanish Visas: No Copays and No Deductibles before submitting.