Can Your Spouse Work in Spain on Your Digital Nomad Visa?
Yes. Under Ley 14/2013, a spouse or partner joining you on Spain's digital nomad visa (visado para teletrabajo de carácter internacional) can work for a Spanish company, as an autónomo, or remotely. In 2026 you, the main applicant, still need €3,918/month to cover you both.
→ Check which visas you qualify for with our free income calculator
This is the quiet surprise of the Spain digital nomad visa (DNV). The person whose remote job got the family the visa has the tighter work rules. Their accompanying spouse doesn't have the same limits. For two-career households, that detail can decide the whole move.
What Does Spanish Law Actually Say About Family Members Working?
Spain's digital nomad visa sits inside Ley 14/2013, the "entrepreneurs law" amended by Ley 28/2022 (the Startup Law). Under its Disposición adicional cuarta, residence authorizations under the law are processed as single permits to "residir y trabajar" (live and work). The UGE-CE, the office that grants them, reads that provision as letting family members work as employees or self-employed.
Here is how the pieces fit together in the consolidated BOE text:
| Provision | What it says, in short |
|---|---|
| Art. 61.1.f | Teletrabajadores de carácter internacional (international teleworkers) are one of the groups covered by this section of the law |
| Art. 62.4 | The spouse or persona con análoga relación de afectividad (unmarried partner), children, and dependent parents can apply "conjunta y simultánea o sucesivamente" (together with you or later) |
| Art. 74 bis.1 | A teleworker in an employment relationship can work only for companies based outside Spain. A teleworker carrying out a professional activity can do up to 20% of that activity for a company based in Spain |
| Disposición adicional cuarta | Permits under the law are processed as a permiso único under EU Directive 2011/98/EU, the single permit to "residir y trabajar" (live and work) |
The Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) processes these permits inside Spain. Its current teleworker FAQ asks ¿Pueden los familiares trabajar en España? and answers yes, citing Disposición adicional cuarta: the authorizations allow residence and work "sin restricciones (tanto por cuenta propia como por cuenta ajena)", meaning without restrictions, as self-employed or employed. Immigration firms describe the family permit the same way. Nomad Immigration Lawyers says it includes a work permit for both employment and self-employment, and Movewise and NIM Extranjería both say a partner can work for Spanish companies.
The 20% cap in Art. 74 bis is written for the titular, the teleworker. Nothing in the family provisions carries it over to the spouse. Your spouse doesn't need a job offer before you apply, doesn't need employer sponsorship, and has no salary floor to meet. They can walk into a Valencia co-working space on a Tuesday and say yes to a local contract.
Who Counts as Family on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?
Married spouses, registered partners and unmarried partners who can prove a stable relationship all qualify. So do children and dependent parents.
| Family member | What consulates generally expect |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Marriage certificate, apostilled and officially translated into Spanish |
| Registered partner (pareja de hecho inscrita) | Certificate of registration from the public registry, apostilled and translated like any other foreign document |
| Unregistered partner | Proof of at least 1 year of cohabitation (the Melbourne consulate says 12 continuous months, or less if you have children together) |
| Children under 18 | Birth certificate, apostilled and translated |
| Adult children | Proof they depend on you financially and haven't formed their own family unit |
| Parents in your care | Proof of dependency |
For Americans, that usually means ordering a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the county clerk, then getting an apostille from the Secretary of State in the state that issued it. Each adult family member also completes most of the main applicant's checklist: passport, NIE, Spanish health insurance, visa-compliant photos (35×45mm, not the US 2×2 inch size) and a criminal record check. For US adults, that check is the FBI Identity History Summary. Our guide to how long an FBI background check stays valid for a Spain visa covers the timing.
How Much Income Does the Main Applicant Need for a Couple or Family?
For 2026, the main applicant needs €2,849/month for themselves. The first dependent adds €1,069/month, and each additional dependent adds €357/month. The count is by position: the first family member costs 75% of SMI whether that's a spouse or a child.
| Household | Monthly income required (2026) |
|---|---|
| Solo applicant | €2,849 |
| Couple | €3,918 |
| Couple + 1 child | €4,275 |
| Couple + 2 children | €4,632 |
| Couple + 3 children | €4,989 |
These figures are 200%, 75% and 25% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (SMI of €1,221 paid 14 times a year, Real Decreto 126/2026), converted to a 12-month equivalent.
Why you may see smaller numbers: Some consulate pages apply the percentages to the €1,221 monthly SMI directly. The Washington DC consulate's telework visa page, for example, lists €2,442 for the main applicant, €916 for the first family member and €306 for each additional one. When official figures differ, we use the higher calculation, so your paperwork isn't borderline at any consulate.
Does your spouse's income count toward the threshold?
Plan as if it doesn't. Art. 62.3.f of Ley 14/2013 requires the applicant to have "recursos económicos suficientes para sí y para los miembros de su familia" (enough money for themselves and their family). Movewise says only the main applicant's income counts, and Machelín Díaz Abogados notes that for joint applications it is enough for the main applicant to prove the income for the whole family. The UGE-CE's document list for family members frames it the same way: for joint applications the teleworker shows resources for the number of relatives, and for later applications the income evidence and bank certificates must be in the teleworker's name. No official source we found expressly rules a spouse's income in or out. So treat your own remote income, topped up with savings if needed, as the thing that has to clear the household number.
There's a practical point too. A Spanish salary your spouse hopes to earn after arrival doesn't exist yet on the day you apply. The consulate is looking at what you can prove now. If your income is tight, our guide to what happens if your Spain DNV income drops below the threshold is worth reading before you file.
How Does a Spouse Actually Start Working in Spain?
Once your spouse holds their family visa or residence authorization and lives in Spain, they choose a work route like any other resident. There's no second permit to request.
| Route | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Employee (trabajador por cuenta ajena) | The Spanish employer registers them with Seguridad Social and withholds income tax from each payslip |
| Self-employed (autónomo) | They register with the Agencia Tributaria and the Seguridad Social self-employed scheme (RETA), then invoice clients in Spain or abroad |
| Remote for a US or other foreign employer | Allowed by the permit, but payroll, social security and tax set-up need an adviser |
Before you leave the US: Gather the family documents above. If your spouse plans to job-hunt, update their CV with the line "authorized to work in Spain, no sponsorship required," along with the month you plan to arrive. Sponsorship is often the first question a recruiter has about an American candidate, so answering it up front helps.
After arrival: Register on the padrón (your town hall registration), open a Spanish bank account for payroll, and start interviewing. If your spouse goes the autónomo route, our guide to autónomo compliance for Spain DNV holders covers quarterly filings and social security quotas.
Social security: Under the 1986 US–Spain social security agreement, the general rule is that you contribute where you work. The Spanish Labour Ministry's guidance puts it plainly for someone hired in Spain: they contribute to Spanish Social Security. Non-overlapping periods paid into each system can later be combined toward pension eligibility, subject to minimum contribution periods (at least 1 year in Spain and a year and a half in the US, per the Consejería's HI-2 sheet).
Ongoing: The family permit follows the main applicant's. The consulate visa lasts up to 1 year. A residence authorization from the UGE-CE lasts up to 3 years, and renewals run for 2 years (Ley 14/2013, Arts. 74 quater and 74 quinquies). If the main applicant stops qualifying, the family's status is at stake too. Your spouse's Spanish job doesn't replace the teleworker's remote one as the basis for the permit.
And the job itself? Spain's Estatuto de los Trabajadores guarantees at least 30 calendar days of paid vacation a year (Art. 38), plus two extra salary payments, one of them at Christmas (Art. 31). Your spouse's first Spanish summer may include more beach than their last three American ones combined.
What Happens to Your Taxes When Both of You Earn?
Two incomes in Spain means two sets of tax questions, one Spanish and one American.
Spain: the Beckham Law family rule. The régimen especial de impatriados (Art. 93 LIRPF) taxes employment income at 24% up to €600,000. Since Ley 28/2022, remote workers holding the international telework visa can qualify as the main taxpayer. Your spouse and children under 25 can opt in too, under four conditions set out by the Agencia Tributaria. They must move with you, or later within your first tax year under the regime. They must become Spanish tax residents. They must not have been Spanish tax residents in the previous 5 years. And their combined base liquidable (taxable base) must be lower than yours.
That last condition is the one two-career couples miss. If your spouse's new Spanish salary is larger than your remote income, they generally can't join the special regime and are taxed at normal progressive rates. Each person elects separately on Modelo 149. The main taxpayer files first, within six months of the start date on their Seguridad Social registration. Family members then have until the later of six months from entering Spain or six months from the main taxpayer's start date. Our Beckham Law explainer covers the details.
US: two exclusions, not one. US citizens still file a Form 1040 wherever they live once their income meets the filing threshold (excluded foreign income still counts toward it), and the exclusion can only be claimed on a filed return. For tax year 2026, the IRS foreign earned income exclusion (Form 2555) is $132,900 per person. When both spouses work abroad and each passes the bona fide residence test or the 330-day physical presence test, each can claim their own exclusion. Whether the exclusion or foreign tax credits work better against Spanish rates is worth a conversation with a cross-border tax adviser before your first filing season.
How Does This Compare to the Spain NLV and the Netherlands DAFT?
Spain's DNV and the Netherlands DAFT both give accompanying partners open work rights. Spain's non-lucrative visa does the opposite.
| Spain DNV | Spain NLV | Netherlands DAFT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main applicant's work | Remote for non-Spanish companies (professionals: up to 20% for Spanish companies) | No work of any kind, including remote | Own business only |
| Accompanying spouse's work | Employed or self-employed, including for Spanish companies | Not allowed | Open work rights (arbeid vrij toegestaan) |
| Unmarried partner eligible | Yes, with proof of stable relationship | Yes, with proof of stable relationship | See our DAFT unmarried partner guide |
The Washington DC consulate's NLV page says that visa "does not allow any type of work or professional activity, including remotely (online)," and family members receive the same non-lucrative visa. If one of you plans to work in Spain, the DNV is usually the better fit. Our Spain NLV vs DNV comparison walks through the full decision. The Dutch version of this setup is covered in can your spouse work in the Netherlands on a DAFT visa.
Many couples assume that "digital nomad visa" means one person works remotely and the other waits it out. In Spain, the accompanying spouse ends up with the broadest work rights in the household, and a real shot at a local career, a local network and a life that isn't just tagging along.
If you're bringing children as well, our guide to enrolling kids in school on a Spain digital nomad visa covers the next piece. The whole household's paperwork starts from the same place: our complete Spain Digital Nomad Visa guide.
Ready to prepare your documents? Our platform generates your Spain DNV application package, with forms pre-filled for you and each family member, plus a checklist that knows who needs what. Start your free assessment → It takes about five minutes, and nobody is going to email you 47 times afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my spouse work for a Spanish company on my digital nomad visa?
Generally, yes. Family members of international teleworkers get a residence authorization under Ley 14/2013 that allows employed or self-employed work (Disposición adicional cuarta), as the UGE-CE's current FAQ confirms. The 20% cap on work for Spanish companies in Art. 74 bis applies to the main teleworker, not the accompanying spouse.
How much income do I need to bring my spouse on the Spain digital nomad visa in 2026?
A couple needs €3,918/month in 2026: €2,849 for the main applicant plus €1,069 for the first dependent. Each additional dependent adds €357/month, so a couple with two children needs €4,632/month. Some consulate pages publish lower figures, but using the higher calculation keeps you covered everywhere.
Does my spouse's income count toward the Spain DNV income requirement?
You should assume it doesn't. Ley 14/2013 puts the burden on the applicant to show enough money "for themselves and their family," and at least one immigration firm says only the main applicant's income counts. No official source we reviewed settles the question explicitly, so plan around your own remote income plus savings.
Can an unmarried partner come on the Spain digital nomad visa?
Yes. Registered partners qualify with their registration certificate. Unregistered partners generally need proof of at least 1 year of cohabitation, or less if they have children together. Consulates expect foreign documents to be apostilled and officially translated into Spanish.
Can my spouse join me later instead of applying at the same time?
Yes. Art. 62.4 of Ley 14/2013 lets family members apply together with the teleworker or afterward. Applications filed at the same time are decided at the same time, and the family permit follows the main applicant's: up to 1 year on the consulate visa and up to 3 years on a UGE-CE authorization.
Can a dependent spouse work on Spain's non-lucrative visa?
No. The non-lucrative visa bars any work or professional activity, including remote work, and family members hold the same non-working residence. Couples where one partner plans to work in Spain usually look at the digital nomad visa instead.
Can both spouses claim the US foreign earned income exclusion?
Yes, if each of you qualifies. For tax year 2026 the exclusion is $132,900 per person, claimed on Form 2555. Each spouse must pass the bona fide residence test or the 330-day physical presence test on their own.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Requirements change frequently — always verify current requirements with the relevant consulate or a qualified immigration lawyer before applying.
Sources:
Official sources
- Ley 14/2013, de 27 de septiembre, de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalización, consolidated text, Arts. 61, 62, 74 bis–74 quinquies and Disposición adicional cuarta, Boletín Oficial del Estado: https://www.boe.es/buscar/pdf/2013/BOE-A-2013-10074-consolidado.pdf
- Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE), "Teletrabajadores de carácter internacional": https://www.inclusion.gob.es/en/web/unidadgrandesempresas/teletrabajadores
- UGE-CE, digital nomad FAQs in Spanish (Q17, family members working) and English (Q18): https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/unidadgrandesempresas/nomadas-digitales-faqs-espanol and https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/unidadgrandesempresas/digital-nomad-faqs-english
- UGE-CE, documentation to be provided by family members (documents and income evidence): https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/unidadgrandesempresas/informacion-documentacion-pagina-web-familiares-v2
- Consulate General of Spain in Washington DC, "Telework Visa" (family members, income amounts): https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/washington/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Telework-visa.aspx
- Consulate General of Spain in Washington DC, "Non-working Residency Visa": https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/washington/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Visado-de-residencia-no-lucrativa.aspx
- Consulate General of Spain in Melbourne, "Digital Nomad" information sheet (family members, partner cohabitation proof): https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/melbourne/en/ServiciosConsulares/Documents/IMPORTANT%20INFORMATION.Digital%20Nomad.pdf
- Consulate General of Spain in Santiago de Chile, "Visado de residencia de teletrabajo de carácter internacional" (familiares): https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/santiagodechile/es/ServiciosConsulares/Documents/Requisitos%20visado%20TEL.pdf
- Agencia Tributaria, "Régimen especial para trabajadores, profesionales, emprendedores e inversores desplazados a territorio español" (Art. 93 LIRPF): https://sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/ayuda/manuales-videos-folletos/manuales-practicos/manual-tributacion-no-residentes/regimenes-opcionales/regimen-especial-impatriados.html
- Consejería de Trabajo, Migraciones y Seguridad Social en Estados Unidos, "Convenio bilateral seguridad social España–Estados Unidos" (HI-2): https://consejeria.mites.gob.es/content/dam/mites-consejerias/eeuu/ficheros/hojas-informativas-y-formularios/HI-2_convenio_bilateral_seguridad_social_espanya_eeuu.pdf
- Agencia Tributaria, "Modelo 149. IRPF. Régimen especial aplicable a los trabajadores desplazados": https://sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/irpf/tengo-que-presentar-declaracion/regimen-fiscal-aplicable-trabajadores-desplazados/modelo-149.html
- Agencia Tributaria, "Instrucciones para cumplimentar la comunicación" (Modelo 149 deadlines): https://sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/todas-gestiones/impuestos-tasas/impuesto-sobre-renta-personas-fisicas/modelo-149-irpf-comunicacion-opcion-exclusion_/instrucciones-cumplimentar-comunicacion.html
- Estatuto de los Trabajadores (Real Decreto Legislativo 2/2015), Arts. 31 and 38, via Iberley: https://www.iberley.es/legislacion/articulo-38-estatuto-trabajadores and https://www.iberley.es/legislacion/articulo-31-estatuto-trabajadores
- Internal Revenue Service, "Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion": https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/figuring-the-foreign-earned-income-exclusion
- Internal Revenue Service, "Foreign earned income exclusion": https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-earned-income-exclusion
- Internal Revenue Service, "U.S. citizens and residents abroad filing requirements": https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/us-citizens-and-residents-abroad-filing-requirements
- Internal Revenue Service, "Instructions for Form 2555" (choice made on a timely filed return): https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i2555
Corroborating sources
- Asociación Progestión, "Presentación solicitudes teletrabajadores de carácter internacional y FAQ" (reproduces a January 2023 version of the UGE FAQ): https://blogextranjeriaprogestion.org/2023/01/16/aviso-presentacion-solicitudes-teletrabajadores-caracter-internacional-y-faq/
- Machelín Díaz Abogados, "Familiares de Teletrabajadores Internacionales: requisitos, documentos y presentación ante UGE": https://machelindiaz.com/familiares-de-teletrabajadores-internacionales-requisitos-documentos-y-presentacion-ante-uge/
- Nomad Immigration Lawyers, "Can I Bring My Partner or Family with the Digital Nomad Visa in Spain?": https://nomadimmigrationlawyers.com/blog/can-i-bring-my-partner-or-family-with-the-digital-nomad-visa-in-spain/
- Movewise, "How to Bring Your Family on a Digital Nomad Visa Spain": https://www.movewise.net/en/how-to-bring-your-family-on-a-digital-nomad-visa-spain-2025-guide
- NIM Extranjería, "Which Countries Allow a Spouse to Find Work on a Digital Nomad Visa": https://nimextranjeria.com/which-countries-allow-spouse-to-find-work-on-digital-nomad-visa/
- Y-Axis, "Is a spouse allowed to work on a digital nomad visa in Spain?": https://www.y-axis.com/blog/can-a-spouse-work-on-a-digital-nomad-visa-in-spain/
- Devesa Abogados, "Novedades en el régimen fiscal especial aplicable a los trabajadores... desplazados a territorio español": https://www.devesa.law/novedades-en-el-regimen-fiscal-especial-aplicable-a-los-trabajadores-profesionales-emprendedores-e-inversores-desplazados-a-territorio-espanol-con-efectos-desde-el-1-de-enero-de-2023/
- Conesa Legal, "Bilateral Social Security Agreement between Spain and United States": https://www.conesalegal.com/en/info/bilateral-social-security-agreement-between-spain-united-states