Your residence authorisation as an international teleworker has been granted. The resolution is notified electronically, usually to your lawyer as your representative, and from that moment a series of mandatory steps begins: some must be completed before you start working in Spain, others before your TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) can be issued.
Below are those steps in the order that avoids delays, with what each one requires and which ones need you physically in Spain.
Digital Nomad Visa Next Steps: Approval Is Not the Finish Line
A favourable resolution from the Large Companies Unit (UGE) grants your residence authorisation. What it does not give you yet is the physical residence card, the TIE, or a working setup in Spain.
Five steps stand between the resolution and a fully functional residence, and the first two make the other three much faster:
- Digital certificate to handle Spanish procedures online.
- Spanish bank account, ready before Social Security registration.
- Social Security registration (RETA if self-employed, Régimen General if employed).
- Padrón registration at the town hall where you will live.
- Fingerprint appointment at a Spanish police station to issue the TIE.
The order matters, and so does knowing which steps need you physically in Spain.
Step 1: Get Your Spanish Digital Certificate
The digital certificate (certificado digital) is your electronic identity in front of the Spanish administration. With it you can file and sign procedures online with Social Security, the Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) and your town hall, check your records and receive official notifications, without chasing in-person appointments.
For international teleworkers it makes a real difference: the Social Security and tax steps that follow are much faster when they can be handled online from day one.
Obtaining it as a foreign resident requires identity verification linked to your NIE (Foreigner Identification Number), and the process is not always straightforward. We can take care of it for you.
Contact us for your digital certificate →Step 2: Open a Bank Account Before Registering with Social Security
Social Security contributions are paid by direct debit, so you need a euro account with its IBAN (International Bank Account Number) ready before you register. Opening it now also covers everything that comes next: rent, utilities, tax payments and day-to-day expenses.
These are the banks we recommend to our clients:
Bankinter
Spanish bank · Spanish IBANFully online account opening with a Spanish IBAN, a practical choice for direct debits with the Spanish administration.
Open a Bankinter account →bunq
Digital bank · Opens from your phoneA European mobile bank you can open in minutes from anywhere, with multi-currency features for income paid from abroad.
Open a bunq account →Deutsche Bank
App only · Open from your phoneAn international bank with a branch network in Spain, convenient if you also want in-person service.
Get the Deutsche Bank app on your phone →Qonto
Business account · Freelancers and companiesA business account with invoicing and expense tools, useful if you work as a freelancer or run your own company.
Open a Qonto account →Some of these links are affiliate links: MigratioLex may receive a commission if you open an account through them, at no extra cost to you.
Step 3: Register with Social Security
According to the Ministry of Inclusion guidance for international teleworkers, self-employed applicants commit to registering in the RETA after approval and before starting their activity in Spain. Employees commit to registration in the Régimen General once the authorisation is granted.
This is the most urgent legal obligation, and it can usually be handled remotely with your advisor. The same guidance warns that non-compliance may lead to the termination of the authorisation.
Want to know more about how RETA works for digital nomads? Read here:
Step 4: The Padrón, Where Most Delays Start
Before the fingerprint appointment you need a certificate of registration (volante de empadronamiento) from your town hall. Most municipalities accept one of these:
- A title deed, if you own the property.
- A rental contract in your name, often with the latest rent receipt.
- An owner’s authorisation plus their deed and ID copy, if you stay with someone.
Addresses that are only a coworking space, a virtual office or a tourist rental are generally not accepted. If you rent a room, confirm before paying that the landlord allows registration.
You do not need to live in Madrid or Barcelona. Any municipality works, and some large cities register you without an appointment if you arrive early with complete documents.
Step 5: Fingerprints for the TIE
Fingerprints are taken in person at a police station in Spain. They cannot be taken at a Spanish embassy or consulate abroad, even if travelling is difficult for you.
- Some resolutions now come with an appointment assigned automatically; UGE approvals often do not.
- Otherwise the appointment must be booked online, and availability varies a lot by province.
- In our experience, the card is usually ready about four weeks after fingerprints.
If your trip is short, build in flexibility. A one-week visit with no appointment available is the most common frustration we see at this stage.
Planning to Bring Your Family Later? Do the Maths Now
Many approved nomads apply alone first and bring their family a year or two later. That is a valid strategy, but the income requirement rises with every family member.
With the 2026 minimum wage (Royal Decree 126/2026), the thresholds are:
- Main applicant: €2,849 per month (€34,188 per year).
- First family member: +€1,068 per month.
- Each additional member: +€356 per month.
Example: an applicant who qualified alone and now wants to add a spouse and two children needs about €4,629 per month, roughly €55,500 a year. If your income is structured for tax efficiency, adjust it one or two quarters before the family applications, not the week before.
Family documents such as apostilled birth and marriage certificates also have to be recent when you file, so time them with the application date. Planning the family move? Read here:
Why This Stage Is Harder Than It Looks
- Delaying the RETA registration while waiting for the TIE.
- Booking a short trip before checking fingerprint appointment availability.
- Renting a room where the landlord refuses padrón registration.
- Requesting family documents too early, so they expire before filing.
- Applying for family members without first raising the declared income.
Still at the beginning, or helping a friend who is? For the full picture of the route, see our Spain Digital Nomad Visa overview. And if Spain looks like your route, start your Digital Nomad Visa application to see the income thresholds and documents for your profile.
That favourable resolution in your inbox is real progress. Whether it turns into a TIE in weeks or in months depends on what you do in the next 30 days, and in which order.
Talk to a Lawyer Before You Book That Flight
If you have just been approved and you are unsure how to sequence your digital certificate, bank account, Social Security, padrón and fingerprints, or how to prepare your family’s applications, that is exactly what a consultation is for. At MigratioLex, we review your specific case, not a generic checklist. We respond within 24 hours, in English, French or Spanish.
Book Your Initial ConsultationThis article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Based on Law 14/2013 (art. 74 bis), Royal Decree 1155/2024, Royal Decree 126/2026 and the Ministry of Inclusion UGE guidance in force in October 2026.
