If you are applying for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa this year and want a straight answer on the income threshold, here it is: €2,849 per month for a solo applicant. That figure is not fixed by the visa law itself, it moves every year because it is tied directly to Spain’s minimum wage. And in 2026, that wage went up.
Why the Number Changed in 2026
The income requirement for the Digital Nomad Visa, officially the autorización de residencia para teletrabajo de carácter internacional, is set at 200% of Spain’s Salario Mínimo Interprofesional (SMI). The 2026 SMI was published in the BOE via Real Decreto 126/2026, of 18 February, setting the figure at €1,221 per month in 14 annual payments, a 3.1% increase on 2025.
Because the SMI is paid across 14 months but income is assessed monthly over 12, the correct calculation is €1,221 × 14 ÷ 12 = €1,424.50 monthly equivalent. At 200% of that figure, the minimum income threshold for a single applicant in 2026 is €2,849 per month.
This is not a rounding or an estimate. It is the direct result of applying the statutory formula to the confirmed 2026 SMI.
What the Threshold Means for Each Applicant Type
This is where most guides create confusion, so the figures here are based on the confirmed 2026 SMI of €1,221/month (Real Decreto 126/2026).
The base requirement for a single applicant is 200% of the annualised SMI equivalent, which gives €2,849/month (approximately €34,000/year). For the first family member you include, the threshold rises by 75% of the monthly SMI, adding €916/month. For each additional family member after the first, the increase is 25% of the monthly SMI, approximately €305/month per person.
In practice: a couple applying together needs to demonstrate around €3,765/month (approximately €46,000/year). A couple with one child needs approximately €4,070/month (approximately €49,000/year).
All of this income must come from the main applicant alone. Your family members do not need independent income to qualify as dependents. What matters is that your earnings cover the full household threshold.
How You Prove That Income
The threshold is one thing. Demonstrating it convincingly is another. The administration requires solid proof of income, i.e. bank statements, payslips from a foreign employer, or invoicing records for freelancers, alongside active contracts and documentation confirming the work can be performed remotely.
For employees: payslips for the last three to six months, an employer letter confirming the remote arrangement and gross salary, and the employment contract.
For freelancers and the self-employed: client contracts with a minimum three months of prior professional relationship, invoices showing consistent payment, and bank statements that match those figures. No more than 20% of your total income can come from Spanish clients.
In the case of self-employed applicants, having multiple active contracts is viewed more favourably than dependence on a single client.
Why This Process Is More Technical Than It Looks
The income threshold is the most searched question about this visa, and the easiest part to understand. What trips applicants up is everything around it.
First, the calculation itself. A surprising number of people divide the annual SMI by 12 directly (arriving at €1,221/month) and then double it (€2,442/month): which is wrong. The SMI is paid in 14 instalments. Applying the correct formula adds roughly €407 per month to the real threshold. Submitting a file built around the lower, incorrect figure is a direct route to a requerimiento or a refusal.
Second, currency exposure. If you are paid in USD, GBP, AUD, or CAD, exchange rate movements between the date you check the threshold and the date the administration reviews your file can push you below it. Applicants working near the margin should build in a buffer and document accordingly.
Third, document coherence. The income shown on your contracts, payslips, and bank statements must tell a consistent story. Gaps, unexplained deposits, or amounts that do not match what the contracts state are among the most common reasons for requests for additional documentation, which delay the process by weeks or months.
Finally, the SMI changes every year, and it changed retroactively to 1 January 2026. If you are comparing guidance you read in late 2025 with what the immigration authorities are asking for now, the threshold has shifted. Any file prepared using 2025 figures is out of date.
Book a Consultation with MigratioLex
If you are ready to apply, or not sure yet whether you qualify, an initial consultation with MigratioLex can give you a clear, personalised answer. We review your income structure, calculate the correct threshold for your household, and tell you exactly what documentation is needed to build a file that holds up to scrutiny.
