On a Spanish digital nomad permit you can bring your spouse or partner, children under 18, children under 26 if they are dependent and studying or looking for work, and dependent parents — your own and your spouse’s. They all get residence under the same Law 14/2013 and can work in Spain without restriction.
The family applies together with the nomad or later: online with the UGE from Spain, or with a family member visa through a consulate. The nomad’s income has to cover everyone: €2,849 a month for the nomad, €3,918 for two people and €4,274 for three. The second person adds 75% of the minimum wage to the threshold, and each additional one another 25%.
Each family member files their own application on form MI-F and pays their own fee. The family’s status depends on the nomad: if the nomad loses the permit, so does the family. How a family moves on other routes is covered in «Spanish residence permit for families».
Step-by-step guide with a checklist and a PDF: How to get residence permits for a digital nomad’s family in Spain.
Who counts as a digital nomad’s family
The family circle is set by Article 62.4 of Law 14/2013, and how to prove the relationship and dependency is set out in the UGE document for family members (UGE: family).
| Who | Condition | How to prove it |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | A marriage recognised in Spain | Marriage certificate with a sworn translation and, as a rule, an apostille |
| Partner | A registered partnership, or a year of living together plus two of four criteria; with a child in common the year is not needed | Joint account, registration at the same address, joint lease or mortgage, joint business |
| Children under 18 | Your own, your spouse’s or your partner’s, including from a previous marriage | Birth certificate; if the other parent is not coming, their notarised consent for the child to live in Spain |
| Children aged 18–26 | Dependent: no income or benefits, studying or looking for work, no family of their own | Certificates of no income, enrolment or registration with the employment service, a marital status certificate |
| Children over 26 | Only with a disability that prevents them from supporting themselves | Medical documents |
| Parents (yours and your spouse’s) | Dependent, financially or because of serious illness; over 80, dependency is presumed | A year of living together or regular transfers, medical reports |
- An unmarried partner does not get healthcare through the nomad’s Spanish social security and needs their own insurance (UGE: family).
- Parents are the hardest case. Dependency must be real, stable and pre-date the application, not arise for the sake of residence. The UGE asks for a certificate that the parent receives no public benefits; the UGE documents say nothing directly about pensions, and retired parents are approved least often.
How to apply: together or later, from Spain or through a consulate
The family can apply at the same time as the nomad or later (Article 62.4 of Law 14/2013). If the applications are filed together, the law says the decisions are issued together.
- From Spain. A family member who is lawfully in Spain, including after entering on a Schengen visa or visa-free, files form MI-F online with the UGE (form MI-F).
- Through a consulate. From abroad, you get a family member visa at the consulate in your country of residence; the visa decision takes 10 working days (Article 75.5 of the law).
- Later. If the family arrives six months or a year later, it applies separately while the nomad’s permit is valid.
The nomad first, the family later. Families do this when they need time for documents or the nomad wants to settle in first. The advantage: by the time the family files, the nomad is already registered with Spanish social security, so family members do not need private insurance (see the documents section). The downsides: government fees and document preparation twice; the family’s permits end on the same date as the nomad’s, so their first permit is shorter; the spouse cannot work until their permit is granted; family applications currently take several months, and there is no way to speed them up.
Official MI-F form on the Ministry of Inclusion website ↗
How the nomad’s own application works is covered in our article on the digital nomad visa. Families of EU citizens and Spaniards follow different rules — see our article on the EU family member card — and holders of an ordinary residence permit use family reunification.
How much money a family needs
The threshold is based on the minimum wage: 200% for the nomad, plus 75% for the second family member and 25% for each additional one (2023 joint instruction, point 3; UGE FAQ, question 19). The income must come from work and belong to the nomad.
| Family | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Nomad alone | €2,849 |
| Nomad and spouse | €3,918 |
| Nomad, spouse and one child | €4,274 |
| Nomad, spouse and two children | €4,630 |
- If income falls short, the gap is covered by savings in the nomad’s name for the whole permit period (UGE: family). In practice this is reliable when the gap is no more than 20% of the threshold.
- Spouses’ incomes are not officially combined: everything about income and savings refers to the main applicant. The rules contain no express ban, but we know of no case where a spouse’s income was counted. If both work remotely, it is better for the higher earner to be the nomad.
- Practice varies. In one region a family was refused with €11,000 in savings, in another approved with €3,000, so it is best to show a comfortable margin.
Documents for a family member
- application form MI-F marked “family member of a remote worker”;
- fee 790-038 for each person — €73.26 for an initial application (UGE FAQ); general fee rules in our article on 790 fees;
- a copy of every page of the passport;
- marriage and birth certificates with a sworn translation and, as a rule, an apostille;
- a criminal record certificate — only for those aged 18 or over: for the last two years plus a declaration of no convictions for five years;
- health insurance — if the family member does not get healthcare through the nomad’s Spanish social security. If the nomad is registered as autónomo or through an employer, the spouse or registered partner and the children do not need a policy (UGE: family): after approval the nomad registers them as beneficiaries with social security (INSS). This matters when a private insurer would not cover a family member without exclusions, for example a child with a disability; suitable policies in our article on health insurance;
- proof of dependency for children over 18 and parents.
Timelines, and why the family’s decision comes later
By law the family gets a decision within the same period as the nomad — 20 working days, and if the UGE does not reply, the application is deemed approved (Article 76.1 of Law 14/2013). When filed together, the decisions should arrive together. How to request a decision by silence is covered in UGE silence.
In practice it can go differently. In the case Nomad permit from Poland: a bank statement request and approval in 34 days the applicant and her husband filed on the same day, 22 September; the applicant was approved on 26 October, while the husband’s decision had not yet arrived that day.
In practice in 2026 the family’s decision often comes two or three months after the nomad’s. There is no way to speed this up: there is no fast-track procedure for families, and the Ministry is currently overloaded. Until then family members remain lawfully in Spain if they applied on time. After approval, each person applies for their own TIE card. Law 14/2013 sets no deadline of its own for this; the general deadline is one month (Article 209.1 of Regulation RD 1155/2024), and it is best to meet it.
Tell us your situation — we reply within the hour
What family members can do
- Work without restriction — employed by a Spanish company or self-employed (UGE FAQ, question 17). The 20% cap on Spanish clients applies only to the nomad. A self-employed family member registers as autónomo.
- Study: children attend state school free of charge (Article 9 of Law 4/2000).
- Get healthcare: through the nomad’s Spanish social security or their own insurance.
A child born in Spain
The child is added with the same form MI-F marked “child born in Spain”, after the birth is registered and the child has a passport from the parents’ country (ministry guidance). Such applications are processed quickly.
A child of foreign parents does not automatically get Spanish citizenship (Article 17 of the Civil Code), but can apply after just one year of lawful residence in Spain (Article 22.2.a). More in our article on Spanish citizenship.
Renewal, and when something changes in the family
- Renewal. Each family member files form MI-F marked as a renewal, a copy of the passport and the nomad’s declaration that the marriage and cohabitation continue (UGE guidance). For a child who has turned 18, dependency must be proven again. Filing deadlines are covered in our article on renewing a digital nomad permit.
- If the nomad loses the permit — for example, by not registering with social security in time — the family loses it too (UGE FAQ, question 7).
- Divorce or separation. The change is reported to the UGE within 30 days. Law 14/2013 gives family members no independent permit: a former spouse switches to their own basis — for example, their own digital nomad permit or by switching to autónomo residence.
We handle a digital nomad’s family together with the main applicant as part of the digital nomad permit process. Spanish terms such as MI-F, silencio administrativo and TIE are briefly explained in the Spanish residence glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Whom can I bring on a Spanish digital nomad permit?
Your spouse or partner, children under 18, dependent children under 26, disabled children over 26, and dependent parents — your own and your spouse’s.
Can I bring my child from a previous marriage?
Yes. A child under 18 from a previous marriage counts as family in the same way as a child you have together, whether the child is the nomad’ own or the spouse’ or partner’. You need the birth certificate and the other parent’ notarised consent for the child to live in Spain. The child can also apply later, once the family already holds permits; the nomad’ income then has to cover another 25% of the minimum wage.
How much money does a digital nomad with a family need?
€2,849 a month for the nomad. The second family member adds 75% of the minimum wage to the threshold, and each additional one another 25%: a couple needs €3,918 a month, a family of three €4,274.
Can spouses combine their incomes?
Under the rules, no: income and savings must belong to the main applicant. If income falls short, the gap is covered by the nomad’s savings for the whole permit period. In practice this is reliable when the gap is no more than 20% of the threshold.
Can the family come later than the nomad?
Yes. The family applies together with the nomad or later, while the nomad’s permit is valid: online with the UGE from Spain or with a family member visa through a consulate.
Does my family need private insurance if I am registered as autónomo?
No. If the nomad is registered with Spanish social security, as autónomo or through an employer, the UGE does not require a private policy from the nomad, the spouse or registered partner, or the children. After approval the nomad registers them as beneficiaries with social security (INSS), and their healthcare has no exclusions or waiting periods. An unmarried partner who is not in a partnership register still needs a policy.
Can family members work in Spain?
Yes, without restriction — employed or self-employed, including for Spanish companies. The 20% cap on Spanish clients applies only to the nomad.
Do family members need a criminal record certificate?
Only those aged 18 or over: for the last two years plus a declaration of no convictions for five years.
Why was the nomad approved but not the family yet?
By law, decisions on joint applications should come together, but in practice in 2026 the family often waits two or three months longer. If the application was filed on time, family members remain lawfully in Spain.
Can the nomad be approved and the family refused?
Yes. The cause is almost always the family’s documents, not the nomad: the relationship with an unmarried partner is not proven, an apostille or sworn translation is missing, a criminal record certificate has expired, or the income does not cover everyone. If the family files later, the nomad is checked as of the family’s filing date too: a valid permit and social security registration.
Will a child born in Spain get citizenship?
Not automatically. The child is added to the parent’s permit on form MI-F and can apply for citizenship after one year of lawful residence.
What happens to my family’s permits if I change my residence route?
Your family changes route after you: a nomad’s spouse and children hold derived permits, issued under Law 14/2013 (Article 62.4) and tied to yours. If the main holder switches to cuenta propia or another general-regime route, an EX-02 form for family reunification residence is filed for each family member, each with their own 790-052 fee, once the main holder’s application has been accepted for processing, without waiting for the decision. If the main holder’s permit is terminated, the family loses the right to live and work in Spain too. Until the family’s visas are issued and their TIE cards are in hand, it is best not to change your route.
Sources
- Who counts as a digital nomad’s family
- How to apply: together or later, from Spain or through a consulate
- How much money a family needs
- Documents for a family member
- Timelines, and why the family’s decision comes later
- What family members can do
- A child born in Spain
- Renewal, and when something changes in the family
- Frequently asked questions
- Whom can I bring on a Spanish digital nomad permit?
- Can I bring my child from a previous marriage?
- How much money does a digital nomad with a family need?
- Can spouses combine their incomes?
- Can the family come later than the nomad?
- Does my family need private insurance if I am registered as autónomo?
- Can family members work in Spain?
- Do family members need a criminal record certificate?
- Why was the nomad approved but not the family yet?
- Can the nomad be approved and the family refused?
- Will a child born in Spain get citizenship?
- What happens to my family’s permits if I change my residence route?
- Sources
