Author Irina Firsova Immigration lawyer in Spain, member of the Barcelona Bar Association no. 46.385 19 September 2026 7 min read Message the author

A digital nomad’s family in Spain: residence for a spouse, children and parents

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, plus €1,068 for the second person and €356 for each additional one.

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.

Whom a digital nomad can bring to Spain and what it takes: income for everyone, a separate application for each person, filing together or later.

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).

A digital nomad’s family members and how to prove it
Who	Condition	How to prove it
Spouse	A marriage recognised in Spain	Marriage certificate with an apostille and a sworn translation
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 or your spouse’s	Birth certificate; if the other parent is not coming, their notarised consent
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). The procedure at the consulate in Moscow is described on its remote worker visa page.
Later. If the family arrives six months or a year later, it applies separately while the nomad’s permit is valid.

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.

A digital nomad’s income threshold in 2026, gross per month
Family	Threshold
Nomad alone	€2,849
Nomad and spouse	€3,917
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).
Spouses’ incomes cannot be combined under the plain wording of the rules: everything about income and savings refers to the main applicant. 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 an apostille and a sworn translation;
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; how to get one is covered in our article on the criminal record certificate;
health insurance — if the family member does not get healthcare through the nomad’s Spanish social security; 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 in 2026 the family’s decision often comes two or three months after the nomad’s. Until then family members remain lawfully in Spain if they applied on time. After approval, each person applies for their own TIE card within a month.

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.

How much money does a digital nomad with a family need?

€2,849 a month for the nomad, plus €1,068 for the second family member and €356 for each additional one. A family of three needs €4,274 a month.

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.

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.

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.