Author Dmitry Sheynkman Residence permit expert, tax adviser 17 September 2026 9 min read Message the author

Moving to Spain from Pakistan in 2026: digital nomad visa, startup visa and non-lucrative permit

To move to Spain from Pakistan, most people who work remotely or run a business use one of three residence routes: the digital nomad permit for remote work for companies outside Spain, the startup visa for an innovative business, or the non-lucrative permit for living on savings without working. Pakistanis need a Spanish national visa or a Schengen visa to enter; national visas are handled by the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad, which covers the whole country. Documents from Pakistan are accepted in Spain with an apostille and a sworn Spanish translation.

Below: which route fits your income, how and where Pakistani citizens apply, which documents to prepare, what happens with social security and taxes, and what to know about moving a family and driving in Spain. General requirements for each permit are covered in our guide to Spanish residence permits.

The digital nomad permit suits most people who earn from abroad; the startup visa and the non-lucrative permit cover business founders and those living on capital.

1. Digital nomad permit: the main route for remote professionals

The digital nomad permit (teletrabajo de carácter internacional, Law 14/2013) lets you live in Spain and work remotely for companies located outside Spain. It fits Pakistani citizens who are employed by a foreign company or who provide services to foreign clients as freelancers.

Who qualifies: employees of a company that has operated for at least a year, with at least three months of working relationship; freelancers with contracts with foreign clients, where Spanish clients may account for no more than 20% of the work.
Qualification: a university degree or vocational qualification, or at least three years of professional experience in the field.
Income: at least €2,849 a month for the applicant, plus €1,068 for the first family member and €356 for each additional one. With salary paid in another currency, keep a margin for exchange-rate swings.
Family: a spouse or registered partner and children can apply together with you and get permits for the same period.
Duration: applied for from Spain, the permit is issued for up to three years at once and then renewed for two years. Applied for at the consulate, you first receive a one-year visa, then a residence permit in Spain.

Applying from Pakistan or from Spain

At the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad — the national digital nomad visa. Digital nomad visa applications are lodged at the Embassy itself: you request an appointment by email to emb.islamabad.vis@maec.es with the subject “solicitud de cita visado nómada digital”. The consulate decides within 10 working days.
From Spain — online with the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE), while you are in Spain legally, for example on a Schengen visa. The UGE decides within 20 working days, and if it does not reply in time the application counts as approved. This route gives a three-year permit straight away but requires planning the trip around the Schengen visa’s validity.

An employee must either be registered in Spanish Social Security by the foreign employer — Spain has no social security agreement with Pakistan. A freelancer registers in Spain as autónomo and pays monthly contributions. Without Social Security registration the permit can be terminated — for the holder and the family — so this step cannot be postponed; see residence permit cancellation in Spain. Employees who become Spanish tax residents may be able to opt for the Beckham Law with a flat 24% rate on employment income; freelancers cannot.

2. Startup visa: for founders of an innovative business

The startup visa (residence for entrepreneurs, Law 14/2013) is for people who move to Spain to develop an innovative business project with growth potential. It suits Pakistani founders who want to run the company from Spain rather than work remotely for someone else.

Key document: a favourable report from ENISA, the state innovation agency, on the business plan — it assesses innovation, scalability and the team.
Duration: up to three years, then renewed for two years if the business is really operating.
Family can apply together with the founder.
Where: from Spain online with the UGE, or as a visa at the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad.
After approval the business must actually start: set up the company and register with Social Security. In 2025–2026 the UGE checked startup visa holders who had not done so and terminated permits — details in startup visa renewal.

3. Non-lucrative permit: living on capital without working

The non-lucrative permit is for those who can support themselves from savings, rental or investment income and do not plan to work in Spain.

Funds: at least €2,400 a month for the applicant and €600 for each family member, for the whole period of the permit.
Where: only at the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad as the consulate for your place of residence — it cannot be applied for from Spain.
Restrictions: no work in Spain, including remote work; private health insurance with a Spanish insurer; to renew, you need to spend most of the year in Spain.

For people with significant capital, Spain also has residence routes linked to investment; the former golden visa for buying property has been abolished — see Spain golden visa.

Where Pakistani citizens apply

Jurisdiction. The consular section in Islamabad covers the whole of Pakistan; the honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore do not handle visa applications.
Place of submission. Most national visas are lodged at the Spain Visa Application Centre (Intiana, thespainvisa.com) in Islamabad, which moved to new premises on 6 July 2026; there are also centres in Lahore and Karachi.
Before you book. Some visa pages on the Embassy website still name older operators (TCS Visatronix, BLS). Before booking, check the current place of submission on the Embassy’s general visa page.
Entry. Pakistani passport holders also need an airport transit visa for a connection in any Schengen airport, including Spain — plan direct flights or book the transit visa with the trip.
Fees. The national visa fee is paid in Pakistani rupees at the equivalent of the euro amount set by Spanish rules; the Embassy does not publish the rupee figure.

Official information and the current lists of documents are on the website of the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad.

Documents from Pakistan: apostille, police certificate, translations

Apostille. Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention with effect from 9 March 2023, and Spain did not object, so the apostille works between the two countries. Since 17 May 2024 Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs apostilles documents (apostille.mofa.gov.pk), and the Spanish Embassy no longer legalises them.
Police certificate. The Embassy names the National Police Bureau in Islamabad as the authority issuing the police certificate; it must be recent (the Embassy’s work-visa pages accept certificates issued within 6 months), apostilled and translated into Spanish. For the non-lucrative permit a certificate is needed from every country where you lived in the last five years.
Translations. Documents not in Spanish need a sworn translation (traducción jurada). Plan for the degree, employment contract or client contracts, company documents, police certificate, and marriage and birth certificates.
Degree. For the digital nomad permit a foreign degree does not have to be homologated; if you plan regulated work in Spain, see degree homologation in Spain.
Passport. For the non-lucrative permit the Embassy in Islamabad asks for a passport valid for at least one year.

Spain has no social security agreement with Pakistan. For a digital nomad this means there is no way to stay in the Pakistani system with a certificate: an employee must be registered in Spanish Social Security by the foreign employer, and a freelancer registers as autónomo.

Taxes when moving from Pakistan

Tax residence. You become a Spanish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain or your main economic interests are here; a resident declares worldwide income — see Spanish tax residency.
Treaty. Spain and Pakistan have a double taxation agreement on income, signed in Madrid on 2 June 2010 and in force since 18 May 2011 (BOE-A-2011-8456). It covers income taxes only — not wealth tax. The treaty decides which country may tax each type of income and how tax paid abroad is credited — text in the BOE.
Beckham Law. Employees moving for work, including employed digital nomads, may opt for a flat 24% rate on Spanish employment income up to €600,000 and exclude most foreign income for six years.
Wealth. Residents with large assets may owe wealth tax and the solidarity tax on large fortunes; savings, investments and property abroad above €50,000 per block are reported on form 720.
Source of funds. Spanish banks check where large transfers come from. Before moving capital, gather statements, sale contracts and tax returns that show its origin — this is also useful for the non-lucrative permit.

Family, community and driving

Community. Pakistanis are one of Spain’s largest non-EU communities: 116,641 people on 1 January 2025 (INE annual population census), almost half of them — 54,935 — in the province of Barcelona, followed by Valencia (11,037), Alicante (5,247), Tarragona (5,004) and Madrid (4,445). Where to live depends on budget and lifestyle: compare the best cities to live in Spain, Madrid, Málaga and Marbella.
Driving licence. Pakistan is not on the DGT list of countries whose driving licences can be exchanged. A Pakistani licence is valid for up to six months after you become resident; after that you must pass the Spanish tests. More in how to get a driving licence in Spain.
First steps after arrival: the TIE card within a month of arrival on a visa, a bank account and health insurance.
Citizenship. Spanish citizenship generally requires ten years of legal residence, and Spain asks new citizens to renounce their previous nationality unless an exception applies — see Spanish citizenship.

If your income comes from several sources, you plan to move capital or the family has different statuses, it is worth choosing the route and the order of steps in a consultation before booking the visa appointment.

FAQ

Can Pakistanis get a digital nomad visa for Spain?

Yes. Pakistanis who work remotely for a company outside Spain or provide services to foreign clients can apply for the digital nomad permit, either as a visa at the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad or online from Spain while staying legally. They need income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage and a degree or three years of experience.

Where do Pakistani citizens apply for a Spanish national visa?

The consular section in Islamabad covers the whole of Pakistan; the honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore do not handle visa applications. Most national visas are lodged at the Spain Visa Application Centre (Intiana, thespainvisa.com) in Islamabad, which moved to new premises on 6 July 2026; there are also centres in Lahore and Karachi.

Do documents from Pakistan need an apostille for Spain?

Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention with effect from 9 March 2023, and Spain did not object, so the apostille works between the two countries. Documents also need a sworn Spanish translation.

No. A digital nomad from Pakistan must be registered in Spanish Social Security — by the foreign employer for employees, or as autónomo for freelancers.

Is there a double taxation agreement between Spain and Pakistan?

Spain and Pakistan have a double taxation agreement on income, signed in Madrid on 2 June 2010 and in force since 18 May 2011 (BOE-A-2011-8456). It covers income taxes only — not wealth tax.

Can I exchange a Pakistani driving licence in Spain?

Pakistan is not on the DGT list of countries whose driving licences can be exchanged. A Pakistani licence is valid for up to six months after you become resident; after that you must pass the Spanish tests.

Which Spanish residence permit is best for someone from Pakistan with savings but no remote job?

The non-lucrative permit, applied for at the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad: it requires funds of 400% of IPREM a month plus 100% for each family member and does not allow work. Founders with an innovative project can consider the startup visa instead.