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

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

To move to Spain from Tunisia, 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. Tunisians need a Spanish national visa or a Schengen visa to enter; national visas are handled by the Embassy of Spain in Tunis, which covers the whole country. Documents from Tunisia are accepted in Spain with an apostille and a sworn Spanish translation.

Below: which route fits your income, how and where Tunisian 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 Tunisian 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 Tunisia or from Spain

At the Embassy of Spain in Tunis — the national digital nomad visa. Digital nomad and work visas are lodged at BLS after an appointment by email; highly qualified professional visas go directly to the consular section by appointment at emb.tunez.vis@maec.es. 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 stay in the Tunisian system with a coverage certificate if the Tunisian fund issues one for remote workers, or be registered in Spanish Social Security by the foreign employer. 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 Tunisian 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 Tunis.
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 Tunis 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 Tunisian citizens apply

Jurisdiction. The consular section of the Embassy in Tunis covers the whole of Tunisia.
Place of submission. Most visas are lodged at BLS International (Rue du Lac d’Annecy, Immeuble Adonis, Lac 1, Tunis; blsspainvisa.com). Appointments for national visas are requested by email to emb.tunez.cit@maec.es.
Before you book. Visa and BLS fees are paid in cash in Tunisian dinars when you submit the file: 307.88 TND for the visa plus 57.81 TND BLS service fee, according to the Embassy’s visa pages.
Entry. Tunisian citizens need a Schengen visa for Spain, but not an airport transit visa for a connection in a Spanish airport.

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

Documents from Tunisia: apostille, police certificate, translations

Apostille. Tunisia has applied the Hague Apostille Convention since 30 March 2018 (HCCH status table), and Spain did not object. In Tunisia public documents are apostilled by notaries. For some visa types the Embassy asks for an apostille on both the original and the sworn translation — check the list for your visa.
Police certificate. For highly qualified professionals the Embassy requires a criminal record certificate issued less than three months before, apostilled and translated by a Spanish sworn translator; other visa types have similar rules on the Embassy’s pages. 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.

Spain and Tunisia have had a social security agreement since 1 January 2002 (BOE-A-2001-24561). The Embassy notes that only some countries issue a coverage certificate for remote workers, so before applying as an employee check with the Tunisian social security fund whether it will issue one; otherwise the foreign employer registers you in Spanish Social Security. Freelancers register as autónomos in Spain in any case.

Taxes when moving from Tunisia

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 Tunisia have a double taxation agreement signed in Madrid on 2 July 1982 and in force since 14 February 1987 (BOE-A-1987-5470). Unlike many older treaties it covers both income and wealth taxes. 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. The Tunisian community in Spain is small: 4,471 people held valid residence documents on 30 June 2026 (Ministry of Inclusion statistics). The last municipal register breakdown by province, for 2022, showed Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Alicante and Seville as the main places of residence. Where to live depends on budget and lifestyle: compare the best cities to live in Spain, Madrid, Málaga and Marbella.
Driving licence. Tunisian licences can be exchanged: Spain and Tunisia have had an agreement since 29 July 2011. Cars and motorcycles are exchanged without tests for a fee of €28.87, after the DGT verifies the licence with Tunisia. The licence is valid in Spain for up to six months after you become resident. 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 Tunisians get a digital nomad visa for Spain?

Yes. Tunisians 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 Tunis 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 Tunisian citizens apply for a Spanish national visa?

The consular section of the Embassy in Tunis covers the whole of Tunisia. Most visas are lodged at BLS International (Rue du Lac d’Annecy, Immeuble Adonis, Lac 1, Tunis; blsspainvisa.com). Appointments for national visas are requested by email to emb.tunez.cit@maec.es.

Do documents from Tunisia need an apostille for Spain?

Tunisia has applied the Hague Apostille Convention since 30 March 2018 (HCCH status table), and Spain did not object. Documents also need a sworn Spanish translation.

Yes, since 1 January 2002. For remote workers, check whether the Tunisian fund issues a coverage certificate; otherwise you register in Spanish Social Security.

Is there a double taxation agreement between Spain and Tunisia?

Spain and Tunisia have a double taxation agreement signed in Madrid on 2 July 1982 and in force since 14 February 1987 (BOE-A-1987-5470). Unlike many older treaties it covers both income and wealth taxes.

Can I exchange a Tunisian driving licence in Spain?

Tunisian licences can be exchanged: Spain and Tunisia have had an agreement since 29 July 2011. Cars and motorcycles are exchanged without tests for a fee of €28.87, after the DGT verifies the licence with Tunisia. The licence is valid in Spain for up to six months after you become resident.

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

The non-lucrative permit, applied for at the Embassy of Spain in Tunis: 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.