Spain digital nomad visa for Ghanaians in 2026: requirements, the Accra embassy, fees and legalisation

Ghanaians can get the Spain digital nomad visa on the same terms as other non-EU citizens: remote work for a company or clients outside Spain, income of at least €2,849 a month and a degree or three years of experience. The Embassy of Spain in Accra covers Ghana and Togo and accepts all visas through BLS International; the national visa costs 1,211 cedi plus a 227 cedi BLS fee, and because Ghana does not use the apostille, every document goes through a four-step legalisation.

Below: the requirements in 2026, how to apply in Accra or from Spain, the transit visa, legalisation and the CID police certificate, and the Ghanaian tax rules that matter when you leave — including the deemed sale of foreign assets — with no tax treaty between the two countries. General rules for all residence permits are in our guide to Spanish residence permits.

1. Spain digital nomad visa: requirements for Ghanaians

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 Ghanaians employed by a foreign company and freelancers and consultants serving clients abroad.

• Who qualifies: employees of a company outside Spain 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 (200% of the Spanish minimum wage), plus €1,068 for the first family member and €356 for each additional one. With income in cedi or dollars, keep a wide margin for exchange-rate swings.
• Family: a spouse or registered partner and children can apply together with you, or join later — see a digital nomad’s family in Spain.
• Health insurance with full cover and no co-payments, and a clean criminal record.
• 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 in Accra

• One office. The Embassy of Spain in Accra is the only Spanish consular office in Ghana and also covers Togo.
• Only through BLS. All applications, Schengen and national, including the digital nomad visa, are lodged at BLS International Ghana in Airport Residential Area, Accra (ghana.blsspainvisa.com).
• Fees. Under the price list in force from 1 January 2026, the national visa costs 1,211 cedi plus a 227 cedi BLS service charge; there is no reciprocity fee for Ghanaians.
• Decision. The legal deadline is 10 days; the visa is valid for one year, and in Spain you then apply for a residence permit. The embassy asks for a police certificate covering two years plus a sworn declaration for the last five.

Official information: Embassy of Spain in Accra — digital nomad visa.

Applying from inside Spain

Ghanaians need a Schengen visa to enter Spain and an airport transit visa for connections in Schengen airports, unless they already hold a Spanish D visa or a residence permit of a Schengen country, the US, Canada or Japan. Once in Spain legally on a Schengen visa, you can apply online for the digital nomad permit. The UGE (Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit) 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. It means planning the trip around the Schengen visa’s validity.

2. Startup visa: for founders of an innovative business

The startup visa (residence for entrepreneurs, Law 14/2013) is for founders who move to Spain to develop an innovative business with growth potential. The key document is a favourable report from ENISA, the state innovation agency, on the business plan. The permit is first granted by the UGE and is then collected as a visa at the consulate, or the whole procedure is done from Spain. It runs for up to three years and is renewed for two if the business really operates — after approval the company must be set up and registered with Social Security, see startup visa renewal.

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

The non-lucrative permit is for those who live on savings, rental or investment income and do not plan to work in Spain, including remotely.

• 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 Spanish consulate for your place of residence — it cannot be applied for from Spain. The residence permit fee is form 790 code 052.
• Restrictions: no work; private health insurance; to renew, you need to spend most of the year in Spain.

For people with significant capital, Spain no longer has a golden visa: the investor residence was abolished on 3 April 2025 — see residence after the golden visa.

Documents from Ghana: legalisation instead of an apostille

• No apostille. Ghana is not a party to the Apostille Convention, as the embassy confirms. Each document goes through four steps: a notary, the Judicial Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then the Embassy of Spain in Accra (appointment by email).
• Police certificate. The CID of the Ghana Police Service issues the police clearance — online through Ghana Police e-Services or through a representative — usually within ten working days. Check the current fee with the police before applying.
• Translations. Documents in English need a sworn Spanish translation (traducción jurada) for a residence application in Spain.
• Degree. For the digital nomad permit a foreign degree does not have to be homologated; for regulated professions in Spain, see degree homologation in Spain.

Social security: no agreement with Spain

Spain has no social security agreement with Ghana. A digital nomad cannot stay in the Ghanaian system: an employee must be registered in Spanish Social Security by the foreign employer, and a freelancer registers as autónomo. Without registration the permit can be terminated for the whole family — see residence permit cancellation in Spain.

Taxes: no treaty between Spain and Ghana

• Ghanaian residence. Under section 101 of the Income Tax Act 2015 (Act 896), a Ghanaian citizen is a tax resident by default unless they have a permanent home abroad and live there throughout the year; 183 days in Ghana is only one of the tests. Plan the move so that Ghana stops treating you as resident.
• Leaving Ghana. Under section 102, when a person ceases to be resident, their foreign assets are treated as sold at market value — a deemed disposal on exit. Value your assets and plan the timing with a Ghanaian adviser before you leave.
• No tax treaty. Spain and Ghana have no double taxation agreement. Tax paid in Ghana on Ghanaian income is relieved in Spain only through the international double taxation deduction of the Spanish income tax law (Article 80 of Law 35/2006), so keep proof of the tax paid.
• Spanish 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.
• Beckham Law. Employees moving for work, including employed digital nomads, may opt for a flat 24% rate on employment income up to €600,000 and exclude most foreign income for six years — see the Beckham Law. Freelancers registered as autónomos cannot.
• Wealth. Residents with large assets may owe wealth tax and the solidarity tax on large fortunes, depending on the region — see wealth tax and capital income in Spain. Accounts, securities 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.

Citizenship: ten years in Spain, and Ghana allows dual nationality

Spanish citizenship by residence takes ten years for Ghanaian citizens (Civil Code, Article 22.1), and the applicant declares the renunciation of their previous nationality (Article 23 b). Article 8 of the Constitution of Ghana allows dual citizenship, so under Ghanaian law the Ghanaian passport remains. Note that a new Spaniard who uses only the former nationality for three years can lose Spanish citizenship (Article 25) — see Spanish citizenship.

Community, cities and driving

• Community. 21,133 Ghanaian citizens lived in Spain on 1 January 2025 (INE), almost 40% of them in Catalonia — the largest community is in Vic — followed by Zaragoza and Murcia; Madrid has fewer than a thousand. Compare the best cities to live in Spain and Madrid.
• Driving licence. Ghana is not on the DGT list of countries whose licences can be exchanged. A Ghanaian licence can be used for six months after you become resident; then you need to pass the Spanish tests — see driving licences in Spain.
• First steps after arrival: the TIE card within a month of arriving on a visa, a bank account and health insurance.

If your income comes from several countries, 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 appointment.

Similar guides to the Spain digital nomad visa: for Indians, Filipinos, Chinese citizens, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Mexicans, Nigerians, Moroccans, Egyptians, Bangladeshi citizens; and from Saudi Arabia, from Qatar, from Singapore.

Frequently asked questions

Can Ghanaians get the Spain digital nomad visa?

Yes. Ghanaians who work remotely for a company outside Spain or serve foreign clients can apply through the Embassy of Spain in Accra or online from Spain while staying there legally. They need income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage and a degree or three years of experience.

How do I get a Spanish visa in Ghana?

Book an appointment and lodge the file at BLS International Ghana in Accra; the Embassy of Spain decides. All visas, Schengen and national, go through BLS.

How much is the Spain visa from Ghana?

Under the 2026 price list the national visa costs 1,211 cedi plus a 227 cedi BLS service charge. There is no reciprocity fee for Ghanaians.

What are the Spain visa requirements for Ghanaian citizens?

For the digital nomad visa: income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage, a degree or three years of experience, a working relationship of at least three months, health insurance and a legalised police certificate.

Do Ghanaian documents need an apostille for Spain?

No — Ghana does not use the apostille. Documents are legalised through a notary, the Judicial Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Spain in Accra.

Do Ghanaians need a transit visa for Spain?

Yes, for connections in Schengen airports, unless they already hold a Spanish D visa or a residence permit of a Schengen country, the US, Canada or Japan.

Is there a tax treaty between Spain and Ghana?

No. Double taxation is relieved only through the Spanish income tax deduction for tax paid abroad, so keep proof of the tax paid in Ghana.

Sources

• Embassy of Spain in Accra — digital nomad visa
• BLS International Ghana
• Law 14/2013 (digital nomads, entrepreneurs)
• Immigration Regulation RD 1155/2024
• Spanish Civil Code, Articles 22–24 (nationality)
• HCCH — Apostille Convention status table
• Spanish Social Security — bilateral agreements
• Ghana Revenue Authority — Income Tax Act 2015 (Act 896)
• Spanish Income Tax Law 35/2006, Article 80
• DGT — countries with licence exchange agreements
• INE — population by nationality, 1 January 2025