Spain digital nomad visa for New Zealanders in 2026: requirements, the 1989 agreement and applying from Spain

New Zealanders 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. New Zealanders enter Spain without a visa — and a 1989 bilateral agreement with Spain may allow a longer stay — so most apply from inside Spain to the UGE; the consular route is the Embassy of Spain in Wellington, and New Zealand licences can be exchanged without tests.

Below: the requirements in 2026, applying from Spain and the bilateral agreement, the Wellington route, the criminal record and apostille, social security, NZ Super and KiwiSaver, leaving New Zealand tax residence, and citizenship. General rules for all residence permits are in our guide to Spanish residence permits.

1. Spain digital nomad visa: requirements for New Zealanders

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 New Zealanders employed by a company in New Zealand, Australia or elsewhere outside Spain, and freelancers serving foreign clients.

• 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 pay in New Zealand dollars, keep a 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 from inside Spain: usually the better route

New Zealand citizens can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa. On top of that, an exchange of letters between Spain and New Zealand of 10 October 1988, in force since 31 October 1989 (BOE-A-1989-25427), allows stays of up to three months in Spain for business and tourism without paid work; the EU list of such agreements confirms it applies alongside the Schengen limit. Extending a stay beyond 90 days under it is at the discretion of the Spanish authorities and means leaving through a Spanish external border, so treat it as a margin, not a plan. While in Spain legally, 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.

Applying at the Embassy in Wellington

Visas for residents of New Zealand are issued only by the consular section of the Embassy of Spain in Wellington; there is no visa centre, the embassy in Canberra does not cover New Zealand, and the honorary consulates do not accept visa applications. The embassy asks you to write to emb.wellington@maec.es before applying. The legal deadline is 10 days; the visa is valid for one year, and in Spain you then apply for a residence permit. We found no reciprocity fee for New Zealanders comparable to the one Australians pay. Official information: Embassy of Spain in Wellington — digital nomad visa.

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 New Zealand: criminal record, apostille, translations

• Criminal record. New Zealand has no separate police certificate: you request your own criminal record from the Ministry of Justice online, free of charge, within up to 20 working days. Ministry of Justice
• Apostille. The Apostille Convention has applied between New Zealand and Spain since 22 November 2001. The Authentication Unit of the Department of Internal Affairs issues paper or electronic apostilles for 37 NZD, in 15 working days.
• Translations. Apostilled documents need a sworn Spanish translation (traducción jurada).
• 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 yet

Spain and New Zealand have no social security agreement, so a digital nomad is registered in Spanish Social Security — an employee by the foreign employer, a freelancer as autónomo — and needs private health insurance. NZ Super can be paid to you in Spain in proportion to the months you lived in New Zealand between 20 and 65, and KiwiSaver savings can be withdrawn after a year living abroad, except the government contributions. Without registration the permit can be terminated for the whole family — see residence permit cancellation in Spain.

Taxes: leaving New Zealand and arriving in Spain

• NZ residence. You stop being a New Zealand tax resident only after more than 325 days abroad in 12 months and with no permanent place of abode in New Zealand — a home you rent out can keep that place of abode.
• On departure. Foreign shares under the FIF rules are treated as sold at market value, PIE funds move to the 28% rate, and trusts need reviewing. A student loan has its own rules for borrowers abroad, with minimum repayments.
• The treaty. Spain and New Zealand have had a double taxation agreement since 31 July 2006 (BOE-A-2006-17741). It covers income taxes only, not Spanish wealth tax. Pensions are taxed in the country of residence; tax at source is capped at 15% on dividends.
• 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, and New Zealand lets you keep yours

Spanish citizenship by residence takes ten years (Civil Code, Article 22.1), and the applicant signs a declaration renouncing their previous nationality (Article 23 b). New Zealand allows dual citizenship and does not remove it when you acquire another one. Many New Zealanders stay on long-term residence, available after five years — see Spanish citizenship.

Community, cities and driving

• Community. 772 New Zealand citizens were registered in Spanish municipal registers on 1 January 2022 (the latest breakdown), most of them in Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, Madrid and Málaga; 1,277 residents of Spain were born in New Zealand. Compare the best cities to live in Spain and Mallorca.
• Driving licence. New Zealand licences can be exchanged without tests: the agreement has applied since 2 June 2023 (BOE-A-2023-9217), the DGT fee is €28.87, and only a full licence qualifies. Apply within the first six months of residence — 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, South Africans, Mexicans, Nigerians, Ghanaians, Moroccans, Egyptians, Bangladeshi citizens; and from Saudi Arabia, from Qatar, from Singapore.

Frequently asked questions

Can New Zealanders get the Spain digital nomad visa?

Yes. New Zealanders who work remotely for a company outside Spain or serve foreign clients can apply at the Embassy of Spain in Wellington or online from Spain during a visa-free stay. They need income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage and a degree or three years of experience.

Do New Zealanders need a visa for Spain?

Not to enter: New Zealanders can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, and a 1989 agreement with Spain allows stays of up to three months in Spain. To live there they need a residence permit.

Does the Spain–New Zealand agreement let me stay longer than 90 days?

It may: under the 1988–89 exchange of letters a longer stay in Spain is possible at the discretion of the Spanish authorities, leaving through a Spanish external border. Do not rely on it to file the residence application late.

Where do New Zealanders apply for a Spanish visa?

Only at the consular section of the Embassy of Spain in Wellington; write to the embassy before applying. There is no visa centre, and Canberra does not cover New Zealand.

Which criminal record do I need?

Your own criminal record from the Ministry of Justice, free and online, apostilled by the Department of Internal Affairs and translated into Spanish.

Can I exchange a New Zealand driving licence in Spain?

Yes. Since 2 June 2023 a full New Zealand licence is exchanged without tests for a DGT fee of €28.87, within the first six months of residence.

What happens to KiwiSaver and NZ Super if I move to Spain?

KiwiSaver savings can be withdrawn after a year living abroad, except government contributions, and NZ Super can be paid in Spain in proportion to your years in New Zealand.

Sources

• Embassy of Spain in Wellington — digital nomad visa
• Spain–New Zealand visa agreement 1988–89 (BOE)
• 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
• Spain–New Zealand double taxation agreement (BOE)
• Spain–New Zealand driving licence agreement (BOE)
• Ministry of Justice — your criminal record
• DGT — countries with licence exchange agreements