Why it matters

Spain designed the Digital Nomad Visa for people who can financially support themselves without drawing on Spanish public resources.  The income requirement is how it enforces that.  Documenting income incorrectly (using the wrong documents, the wrong period, or the wrong figures) is one of the most common reasons the UGE issues a requerimiento.

The threshold in 2026 is €2,849/month gross for a single applicant (200% of the SMI).  Bringing family raises it: add 75% of the SMI for the first dependent (≈ €1,068/month, so a couple is ≈ €3,917) and 25% for each additional dependent (≈ €356/month each, a family of four is ≈ €4,629).  These figures are updated annually alongside Spain’s national minimum wage.

By employment type

W‑2 employees

  • Last 3 months of pay stubs (showing gross monthly salary)
  • Last year’s W‑2
  • A stamped bank certificate showing each salary payment (last 3 months)
  • Company Letter confirming current salary

W‑2 cases are the most straightforward for income documentation.  The salary is fixed, documented, and easy to verify across multiple sources.

1099 contractors and freelancers

  • Last 2–⁠3 years of tax returns (Form 1040 with Schedule C)
  • Last year’s 1099s from clients
  • Invoices for the three months before filing, showing active client relationships
  • Service Agreements with current clients
  • A stamped bank certificate showing each client payment (last 3 months)

Freelance income is more variable and requires a longer documentary trail.  The UGE looks for a pattern, a consistent annual income above the threshold over multiple years, with current active clients.

Business owners

  • Last 2–⁠3 years of tax returns (Form 1040 with K‑1s or Schedule E)
  • Company financial statements (profit & loss, last 2 years)
  • A stamped bank certificate showing the payments to you (last 3 months)
  • Articles of incorporation or Certificate of Incorporation
  • Documentation showing the company has been operating for at least 1 year

How it works in the file

  • 1 · Gather the base documents. Tax returns, pay stubs, invoices: whatever matches your employment type.
  • 2 · Translation where it’s needed. Payslips, invoices and the bank certificate go in as they are; contracts and public documents get a sworn translation into Spanish.
  • 3 · Calculate the monthly average. The UGE often looks at monthly figures.  Annual income divided by 12 should exceed the monthly threshold.
  • 4 · The bank certificate. Stamped or signed by your bank, covering the same three months, with each payment marked.  It shows the money actually arriving, not just what documents say you earn.  A printout of statements is not the same thing.
  • 5 · Cross-reference with Company Letter or Service Agreement. The income figure in your letter should match your pay stubs or invoices.  Discrepancies invite scrutiny.

Common mistakes

  • Using net instead of gross figures. After-tax income is lower and may fall below the threshold even when gross income qualifies.
  • Translating what doesn’t need it, and missing what does. Payslips, invoices and the bank certificate don’t need a translation; contracts and public documents need a sworn one.
  • Not cross-referencing documents. If your pay stub says $5,000/month and your Company Letter says $4,500, the UGE will notice.  All documents must tell the same story.
  • Freelancers relying on one strong month. The UGE reads the three months before filing.  If they’re uneven, tax returns and a longer invoice history are what make the pattern easy to read.

Spain sets the threshold as a multiple of the national minimum wage (SMI).  In 2026, the required income is 200% of the SMI: €2,849 per month gross for a single applicant, roughly $3,100 USD at current exchange rates.  Bringing family adds 75% of the SMI for the first dependent (≈ €1,068/month) and 25% for each additional dependent (≈ €356/month each).  These figures update annually with the SMI.

Gross income.  Spain looks at your before-tax income, not what hits your account.  Use your gross monthly or annual figures from pay stubs, tax returns, or invoices.

Savings can supplement borderline income but do not replace it.  If your income is slightly below the threshold, a bank certificate of savings covering the gap for the whole term of the permit can support your case.  If your income is significantly below, savings alone are unlikely to be accepted.

The UGE’s list looks at the three months before filing, and it reads a steady pattern better than one strong month.  If your months are uneven, tax returns showing consistent annual income above the threshold, plus invoices showing current active clients, make the pattern easy to read.  I assess each freelancer situation individually.  Variable income is manageable with the right documentation.

Yes.  If you earn in euros, pounds, or another currency, the UGE converts to euros at the current rate.  Make sure your documents show the original currency and amount.  Don’t convert them yourself.

Multiple income sources are fine and common.  W‑2 salary plus freelance income, multiple clients, business distributions: all can be documented and combined.  The key is showing that the total exceeds the threshold and that the income sources are all from outside Spain.