Track C: Documents everyone needs

Regardless of whether you are a W‑2 employee or self-employed, these documents are required for every applicant.

  • Valid passport: must be valid for the duration of your intended stay.  Bring the original and a copy of the photo page.
  • FBI background check: ordered through an FBI-approved channeler. The channeler submits your fingerprints electronically and returns the result faster than mailing directly to the FBI.
  • Federal apostille on the FBI check: issued by the US State Department (not your state’s office).  The FBI is a federal agency; the apostille must match.  See the FBI check and apostille guide for how to order this correctly.
  • Sworn translation of the FBI check: into Spanish, by a translator accredited by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC).  Get this after the apostille is attached.
  • Qualifying health insurance policy: not needed if you are self-employed and will register with Spanish Social Security.  Otherwise: full coverage, no copayments, no deductibles, no waiting periods, from an insurer authorized to operate in Spain.  Travel insurance does not qualify.  Review the health insurance guide before choosing a policy.
  • Proof of income: a bank certificate, stamped or signed by your bank, covering the three months before filing, with each salary or client payment marked.  A printout of statements is not the same thing.  The 2026 minimum is €2,849/month gross for a single applicant.  Full threshold details are in the income requirements guide.
  • Government fee: the Tasa 790 038, €73.26, paid before filing.  Each family member pays their own.
  • CV: a simple translation into Spanish is enough; it does not need a sworn translator.
  • Application form: the MI-T form if you file with the UGE from inside Spain, or the consulate’s national visa form if you apply from the US.
  • Passport-style photograph: for the consulate route, and later for the TIE card.
  • Criminal record certificates from every country where you have lived in the last two years: recent on your filing date.  The FBI check covers the US; if you have lived elsewhere in that window, that country’s certificate is needed too.  Separately, you sign a declaration covering the last five years.

If including a spouse

Each family member files their own application, with their own MI-T form and fee.  Filed on the same day as yours, your income proof covers them.

  • Marriage certificate: apostilled by the state where it was issued, then sworn-translated.
  • Spouse’s passport
  • Spouse’s criminal record certificate (same standard as above)

If including children

  • Birth certificates: apostilled by the state of issuance, then sworn-translated.
  • Passports for each child
  • No criminal record certificate for children under 18
  • If applicable: custody order or documentation of sole custody (apostilled and sworn-translated)

Track A: Additional documents for W‑2 employees

If you receive a W‑2, are on your employer’s payroll, and have an employment contract, these additional documents are required.  You must have been with the employer for at least 3 months before filing.

  • Current employment contract: must clearly state that your role is remote.  If the contract is silent on location or lists a US office address, request an addendum explicitly authorizing remote work from Spain before filing.
  • Employer authorization letter: a signed letter from your employer explicitly authorizing you to perform your work remotely from Spain.  This is separate from the employment contract.  The main US citizens guide explains what this letter must cover.
  • SSA Certificate of Coverage: allows you to continue paying US Social Security rather than Spanish Social Security during your permit.  Order this immediately.  It takes approximately 3 months to arrive from the Social Security Administration and is the longest-lead document in the entire process.  Full instructions at the Certificate of Coverage guide.
  • Proof the company is at least 1 year old: Certificate of Incorporation or equivalent state filing showing the company’s formation date.  This must predate your application by at least one year.
  • Payslips for the three months before filing: they show the salary the employer letter states.  No translation needed.
  • Proof the company operates outside Spain: typically established by the incorporation documents themselves, but ensure the company’s principal place of business is clearly outside Spain.

Track B: Additional documents for freelancers and 1099 contractors

If you invoice clients, receive 1099s, or operate through an LLC or sole proprietorship, these additional documents are required.  The professional relationship with each main client must be at least 3 months old before you file.

  • Service agreements or client contracts: for each main client.  The contract should identify the parties, describe the services, state the fees, and confirm the work is performed remotely.  Vague one-page agreements are a risk; detailed statements of work are stronger.
  • Invoices for the three months before filing: to your clients, showing the amounts billed.  No translation needed.
  • Last federal tax return: Schedule C or equivalent, to corroborate the income history.  It needs a sworn translation.
  • Matching deposits: the payments on your invoices should be marked on the stamped bank certificate.  Gaps or discrepancies should be explained in writing.
  • Proof each main client company is at least 1 year old: Certificate of Incorporation or equivalent for each client you are relying on to demonstrate the professional relationship.  The company must have been operating for at least one year.
  • Client confirmation letter: a letter from each main client confirming the remote service relationship, its duration, and the nature of the work.  This is separate from the contract.

If you operate through a US LLC

  • LLC Articles of Organization: showing formation date (must be at least 1 year old), state of organization, and your membership.  Requires state apostille from the state of organization, then sworn translation.
  • Operating Agreement (if one exists), confirms your role and ownership structure.
  • Explanation of how income flows: whether you take distributions, salary or contractor payments from the LLC, and how this is reflected in your bank statements and tax returns.

Qualifications

  • If you have a degree: university diploma.  For a U.S. degree, a notarised True Copy of the diploma, then the state apostille, then a sworn translation.  Include your transcript if the degree does not obviously relate to your professional activity.
  • If you do not have a degree: documentation of 3+ years of professional experience in your field, previous contracts, employer reference letters, professional certifications, or a CV with verifiable history.  The no-degree guide covers how to build this section.
Calculator, stamp and documents laid out like a paperwork toolkit

What gets apostilled and what gets translated

Official U.S. documents need an apostille and a sworn Spanish translation.  Private and financial documents follow lighter rules, and some need nothing at all.  The rules for which apostille applies can be confusing.  Here is how it breaks down.

  • FBI background check → federal apostille from the US State Department + sworn translation.  Do not get a state apostille.  It will not be accepted.
  • Marriage certificate → state apostille from the state where the certificate was issued + sworn translation.
  • Birth certificates → state apostille from the state where the certificate was issued + sworn translation.
  • Company incorporation documents (client companies or your own LLC) → state apostille from the state of incorporation + sworn translation.
  • Employment contract → sworn translation required if entirely in English.  No apostille needed on the contract itself, but it must be translated.
  • Employer authorization letter → best issued bilingual, English and Spanish, signed once; otherwise a sworn translation.  No apostille, no notarisation.
  • US tax returns → sworn translation. Payslips, invoices and the bank certificate → no translation.
  • CV → simple translation.
  • Diploma → notarised True Copy, then state apostille, then sworn translation.  It is the only document in the file that is notarised.

Critical: sworn translation means MAEC-accredited translators only. Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC) maintains a list of official sworn translators.  Translations by any other party, including services marketed as “certified translation” in the US, are not accepted by Spanish immigration.  This distinction trips up almost every first-time applicant who handles their own documents.  See the sworn translation glossary entry for how to find a MAEC-accredited translator.

See also: what an apostille is and how it works.

The timing trap: order in the right sequence

The order in which you obtain documents matters.  Getting this wrong means redoing work and delays of weeks.

  1. Order the FBI background check close to filing: through an FBI-approved channeler.  The result typically comes back in days to a few weeks.  The UGE accepts criminal record certificates up to six months after issue, so order them close to when you plan to file, not months in advance.
  2. Obtain the federal apostille on the FBI result: before commissioning any translation of it.  The apostille must be attached to the original document; the translator then certifies the complete apostilled document.
  3. Commission sworn translations last: after all apostilles are in hand.  A sworn translator needs to see and certify the final apostilled version.
  4. W‑2 employees: order the SSA Certificate of Coverage immediately: it takes approximately 3 months and nothing else in the process has that lead time.  Everything else can be assembled while you wait for it.

What is NOT on this list

Several documents come up constantly in online discussions that are not actually required.  Knowing what you do not need saves time and money.

  • Lease or rental contract: not required to apply.  You do not need to have signed a lease in Spain before filing.  Proof of accommodation may be requested at certain stages, but a lease is not a prerequisite for the application.
  • Spanish bank account: not required to apply.  You do not need to open a Spanish bank account before your application is approved.
  • NIE obtained separately: if you file from inside Spain via the UGE in-country route, the NIE is issued as part of the authorization process.  You do not need to separately visit a police station to obtain a NIE before filing.  The NIE glossary entry explains how this works.  The TIE (physical residence card) is collected after approval.
  • Medical certificate: not required for the UGE in-country route.  Some older guides and consulate-specific instructions mention a medical certificate; it is not a standard requirement for the authorization filed through UGE.
  • Police certificate from Spain: not required if you have not previously lived in Spain.  The FBI check (and equivalent certificates for other countries where you have lived) covers the criminal record requirement.
  • Proof of Spanish language ability: there is no Spanish language requirement for the Digital Nomad Visa.

Filing from inside Spain vs. the US consulate

This checklist applies to both filing routes, but the in-country route (filing through UGE while you are in Spain) is the one I recommend for most applicants.  It results in a three-year authorization versus a one-year visa from a US consulate, and processing times are similar.  The main constraint is Schengen timing.  You need enough days remaining in your 90-day tourist allowance to file and stay while it processes.  The full comparison is in the filing route guide.

Your personalized checklist comes from a review

This list covers the standard documents for each track, but every case has its own details.  If your income is variable, your LLC structure is unusual, your employer is a startup without formal HR, or you have lived in multiple countries, your file needs to account for those specifics.

A free assessment produces a written checklist specific to your situation, not a generic list, but a review of your actual circumstances: which track you are on, which documents apply, what your income evidence looks like against the threshold, and where the gaps are.  It is the fastest way to know exactly what you need to build.

If you have a specific question about a document, reach out via the contact page.

Sources: Ley 28/2022 (BOE) · Ministerio de Inclusión, UGE. This guide is general information, not legal advice.  Last updated: 3 October 2026.