Spain has introduced stricter regulations for digital nomad visas, causing frustration among British applicants already based in the country.

Britons, along with other non-EU citizens, are finding themselves in a bureaucratic impasse as new document requirements emerge amid applications.

Applicants must now provide detailed proof of ownership and legitimacy, including proof of 100% business ownership, stable revenue, customer contracts and tax returns.

This extra paperwork, intended to ensure that applicants are real workers, has left many digital nomads (remote workers who move from place to place) in a difficult situation.

Immigration lawyers and consultants advise applicants to create independent contracts between themselves and their company.

They must prove that their business has been in existence for at least 12 months and pay themselves for three months to satisfy new Spanish demands.

A British businesswoman said: “Spain has moved the goalposts… We’ve moved here all our lives… and to be told halfway through that we need a lot more information is very unfair . »

She criticized Spain’s rule change after the application process began, comparing it to a football match where the rules are changed midway.

The digital nomad visa, introduced in 2023 as part of the Spanish program To start up The law aimed to attract remote workers by offering a lower cost of living, tax breaks and the appeal of working in Spain’s sunny climate.

However, the new changes only apply to self-employed workers, without any tax benefits, creating additional complications.

Visa experts like María José Muñoz Gomez of Help At Hand Spain, which helps expats with the visa process, confirmed that Spain has tightened requirements for those who own their own businesses.

“Requirements are changing, you may be asked to prove that you have real clients, that your business has a separate business from that of the owner and that you earn a stable income from working with clients,” he said. she explained.

The Spanish Migration Ministry has not yet officially responded to the concerns raised. However, since the visa was introduced, 7,368 digital nomad visas have been granted in January, although it is unclear how many UK nationals are affected by the new rules.

While Spain’s digital nomad visa was initially designed to attract talent, digital nomads have been blamed, alongside tourists, for driving up property prices in major cities like Barcelona, ​​Malaga and Palma de Mallorca , thus leading to new tensions.