Teleworkers of international character
This authorization was recently approved on December 22nd 2022 and is for nationals of third countries who travel to Spain to carry out a professional activity at a distance for companies located outside the national territory, by the exclusive use of computer and telecommunication means and systems.
What is an international teleworker?
An international teleworker is an employee authorized to remain in Spain and to exercise a professional activity remotely for companies located outside the Spanish national territory, through the exclusive use of computer and telecommunication means.
Who can obtain an authorization as an international teleworker?
Only nationals of a third country, of legal age (does not apply to EU citizens or to persons whom European Union law is applied to).
Can a freelancer be considered as an international teleworker?
Yes, as long as you prove a professional relationship with the foreign company for which you work for a minimum of three months and that company authorizes the transfer to Spain.
What other requirements are necessary?
Not to be irregularly in Spain.
Not to have a criminal record in Spain and in the country/countries where you have resided for past 5 years prior to the application.
To contract with a public or private health insurance company authorized to operate in Spain.
to have sufficient financial resources for themselves and their family members during their period of residence in Spain.
Can I perform other jobs in Spain?
As long as your work can only be performed exclusively through computer, telepathic and telecommunication means and systems, there are two possible cases:
Employment relationship: in Spain you can only work for the company located outside the national territory for which you perform the service in telework.
Professional relationship : you can work for a company located in Spain, as long as you maintain the professional relation with the company with which you request the authorization and the percentage of the work with the company is a professional relation (never labor) and it shouldn’t be superior to 20% of the total of your professional activity.
What absences out of the national territory can accumulate a teleworker ?
They can be absent a maximum of less than six months per calendar year to continue to maintain the requirements for obtaining the authorization.
Can the family members of the teleworker obtain an authorization/visa ?
In the case the spouse or minor/major children that depend economically on the teleworker, have not constituted by themselves a family unit, the dependent ascendants can request, jointly and or successively, an authorization and in this case the visa.
Must minimum economic resources be proven?
Yes, the curata additional provision of Law 14/2023 establishes that residence permits authorize to reside and work (both self-employed and employed).
Can family members work in Spain?
Yes, but the applicants of the visas or authorizations of residence of telework of international character must prove that they have economic resources for themselves and for the members of their family in accordance with the following amounts :
- Holders of the visas and residence authorizations: monthly income that represents 200% of the minimum wage (SMI).
- Family units including two persons counting the holder and the reunited person: at least 75% of the SMI. A 25% of the SMI will be required for each additional member to the two mentioned persons.
These amounts can be proven, by the work contract, salary slips, certificate of the company of assignment, etc.
Countries with whom Spain has bilateral agreements :
