Can a Foreign Company Director Apply for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa?

Updated: 13 October 2026

Yes, potentially. Being a director or owner of a company based outside Spain does not automatically prevent you from applying for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa or international telework residence authorisation. The key question is what work you actually perform, whether you can do it remotely from Spain, and how your relationship with the foreign company is documented.

Spanish law distinguishes between employment and professional activity. Holding shares or the title of director is not a separate application route.

Does it matter if I own or control the company?

Yes. A director who does not control the company and genuinely works as its employee may be able to apply on the basis of an employment relationship. The employment documents, remuneration and Social Security arrangements must support that classification.

If you are the sole owner or effectively control the company, the UGE will also look closely at the company’s real activity, your role and how you are paid. A payslip or a contract signed with your own company does not, by itself, establish that you are an employee for the purposes of the application.

Contracts between your company and its customers can help show that the business is active. They do not, on their own, establish the nature of your relationship with the company. Nor is there a general rule that all of the company’s customers must be incorporated businesses.

What evidence should a company director prepare?

For an initial residence authorisation submitted to the UGE, the documents will depend on the structure of the business. The assessment may include:

• An official company registration document and evidence that the foreign company has carried out genuine, continuous activity for at least one year.
• Documents showing who owns or effectively controls the company.
• A clear description of your duties and how they can be performed remotely from Spain.
• Evidence of the relevant employment or professional relationship, together with payslips or invoices and corresponding bank payments.
• A Social Security plan consistent with the type of relationship being claimed.

For sole owners or applicants with effective control, the UGE guidance also lists additional evidence, including the company’s latest corporate tax return, investment in productive resources and a record of employees registered with the relevant Social Security authority, or equivalent documentation. The guidance provides specific treatment for proving the duration of the professional relationship in certain owner-controlled company cases.

Before submitting the application

The company records, your duties, contracts, payments and Social Security arrangements should describe the same working reality. Reviewing these documents together is especially important when you own or control the company.

If you would like us to assess your particular structure, see our Digital Nomad Visa assistance in Spain. We can identify the evidence your application needs and any inconsistencies to resolve before filing.

Legal review: Francisco Javier Theuer Carmona, immigration lawyer and member of the Granada Bar Association (ICAGR 7984).

Last reviewed: 13 October  2026

Official sources: Law 14/2013, Articles 74 bis and 74 ter · UGE guidance for initial international telework residence applications.