Contract for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa: What It Must Include

1. Introduction

An employment contract or services agreement helps establish your relationship with a foreign company when you apply for Spain’s international telework visa or residence authorisation. For an initial residence application submitted to the UGE, the contract alone is not enough: you must also document how long the relationship has existed, the company’s activity, and the terms of your remote work from Spain. If you own or control the company, additional documentary rules may apply.

2. What clauses should be included in the contract?

Regardless of whether it is a commercial contract or an employment contract, it is advisable to include the following information:

• Type of relationship: employment contract or commercial services agreement.
• Identification of contracting parties.
• Identification of the occupation to be filled and the responsibilities.
• Start date of the contract.
• Duration / Termination conditions.
• Financial compensation obtained by the employee/contractor.
• Reflect the possibility of working remotely.

For an initial UGE application, the employment or professional relationship with the foreign company must generally have existed for at least the three months immediately before filing. This is separate from the requirement that the foreign company or group has been genuinely active for at least one year. The UGE also requests a company letter setting out the applicant’s role, main duties, remuneration in euros and the terms of remote work from Spain. A remote-work clause in the contract does not automatically replace that letter.

What evidence should accompany the contract?

For an initial UGE residence application, employees should prepare payslips and independent professionals should prepare invoices for the three months before filing. The UGE guidance also requests a bank certificate covering that period and showing the corresponding payments. Evidence of an employment relationship does not, by itself, establish a professional relationship, or vice versa.

3. Is it necessary to have a sworn translation of the contract?

If the contract is written in a language other than Spanish, the UGE guidance requires a sworn translation into Spanish. A contract already written in Spanish does not need to be translated. Check this requirement before submitting the application: a simple translation does not replace a sworn translation where one is required.

4. Is it necessary to legalize or apostille the contract?

For a residence permit application submitted to the UGE, an ordinary private contract does not need an apostille merely because it was signed abroad. The UGE requires foreign public documents to be apostilled or legalised. If you submit a foreign notarial certification relating to the contract, that notarial document may require an apostille or legalisation. For a visa application at a Spanish consulate, check that consulate’s specific document requirements.

Official sources

• Law 14/2013, Article 74 ter (Spanish)
• UGE documentation for international teleworkers (PDF, Spanish)
• UGE frequently asked questions (PDF, English)

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

Last reviewed: October 2026

If you would like a lawyer to assess whether your contract and supporting documents fit your circumstances, see our Digital Nomad Visa Spain application service.