Which Spanish visa do I need?

Since Brexit, British citizens are “third-country nationals” in Spain. You can visit for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, but to live there you need a residence visa or permit, and the route decides whether you can work and who can come with you.

The main routes at a glance

Working for a Spanish employer

For an ordinary job, the employer applies in Spain for your initial residence and work authorisation. Once it is granted you have 1 month to apply for the visa at the consulate, which has 1 month to decide. You leave your passport with the consulate while it decides. After you arrive, you must be registered with Spanish social security before you start work, and you apply for your TIE (residence card) within a month of that. See Understanding a Spanish job offer.

For senior or graduate roles, the employer can use the faster highly qualified route, run by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE). The consulate’s legal deadline to decide is 10 days, and your partner, children and dependent parents can apply with you. The EU Blue Card salary threshold in 2026 is 1.4 times Spain’s average annual salary, about €41,356 a year (about £35,050), with a lower threshold for some shortage roles and recent graduates. Check the current figure with the UGE-CE

Digital nomad visa (international teleworker)

• You work remotely using computers and telecoms. Employees can only work for companies outside Spain; self-employed people can take up to 20% of their work from Spanish clients
• You need a degree from a recognised university, business school or vocational college, or at least 3 years’ experience in similar work
• You must have worked for the company or client for at least 3 months, and the company must have existed for at least a year
• Income: 200% of the minimum wage (SMI). With the 2026 SMI of €1,221 a month in 14 payments, that is usually worked out as about €2,849 a month. Add 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each extra one
• You need Spanish social security registration, or a certificate of UK cover, plus health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain

Applied for from the UK, the visa lasts 1 year. If you are already in Spain legally, you can apply to the UGE-CE for a 3-year residence permit instead. See Freelancing in Spain.

Non-lucrative visa

This is for people who don’t need to work, such as early retirees. You must show income or savings of 400% of IPREM, the public income index. IPREM has stayed at €600 a month (€7,200 a year) for 2026, so the main applicant needs €28,800 a year, plus €7,200 (about £6,100) for each family member. You also need private health insurance covering everything the public system covers, a criminal record certificate for the last 5 years and a medical certificate. The visa doesn’t let you work. You apply for your TIE within 1 month of arriving. See Healthcare in Spain.

Students and family

• Student visas cover courses of more than 90 days. You need proof of admission, funds of 100% of IPREM (€600 a month), health insurance, and you should apply 2 months before your course starts
• Students can work if it fits around their studies, up to 30 hours a week
• Family reunification is for the partner, children and some parents of a non-EU resident. The resident applies in Spain first; the family member then has 2 months to apply for the visa
• Partners and children can usually apply alongside highly qualified, digital nomad and non-lucrative applicants

The golden visa has gone

Residence through property or investment ended when Organic Law 1/2025 came into force on 3 April 2025. Applications made before that date can still be decided under the old rules, and existing permits can be renewed, but there are no new ones.

Fees and where to apply

Spain’s consulates are in London, Manchester and Edinburgh (which covers Scotland and Northern Ireland). London visa applications go through the BLS visa centre at 20 St Andrew Street. Fees are paid in pounds on the day and change with exchange rates, so check your consulate’s current list. You must apply where you legally live. Budget the whole move with the moving fund calculator.

The 90/180 rule, EES and ETIAS

• Visits to any Schengen country in the previous 180 days count towards your 90. Overstaying can lead to a ban of up to 3 years
• The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully running since 10 April 2026. It records your fingerprints and photo instead of stamping your passport. A record lasts 3 years
• Residents with a TIE don’t register in EES. Always show your TIE with your passport at the border
• ETIAS, an online travel permit for visa-free visitors, is due to start in the last quarter of 2026. The EU will confirm the date months ahead. The Commission has said it will cost €20

If you lived in Spain before 2021

People legally living in Spain before 1 January 2021 keep rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. The TIE is the only document named in it; if you still have the old green certificate, the UK and Spanish governments strongly recommend swapping it for a TIE, because the green certificate doesn’t exempt you from EES.