Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
I was talking with an immigration lawyer about getting the Spain Digital Nomad visa as an employee of my own company.
She said that the difficult part was getting a social security certificate that specifically says ‘digital nomad.’ Has anyone run into this and successfully gotten this certificate as an employee?
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These are the answers of Spainguru’s Spain Digital Nomad Visa group members:
Responses from the group provided several insights and alternatives:
(Lawyer answer) “Yes, this isn’t going well for Americans right now. Most are applying as 1099 employees instead and registering Autonomo.”
(Lawyer answer) “The Dgital Nomad Visa Director (also Sub Director of the UGE) confirmed last week that the US Certifcate of Coverage will not be accepted. The US SSA have informed Spain it should not be issued and does not cover remote work.
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Explore Cities →We have had clients approved with the CoC until Jan 2024. Since then we have not been able to confirm another person approved with the CoC, and we are actively looking.
There are rumors of approval and somebody maybe got lucky and it slipped through.
However applying with US CoC as employee is very highly likely to be denied and is not recommended.”
“Can you hire yourself as a contractor? That is how I have seen it get done if it is your business. This post was helpful: First-hand experience: My approved Spanish Digital Nomad Visa application as a US LLC Contractor.”
“Would you be able to apply for this if you stated that you would register as autonomo if approved and pay into the Spain social security? I’ve heard this work for many others. Either on here or on Reddit threads.”
Conclusion
For U.S. citizens seeking the Spain Digital Nomad Visa as employees of their own companies, challenges arise primarily from the requirement of obtaining a specific social security certificate.
The consensus among community members suggests alternatives such as applying as a 1099 employee or registering as an ‘autonomo’ might increase approval chances.
It appears essential to navigate these regulatory nuances carefully and consider flexible application strategies, such as contracting oneself, to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles.
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