Question
My husband and I are looking to move to Spain wiht a Spanish visa with our son. He has experience as a foreman, and he’s bilingual and willing to work remotely. I have a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts with a Concentration in Education. I’ve worked as an art teacher, but I’m willing to try ESL, too. Even remote for me, too, if needed.
Does anyone have any recommendations for us in what we should pursue, in which would be the most effective in obtaining visas to reside in Spain? Any remote jobs that are well-paying enough, or other avenues we can look into, by any chance?
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“Finding work is nearly impossible if you aren’t an EU citizen and harder if you aren’t fluent in the language. You also have to remember that salaries here are 1/3 to 1/2 of the US. Have you thought of the Digital Nomad Visa?”
“It will help if your husband speaks fluent Spanish, but he’ll still be non-EU.”
“You buried the lede here that your husband’s a Mexican citizen. That opens up some good and viable options since Spain has programs favoring Latin American people coming here. I’d look into that aspect more if I were you.”
“Unemployment in Spain is now at 2 million+. Remote jobs are very hard to get unless you are an engineer or into IT. Teaching in schools requires getting your degree recognized and completing a master’s program called CAP, which costs around €6,000 and takes a year.
Getting a job in an academy or similar is very difficult as there are very few job openings, and the pay is around €11 an hour and part-time (about 20 hours a week). So unless you want to work as a waitress or clean houses, it is not easy to get ahead here.”
“There are no jobs in Spain. You need to either have money or a job lined up.”
“Find remote contractor positions based outside of Spain that don’t care where you work, and then you can apply for the Digital Nomad Visa. Otherwise, you’ll likely need to go for the Non-Lucrative Visa if you have enough savings or passive income from investments. If you have a lot of cash, you can try to get in on the Golden Visa before it goes away in April.”
“If you are not an EU/EEA country citizen, your options are limited. At the moment, the two main immigration options for non-EU/EEA citizens (like US citizens) are the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa. The Golden Visa is being phased out April 3rd 2025.
Each visa option has its pros and cons, as each was meant to target a different type of immigrant. Which one do you qualify for and is best for your situation and circumstances? Only you would know after some research and speaking to advisors (especially about taxes in Spain for each option).”
“A Student Visa could be a good option. You can even learn Spanish and be on a student visa, which allows you to work 30 hours a week. Your husband could apply for the Non-Lucrative Visa.
After two years, he can apply for Spanish citizenship for being Mexican. Once he is a citizen, he can work in Spain.”
“Look at the Spanish Consulate website for your country and decide which visa you could apply for.”
“You might still have time to apply for a Golden Visa—then you can work remotely for a company in the US as a US employee.”
“You have to close on a property (usually 30 days) and have your property registered in the land registry (which can take 45 days to 4 months) before you can apply for a Golden Visa. There is limited time, and it is unlikely that anyone starting the process now would be successful.”
“Getting a work visa in Spain is just as difficult as getting one in the US.”
“You need to find a job in the US—1099 and get a Digital Nomad Visa.”
Conclusion
According to Spainguru’s Facebook group members, there are multiple visa options for a family moving to Spain, each with different requirements and challenges.
The Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) is ideal for those securing remote work outside Spain, while the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) suits individuals with sufficient savings or passive income.
Given that one spouse holds Mexican nationality, the Spanish nationality fast-track program may be an excellent option, allowing the family to gain residency and work rights more quickly.
However, job opportunities in Spain are limited and low-paying, particularly for non-EU citizens. A student visa could be an option for one spouse, allowing part-time work while the other pursues the NLV
The Golden Visa, though available for high-net-worth individuals, is being phased out soon, making it a less viable choice.
