Question
Hi everyone! We are a family of 5 planning to apply for the DNV. For those who have been approved with multiple dependents,? Any tips for a large family would be great!
Answers
These are the answers from Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“I applied first as the titular, then as soon as I was approved I submitted all the other applications. That was in case there was something problematic with mine, I would only lose out on my application fee and not all 6.”
“the only issue with this is if self employed. I saw a case recently where someone had done this but because he hadn’t registered as self employed the day after getting his resolution, they made him backdate it and he lost the tarifa plana, which means paying around 4K more in SS in the first year. He had registered and not stupidly late either, so I’m now very wary of suggesting this to people (And I think it was very unfair too)”
“Because when you then apply for the family members they look to check that you registered as self employed immediately. And if you haven’t you get asked for further documentation to prove that you have. So that means getting your gestor to backdate your registration, paying the difference and losing the tarifa plana. And if you don’t do it your family don’t get granted the visa. Obviously if you are employed this doesn’t apply”
“For the autonomo registration you need:
- A Spanish bank account
- A digital certificate
- A gestor that has availability
Those on a weak passport will struggle to open a bank account before getting the resolution (and sometimes even after)
To get a digital certificate you need an NIE. Many people don’t have an NIE in advance. To get a digital certificate you either need a gestor who can get you one or to go get your ID checked. Some places that do the ID check you can just walk in, but other places you need an appointment…. So not same day service. All of it can be a bit of a logistical nightmare.”
“adding people at a later date you still need to show sufficient funds. Not yet approved but this years figure for one person with two dependents is likely to be 4274 a month.
If she’s earning 3000 euros a month gross then that’s a large shortfall. In general I won’t take anything with a shortfall of more than 200 euros, though I think some consultants might have got shortfalls if 500 euros through”
“at the moment W2s with a certificate of coverage are being accepted if the employer writes a letter saying the employee is being sent to Spain for strategic reasons. However this could always change without notice”
“Family of 5 in Malaga province. I just submitted the DNV with my spouse and all dependents. No issues. We all got TIE appointments back to back, so no issues there. Make sure you apply for the familia larga card when you get here – it gets you discounted train tickets, museum tickets, etc.”
“We were just approved last week. I’m happy to share my experience. Our final application was for family of 3. However, we considered including 2 more dependents (in-laws) and I can say that the process is the same for 1 child or 3 children. Only difference is your income needs to be higher for more dependents and each person needs their own application, so just more paperwork.
We did a lot of prep work ourselves and applied in Spain, not the states bc we couldn’t get an appointment. We used attorneys at the end since our situation is a little different since we applied for DNV as a W2 employee (not self employed) and not technically 💯 remote (although no in-person work is performed in Spain or for Spanish company) – however, if you plan right you can save a lot of money doing most of the leg work yourself.”
“The first tip is to have enough income. The second tip is to apply at the same moment especially if you have a service contract.”
Conclusion
The main takeaway from this discussion on the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) is that applying as a large family is possible, but income thresholds and logistics are critical.
For self-employed applicants, timing is essential. Failing to register as autónomo immediately after approval can lead to backdated payments, loss of the tarifa plana, and even jeopardize dependent approvals. Practical hurdles such as opening a Spanish bank account, obtaining an NIE, and securing a digital certificate can complicate things further.
Ultimately, when applying for the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) with multiple dependents, careful planning, sufficient income, and deciding whether to apply together or sequentially can make a significant difference. This article is based on personal opinions from the Spainguru community and is not legal advice.
