Question
“Hi Spain Digital Nomad visa Community, I came here looking for some advice based on my situation to see my best options for applying for a visa in Spain. My current situation is as follows.
- I hold both Canadian and UK passports
- I currently live in Toronto and own a condo downtown that I would rent out when I am in Spain.
- My work is freelance, my taxes are paid in Ontario Canada, but my 2 main longterm clients are both located in the US.
- There is a property in small town in the south west of Spain, that I am part of where my monthly expenses are incredibly low.
I was in Spain from Feb-April of this year and spoke to a lawyer there who told me that I have to apply for it before heading to the country, but I have read that is not the case.
I also can not seem to find any information on if it is better for me to apply through my CAN citizenship or my UK, or if it really doesn’t matter. I don’t know if one country has different visas or requirements than the other.
I would love to learn anything that you can help me with!, Thank you!”
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Spain Digital Nomad Visa group members:
“You can apply either with your UK or CA passport. Both will give you 90 days as a tourist to come to apply for the DNV. If applying in Spain, you do need to be in Spain on the day of the application. However, I do recommend having everything ready (documents) before you come to Spain.”
“Hi. No difference whether applying with UK or Canadian. However if you’ve been living in Canada probably better use that otherwise they might ask to see a U.K. criminal record check as well. Owning property is irrelevant for this visa. It’s income based and yes, you can apply in Spain.”
“Much better to apply from Spain as you can get a residency/work authorisation for up to 3 years, instead of just one through the Consulate. You only need a criminal records check for the country where you have held official residency in the past 2 years, so not related to the passports you hold.”
Conclusion
Spainguru Facebook group members agree that applicants can use either their Canadian or UK passport to apply for the Spain Digital Nomad visa.
However, since the member resides in Canada, using Canadian residency simplifies the criminal background check, avoiding the need for a UK police certificate. Owning property in Spain has no bearing on eligibility, as the visa is income-based.
Members recommend applying from within Spain, which allows for a longer initial residence permit of up to three years, compared to one year if applying through a consulate abroad. It is crucial to have all documentation ready before entering Spain to apply in-country.
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