Spain Digital nomad visa vs Italy Digital nomad visa

The visa lasts up to one year, the residence authorization up to three years, then renews in two-year periods while conditions are met.

Boletín Oficial del Estado

The permit is issued for up to one year and renews annually while the conditions are met.

Gazzetta Ufficiale

Remote work for the foreign company only. Freelancers may take Spanish clients up to 20% of their professional activity.

Remote work as a nomad or remote worker; no work nulla osta is required.

• €73.26 ≈ $82

  Fee for the initial application, payable for the holder and for each family member before filing.

• €116+ ≈ $130

  National visa fee paid in cash at the Paris consulate; the amount varies by post.

Long-term residence needs five years of continuous legal residence; absences of up to 6 consecutive months (10 in total, or 18 for work) do not break continuity.

Boletín Oficial del Estado

The EU long-term residence permit needs five years on a valid residence permit, income at least the annual social allowance, and an Italian language test; it is issued within 90 days.

Normattiva

Nationality needs 10 years of legal, continuous residence immediately before applying (2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal), plus good conduct and integration.

Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado

Naturalisation needs 10 years of legal residence (4 years for EU citizens) and Italian at level B1 or above.

Ministero dell'InternoNormattiva

Applicants already lawfully in Spain get a decision within 20 days; the consulate decides a visa within 10 working days.

Boletín Oficial del EstadoLarge Companies and Strategic Groups Unit

The consulate may take up to 30 days to examine a remote worker visa application and up to 120 days for a digital nomad; a residence permit must then be issued, renewed or converted within 90 days of the application when requirements are met (Art. 5(9)).

Consulate General of Italy in ParisNormattiva

Request the telework visa at the Spanish consulate, or apply for the residence authorization from within Spain if you are there lawfully.

Boletín Oficial del EstadoLarge Companies and Strategic Groups Unit

Request the visa at the Italian consulate, then apply for the residence permit at the Questura within 8 working days of arrival.

Gazzetta UfficialeEmbassy of Italy in Washington

Foreign-source income outside the qualifying work and entrepreneurial income is not taxed in Spain under this regime.

Optional annual lump sum replacing Italian tax on foreign-source income: EUR300,000 (≈ $335,000) for people transferring residence from 1 January 2026 (Law 199/2025), EUR200,000 (≈ $223,000) for transfers between 11 August 2024 and 31 December 2025, EUR100,000 (≈ $112,000) for earlier transfers; the effect ends after fifteen years.