I’ll preface this by saying I genuinely love Spain and I do recommend it as a place to live. But if you are on the fence about whether the Digital Nomad Visa is worth pursuing, let me save you some pain.
I’ve done visas for probably 10 countries at this point. I have permanent residency in a few of them. I thought Spain would be straightforward. It has not been.
Seven months in, thousands spent on paperwork, translations, apostilles, appointments, and I’m still not done. The Spanish bureaucratic system is genuinely one of the most outdated I’ve ever encountered. We’re talking ancient government websites, in-person bank visits to pay in cash for appointments, and a process that feels like it was designed in 1987 and nobody has touched it since.
Also, during the appointments it completely depends on what police officer you get. Some will just refuse to give you what you need and will not explain why. It is genuinely infuriating.
I’ve seen this visa recommended a lot on here and I get it. On paper it sounds great. But unless Spain is your absolute dream destination and you are committing to at least 2 to 3 years minimum, I genuinely do not think it is worth the effort.
If you are going to do it, hire someone to handle the paperwork. Yes they charge €2,000 to €3,000 but it will save your sanity. I made the mistake of doing it myself because I am busy with work and by the time I looked for help I had already done 90 percent of it so nobody would touch it for less than full price anyway.
Just wanted to share an honest experience because I wish someone had told me this before I started. Happy to answer questions if anyone is considering it.
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