Spain's proposed 5.3% minimum wage rise would lift digital nomad visa income bar

Spain's Ministry of Labour has opened public comment on a draft royal decree that would raise the national minimum wage (SMI) 5.3% in 2027, from €1,221 to €1,286 a month in 14 payments. Digital nomad visa applicants must show monthly income equal to 200% of the SMI, so the income bar for remote workers would climb with it once the decree is approved.

The draft goes further than the ministry's own expert committee, which recommended a 4.9% rise to €1,281 on Nov. 4. On an annual basis, the wage would reach €18,004, up from €17,094. Comments close Nov. 16 and the government wants the increase approved before the Nov. 29 general election.

Employer groups have asked it to leave the decision to the next government, but the law only requires the government to consult employers and unions, not win their approval.

New nomad visa applicants would need about €130 more a month

Doubling the SMI gives the principal applicant's threshold. Advisers don't all convert it the same way, so both common methods are shown below. These are Stamped Nomad calculations from the official figures.

• 14-payment monthly basis: €2,442 now, €2,572 under the draft

• Annual figure divided by 12: €2,849 a month (€34,188 a year) now, about €3,001 a month (€36,008 a year) under the draft

• Dependents: 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each additional one, on top of the applicant's 200%

On the annual method, that's €1,820 more income a year that a single applicant must document. Families face a higher total, since each dependent's share rises with the wage too.

The change only touches people applying for or holding the visa, which is for remote work for companies outside Spain; tourists and other short-stay visitors aren't affected. More on routes is in our Spain guide.

What is still unclear

The draft includes a "no effect" clause: the new wage won't apply automatically to regional or local rules that use the SMI to grant aid or to private contracts that reference it. Those rules keep the previous figure during 2027. The nomad visa threshold is set in national law, so the clause as reported doesn't appear to cover it, though no official source has said so yet.

The reports also don't give the date the new wage would take effect and they don't say whether pending renewals would be assessed against the old or new figure.

Applicants near the line can document income above €3,001 a month, which clears the bar under either method.