Identify your visa category — match your situation to a Spanish residence/visa type (non-lucrative, digital nomad, work, study, family)

Apostille civil documents for the consulate (birth/marriage certificates and other foreign public documents) — under the 1961 Hague Convention; each document must be apostilled in the country that issued it

Book consulate appointment to lodge your visa application — wait times vary widely by consulate, so book as early as you can; appointments run through the consulate’s cita previa system

Obtain a national criminal-record check, apostilled and translated into Spanish — must be issued within 90 days of applying, so allow several weeks (US: an FBI-approved channeler speeds it up)

Obtain employer/client certificate of incorporation showing 1+ years of business activity (DNV)

Obtain a social-security certificate of coverage (e.g. US/Spain totalization, UK A1) from your home country — or otherwise register with Spanish Social Security

Obtain employer letter authorizing you to work remotely from Spain, describing your role (DNV employed workers)

Gather proof of remote income — about €34,000/yr (200% of Spain's minimum wage) plus ~€13,000 for a spouse and ~€4,000 per child; thresholds rise when the minimum wage does

Obtain apostilled university degree or official proof of 3+ years professional experience (DNV requirement)

Gather employment contract / client agreements showing remote work permission

Obtain a medical certificate (issued within 90 days, on official letterhead, translated into Spanish) confirming no diseases per the International Health Regulations

Obtain certified sworn translations (traductor jurado) of all apostilled foreign documents into Spanish — only a MAEC-appointed sworn translator gives them official validity

Notify home country tax authority of change of tax residence

Consult a cross-border tax specialist before moving — time asset disposals to minimise Spanish tax exposure

Obtain your NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero, form EX-15) — required for nearly all official and financial transactions

Apply for your residence card (TIE) — start the process (fingerprinting/huella) within 30 days of entry; appointment waits can run several weeks in big cities

Obtain a digital certificate (FNMT) to file taxes online and receive official government notifications

Open a Spanish bank account (can be done remotely as a non-resident before arrival)

File annual Spanish income tax return (Modelo 100 / IRPF) — window 2 April to 30 June, penalty for late filing

Renew your digital nomad residence permit before it expires — renewable for 2-year periods as long as the qualifying conditions (continued remote income and means) hold; managed by the UGE-CE under the Startups Law (Ley 28/2022)

Apply for the Beckham Law special regime (Modelo 149) — a flat 24% tax on Spanish-source income up to €600,000 for up to six years, for qualifying inbound workers (employees and, since 2023, many remote workers and entrepreneurs; usually not standard autónomos). The election has a strict filing window (~6 months from starting your activity) — confirm eligibility and timing with a tax adviser

File Modelo 030 to register with Hacienda as a new Spanish tax resident (census of tax obligations)

Apply for long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence