Before moving to Spain for remote work: the decisions worth reviewing

Perhaps you have already chosen a city. You have looked at neighbourhoods, worked out the time difference and started imagining what it would feel like to close your laptop and step out onto your new street. Before turning that idea into a moving date, it is worth considering a few less visible questions.

You do not need every answer on day one. You need to know what to resolve before committing to the next step.

1. Start with your work, not the name of a visa

Spain’s international teleworking route is for third-country nationals. Employees work for businesses outside Spain; self-employed professionals may work for Spanish businesses within a limit of 20% of their total professional activity. These arrangements are not interchangeable. Law 14/2013, Article 74 bis.

First describe what you do, who engages you and where you will work. Add your nationality, current country of residence and any permission you already hold. That starting picture helps frame the right questions, without assuming that a familiar label fits your circumstances.

2. Speak to your employer before fixing a date

The law requires evidence of the existing relationship, the company’s activity and the remote-working arrangements. It also distinguishes a visa from a residence authorisation applied for while legally in Spain. Law 14/2013, Articles 74 ter to 74 quinquies.

It helps to take the conversation beyond “you can work from anywhere”. Who will prepare the documents? Does the person approving the move know the destination country? Which dates are preferences and which are confirmed? Discussing these questions with HR helps organise the work without treating the move as already settled.

3. Treat social security and healthcare as separate questions

Health insurance does not replace social security obligations. Remaining covered by your home country’s system requires an applicable international arrangement and the relevant certificate; merely applying for it is not enough. Healthcare coverage must also be checked. UGE: documentation for international teleworkers.

Before buying a policy or relying on your existing cover, ask what each document must establish and who needs to obtain it. Include this conversation from the outset, alongside your working arrangements.

4. Review your arrival year with a tax adviser

A residence permit does not, by itself, determine tax residence. Days spent in Spain are not the only test: economic activities or interests and the family circumstances specified by law also matter. If two countries treat someone as resident, the applicable treaty, where one exists, needs to be considered. Spanish Tax Agency: individual tax residence.

Remote work does not automatically qualify you for the special inbound tax regime often called the “Beckham law”. It has its own conditions and requires the relevant election. Personal Income Tax Law, Article 93.

Prepare a travel calendar and an outline of your income and ties to each country for your adviser. The first aim is to identify what needs reviewing before dates are fixed, not to predict tax savings without examining your circumstances.

5. Include the life that moves with you

If your partner or children are coming too, include their plans in the first conversation: when they would like to move, whether anyone will continue working and which school or housing commitments affect the timetable. Do not assume that resolving your position also resolves theirs.

A short list can be enough to begin: decisions made, questions still open and documents to locate. Keep aspirations, provisional bookings and confirmed steps separate.

A first step with context

At Xenos, we address the immigration and tax aspects of moving to Spain. Start by telling us where you live, what work you do and when you would like to move. There is no need to attach passports or tax documents in your first message.