Digital Nomad Visa From the UAE – Spain, Portugal, Croatia & Dubai Requirements Compared

Who can qualify

The route is for non-EU nationals who want to reside in Spain while working remotely through computer and telecommunications systems for companies located outside Spain.

An employee may work only for companies located outside Spain under this status. A self-employed professional may also work for a Spanish company, but the Spanish work must not exceed 20% of total professional activity.

The applicant must hold a graduate or postgraduate qualification from a recognised university, vocational-training centre or business school, or prove at least three years of professional experience in the current field.

Your company and work relationship must have history

Spain requires evidence that the foreign company or group has carried on real and continuous activity for at least one year.

The applicant must also prove a professional or employment relationship with the foreign company for at least three months before applying. For an employee, the employer letter should confirm the contract duration, salary, that the role can be performed remotely and that the employee is authorised to work remotely from Spain. The professional relationship is expected to continue while the applicant is in Spain.

2026 financial threshold

Spain's 2026 Minimum Interprofessional Salary is €1,221 per month. Digital-nomad financial means are calculated at 200% of that amount for the main teleworker, producing a 2026 minimum of €2,442 per month.

For the first accompanying family member, official Spanish consular guidance for 2026 states an additional €916 per month. For each further family member, add €306 per month.

The Abu Dhabi embassy page asks employees for the legalised work contract and 12 months of bank statements. Self-employed applicants must show the agreed remuneration for their services and 12 months of bank statements. Income should therefore be consistent across the contract, employer letter, payslips and banking record rather than appearing only as a last-minute account balance.

The UAE-Spain Social Security issue

For UAE-based employees, this is one of the most important country-specific requirements on the entire page. The Spanish Embassy in Abu Dhabi states that there is no applicable UAE-Spain agreement coordinating Social Security systems for this route.

Because of that, the embassy requires evidence that the UAE employer is registered with the Spanish Social Security system, evidence that the employee is affiliated with Spanish Social Security, and a responsible statement from the company confirming compliance with Spanish Social Security obligations.

Self-employed applicants are expected to show affiliation to Spain's self-employed Social Security regime, RETA, together with the required responsible statement. A generic international travel-insurance policy does not solve this employer/social-security requirement.

Documents specific to a UAE application

The Abu Dhabi checklist requires the national visa form, recent photographs, a passport with at least one year of validity and two blank pages, a copy of the valid UAE residence visa, and a Spanish NIE number obtained before the visa filing.

Applicants over 18 must provide police/good-conduct evidence covering the countries of residence over the previous two years and a declaration covering the absence of criminal penalties over the previous five years. UAE-issued police documents must be legalised by UAE MOFA and translated into Spanish by a Spanish sworn translator according to the embassy guidance.

The company-registry evidence showing company formation date and activity, work documents, qualification/experience documents and relevant civil-status documents for family members may also require legalisation or apostille and official Spanish translation. The embassy specifically notes UAE Chamber of Commerce or Ministry of Human Resources evidence when professional experience is being used instead of an academic qualification.

How UAE residents apply and how long it takes

The Spain Embassy in Abu Dhabi instructs digital-nomad applicants to prepare the complete file and request the appointment by email, attaching the UAE residence permit. Its digital-nomad page states that fees are payable at the embassy by card or cash.

Spanish consular guidance for this visa gives a legal decision period of 10 days from the day after submission, although the period can extend if the consulate requests extra documents or an interview.

The consular telework visa can be valid for up to one year. Separately, a foreign national who is already legally in Spain can apply for the international-teleworker residence permit without first obtaining the consular visa; Spanish official guidance states that this residence permission can be valid for up to three years.

Two remote-work categories appear in Portugal's UAE VFS system

Portugal VFS UAE currently lists DR – Professional Activity Done Remotely – 'Digital Nomads' under residence visas and ER – Professional Activity Done Remotely – 'Digital Nomads' under temporary-stay visas.

A Portuguese temporary-stay national visa is designed for stays over 90 days and up to one year, with multiple entries. A residence visa is the route for a stay intended to exceed one year; the initial residence visa is generally an entry visa valid for 120 days with up to two entries, followed by the residence-permit appointment in Portugal.

2026 income threshold: €3,680 per month

Official Portugal remote-work checklists require proof of average monthly income earned during the previous three months at a minimum equal to four times the Portuguese monthly minimum wage.

Portugal's statutory minimum wage is €920 in 2026. Four times €920 is €3,680, so a main applicant should currently plan around at least €3,680 in average monthly income over the prior three months.

The remote-work checklist also calls for a tax-residence certificate. This is different from a bank statement: the purpose is to identify the applicant's current tax-residence jurisdiction while the income evidence proves the financial threshold.

Employment and freelance evidence

For an employee, the file should establish a real foreign employment relationship through the work contract or an employer declaration. For an independent professional, official checklists accept evidence such as a company agreement, service-provision contract, or documents showing services provided to one or more entities.

The remote-work activity is framed as professional activity provided remotely for outside Portuguese territory. If your business model depends heavily on taking Portuguese local clients after arrival, obtain country-specific professional advice rather than assuming the digital-nomad route is a general local self-employment permit.

Other documents you should expect

Portugal's national-visa file normally includes the signed national-visa form, passport, photographs, proof of lawful residence in the country of application, travel/health insurance as applicable, criminal-record documentation and authorisation for Portuguese criminal-record checks, accommodation/support evidence, and the remote-work and financial documents specific to the category.

Foreign public documents may need apostille/legalisation depending on the issuing country and applicable convention. Documents not accepted in their original language may require certified translation. UAE residents should build legalisation time into the schedule instead of treating it as a last-day step.

UAE filing route, fees and processing

VFS Global is the official Portugal visa partner in the UAE and currently lists both Abu Dhabi and Dubai application centres. The Abu Dhabi centre currently shows an additional VFS service fee of AED 142.08; fees can change, so use the live UAE fee page at the point of booking.

Current VFS Portugal materials list a €110 consular fee for National Temporary Stay and National Residence visas, collected in the local equivalent where applicable, plus the VFS service fee and any optional services. Always confirm the UAE fee screen because exchange-rate collection and exemptions can differ.

Portugal's official national-visa timing framework allows around 30 days for temporary-stay applications and around 60 days for residence-visa applications, with longer analysis possible in justified cases. Appointment availability is a separate variable and should not be confused with the legal processing period after submission.

What happens after a Portugal residence visa

The residence visa is not the final long-term residence card. After entering Portugal, the applicant completes the AIMA residence-permit stage with the required address and work evidence.

AIMA currently states that the temporary residence permit for remote professional activity outside Portuguese territory is valid for two years from issuance and renewable for successive periods of three years.

This makes the residence route structurally different from a one-year remote-work visa. It is more suitable for someone who genuinely wants Portugal to become their place of residence rather than only a several-month remote-work base.

Who qualifies and what local work is prohibited

Croatia defines a digital nomad as a third-country national who is employed or performs work using communication technology for a foreign company, or their own company that is not registered in Croatia, and who does not perform work or provide services to employers in Croatia.

The status is therefore designed for economically foreign remote work. If you plan to sell services to Croatian employers or take a normal Croatian job, this is the wrong residence basis.

Duration and repeat applications

Temporary stay can be granted for up to 18 months. If the initial grant is shorter than 18 months, an extension can be requested no later than 60 days before expiry, with the total framework limited by the rule published by the Ministry.

A new digital-nomad stay application can be submitted only after six months have passed following expiry of the previous digital-nomad stay or other specified temporary-stay/family categories. This makes Croatia less suitable for someone expecting automatic back-to-back indefinite renewals.

2026 financial requirement

Croatia calculates the minimum at 2.5 times the previous year's average monthly net salary. The Ministry currently publishes the resulting requirement as at least €3,622.50 per month.

Instead of proving monthly inflow, an applicant can show the full amount for the intended stay. The Ministry currently lists €43,470 for a 12-month stay and €65,205 for an 18-month stay.

For each additional family member or life partner, the required amount rises by 10% of the relevant average monthly net salary. Based on the current published figures, that additional amount corresponds to €144.90 per month for each additional qualifying family member.

Documents

The file includes a passport valid for three months longer than the intended stay, health insurance covering Croatia, proof of remote-work purpose, evidence of means, a legalised criminal-record document from the home country or a country where the applicant lived for more than one year immediately before arrival, and an address or intended address in Croatia.

For purpose evidence, the Ministry accepts an employer statement plus employment/service contract, or, for an owner, company-registration evidence and proof that the work is performed through the foreign company. Documents for insurance, means, purpose and criminal record must be in Croatian or English or translated by an authorised translator.

How a UAE resident applies

Croatia provides an online digital-nomad application that is forwarded to the police authority responsible for the intended address. The route after filing depends on whether the applicant's passport nationality requires a visa to enter Croatia/Schengen.

A visa-required national can submit through a Croatian diplomatic mission/consular post. After approval, that person generally needs the long-stay D visa unless they hold a qualifying biometric residence permit or long-stay D visa from another member state. A visa-exempt national has more flexibility to submit through the consulate or, when legally present, the competent police administration/station.

Do not confuse UAE residence with Schengen visa exemption. Whether a Croatian D visa is needed after approval depends primarily on the passport and any qualifying European residence/long-stay document, not simply on possession of a UAE residence visa.

After approval: address registration, biometrics and government costs

After arrival, third-country nationals must register the temporary residence address with the competent police administration/station within the stated arrival deadline and obtain the biometric residence permit in person.

The Ministry currently lists consular-route charges of €55.74 for granting temporary stay, €93 for a long-stay D visa when required, and €41.14 for the biometric residence card where that card can be obtained through the post. A VFS service charge can apply if the D-visa application is lodged through a VFS centre.

For applications handled at a Croatian police administration/station, the Ministry currently lists €46.45 for granting temporary stay, €9.29 in administrative fees for the biometric permit and €31.85 for the card, or €59.73 for accelerated card issuance.

Core eligibility

GDRFA Dubai requires proof that the applicant works remotely for an organisation outside the UAE and earns at least US$3,500 per month or equivalent. The entry-visa stage also requires a passport valid for at least six months, a recent photograph and valid health insurance.

The resulting virtual-work residence permit is issued without a UAE guarantor or host for one year and is renewable under the same qualifying conditions. GDRFA also states that the holder can sponsor family for the same period.

Entry visa, residence permit and post-entry steps

Dubai distinguishes the virtual-work entry visa from the final residence permit. The entry visa allows the applicant to enter and complete the residence formalities within the permitted period.

The residence-permit stage currently lists a colour photograph, passport copy, health insurance, medical-fitness result, proof of remote work outside the UAE, salary certificate showing at least US$3,500 and the Emirates ID receipt.

GDRFA lists an expected service completion time of 48 hours once requirements are complete. Actual end-to-end timing can be longer because medical fitness, Emirates ID, document corrections or status-change steps are separate from the service target.

Current Dubai government fees

GDRFA currently lists the virtual-work entry visa fee at AED 200 plus 5% VAT, with additional charges when the applicant is inside the country. The final amount can vary according to the applicant's situation.

For the virtual-work residence permit, GDRFA currently lists AED 200 residence-permit fee, AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham and AED 20 delivery, plus an AED 500 inside-country fee where applicable.

ICP's federal virtual-work entry-visa service separately lists AED 100 application, AED 100 issuance and AED 100 smart-service fees. Use the authority that has jurisdiction over the emirate/process you are using rather than adding GDRFA and ICP fee schedules together as if they were one combined bill.

Employee

The strongest employee file shows a stable employer, contract, salary, remote-work authorisation and an employer that understands the destination compliance consequences. A short letter saying 'work from anywhere' is not enough where the country needs company registration, social-security evidence or continued-employment confirmation.

Spain is the most demanding example for a UAE employee because the Abu Dhabi checklist requires the foreign company to address Spanish Social Security registration and contributions.

Freelancer / independent professional

A freelancer should prove the business is real through contracts, client invoices, bank receipts and a consistent history rather than a single self-written statement. The destination may ask for business registration or evidence of services to one or more foreign entities.

Spain permits limited Spanish client work up to 20% of total activity for a self-employed international teleworker. Croatia's digital-nomad status does not allow services to Croatian employers.

Owner of your own company

Ownership does not remove the need to prove genuine foreign business activity. Croatia accepts evidence of registration of the applicant's own foreign company plus proof that the work is performed through that company. Spain requires evidence of company activity and, for its international telework framework, company history.

If the company is newly incorporated only to obtain a visa, Spain's one-year company-activity rule can block the application even when the applicant personally earns enough.