Spain plans ‘digital nomad’ visa scheme to attract remote workers

西班牙拟推出“数字游民签证” 吸引远程工作者

（来源：China Daily）

Spain plans to issue “digital nomad” visas giving non-EU citizens the chance to work in the sun and enjoy a lower cost of living with tax breaks thrown in for good measure.

西班牙计划发放“数字游民签证”，让非欧盟公民有机会在阳光普照的西班牙办公，并享受税收减免带来的低成本生活。

The visas will be offered to people who work remotely for enterprises outside Spain and who derive a maximum of 20% of their income from Spanish firms.

这一签证将向为西班牙境外企业远程工作的人提供，前提是他们从西班牙企业获得的收入不超过他们收入的20%。

As the law has yet to be passed there are still some details to be hammered out but it is expected that the visa – essentially a residency permit – will be initially valid for one year, renewable for up to five years depending on the applicant’s circumstances. Close relatives, such as a spouse or children, will be eligible to join the applicant.

尽管西班牙尚未通过相关法规，部分细则也有待敲定，但预计这种签证（本质上是居住许可证）最初有效期为一年，随后可以依据申请者情况续签至最多五年，配偶和子女等近亲也可以一同申请。

Applicants must be from outside the European Economic Area and be able to demonstrate that they have been working remotely for at least a year. They must have a contract of employment or, if freelance, show that they have been regularly employed by a company outside Spain.

申请者必须来自欧洲经济区以外国家，并能证明自己已远程办公至少一年。他们必须持有雇佣合同，如果是自由职业者，则必须证明自己常受雇于某个西班牙以外的企业或机构。

They must also demonstrate that they will earn enough to be self-sufficient and that they have an address in Spain.

另外，申请者必须证明自己的收入可以自给自足，并在西班牙有住所。

For the first four years they will be taxed at 15%, rather than the standard 25% base rate.

拿到“数字游民签证”者在西班牙居住的前四年里可以享受15%的优惠税率，而当地标准税率为25%。

Spain joins 15 other European countries that offer some version of a digital nomad visa. Each country has its own set of conditions.

目前已经有15个欧洲国家推出类似的“数字游民签证”，各国有自己的申请条件。

In Croatia, for example, applicants must be earning at least €2,300 a month, in Estonia €3,500, in Iceland €7,100 and in Portugal only €700. It’s thought that Spain will set a minimum monthly income of about €2,000.

比如，克罗地亚要求申请者月收入不低于2300欧元，爱沙尼亚要求不低于3500欧元，冰岛要求达到7100欧元，葡萄牙的最低门槛则只有700欧元。据估计，西班牙将把申请者最低月收入门槛设定在2000欧元左右。

Greece introduced a digital nomad law in October 2021, offering residency of one to three years. Applicants must have a monthly income of €3,500.

希腊于2021年10月出台了数字游民法，向数字游民提供一至三年的居住权。申请者月收入必须达到3500欧元。

Some countries demand that you have cash in the bank – €5,500 in the case of the Czech Republic – as well as income. Some may also insist on private health insurance.

有些国家除了收入限制外，还要求你在银行里有存款，比如捷克共和国要求银行存款达到5500欧元。另外一些国家还要求申请者拥有私人医疗保险。

Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona are already popular among the EU’s digital nomads, with the latter proving a favoured destination for startups as the city aspires to become a technology hub and less dependent on tourism.

西班牙的马德里、巴伦西亚和巴塞罗那原本就是欧盟的数字游民热门聚居地，事实证明，巴塞罗那还是很受初创企业欢迎的目的地，该市立志要成为技术中心，减少对旅游业的依赖。

Excellent 4G cover almost everywhere in Spain is tempting some nomads to set themselves up in rural areas where rents are very low. Internet speed is among the fastest in Europe and, at 148Mbps, almost double the UK speed of 75Mbps.

西班牙几乎覆盖各个角落的优质4G网络吸引着一些数字游民在租金很低的乡村地区落脚。西班牙的网速是欧洲最快的，达到148兆比特每秒，是英国网速（75兆比特每秒）的近两倍。

However, for residents of cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, one negative effect is that nomads push up rents as people working remotely for US or UK companies can command much higher salaries and pay higher rents than locals.

但是，对于马德里和巴塞罗那等城市的居民而言，数字游民涌入的一个负面影响是会推高当地房租，因为远程为英美公司工作的人能领到远超当地人的薪水，能支付得起的租金也高得多。

（编辑：何晓玙）