The Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) is renewed in-country in Spain — not at a consulate — within a defined window around your card's expiry (broadly, the 60 days before plus a grace period after). The renewal is granted for up to 2 years at a time until you reach 5 years of continuous legal residence, at which point you can apply for long-term (permanent) residency. At renewal you must show continued eligibility — real remote work for the same or a new qualifying employer/clients, the income threshold, ongoing Spanish tax and social security compliance, a compliant private health insurance policy or public alternative, and residence in Spain. Our DNV renewal service is €1,499 including sworn translations up to €100. Take a free eligibility check or book a free consultation.
The DNV Renewal Pattern
The DNV was introduced as part of Spain's Startup Law and is a modern, tech-worker-friendly residence route. Its structure is designed to move you toward permanent settlement in five years:
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Initial DNV grant | Typically 3 years (the residence period after the initial consular or in-country grant). |
| Renewal(s) | Renewed for up to 2 years at a time, subject to continued eligibility, until 5 years of continuous residence. |
| Long-term (permanent) residence | At 5 years of continuous legal residence, you apply for long-term residence — a 5-year EU-level card, renewable indefinitely without re-proving income and insurance. |
In practice most DNV holders go through one renewal — from the initial 3-year card into the additional period taking them to 5 years — and then transition to long-term residence. The renewal is your main mid-term touchpoint with the system, and it's the moment to reconfirm your work, income and tax compliance in Spain.
When to Renew
- Window opens 60 days before expiry of your current TIE — this is the target window.
- Grace period after expiry (up to 90 days) — you can still file but you'll need to justify the delay, and your position is exposed while unresolved.
- After 90 days post-expiry — likely to have lost residence status; you're then facing a fresh application, which typically means going back through the consulate route.
Start preparing at least 3 months before expiry. Documents like updated employer/client evidence, fresh tax filings, updated insurance and (if applicable) autónomo confirmations take time to gather, and you want the filing to be clean when the window opens.
60 days before expiry is the target window
Start preparing 3 months out — the DNV file requires up-to-date work, tax and social security evidence, and if any element is out of date at filing, you'll be sent back to fix it. Diarise the renewal date from the moment you get your original card.
Employed vs Freelance
The DNV has two tracks depending on how you work — and how you work at renewal must match how you presented at the initial application, or you need to justify the change. See our employed DNV, freelancer DNV and employed-vs-freelance guides for the full picture.
Employed track
You work remotely for a non-Spanish employer under an ongoing contract. At renewal you re-show the employment relationship, that it's continued, that the income is at the required threshold, and that Spanish social security (via a totalisation agreement, an A1/CoC, or Spanish contributions) is in order.
Freelancer track
You work for non-Spanish clients as an independent professional. At renewal you re-show a portfolio of clients (with the DNV's cap on Spanish-source income), income at the threshold, and Spanish autónomo registration and social security compliance.
Switching track between applications
You can move from employed to freelance (or vice versa) between applications, but the renewal file needs to show the new arrangement clearly and evidence that it satisfies the DNV requirements. Get advice before switching — the transitional period is where issues arise.
Adding clients or changing employer
Freelancers taking on new clients, or employees who've changed employer during the residence period, need to update the file. The DNV is about ongoing eligibility, not the specific relationship you started with.
The Renewal Requirements
At renewal you must show that the conditions that got you the DNV in the first place continue to be met. In broad terms:
Continued qualifying work
Real remote work — either employed by a non-Spanish employer under a contract that continues to meet the DNV's requirements, or freelance for non-Spanish clients within the DNV's cap on Spanish-source income. Evidence: employer letter, contracts, invoices, service agreements, work history through the residence period.
Income at the required threshold
You must show income at least at the DNV's minimum (a multiple of the Spanish minimum wage — currently referenced against SMI). Increases in the SMI mean the DNV threshold moves too. Recent payslips, invoices, bank credits and Spanish tax filings all evidence this.
Tax & social security compliance
You must have been tax-compliant in Spain during the residence period. This includes filing Spanish income tax returns (either standard or under Beckham Law where you opted in and it applies), reporting overseas assets where thresholds trigger, and — for freelancers — autónomo registration and monthly social security contributions.
Compliant health insurance or public alternative
Either continued compliant private insurance or Spanish public healthcare via social security if you're now registered under Spain's system. Downgrading to a non-compliant policy is a common cause of renewal issues.
Clean criminal record and residence in Spain
Spanish police-record certificate (Spanish now, not from your home country), and evidence of continued residence in Spain.
Beckham Law at Renewal
Many DNV holders opt into Beckham Law — the Spanish special expatriate tax regime that lets qualifying newcomers pay a flat ~24% rate on Spanish-source income up to the statutory cap (and 47% above), for up to 6 tax years, with worldwide investment income substantially excluded from Spanish taxation. See our Beckham for DNV holders guide.
At renewal:
- Beckham status doesn't need renewing separately — it runs for its full statutory regime window from initial election, as long as eligibility conditions continue to be met.
- The renewal file itself doesn't hinge on Beckham — it hinges on tax compliance. Beckham is simply the framework you're compliant under.
- If you're leaving Beckham (voluntarily or because eligibility ended), plan the tax transition carefully.
- Beckham election is done via modelo 149 at initial residence — you can't retroactively opt in at renewal.
If you didn't take Beckham at the start and are now regretting it, renewal isn't when you fix that — get tax advice, since the door is largely closed once the initial election window passes.
Absences & Travel
The DNV is a residence route, so you must have been genuinely resident during the residence period:
- Regular travel (business trips, holidays, home visits) is normal and doesn't threaten the renewal.
- Extended periods outside Spain can — Spanish immigration rules limit how long you can be out of Spain during the residence period without affecting your status.
- Some DNV holders effectively live outside Spain but keep the residence for tax or convenience reasons — this is risky at renewal.
- DNV holders can travel throughout the EU/Schengen area and worldwide while resident — the constraint is total time away from Spain, not the fact of travel.
If you've had significant absences, address them clearly in the renewal file with an explanation. Don't gamble on the authorities not noticing — passport stamps and tax records can tell a story.
Documents to Prepare
- Renewal application form (the appropriate current form).
- Current passport.
- Current TIE card.
- Empadronamiento certificate — recent, from your town hall.
- Employer letter (employed track) — confirming ongoing employment, remote work, income and duration of relationship.
- Client contracts and invoices (freelance track) — evidencing an ongoing book of non-Spanish clients within the DNV's cap on Spanish-source work.
- Income evidence — payslips, invoices, bank credits, Spanish tax returns.
- Spanish tax filings — IRPF, Beckham modelo 151 where applicable, autónomo returns where applicable.
- Social security evidence — A1/CoC status for employed, autónomo registration and cuotas for freelancers.
- Insurance policy — compliant private policy or Spanish public via social security.
- Spanish police-record certificate.
- Proof of paid fee (modelo 790).
- Family documents — for renewals covering spouse and children.
Every document must be current and, for foreign documents, apostilled and sworn-translated where required. Missing or defective documents are the biggest cause of avoidable delay.
How the Renewal Works
DNV renewal is submitted in-country in Spain — either online via the Sede Electrónica using a digital certificate (yours or ours as your representative) or in person at the immigration office. The sequence:
3 months out — start preparation
Review employer/client evidence, tax compliance, autónomo status, insurance, address any absences.
60 days before expiry — window opens
File the renewal with the full document set through the Sede Electrónica or in person.
Wait for decision
Processing runs weeks to a few months. Respond promptly to any requests for further evidence.
Renewal granted — book huellas
Book the fingerprints appointment at the police foreigners' office for the new TIE.
Collect the new TIE
Pick up the replacement TIE card — typically for the next 2 years of residence.
The bulk of the work is in stages 1 and 2. Stages 3–5 are largely administrative but need doing promptly.
Family Renewals
If you brought a spouse and children in on the DNV, their renewal is handled with yours:
- The income threshold rises to include dependants (main applicant multiple, plus additional per dependant).
- Each family member needs their own current insurance or public healthcare and up-to-date documents.
- Children's school enrolment is often included as residence evidence.
- Dependants' TIE cards are issued together with the main applicant's for the same period.
Family renewals are more logistically involved but structurally the same. We handle whole-household renewals routinely.
The 5-Year Path
The point of DNV renewal is to reach 5 years of continuous legal residence and transition to long-term residence. At that point:
- The residence card becomes a 5-year long-term residence, renewable indefinitely.
- The onerous parts of the DNV — showing continued qualifying work, income and Beckham/tax status — fall away.
- You have full Spanish residence security and freedom to change how you work.
- After a further residence period (typically 10 years' total residence, or shorter for certain nationalities), Spanish citizenship becomes a possibility.
The 5-year point is a genuine change of status, and it's what makes the DNV route strategic rather than just tactical. Plan for it from year 1.
5 years opens permanent residency — plan for it from year 1
The DNV isn't just a work visa — it's a 5-year runway to full residence. Keep your work, tax and social security compliance clean throughout so the long-term application is a formality when it comes.
If Your Renewal Is Refused
DNV renewal refusals typically come down to identifiable issues — insufficient work continuity, income below threshold, tax or social security non-compliance, insurance defect, or absences. Options:
- Appeal (recurso) — where the refusal was wrong or a defect can be cured quickly.
- Reapply — with the underlying issue fixed.
- Transition to another route — occasionally the right answer is switching to a different residence category (NLV if work has ended, work permit if the client base has become predominantly Spanish, etc.).
See our DNV rejection guide and visa refusal & appeals service.
Our Service & Pricing
Our DNV renewal service is €1,499, sworn translations included up to €100. Included:
- Full renewal case review — work, income, tax, social security, insurance, absences.
- Document assembly & filing through the Sede Electrónica or in person.
- Coordination with your Spanish accountant / gestor where needed (or via our partners).
- TIE stage support — huellas and collection.
- Family renewals included where the household is renewing together.
- Beckham Law check — reviewing continued eligibility if you're under Beckham.
Three ways to start with us: start your renewal on our DNV dashboard, take a free eligibility check, or book a free consultation with a DNV specialist.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
The renewal window opens 60 days before your current TIE expires. That's when most DNV holders file. There's a grace period of up to 90 days after expiry, but filing after expiry exposes your position and typically requires justification. After 90 days post-expiry you're likely to have lost your residence status and be looking at a fresh consulate application. Start preparation at least 3 months out — the DNV file requires up-to-date work, tax and social security evidence, and any element that's out of date at filing sends the file back for fixing.
Continued qualifying remote work (employed for a non-Spanish employer, or freelance for non-Spanish clients within the DNV's Spanish-source cap), income at the required threshold (referenced against Spanish SMI), Spanish tax compliance (either standard IRPF or Beckham Law modelo 151 filings), social security compliance (either home-country coverage via A1 for employees, or Spanish autónomo for freelancers), compliant health insurance or Spanish public healthcare, and evidence of continued residence in Spain.
No — Beckham election is done at initial residence via modelo 149 and runs for its full statutory regime window as long as eligibility is maintained. There's no separate renewal step. At residence renewal you need to show tax compliance, and if you're under Beckham, that means Beckham modelo 151 filings. You can't retroactively elect Beckham at renewal — if you missed the initial election window, that door is largely closed. Get tax advice if you're unsure.
Many employed DNV holders enter using an A1 / Certificate of Coverage from their home country's social security system, which allows them to remain outside Spanish social security for the duration of the certificate. A1s are typically issued for 2 years initially, sometimes extendable. If yours has expired at renewal time, you or your employer will need to either extend the A1 (where the home country allows) or transition to Spanish social security contributions — which is often via autónomo, or through the employer's Spanish payroll if applicable. This is a common area of DNV renewal complexity — get advice early.
Yes — you can move between the two tracks between applications. The renewal file must show the new arrangement clearly and evidence that it satisfies the DNV requirements (real remote work, correct income level, correct social security setup, non-Spanish source of work within the DNV's cap for freelancers). Switching creates transitional issues — for example, closing an old employment, registering as autónomo, changing social security contributions — that need timing and coordination. Get advice before switching so the renewal file lines up cleanly.
Processing timeframes vary by office and workload — typically weeks to a few months from filing. Preparation adds several weeks before filing, particularly if new evidence needs to be gathered (updated employer letters, fresh criminal record, updated insurance). If more documents are requested during processing, respond promptly to the deadline given to avoid further delay. Once approved, you book huellas at the police foreigners' office to have the new TIE produced, then return to collect it after a few more weeks. End-to-end, plan for the renewal to run over a few months.
The income threshold at renewal is the current SMI-based DNV minimum, which scales up over time as the SMI rises. If your income has dropped materially — client loss, employer changes, market downturn — this needs addressing. Options include showing a broader income base (multiple sources), presenting the full picture across the residence period (not just the most recent months), and — if the drop is significant and structural — considering whether transitioning to a different residence route (such as the NLV if you have passive income) is the right answer. Get advice early rather than filing hoping it goes through.
You can appeal (recurso de reposición within the strict short deadline, followed by contencioso-administrativo if needed) or reapply with the underlying issue fixed. Common refusal reasons are income shortfall, tax or social security non-compliance, insurance defects, absence issues, or documentary problems — many are addressable. Sometimes the right answer is transitioning to a different residence route. Our DNV rejection guide covers common causes and fixes, and our visa refusal & appeals service handles DNV renewal refusals end to end. Deadlines are strict — act quickly.
Social Security & Autónomo
Social security is one of the DNV's trickier areas and often the deciding factor in renewal cleanliness:
Renewal is a good moment to have social security reviewed — mistakes made in year 1 that weren't caught can be quietly cleaned up as part of a broader renewal file rather than left to compound.