Can I Work for a UK Company and Live in Spain?
Plenty of people dream of keeping their UK job and doing it from a Spanish balcony — and since Brexit and the rise of remote work, it's a question we hear constantly. The good news: yes, it's possible and there's now a proper legal route. The catch: you can't just move and carry on as before. You need the right visa, and you (and your employer) need to think about tax and social security. Here's how to work for a UK company from Spain, legally.
Book a Free Consultation The Right VisaYes — you can live in Spain and work remotely for a UK employer, but you need the right visa and to handle the tax and social security properly. Since Brexit, UK nationals can't simply relocate and keep working; the route designed for exactly this is the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), for remote employees (and freelancers) earning from outside Spain. Once you live in Spain and become a Spanish tax resident, your employment income is generally taxable in Spain — though DNV holders may be able to apply for the favourable Beckham Law regime. Social security needs sorting too (which country you pay into), and your UK employer may have obligations or concerns about having staff based in Spain (payroll, permanent-establishment risk). The Non-Lucrative Visa is not the route, as it doesn't permit work. We handle the DNV, the tax set-up, and advice for you and your employer.
Can I Actually Do This?
Yes — living in Spain while working remotely for a UK company is entirely possible and increasingly common. But "I'll just keep my UK job and work from Spain" isn't something you can do informally, especially since Brexit ended free movement for UK nationals. To live in Spain beyond the 90/180 visitor limit, you need a residence visa; and to do so while working, you need one that permits remote work. On top of immigration, becoming resident in Spain changes your tax and social-security position, and it has implications for your employer too.
None of this is a barrier — it's a checklist. With the right visa and the tax and social-security side handled, you can legitimately base yourself in Spain and keep working for your UK employer. The mistake people make is moving first and sorting the legalities later (or not at all), which creates risk for them and their employer. Done properly, it's a great arrangement; done casually, it can unravel.
The Right Visa: The DNV
The visa built for this is the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), introduced precisely to let remote workers and freelancers live in Spain while earning from companies or clients outside Spain — which is exactly your situation working for a UK employer. Typical DNV requirements include showing a genuine, ongoing remote employment relationship (often with a minimum length of relationship with the employer), meeting an income threshold, having relevant qualifications or experience, and a letter from your employer permitting remote work from Spain.
The Non-Lucrative Visa is not the route, because it prohibits economic activity — see our piece on working on an NLV. The DNV is the correct, legal answer for keeping a UK job from Spain. It also has a potential tax sweetener (below). Our DNV for employees guide covers the employee route in detail, and we assess your eligibility and handle the application.
The DNV is the route — not the NLV
To work for a UK employer while living in Spain, the Digital Nomad Visa is the visa designed for it. The Non-Lucrative Visa prohibits work and is the wrong route. Applying on the correct basis from the start keeps your residence secure and avoids problems at renewal.
Tax: Where You Pay
Once you live in Spain and become a Spanish tax resident (broadly, more than 183 days a year here), you're generally taxable in Spain on your worldwide income — including your UK employment salary. The UK–Spain double-taxation treaty prevents you being taxed twice, but the upshot is usually that your employment income, earned while you're physically working in Spain, falls to be taxed in Spain rather than the UK.
There's a potential upside for DNV holders: many can apply for the Beckham Law special regime, under which qualifying income can be taxed at a favourable flat rate for a number of years instead of the normal progressive scale — which can be very advantageous for higher earners. The interaction of UK PAYE, Spanish tax residency and the treaty needs handling properly (you don't want UK tax deducted on income that's taxable in Spain without relief), so this is an area to set up correctly from the outset. Our tax for remote workers guide goes deeper, and we structure the tax position for clients moving to remote work in Spain.
What Your Employer Must Consider
Working for a UK company from Spain isn't only about you — your employer has things to weigh, and their willingness can make or break the plan:
- Permission to work remotely from Spain — the DNV typically needs the employer's agreement/letter; some employers are cautious about staff relocating abroad.
- Payroll and withholding — having an employee tax-resident in Spain can raise questions about how salary is taxed and whether arrangements need adjusting.
- Social-security obligations — the employer may have contribution duties depending on the arrangement.
- Permanent-establishment risk — in some cases an employee working from another country can create tax-presence concerns for the employer; usually manageable but worth checking.
Many UK employers are happy to accommodate a valued employee moving to Spain once they understand it's being done properly, and clear advice reassures them. Where an employer is hesitant, understanding their obligations (and that they're manageable) often unlocks the agreement. We can advise both the employee and, where helpful, liaise on the points the employer needs comfort on.
How to Do It Legally
The sensible sequence:
Confirm DNV eligibility
Check your remote-employment relationship, income and qualifications meet the DNV requirements, and get your employer's permission.
Plan the tax position
Understand your Spanish tax residency, the treaty, and whether Beckham Law applies — before you move.
Sort social security
Determine which country you contribute to, and any certificates needed.
Apply for the visa & set up properly
Submit the DNV application, get your NIE, and register for tax correctly on arrival.
Doing it in this order — legalities first, move second — means you arrive in Spain on a secure footing rather than scrambling to regularise things later. The combination of immigration, tax and social security is exactly what we pull together for clients so nothing is missed. The result is a clean, legal arrangement that lets you enjoy life in Spain while keeping your UK job.
How We Help
We make working for a UK company from Spain straightforward and legal. We assess and handle your Digital Nomad Visa, structure your tax position (including whether Beckham Law applies), coordinate advice on social security, obtain your NIE, and advise on the points your employer needs comfort on. Our team of bar-registered solicitors, immigration and tax specialists pulls the whole picture together so you move on a secure footing. In English, on a clear quote. Book a free consultation with a visa specialist.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — it's possible and increasingly common, but you need the right visa and to handle tax and social security properly. Since Brexit, UK nationals can't simply relocate and keep working; the route designed for this is the Digital Nomad Visa, for remote employees and freelancers earning from outside Spain. You'll also become a Spanish tax resident (with your income generally taxable in Spain, subject to the double-taxation treaty), need to sort social security, and your employer has things to consider. Done properly it's a great arrangement; done casually it creates risk. We handle the visa, tax set-up and employer advice.
The Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), which was introduced precisely to let remote workers and freelancers live in Spain while earning from companies or clients outside Spain. Typical requirements include a genuine, ongoing remote employment relationship (often with a minimum length), meeting an income threshold, relevant qualifications or experience, and a letter from your employer permitting remote work from Spain. The Non-Lucrative Visa is not the route because it prohibits work. The DNV is the correct legal answer for keeping a UK job from Spain, and it has a potential tax advantage too. We assess eligibility and handle the application.
Once you live in Spain and become a Spanish tax resident (broadly more than 183 days a year here), you're generally taxable in Spain on your worldwide income, including your UK salary. The UK–Spain double-taxation treaty prevents double taxation, but the upshot is usually that employment income earned while physically working in Spain is taxed in Spain rather than the UK. DNV holders may be able to apply for the Beckham Law regime, taxing qualifying income at a favourable flat rate for a period. The interaction of UK PAYE, Spanish residency and the treaty needs setting up correctly from the outset. We structure the tax position for clients.
Separate from income tax is which country's social security you pay into. Working in Spain, the default expectation is that contributions are due in Spain, but mechanisms under the UK–EU social security coordination rules (and certificates such as an A1 in some posting situations) can determine where contributions are payable and, in limited cases, allow continued UK contributions for a period. Getting this right matters for your benefits and pension entitlements and for your employer's obligations. It's technical and depends on the precise arrangement, so determine the correct position alongside the visa and tax rather than assuming. We coordinate advice on this.
Possibly. Your employer typically needs to agree to and provide a letter permitting remote work from Spain (required for the DNV). Having an employee tax-resident in Spain can raise questions about payroll and withholding, the employer may have social-security obligations depending on the arrangement, and in some cases an employee working from another country can create permanent-establishment tax concerns for the employer (usually manageable but worth checking). Many UK employers are happy to accommodate a valued employee once they understand it's being done properly. We advise the employee and, where helpful, on the points the employer needs comfort on.
No. As a visitor you're limited to 90 days in any 180 and can't base yourself in Spain to work; and the Non-Lucrative Visa prohibits economic activity, so it's the wrong route for remote work. Trying to work remotely on a tourist stay or NLV is at best legally uncertain and risks problems with your status and tax position. The proper route is the Digital Nomad Visa, created for exactly this. Applying on the correct basis from the start keeps your residence secure. We steer clients to the right visa and avoid the mistake of relying on the wrong one.
The Beckham Law is a special Spanish tax regime under which qualifying individuals who become Spanish tax resident can have certain income taxed at a favourable flat rate for a number of years, instead of the normal progressive scale — potentially very advantageous for higher earners. Many Digital Nomad Visa holders can apply for it, making the DNV not just the legal route to working for a UK company from Spain but potentially the tax-efficient one too. Eligibility and the application have specific conditions and deadlines, so it needs setting up correctly and on time. We assess whether it applies and handle the application alongside your visa.
Keep Your UK Job, Live in Spain — Legally
From the Digital Nomad Visa to the tax and social-security set-up and employer advice, we make working for a UK company from Spain clean and compliant. Book a free consultation with a visa specialist.
Book a Free Consultation Digital Nomad VisaThis article provides general information about living in Spain while working for a UK company and does not constitute legal, immigration or tax advice. Visa, tax and social-security rules change over time and depend on your circumstances. Platinum Legal Spain works with a team of bar-registered solicitors, immigration and tax specialists; for advice on your situation, please book a consultation.
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Social Security
Separate from income tax is the question of which country's social security system you pay into. Working in Spain, the default expectation is that social-security contributions are due in Spain, but there are mechanisms — under the UK–EU social security coordination rules (and certificates such as an A1 in some posting situations) — that can determine where contributions are payable and, in limited cases, allow continued UK contributions for a period.
Getting social security right matters for both you (your benefits and pension entitlements) and your employer (who may have contribution obligations). It's a technical area that depends on the precise arrangement — whether you're a posted worker, the duration, and your circumstances — and it's easy to overlook when focusing on the visa and income tax. The safe approach is to determine the correct social-security position alongside the visa and tax, rather than assuming. We coordinate advice on this so the whole picture — immigration, tax and social security — fits together.