By Camila Sánchez García, Spanish Immigration Lawyer at MoveWise · Last updated: 27 October 2026

💡 The short answer: Yes. The Spain Digital Nomad Visa lets you bring your spouse or partner, minor children, dependent children aged 18 to 25 and dependent parents. In 2026 you need 200% of the minimum wage for yourself, plus 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional one: about €3,917 a month gross for a couple filing from Spain (consulates publish €3,358). Family members apply with you or later, from Spain through the UGE-CE or at a consulate.

Key facts for 2026

• Who can join you: spouse or partner, minor children, dependent children aged 18 to 25 and dependent parents (Ley 14/2013).

• Parents: dependency must be proved; over 80 it is presumed. Children aged 26+ qualify only with a disability (UGE-CE family document).

• Minimum wage 2026: €1,221 a month in 14 payments, €17,094 a year (Real Decreto 126/2026).

• Income filing from Spain (UGE-CE basis): €2,849 for you, +€1,068.38 first family member, +€356.13 each additional, gross per month.

• Income at consulates (Washington, Houston): €2,442, +€916, +€305.

• Decision from Spain: 20 working days, then positive silence (art. 76 Ley 14/2013).

• Work rights: family members can work as employees or self-employed (UGE-CE FAQ).

• Permit length: the same as yours: up to 3 years from Spain, or a 1-year visa via a consulate (arts. 74 quater–quinquies Ley 14/2013).

This guide is for non-EU remote workers moving to Spain on the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) with a partner, children or parents. You will learn who qualifies, what each person files, the exact income your household needs and whether to apply together or later.

It is written by MoveWise Legal Managers for Spain from the family files we prepare every week and checked against official UGE-CE guidance. Every number has a source.

It helps you avoid the pitfall we see most: a strong main application next to a weak family one.

In this guide:

• What changed in 2026
• Is this the right visa for your family?
• Who can join you
• Documents each family member needs
• How much income your family needs: worked examples
• Health insurance for your family
• Applying together or later, from Spain or from a consulate
• How to apply, step by step
• Timeline: what to realistically expect
• How much it costs
• Apostille and translation cheat sheet for family documents
• After approval: padrón, TIE, schools, healthcare, work and tax
• Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)
• Frequently asked questions
• How MoveWise can help

What changed in 2026

The law and the list of eligible family members did not change. Three things did.

• Higher income figures. The minimum wage (SMI) rose to €1,221 a month, €17,094 a year (Real Decreto 126/2026), so every household total went up.
• No entry stamps for visitors. Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) records short-stay travellers digitally instead of stamping passports. A family entering as visitors and filing from Spain will have no stamp: keep every boarding pass, and we add an explanatory note. Long-stay (D) visa holders are outside the EES and may still be stamped; if not, keep the same evidence.

Is this the right visa for your family?

The family route works when one adult earns enough from remote work for companies or clients outside Spain to support the household. Check the main applicant's rules in our Spain Digital Nomad Visa requirements guide, and see how we run the application on our Spain Digital Nomad Visa service page.

✅ It fits if:

• you work remotely for employers or clients outside Spain, with at least three months of history;
• your income reaches the household total below, or savings cover the gap;
• you can document each family link and, for adult children and parents, real dependency.

❌ It does not fit if:

• your income is mainly passive (pensions, rent, investments): see the Non-Lucrative Visa requirements checklist, which does not allow parents, or our Non-Lucrative vs Digital Nomad Visa comparison;
• your employer has no Social Security solution yet: read our guide for employees on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa;
• you are comparing countries: see the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa checklist and the Italy Digital Nomad Visa checklist.

👉 Check your family's eligibility with a Spain Client Manager — tell us who is moving with you and we will tell you honestly whether your income and documents are enough.

Who can join you

The UGE-CE family document sets out how to prove each family link, and it is stricter than most guides suggest.

Spouse or registered partner

✅ A marriage certificate or a certificate of registration as a couple (pareja de hecho). Same-sex couples are treated the same way.

💡 Pro tip: if your country lets you register a partnership, do it before applying. It is far easier to prove than cohabitation and avoids the private insurance rule for unregistered partners.

Unregistered partner

✅ At least one continuous year of living together immediately before applying, proved with at least two items: joint bank account, same registered address, joint lease, joint mortgage or property, or a business owned together.

✅ If you have a child together, the child's birth certificate proves the relationship, but you must still live together when you apply.

⚠️ Common mistake: a lease in one name and a phone bill in the other. Show the same address for both of you across the whole year.

Minor children

✅ A birth certificate showing both parents.

✅ If the child is not moving with both parents, the other parent's notarised authorisation allowing the child to live in Spain with you, or a custody order.

✅ No criminal record certificate is needed under 18.

Adult children aged 18 to 25

They must depend on you, with three proofs:

• No income: "negative" certificates from their country's tax and social security authorities.
• Study or job search: enrolment in an official course that can be followed in or from Spain, or jobseeker registration.
• No family of their own: a certificate of single status (in the UK, a "letter of no trace" from the General Register Office) or equivalent.

We add bank transfers showing your support and proof of a shared address. From 26, only a disability that prevents financial independence qualifies.

Parents (dependent ascendants)

Parents can join you if they are in your care (a cargo). There are two ways to prove it:

• Economic dependency: real, stable support for at least one year before applying: proof you lived together or paid their housing for that year, bank records of your support, and evidence they have no work income or public benefits.
• Physical dependency: a serious illness requiring your personal care, with no adequate family support in their country, proved with medical or social services reports.

Parents over 80 are presumed dependent; under 80 you must prove it. Older versions of this guide said 75, but the UGE-CE family document sets the presumption at 80.

💡 Pro tip: dependency cannot be created for the application. Wait until you have a full year of regular transfers: one a month, same date, referenced "monthly support", reads far better than irregular lump sums.

⚠️ Common mistake: ignoring the parent's own pension. The UGE-CE asks for proof of no public benefits, so explain why a pension does not cover their needs.

Who cannot be included

❌ Siblings and other relatives outside the direct line; children who have formed their own family unit.

❌ Parents-in-law

Documents each family member needs

Each family member files their own application, linked to yours, with their own form and fee. This list follows the UGE-CE family document.

Every family member

✅ Application form (one MI-F each from Spain, where you use the MI-T; the national visa form at a consulate) and proof of the fee.

✅ A scan of every passport page, including the covers.

✅ Proof of the family link, apostilled or legalised and sworn translated.

✅ Health insurance, unless they will be your Social Security beneficiaries.

✅ From Spain: proof of legal entry (boarding passes, travel records or a declaration of entry).

Adults (18 and over)

✅ A criminal record certificate from every country of residence in the last two years, apostilled and sworn translated, plus a sworn declaration covering five years.

💡 Pro tip: in our practice, criminal records from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and EU countries are accepted for six months; for other countries we work with three months unless the office confirms more. Order them last.

⚠️ Common mistake: apostilling a notary's copy. The apostille must certify the document issued by the competent authority. It is the most frequent reason we redo a criminal record.

Minor children

✅ Birth certificate showing both parents, apostilled and sworn translated.

✅ Application signed by a parent; the other parent's authorisation or custody order where needed.

💡 Pro tip: every detail in each family application must match the passport exactly, including the country of birth. We have seen a mismatch block the TIE fingerprint appointment months later and require a formal correction.

💡 Pro tip: a marriage certificate older than a year may trigger a request to confirm the marriage still stands; a fresh certified copy avoids it.

How much income your family needs: worked examples

You need 200% of the monthly minimum wage for yourself, 75% for the first family member and 25% for each additional person, gross (UGE-CE digital nomad FAQ). The euro amounts depend on the basis your filing office uses.

Two bases: UGE-CE and consulates

The 2026 minimum wage is €1,221 a month paid 14 times, €17,094 a year. No official euro figures exist for the DNV, so two calculations are in use:

• Filing from Spain (UGE-CE): MoveWise uses the safer annualised basis, €17,094 ÷ 12 = €1,424.50, giving €2,849 for you, €1,068.38 for the first family member and €356.13 for each additional member.
• Filing at a consulate: Washington and Houston publish €1,221 × the percentage: €2,442 for you, €916 for the first family member and €305 for each additional member (Washington rounds the last one to €306).

👉 From Spain (UGE-CE) we prepare to €2,849; consulates publish lower figures, so check your consulate's sheet.

Household totals (gross per month)

1. Couple

• UGE-CE basis: €2,849 + €1,068.38 = €3,917.38
• Consular basis: €2,442 + €916 = €3,358

2. Couple + one child

• UGE-CE basis: €2,849 + €1,068.38 + €356.13 = €4,273.51
• Consular basis: €2,442 + €916 + €305 = €3,663

3. Two adults + two children

• UGE-CE basis: €2,849 + €1,068.38 + (2 × €356.13) = €4,629.64
• Consular basis: €2,442 + €916 + (2 × €305) = €3,968

4. Couple + three children

• UGE-CE basis: €2,849 + €1,068.38 + (3 × €356.13) = €4,985.77
• Consular basis: €2,442 + €916 + (3 × €305) = €4,273

5. Couple + one parent aged 65

• UGE-CE basis: €2,849 + €1,068.38 + €356.13 = €4,273.51
• Consular basis: €2,442 + €916 + €305 = €3,663
• At 65 your parent is not presumed dependent: you must also prove a year of real support.

6. Single parent + one child

• UGE-CE basis: €2,849 + €1,068.38 = €3,917.38
• Consular basis: €2,442 + €916 = €3,358
• The child takes the 75% share; add the other parent's authorisation or a custody order.

Each further person adds €356.13 (UGE-CE) or €305 (consular).

💡 Pro tip: do not aim for the exact threshold. Exchange rates move and officers check consistency across every document; keep a visible monthly margin. In our practice only the main applicant's income counts; a partner's salary does not.

Using savings to cover a shortfall

The UGE-CE accepts bank certificates showing savings that cover the shortfall for the whole authorisation period.

Formula: (household total − your gross monthly income) × months of the permit.

👉 Two adults and two children filing from Spain need €4,629.64. On €4,200 a month, the shortfall is €429.64; over a three-year permit (36 months) that is €429.64 × 36 = €15,467.04.

If your family joins you later

The UGE-CE asks for your contract, three months of payslips or invoices and matching bank certificates, and may check that your Spanish tax and Social Security are up to date.

👉 Want our Legal Manager to check your household income and savings before you file? — we will calculate your exact household total and tell you whether savings are needed.

Health insurance for your family

Every family member needs cover equivalent to the public system. Who buys private insurance depends on how you are covered.

✅ Self-employed and registered with Spanish Social Security (RETA): your spouse or registered partner and children can become your beneficiaries in the public system, so private insurance is generally not needed for them

✅ Employee with a home-country certificate of coverage: each family member needs private insurance, unless an agreement covering healthcare lets you file a certificate of entitlement listing them as beneficiaries (for example an S1).

✅ Unregistered partner: always needs private insurance, because they cannot be your Social Security beneficiary.

A compliant policy comes from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments (sin copagos) or waiting periods (sin carencias), for at least one renewable year. Travel policies are refused.

⚠️ Common mistake: a family policy whose certificate names only the main applicant. Each person must appear by name.

Applying together or later, from Spain or from a consulate

Family members can apply with you or later, while your permit is valid; together is strongly recommended. Where you file decides where they must be.

Together or later

The UGE-CE FAQ in English confirms that family members may apply "jointly and simultaneously or subsequently".

• Together: one income assessment, files reviewed side by side.
• Later: Family members can apply later, while your permit is valid, with their own application. It is more demanding than applying together: you show three recent months of income with matching bank certificates for the whole household and must be up to date with your tax and Social Security obligations, and when filing from Spain the family member must already be physically and legally in Spain.

💡 Pro tip: family applications are resolved separately, so your approval can arrive first. Do not sign a long lease or book everyone's flights on it alone.

From Spain or from a consulate

👉 From Spain, through the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE)

• Everyone included must be physically and legally in Spain on filing day (for example within the visa-free 90 days).
• One online application per person, usually filed by a representative; filing extends your legal stay while pending (government procedures portal).
• A residence permit of up to three years, decided within 20 working days or approved by positive silence.

👉 From a Spanish consulate

• Accompanying family visas at the same consulate, usually at linked appointments.
• The visa lasts up to one year; within the 60 calendar days before it expires, each of you applies to the UGE-CE for the residence permit.

⚠️ Common mistake: filing from Spain while a family member is abroad. They must apply later, or through a consulate.

How to apply, step by step

1. Eligibility check: the main applicant's requirements and the household total.
2. Choose the route: Spain or consulate, together or later, given the 90-day limit.
3. Civil documents: certificates and dependency evidence, apostilled or legalised.
4. Order criminal records last: for each adult, from every country of residence in the last two years.
5. Translations and insurance: sworn translations as one digitally signed PDF per document; compliant policies naming each person.
6. Pay the fees: one Tasa 790-038 per person (keep each receipt: its NRC code is needed to file), or the consular fee.
7. Forms: MI-T for you and one MI-F per family member (Spain), or the national visa forms (consulate). A parent signs for minors.
8. File: online and linked to yours from Spain; in person with originals at a consulate.
9. Answer any requerimiento: you have 10 working days to respond, and the decision clock pauses meanwhile.
10. After arrival: padrón, a TIE fingerprint appointment per person, and Social Security registration of beneficiaries.

Timeline: what to realistically expect

Typical ranges in the files we handle, not guarantees:

• Documents: typically 4 to 10 weeks; longer if a parent's year of support is not yet complete.
• From Spain: 20 working days from filing, paused by any requerimiento; then positive silence applies, though the formal resolution can arrive later.
• Consulate: Washington states 10 days from when it forwards the file, extendable; appointments are usually the bottleneck.
• After approval: padrón, then TIE appointments; waits vary by city.

How much it costs

Official fees, per person:

• Tasa 790-038 (filing from Spain): the current fee shown on the official form, once for you and once for each family member [VERIFY: 790-038 amount].
• Consular visa fee: by nationality; Washington lists $190 (US), $963 (UK), $1,566 (Canada), $3,020 (Australia), $106 (most others) from 1 January 2026.
• TIE card (Tasa 790-012): €16.08 for the first card and €19.30 at renewal (Orden PJC/617/2025).

Other costs vary by country and provider, so we do not quote them: apostilles, sworn translations, criminal records, private insurance and professional fees.

Apostille and translation cheat sheet for family documents

Apostille + sworn translation:

• Marriage or partnership registration certificate
• Birth certificates (your children's, and your own for parents)
• Criminal record certificates
• Certificate of single status or UK "letter of no trace"
• Negative income and benefits certificates for adult children
• Custody orders and the other parent's notarised authorisation
• Official disability certificates

Sworn translation only: private documents such as enrolment letters and medical reports.

Standard translation only: bank statements and transfer records (stamped by the bank or notarised), consistent with our main DNV guide.

Documents from countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention need double legalisation instead. See our guide to apostilles for Spain.

💡 Pro tip: check each translator's digital signature on the government's VALIDe service before filing.

After approval: padrón, TIE, schools, healthcare, work and tax

Your own obligations are in our guide to keeping your Digital Nomad Visa in Spain.

✅ Padrón: register everyone at your address with the town hall. See our padrón registration guide.

✅ TIE: each person books their own fingerprint appointment for the Foreigner Identity Card, as soon as possible

✅ Healthcare: if you are self-employed in RETA, add your spouse or registered partner and children as beneficiaries.

✅ Schools: education is compulsory and free from 6 to 16 (Spanish Ministry of Education). Public places are usually assigned by registered address, so the padrón comes first.

✅ Work: family members can work without restriction, for Spanish or foreign employers or as self-employed.

✅ Duration and renewal: family permits last as long as yours and are renewed alongside it, for two-year periods. See our DNV renewal and extension guide.

✅ Tax: if you use the Beckham Law as a remote employee, your spouse, children under 25 and your children's other parent can opt in, if they move within your first tax year under the regime and earn less than you (Agencia Tributaria summary). Ordinary self-employed people generally do not qualify: see our Beckham Law guide.

✅ Long term: after five years, each family member can apply for long-term residence in Spain in their own right.

Most common reasons for refusal (and how to avoid them)

1. Income covers €2,849 but not the family total. Fix: count everyone; cover gaps with savings.
2. Parent under 80 without a year of dependency. Fix: a full year of traceable support first.
3. Adult child missing a proof. Fix: order negative certificates, enrolment and single status early.
4. Weak cohabitation proof. Fix: two documents covering a continuous year, or register the partnership.
5. Family member abroad on a Spain filing. Fix: everyone must be in Spain, legally, on filing day.
6. Notary-copy apostille or expired criminal record. Fix: apostille the authority's original; file within validity.
7. Non-compliant insurance. Fix: no copagos or carencias, each person named.
8. Data not matching the passport. Fix: check every name, date and place of birth.

Refused? See our guide to appealing a Spanish visa refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring my family on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?

Yes. Your spouse or partner, minor children, dependent children aged 18 to 25 and dependent parents can join you under Ley 14/2013. Each files their own linked application, and your income must cover everyone: 200% of the minimum wage for you, 75% for the first family member, 25% for each additional one.

How much income do 2 adults and 2 kids need?

€4,629.64 a month gross when filing from Spain on the UGE-CE basis we use (€2,849 + €1,068.38 + €356.13 + €356.13). Consulates such as Washington and Houston publish a lower total of €3,968 (€2,442 + €916 + €305 + €305). If you apply abroad, check your own consulate's sheet.

How much income do I need with 3 kids?

€4,985.77 a month gross for a couple with three children filing from Spain (€2,849 + €1,068.38 + 3 × €356.13), or €4,273 on the consular basis. A single parent with three children needs €4,629.64 (UGE-CE basis): the first child takes the 75% share.

Can a parent be a dependent on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?

Yes, if your parent is in your care. Parents over 80 are presumed dependent. Under 80, prove at least one year of real economic support and insufficient income of their own, or a physical dependency backed by medical reports. Parents cannot be included on the Non-Lucrative Visa.

Can I bring my 65-year-old parent?

Yes, but age alone is not enough. At 65 your parent is not presumed dependent, so prove at least one year of regular support and that their own income does not cover their needs, or a documented need for your care. On the UGE-CE basis they add €356.13 a month as an additional family member, or €1,068.38 if they are the only family member applying with you.

Does my spouse's income count towards the minimum?

No. In our practice only the main applicant's income counts. If your spouse also works remotely for companies outside Spain, they could be the main applicant instead, if they meet every requirement. Savings can cover a shortfall for the whole permit period.

Can my spouse or partner work in Spain?

Yes. According to the UGE-CE FAQ, family members of a Digital Nomad Visa holder can work in Spain without restriction, as employees or self-employed, for Spanish or foreign employers. Married, registered and unregistered partners have the same rights once their permit is granted.

Can I apply from Spain while my family is still abroad?

No. When you file from Spain, every family member included must be physically and legally in Spain on filing day. A family member abroad can apply later from Spain once there legally, or for an accompanying family visa at a Spanish consulate.

Can I add family members later?

Yes, while your permit is valid, but it is harder than applying together. You show three recent months of payslips or invoices with matching bank statements for the whole household, and from Spain the family must already be there. We check the Social Security condition case by case.

Can my 22-year-old child come with me?

Yes, if they depend on you. Children aged 18 to 25 need negative certificates showing no income or benefits, enrolment in studies followed in or from Spain (or jobseeker registration), and a certificate of single status. From 26, only a disability qualifies.

How long is the family members' permit?

The same as yours. From Spain the permit lasts up to three years, or less if your contract is shorter; via a consulate the visa lasts up to one year before you apply for the residence permit. Family permits end with yours and are renewed alongside it for two-year periods.

Do children need a criminal record certificate?

No. Children under 18 do not need one. From their 18th birthday, each family member needs a criminal record certificate from every country where they lived in the last two years, apostilled and sworn translated, plus a sworn declaration of no criminal record covering the last five years.

How MoveWise can help

A MoveWise Legal Manager for Spain takes ownership of your whole household's application.

• Tailored Support: We adapt our services to fit your unique situation, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

• Optimized Scheduling: We streamline your application timeline to ensure everything progresses on schedule.

• End-to-End Support: From preparing documents to final submission, we take care of every detail of your application.

• Tax Guidance: Our specialists provide clarity on the tax obligations and options associated with your DNV.

• Thorough Documentation: We ensure every document is correctly prepared and meets all official requirements.

• 100% money back guarantee: If your application is not approved, we offer a full money-back guarantee as a testament to our commitment.

The Digital Nomad visa for Spain offers a fantastic opportunity to live abroad while working remothely, granting you the freedom to explore and enjoy the country’s vibrant culture and relaxed lifestyle. 

How the service works:

• Module 1: an eligibility assessment of you and every family member, before you spend money on documents.
• Module 2: full preparation and submission of every application, until each resolution.
• A full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement.
• More than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot, and regular free webinars where you can ask family questions live.

👉 Book a free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager - tell us who is moving with you and we will map the route, income and documents for each person.

Sources and legal references

• Real Decreto 126/2026, minimum wage for 2026 (BOE)
• UGE-CE, digital nomads FAQ (Spanish)
• UGE-CE, digital nomads FAQ (English)
• UGE-CE, documentation for family members
• Government procedures portal, international teleworkers
• Consulate General of Spain in Washington, telework visa
• Consulate General of Spain in Houston, telework visa
• Agencia Tributaria, Beckham Law regime summary
• European Commission, Entry/Exit System
• Spanish Ministry of Education, the Spanish education system
• Ley 14/2013, de apoyo a los emprendedores: arts. 74 bis–74 quinquies and 76 (consolidated text in the BOE).

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and consular practice change frequently; the information was verified on 27 October 2026. For advice on your situation, speak to a qualified professional.

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