IMMIGRATION STRATEGY
Spain Visa Strategy
The right visa for your situation.
We map the pathway. A qualified specialist manages the application.
THE VISA LANDSCAPE
Three pathways. One decision.
Spain offers several residency pathways for non-EU nationals. The right one depends on how you work, where your income comes from, and what you want your life in Spain to look like. Choosing the wrong visa — or applying without understanding the tax implications — creates problems that are difficult to unwind once you are already in the country.
MOST RELEVANT
Digital Nomad Visa
For remote workers and freelancers earning from foreign sources. Compatible with Beckham Law — potentially capping your Spanish tax at 24%.
HQ Visa
For executives and highly qualified professionals relocating under a Spanish employment contract or intracompany transfer.
Non-Lucrative Visa
For individuals with passive income — investments, rental, pension — who want to live in Spain without working here. The primary route since the Golden Visa closed in April 2025.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Built for internationally mobile professionals
Remote employees
Your employer is based outside Spain and you need a legal residency pathway that covers your work arrangement.
Freelancers and independent contractors
You earn income from foreign clients and want to establish legal residency in Spain under the Digital Nomad Visa framework.
Executives and senior professionals
You are relocating under a Spanish employment contract or intracompany transfer and want the HQ Visa route assessed alongside the tax implications.
Investors and financially independent individuals
You have passive income — rental, dividends, pension — and want to understand the Non-Lucrative Visa pathway in the post-Golden Visa landscape.
If you are unsure which pathway applies to your situation, that is precisely the starting point of every engagement.
THE PROBLEM
Three things go wrong consistently
Three things go wrong consistently with Spain visa applications:
The tax and visa decision are made separately — and they should not be.
The Digital Nomad Visa and the HQ Visa both open the door to the Beckham Law regime. If you apply for the visa without understanding the tax implications, you may structure your income incorrectly before arrival and lose the Beckham window. The visa pathway and the tax position need to be designed together.
Income requirements are more nuanced than the headline figures suggest.
The DNV requires demonstrating income of at least 200% of Spain's IPREM — currently around €2,646 per month gross. But how that income is documented, whether it comes from employment or freelance, and whether it originates from a single client or multiple sources all affect the application. A poorly assembled dossier is the most common reason for delays and rejections.
The post-Golden Visa landscape is still settling.
Spain closed its real estate Golden Visa in April 2025. For investors and income-independent individuals, the residency options have shifted — and the correct pathway now depends heavily on income structure and long-term plans. Applying based on outdated information creates avoidable complications.
THE APEXTAX APPROACH
Visa and tax designed together.
ApexTax is a tax strategy consultancy. We do not file visa applications or represent clients before immigration authorities. What we do is map the correct pathway for your situation and coordinate the qualified immigration specialist who manages the application.
The distinction matters here more than in most contexts. Visa and tax decisions in Spain are interconnected. A DNV applicant who also qualifies for Beckham Law needs both decisions made together — the visa structure affects the tax position, and the tax position affects how income should be documented for the visa. Most people handle these as two separate engagements with two separate professionals. We design them as one coordinated strategy.
What that means in practice
We assess which visa pathway fits your residency goals, income structure, work arrangement, and timeline — including the tax implications of each route.
We design your documentation strategy: how to present your income, which supporting documents are required, and what the application timeline looks like.
We introduce you to a vetted immigration specialist from our network who manages the formal application, UGE interaction, and residency permit process. We stay as your single point of contact.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Your Spain Visa Strategy engagement
Visa pathway assessment
A review of your income structure, work arrangement, nationality, and residency goals against the current requirements for DNV, HQ Visa, and NLV. One recommended pathway with reasoning.
Tax interaction analysis
Where relevant, an assessment of how your chosen visa pathway interacts with the Beckham Law regime or standard IRPF, and what income structuring decisions need to be made before application.
Documentation strategy
A clear guide to the supporting documents required for your specific pathway, how to present income evidence, and what common omissions cause delays.
Specialist introduction and coordination
Introduction to a vetted immigration specialist who manages the formal application, liaising with UGE or the relevant consulate, under our coordination.
Single point of contact
One person coordinating all professionals involved in your visa and tax setup.
THE PROCESS
Four steps from assessment to residency
01
Pathway assessment
We review your situation: nationality, income source, work arrangement, residency goals, and timeline. We identify the correct visa pathway and flag any tax interactions that need to be resolved before application.
02
Strategy and documentation design
We produce a written pathway document covering the recommended visa route, the documentation requirements, the income presentation strategy, and — where relevant — the Beckham Law interaction and what needs to be structured before arrival.
03
Specialist introduction and coordination
We introduce you to the immigration specialist in our network best suited to your case. They manage the formal application and immigration authority interaction. We coordinate the handoff and remain available throughout.
04
Ongoing point of contact
Once residency is established, we remain your reference point for renewals, status changes, and the interaction between your residency status and your tax position over time.
Tailored to your situation
Pricing is tailored to your situation — visa pathway, income complexity, and the number of professionals involved all factor in.
The immigration specialist's fee for the formal application is agreed directly between you and the specialist. Immigration application fees of this type typically cost €1,000–€2,500 depending on the firm and pathway complexity.
Start with a free 15-minute call to assess which pathway fits your situation before any commitment.
Get in touchWHO YOU WORK WITH
Your strategy is designed by Gerard Martínez
Your strategy is designed by Gerard Martínez, Founder of ApexTax and a specialist in cross-border employment and tax positioning with a background in EOR and international workforce structures. Gerard is completing IBFD International Business Taxation studies and has coordinated Spain relocation strategies for remote workers, founders, and internationally mobile professionals across multiple origin countries.
Immigration applications are handled by vetted specialists from ApexTax's partner network — independent immigration professionals selected for their track record with DNV, HQ Visa, and NLV applications before UGE and Spanish consulates.
Founder & Cross-Border Relocation Strategist
BEFORE YOU ENGAGE
Read the full guides
Many clients find it useful to understand the framework before our first conversation.
FAQ
Common questions
Your visa and tax position need to be designed together.
Applying for the right visa with the wrong income structure — or the right structure too late — creates problems that are difficult to unwind. The time to design your Spain strategy is before the application, not after.
ApexTax SL is a strategic consultancy. We do not provide formal legal or tax advice, nor do we act as a law firm, immigration lawyers, or licensed tax advisors. Implementation of legal and tax procedures is delivered by independent qualified professionals selected and coordinated by ApexTax. Information on this site is for educational purposes only.