Nomad Residence Permit Guide
El Relocator project has prepared a knowledge base, after studying which you can obtain a Nomad residence permit on your own!
How to get a digital signature?
With an electronic signature at your disposal, you can work with all documents on your own without outside help. A digital signature can also be obtained at the Spanish consulate at your location. For example, at the Spanish Consulate in Moscow.
In order to obtain a Spanish digital signature, you need to go to the website of the Spanish Mint, which issues these certificates. You can get there using this one link.
To obtain a certificate, you need to go through four steps (numbers 1-4), and we'll start by setting up the computer so that it is ready to download the electronic certificate. Press the number 1- “Configuración previa”.
There you will need to download two small programs that are circled in red circles. The first is a certificate customizer, and the second, called Autofirma, is a program for signing documents directly.
Thus, we click on the first link, select the operating system we need and download the certificate customizer. After that, we go back and download a program called Autofirma. It is also important to note that all actions to obtain an electronic signature must be performed from the same device and browser.
After we have pre-configured the computer, we click on item number 2, which is called “Solicitar Certificado”, and fill in the personal data according to the screenshot:
We confirm and go to point three.
Point three is called “Acreditar Identidad” — proof of identity.
If you are outside Spain, you must contact the Spanish consulate where you are located to verify your identity. As an example — information about the procedure at the consulate in Moscow.
Proof of identity in Spain:
To do this, you will need to sign up with either Seguridad Social or the Tax Service (Agencia Tributaria), come there with a passport with a NIE paper so that employees confirm your identity and provide access to downloading the electronic certificate. You also need to have an email with a code confirming that you requested an electronic signature. (Comes to your email after filling in the data in paragraph two.)
To verify your identity for a digital signature, we'll tell you how to get an online entry to the Spanish Tax Service. First, let's go to their official site
Select “Cita previa” -> Cita previa general -> Solicitud de cita previa para particulares.
Next, a window will open where you can fill in the data. Fill in your NIE number and, in the second column, your first and last name, as in your passport.
The next window asks you to choose what the recording is for. Choose “Certificado Electrónico FMNT”.
Next, you'll need to enter your province or zip code, and the system will suggest the offices closest to your location.
After that, you can choose a convenient time for you and click the “confirm” button — “Confirmar Cita”
Once you've gone and verified your identity, we can finally move on to step four — “Descargar Certificado” — download the certificate.
To do this, you need to fill in the data according to the screenshot, after which you will open a certificate installation program that will configure everything.
After that, you will be able to use your digital certificate without restrictions to interact with Spanish authorities.
Self-payment of duty
In order to pay the digital nomad's residence permit fee, you need to go to link and log in via DIGITAL SIGNATURE:
If you pay for yourself, fill in the data like this:
If you pay for another person, fill it out like this:
After filling in, click on the “Imprimir tasa” button at the end of the page and download the finished payment document. You can pay the fee in cash at a bank or ATM. The fee is 73.26 euros.
A separate fee is required for each family member!
Do not forget to take a proof of payment; it must be attached to the application for a residence permit.
How do I get a NIE?
A NIE in Spain is a foreigner's ID number, which is also used as a tax number, including for obtaining an electronic signature.
If you are not currently in Spain, you can obtain your NIE from the Spanish consulate in your place of legal residence.
For example, at the Spanish Consulate in Moscow
To do this, you need to email the EX-15 application form to the consulate without a signature. The basis for extradition is Solicitud del visado de teletrabajador de carácter internacional, Ley 28/2022 (specify in the application form). If everything is ok, you will be made an appointment at the consulate, where you will need to repay the duty (in rubles, in cash). After that, you will need to wait about 3 weeks for you to be assigned a NIE number.
If you are planning to apply for a digital nomad D visa, you must request a NIE before applying for a visa.
If you have already arrived in Spain and want to get an NIE number before getting a residence permit, you need to contact the local police (police station).
Attention! Many commissariats do not issue an NIE number just like that - you need to provide good reasons. For example, buying a home or a car. But, in this case, you may be asked to provide documentary evidence. Submission of documents for a residence permit is not such a basis, since in the case of obtaining a residence permit, the NIE number is issued automatically.
If you still want to get a NIE, then:
1. Find the one closest to you secession commissariat
Enter the city name, check the “Extranjería” box and click on the “Actualizar” button. Choose an office where they do “Certificados y asignación de NIE”
- After that, you will need to fill out and print the Formulario EX-15 application, as well as pay the 790-012 duty. Attention! You can pay the fee only from a Spanish account or in cash at a Spanish bank.
Application forms can be found on the official website of a Spanish police.
After that, you need to come to the police station with a printed application and a confirmation of payment stamped by the bank. After your application is processed, you will be assigned a NIE number.
How do I get a departure certificate?
You need to bring a document called the “Certificate of Departure” to the Social Fund of Russia. It usually has this format, but there may be minor variations, depending on your territorial Social Fund of Russia.
If you are an individual entrepreneur or self-employed - you don't have to take this document, by making a commitment register with Spanish Social Security and pay insurance premiums to it. (The first year — 80 euros/month, from the second year — about 270 euros/month. With the exception of 7 autonomous regions, where you don't have to pay for social security for the first year.)
An employee should contact the SFR authority at the place of registration of the employer.
The individual entrepreneur applies to the Social Fund of Russia authority to which it is attached.
You need to bring your passport, a certificate of employment, and a copy of the employment contract. For individual entrepreneurs — copies of documents for registering an individual entrepreneur and registering in the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation.
Note: Some Social Fund of Russia offices now issue this certificate only if you give them an order to send you on a business trip. Entrepreneurs can write such an order for themselves.
The certificate itself should not include the names of Spanish companies. Such a certificate will be refused.
Departure certificate
Social security sample for sole proprietors
UPD departure certificate
(Some branches use the old form, and some use the new form).
How do I fill out a no criminal record declaration?
Fill in this document in Latin letters and sign it. (You state in Spanish that you have not broken the law in the past 5 years)
Declaration of no criminal record
Field interpretation:
Nombre y apellidos: Full name
Nacionalidad: Citizenship
Fecha de nacimiento: Date of birth
DNI/NIE/Pasaporte: Passport number
Domicilio: Address in Spain (street, house, apartment)
C.P.: Postcode
Localidad: City/Village
Provincia: Province (e.g. Girona)
/Text block/
En (name of the city where you are currently) a (number) de (month) de (year)
Firma: /applicant's signature/
How can I get a Schengen abroad?
For Russian citizens who want to obtain a Schengen visa outside the country, one of the most reliable and affordable ways is to apply for a Spanish visa through Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Since Spain did not open its consulate in Armenia, all documents are reviewed by the Spanish Consulate in Moscow. (Schengen registration for Russian citizens is also possible in Uzbekistan.)
In addition to the main list of documents for obtaining a Schengen visa, you must provide one of the following documents when applying in Yerevan:
- Residence permit
- Social card
- Local bank account
- Employment contract
The simplest option is to obtain a social card, an analogue of the Russian SNILS. Let us consider this process in more detail.
Obtaining a social card in Armenia:
- Translate your passport into Armenian by a notary (main pages with number and name, the cost ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 drams).
- Contact any local Multifunctional Center. Get your application number the next day or, if you're lucky, the same day. It is recommended to arrive in the morning.
- Return to the Multifunctional Center by appointment and submit your documents.
The time for issuing a social card is 1 day. If you apply for a passport, you may be issued a card within 30-60 minutes. According to a Russian passport, the processing time can take up to a week.
List of documents for issuing a social card:
- Original passport
- A copy of the page with the entry stamp
- Notarized translation of the passport into Armenian
- Copy of the Russian passport (page 1+registration)
- Address in Armenia to specify in the application form (you don't have to register at this address, you can specify a temporary residence address, such as a hotel or AirBnB). It is highly recommended to provide an address.
- In rare cases, a copy of the birth certificate may be required, and even less often copies of the main pages of parents' passports.
The department staff will fill out the application form in Armenian if you are unable to do it yourself. After receiving a social number on an A4 sheet (“social card”), it must be stamped by the head of the passport office. Certification is carried out in a separate office.
The BLS visa center operates in Yerevan, which provides services for citizens of Russia and other countries to apply for a Schengen visa to Spain. The average processing time for applications is 3-4 weeks, but, as in Russia, it may be difficult to register.
Recording is made at website BLS.
Citizens of the Russian Federation receive visas for a period of 15 to 90 days, and documents are sent to Russia for review.
Required documents for applying for a visa to Spain:
- Passport and a copy of all its pages
- Old passport/second valid passport and copies of all pages
- Internal passport of the Russian Federation and copies of its pages
- Two photographs that meet the requirements of a Schengen visa
- Color insurance (if issued separately)
- Certificate of employment based on the model
- A bank certificate with an original seal containing information about the account balance (from 300 per person) and the movement of funds over the past 3 months
- Originals and copies of marriage and birth certificates (when the family leaves)
The process of submitting documents:
- Get an electronic queue ticket and wait for your number to appear on the scoreboard.
- Go to the filing desk. If the necessary documents are not available, they can be submitted during the working day. If you need to print something, the service is available at an additional cost.
- Go through biometric identification.
- Wait for your number to be called to pay at the checkout. There you will pay the visa fee (42,000 drams, or $107) and visa center services (15,000 drams, or $38, plus additional fees and services). Only cash in local currency is accepted.
⚠️ Keep all checks issued.
Waiting for and obtaining a visa:
📌 Your application number (ENV*) will be on the check. It can be used to check her status on the BLS Visa Center website
📌 The waiting period for a visa is about a month due to sending documents to Russia
📌 Both the owner and another person can obtain a passport at the visa center by proxy (which must be issued in advance by a local notary).
For Russian citizens who want to obtain a Schengen visa abroad, applying for a Spanish visa in Yerevan is one of the most reliable and affordable ways. By following the instructions described above, you will be able to successfully apply for a social card in Armenia and apply for a Schengen visa with minimal problems and delays.
List of multifunctional centers in Yerevan with their addresses, contact details and working hours:
Center
Address: ul. Vratsyana, 90
Working days: Mon-Fri
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-570286
Kanaker-Zeytun
Address: ul. Avetisa Aharonyan, 3
Working days: Mon-Fri
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-249465
Arabkir
Address: ul. Mamikonyats, 1 (opposite “Krpak” Supermarket/Intersection of Mamikonyats Street and Azatutyan Avenue)
Working days: Mon-Fri
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-282112
Avan
Address: ul. Isahakyan, 2
Working days: Mon-Thu, Fri (from 10:00)
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00), Fri (10:00-17:00, with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-627907
Ajapnyak
Address: ul. 10/1 Shinararneri
Working days: Mon-Fri
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-380733
Davtashen
Address: 1st District, 39
Working days: Mon-Thu, Fri (from 10:00)
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00), Fri (10:00-17:00, with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-10-370264
Erebuni
Address: ul. Movses Khorenatsi, 162A
Working days: Mon-Fri
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-570634
Shengavit
Address: ul. Garegina Nzhdeh, 27
Working days: Mon-FriWorking hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-449821
Malatia-Sebastia
Address: ul. Ara Sargsyan, 22
Working days: Mon-Thu, Fri (from 10:00)
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00), Fri (10:00-17:00, with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-392743
Nork Marash
Address: ul. Kajaznuni, 11
Working days: Mon-Fri
Working hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-550944
Nor Nork
Address: 1st microdistrict, 1st block, ul. Boryana, 1
Working days: Mon-FriWorking hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-11-634120
Nubarashen
Address: 17, 14th str. (Nubarashen)/In front of Surb Naatakatsa Church
Working days: Mon-FriWorking hours: 09:00-17:00 (with a lunch break 14:00-15:00)
Contact number: +374-10-475654
These MFCs also have passport and visa offices of the Yerevan Police, where you can obtain various documents and services.
List of documents for a Digital Nomad D visa
General documents:
Questionnaire (2 copies, only to be signed at the consulate)
1 passport photo (must be pasted into the application form)
International passport (valid for at least 12 months and two blank pages)
A copy of all passport pages
Foreigner Identification Number (NIE) - it must be requested at the consulate at the same time as the visa
Payment of duty in rubles directly at the consulate.
Work contract, 3 months old before applying for a visa with an income of 2,646 euros/month A sworn translation is required.
Proof that your employer has been in existence and has been working for more than 1 year. An apostille and a sworn translation are required.
A copy of the diploma or proof of at least 3 years of professional experience. An apostille and a sworn translation are required.
Private health insurance provided by an insurance company accredited in Spain (subject to a social security certificate)
A police clearance certificate from all countries where you have lived for the past 2 years+a receipt confirming that there have been no offences for the past 5 years. An original certificate with an apostille + a sworn translation is required.
Russian passport with a residence registration+copies of all pages
Bank statement confirming receipt of a salary for the last 3 months. A sworn translation is required.
A CV (resume) that can be written immediately in Spanish.
A “certificate of departure” from the Social Fund of Russia or a promise to register with Spanish social security (available to individual entrepreneurs or self-employed).
Certificates in Russian are provided with a translation into Spanish, certified by the Legalization Department of the Consulate General of Spain in Moscow or with a translation made by a sworn translator officially recognized in Spain. It is not necessary to bring sworn translations with a “wet seal” — scans are enough.
Official list of sworn translators.
This memo is based on general documents issued by the Spanish Consulate in Moscow. The consulate has the right to request other documents on an individual basis. This memo also has some discrepancies with the requirements specified by the Consulate in St. Petersburg. In this regard, the article will be updated as information is clarified. The application for this visa is personal only. To receive an appointment, you must send a request to the consulate's email address. If a family is submitted, there must be a separate entry for each family member (even for a child under 6 years old).
information about filing at the consulate in Moscow.
**Additional country documents (to be completed):
**Argentina: Argentine Residence Permit
UAE: UAE Residende visa
Serbia: Residence permit in Serbia or Montenegro.
You cannot apply by proxy, only in person.
Turkey: residence permit (tourist permit is not suitable)
Registration (Ikametgah Tezkeresi)
Philippines: ACR or ICR card (similar to residence permit)
Montenegro: Submission takes place at the Spanish Consulate in Serbia. See Serbian regulations
Legal aid in Spain
Tony Musalayev Omarov, a certified lawyer, cooperates with us.
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His education is:
- Law Degree - University of Barcelona
- Master access Bar - University of Barcelona in collaboration with bar association of Barcelona
- Master Business Law - Bar association of Barcelona
- Criminal law - Bar association of Barcelona
Proof of qualifications:
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Tony has been providing legal services for 8 years on the following issues:
- Advice on non-standard tax situations; assistance in planning taxes on personal and individual income, inheritance and gift taxes;
- Assistance in complex migration issues and issues of legality of imposition in Spain
- Assistance in buying property in Spain: checking purchase and sale certificates; tax support after purchase;
- Analysis of the Rental Agreement and an explanation of what rights and obligations customers will have in the future.
We also work with tax lawyers:
Javier Díaz
Licenciado en Derecho por la Universidad de Barcelona, promoción 2007.
Master en Asesoria y Gestión Tributaria por la escuela de negocios ESADE, promotion 2008
Certificate European Financial Advisor (€FA), expedición 2011, nº asociado 9775.
Executive MBA por la escuela de negotios ESADE, promotion 2018.
Colegiado ejerciente en el Ilustre Colegio de los Abogados de Madrid, nº 132791.
Areas de Especialization: Tax, Corporate and Digital Law
Mariangeles Roy
Licenciada en Derecho por la Universidad Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona, promoción 2007
Licenciada en Economia por la Universidad Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona, promoción 2007
Master en Tributación por el Centro de Estudios Financieros, promoción 2008.
Areas de specialization: Tax and Corporate
What to choose: social security or private insurance?
If you are a sole trader in one of the countries that have a social security mutual recognition agreement with Spain, * you can choose between two options.
Variant 1 (hiring, individual entrepreneur): Provide Spain with a certificate that you are covered by social security in your country (departure certificate) + buy private health insurance in Spain. (Travel insurance or Schengen visas are not suitable. You need insurance from one of the Spanish insurance companies. For example Adeslas, Sanitas, DKV...)
Pros: Private insurance can be serviced in large private hospitals and medical centers.
This is cheaper than paying social security, as the average cost of private insurance with full coverage is 50 euros/month, and the social security contribution is 300 euros/month, starting from the second year (the first year is 80 euro/month)
Variant 2 (for individual entrepreneurs, self-employed, freelancers): Register with the Spanish social security system (after obtaining a nomad residence permit). In this case, you do not need to purchase private health insurance. Also, this option does not require a departure certificate
Pros: In addition to access to public hospitals and polyclinics, you have accumulated retirement experience and the opportunity to receive various state benefits (for childcare, for example).
For a family of three or more people, this option will be comparable or even cheaper than private insurance, since the total cost of private insurance for a family with young children will be approximately 250 euros/month
If the country in which you are registered as an individual entrepreneur does not have an agreement with Spain on the mutual recognition of social security, then you will need to register with the Spanish social security system (after obtaining a nomad residence permit). In this case, you do not need to purchase private health insurance.
What should I do if I am employed in a country where there is no social security agreement?
Revise your sole proprietor/freelance agreement, wait 3 months, promise to register with Spanish social security and pay for it yourself.
*Countries with which Spain has an agreement on the mutual recognition of social security: EU+ Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, USA, Philippines, Japan, Morocco, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Russia, Senegal.
At the same time, only a number of EU countries (A1 certificate), the Russian Federation and the UK continue to issue valid certificates.
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