🇪🇸 Europe — Schengen
Spain
Spain for American digital nomads: 90/180 schengen (visa-free for us/uk/ca/au), a nomad visa (Digital Nomad Visa (Startup Act)), and a heavy tax regime once you become tax resident.
Europe — Schengen 🛂 Has nomad visa 🧾 heavy tax
At a glance
| Tourist entry (US passport) | 90/180 Schengen (visa-free for US/UK/CA/AU) |
| Digital nomad visa | Digital Nomad Visa (Startup Act) — income requirement €2,849/mo (200% SMI, 2026), 1 yr (consulate) or 3 yrs (in-country) |
| Path to permanent residency | PR at 5 yrs; citizenship at 10 (renounce-US rule applies, Ibero-American exceptions) |
| Tax system | Worldwide · top rate 47% top (regional) |
| US tax treaty | Yes |
| Family-law exposure (payer) | Obligation 6/10 · cross-border collection 8/10 |
| Safety (hard stats) | Homicide 0.6/100k · road deaths 3.7/100k |
Full detail with ratings and sources: visas & residency · tax breakdown · legal exposure · safety & crime
Data last updated · Source: Compiled from the visas, tax and legal datasets
Cities we cover in Spain
🇪🇸 Valencia
Spain's best-value major city; ~15% cheaper than Barcelona
🇪🇸 Barcelona
Lifestyle city; rent surge from tourism; higher salaries than Lisbon
🇪🇸 Madrid
Higher salaries than Valencia/Lisbon; vibrant culture
🇪🇸 Malaga
Beach city, cheaper than Barcelona; growing nomad hub on Costa del Sol
🇪🇸 Alicante
One of Spain's cheapest coastal cities; sunny, affordable lifestyle
🇪🇸 Las Palmas
Top winter-sun nomad hub in the Canaries; year-round spring climate; cheapest coastal Spain on this list
🇪🇸 Seville
Andalusian capital; cheaper than Madrid/Barcelona; very hot summers. Moderate sample (49 contributors)
Month-by-month weather: Valencia climate · Barcelona climate · Madrid climate · Malaga climate · Alicante climate · Las Palmas climate · Seville climate