Will Spain's Digital Nomad Visa Income Requirement Rise in 2027? When to File and How Much Buffer to Build

Spain's Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) income requirement is €2,849 per month for a solo applicant in 2026, equal to 200% of the national minimum wage (SMI) set by Real Decreto 126/2026. It will almost certainly rise in 2027, but the new figure is not official yet. As of 23 October 2026, the Ministry of Labour's expert committee is working on scenarios of a 3.7% to 5% minimum wage increase, which would lift the solo threshold to roughly €2,954 to €2,991 per month.

If your income sits close to the current line, the safest approach is not to guess which figure will apply, but to build a buffer that clears the likely 2027 threshold too.

Key Takeaways

• The DNV income requirement is 200% of the SMI in force: €2,849/month for a solo applicant in 2026.
• A 2027 increase is being prepared but is not confirmed. Scenarios under discussion range from 3.7% to 5%; unions are asking for 7%.
• New SMI decrees are usually approved in February with effects backdated to 1 January, which makes January and February a grey zone for applicants.
• A practical target for a solo applicant near the line is around €3,000/month, plus an extra 3% to 5% if you are paid in pounds, dollars or another non-euro currency.
• Your renewal will be assessed against the minimum wage in force at that time, not the figure you applied with.

Is the 2027 Income Threshold Increase Confirmed?

No. As of 23 October 2026, there is no official 2027 figure.

On 8 October 2026, the Ministry of Labour convened the Comisión Asesora para el Análisis del Salario Mínimo Interprofesional, the expert committee that recommends each year's increase. The committee was given until around 31 October to submit its recommendation. Scenarios reported in the Spanish press range from 3.7% to 5%, with September 2026 inflation at 4.9%. The main unions are asking for 7%.

The Ministry has said it wants the increase agreed before the general election on 29 November 2026. Until a Real Decreto is published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), any percentage is a forecast, not a rule.

Last verified: 23 October 2026. We will update this article when the 2027 SMI decree is published.

How the DNV Income Requirement Is Tied to Spain's Minimum Wage

The DNV is not tied to a fixed euro amount. According to the UGE's official documentation for the international telework residence authorisation, applicants must show monthly income equal to 200% of the SMI in force (SMI vigente). For families, the requirement adds 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each additional one. All amounts are gross, before tax and social security deductions.

The Government must set the SMI every year under Article 27.1 of the Estatuto de los Trabajadores. Because the SMI is paid in 14 instalments, the monthly DNV figure is calculated as follows:

€1,221 × 14 ÷ 12 × 2 = €2,849 per month

Each time the SMI rises, the DNV threshold rises automatically. Here is how that has played out since the visa launched:

In three years, the solo threshold has risen by €329 a month. For a full breakdown of how the current figure applies to employees, freelancers and families, see our Spain Digital Nomad Visa income requirements guide.

What the 2027 Income Threshold Could Be: Scenario Table

The table below applies the DNV formula to the increases currently being discussed. None of these figures is official.

In the most likely range, a solo applicant would need between €105 and €142 more per month than today. A couple would need between €145 and €196 more.

When a New Minimum Wage Takes Effect, and Why January and February Are a Grey Zone

SMI decrees are rarely published on 1 January. Real Decreto 87/2025 was approved on 11 February 2025. Real Decreto 126/2026 was approved on 18 February 2026 and published in the BOE on 19 February, and its final provision states that it takes effect from 1 January 2026.

That creates a gap. For the first weeks of the year, the old SMI is the last published figure, while the new one, once approved, applies retroactively from 1 January.

There is no published UGE criterion on which SMI is applied to an application filed in that gap, or to an application filed before a new decree but resolved after it. Because the requirement refers to the SMI in force, you should not assume that filing a few days earlier locks in the old figure.

If the 2027 increase is approved before the 29 November election, as the Ministry intends, the new figure may be known earlier than usual. Whether it would then apply from 1 January 2027 depends on the wording of the decree itself.

File Now or Wait: How to Decide If You're Close to the Threshold

The decision depends less on the calendar and more on your margin.

If your income already clears the likely 2027 figure (around €3,000/month for a solo applicant), timing is not a threshold issue. File when your documents are ready.

If your income clears €2,849 but not the 2027 scenarios, filing before the end of 2026 is generally the better option, as long as your file is complete. The UGE has a legal deadline of 20 business days to resolve, after which positive administrative silence applies; see how positive administrative silence works. An application filed in late December, however, can reach January before it is resolved, so a thin margin carries real risk.

If your income is below €2,849 today, waiting will not help. The threshold is moving up, not down. Your options are to increase documented income, combine eligible sources where the rules allow it (see combining salary, freelance and company income), or cover the gap with savings.

If your income sits within a few hundred euros of the line, request a free case evaluation and Hoply's lawyers will check your figures against both the current threshold and the likely 2027 one before you file.

How Much Income Buffer to Build Above the Minimum

A buffer protects you from three things: a new SMI applying to your file, a month of lower income in your three-month evidence window, and currency movements.

As a working target, we suggest:

• Solo applicants paid in euros: around €3,000 gross per month, which covers a 5% SMI increase.
• Solo applicants paid in another currency: around €3,100 to €3,150 per month, adding a 3% to 5% currency margin.
• Families: apply the same logic to the family figure. For an applicant plus one family member, that means around €4,150 in euros, or €4,250 to €4,350 in another currency.

These are planning figures, not legal requirements. What the UGE assesses is your documented gross income over the three months before your application, supported by payslips or invoices and a bank certificate showing matching deposits. A single month well below the threshold can trigger questions even when your average is higher.

Paid in Pounds or Dollars: Exchange-Rate Risk and the Income Threshold

The threshold is set in euros, but many applicants from the UK and the US are paid in pounds or dollars. The UGE does not publish a method for converting foreign-currency income, such as a reference exchange rate or a reference date.

What the official documentation does require is that the employer letter states the salary to be received in euros. Your bank evidence, meanwhile, will show deposits in the currency you are actually paid in.

Here is why that matters. Imagine a UK employee earning £2,520 gross per month. At an illustrative rate of €1.17 per pound, that is about €2,948, roughly €100 above the 2026 threshold. A 3% fall in the pound would bring it down to about €2,860, still above €2,849 but below every 2027 scenario in the table above.

If you are paid in a non-euro currency, check your income at a conservative exchange rate rather than today's, and keep the extra margin described above. UK applicants can find route-specific guidance in our Spain Digital Nomad Visa guide for UK citizens. If you are paid through Payoneer, Wise or a dollar account, see how to prove platform and wallet income.

Paid in pounds or dollars and close to the line? Get a free case evaluation so Hoply's team can review your figures with a realistic currency margin.

Your Renewal Will Be Measured Against the Minimum Wage in Force Then

Clearing the threshold once is not the end of the story. Under Articles 74 quinquies.3 and 76.3 of Ley 14/2013, you must keep meeting the conditions that gave rise to your authorisation, and the authorities can check this when you renew.

In practice, that means your renewal will be compared with the SMI in force at the time of renewal, not the figure you originally applied with. Based on the last four years, that figure may be several hundred euros higher.

This is one more reason to apply for the three-year authorisation from inside Spain, where you are eligible, instead of the one-year consular visa: fewer renewals mean fewer checks against a rising threshold. See applying from within Spain for a three-year permit and our complete renewal guide.

If Your Income Falls Short: Using Savings to Cover the Gap

If your documented income is below the required amount, the UGE's official documentation allows you to show savings that cover the difference for the full validity of the authorisation. These must be evidenced with up-to-date bank certificates in your name, stamped or signed by the bank.

As an illustration, if your income is €150 below the threshold each month and you apply for a three-year authorisation, you would need to show around €5,400 in savings. If the threshold rises in 2027, the gap, and the savings needed to cover it, rise too.

Bank documentation is one of the areas the UGE reviews most closely. For what is being requested in practice, see why the UGE is rejecting some bank statements.

Check Your Numbers Before You File

The 2027 increase will be confirmed in the coming weeks, but your decision does not need to wait for it. If your income already clears around €3,000 a month, the change will not affect you. If it does not, the right move depends on your margin, your currency and the route you choose.

Hoply's Spain-based immigration lawyers review every case and file it on your behalf. Request a free case evaluation and we will tell you whether your income clears the current threshold, the likely 2027 one, and the renewal you will face afterwards.