Digital nomad · Qualification

Regulated profession and the digital nomad permit: homologation or a statement before a notary

The permit requires a degree or three years of experience. But if your profession is regulated, a different rule applies. We go through what exactly is asked for and how to prove it.

Based on Ley 14/2013 (art. 74 bis) and the 2023 UGE joint instruction (instructions séptima and octava)

A degree or three years of experience: what the law asks for

For a digital nomad residence permit you need to show a qualification. There are two ways: a copy of a degree or proof of experience. The UGE instruction puts it like this: a graduate or master's degree from a university, a vocational school (FP) or a business school, or at least three years of experience in functions similar to your job. The experience must be relevant to the remote work you are applying for.

The Spanish authorities may ask for the originals of your documents to check that they are genuine (art. 28 of Ley 39/2015). If you hold a vocational school diploma and there is doubt about whether it is equivalent to a Spanish one, you may be asked for a convalidación (recognition of equivalence) from the competent education authority.

§ Ley 14/2013, art. 74 bis, para. 2 and UGE joint instruction 2023, instruction séptima, points 1 and 3: a degree or at least three years of experience in similar functions.

If your profession is regulated

A regulated profession is one that in Spain you can practise only if you hold a specific title under sector legislation. A different rule applies to it: a degree or years of experience alone are not enough.

Route 1
Homologation of your degree
Recognition of your title as equal to the corresponding Spanish one (homologación). The UGE instruction requires exactly this and refers to the sector legislation on regulated professions.
Route 2
Statement before a notary
A declaración responsable (a formal statement of responsibility) before a notary that you will not practise this profession in Spain. This alternative is named in the list of documents for the applicant.
Read this before you sign
A statement before a notary means a commitment not to practise this profession in Spain. Before you sign it, make sure it is compatible with the way you actually work. In the list of documents for regulated professions there is no "three years of experience" alternative: only homologation or the statement.

Which professions are regulated is determined by sector legislation. We do not publish a general list here: check your profession before applying, because your whole set of documents depends on it. If you are unsure, ask our specialist.

Experience instead of a degree: how to prove it

Experience cannot simply be declared. You need documents, and they must match each other. The list for the applicant names two options, plus a fallback case.

  1. Vida laboral and employer lettersA vida laboral (your employment record, or its equivalent) issued by the competent authority of your country and confirming the length of your experience. With it, letters from the companies you worked for: start and end dates, sufficiently specific functions, and confirmation of real activity, at least a valid registration in your country's system.
  2. Certificado de profesionalidadA professional qualification certificate issued by the competent authority of your country.
  3. If there are no certificates or getting them takes too longThen the letters from the companies must state directly the specific functions and tasks that show the work is done by a person with a level 1 or 2 education on the Spanish qualifications framework (MECES).
Practical rule
In the letters, write tasks, not job titles. The phrase "worked as a manager" proves nothing, while a list of specific functions with dates does.

Foreign documents: legalisation and translation

Foreign public documents in your file must be legalised through diplomatic channels or apostilled. If EU Regulation 2016/1191 applies to the procedure, its simplified regime applies. A CV is accepted with a simple translation.

Documents issued under international social security agreements, for example a certificado de legislación aplicable (a certificate of applicable legislation), are exempt from legalisation and translation. This rule does not extend to degrees.

§ UGE joint instruction 2023, instruction octava, point 4: legalisation or apostille of foreign public documents; Regulation (EU) 2016/1191.

Where to start

  1. Find out whether your profession is regulatedThis is the starting point: the whole rest of your set depends on the answer.
  2. Choose how you will prove itRegulated profession: homologation or a statement before a notary. Non-regulated profession: a degree or three years of experience.
  3. Request documents in advanceEmployer letters, your vida laboral and apostilles take time. Start without waiting for the rest of the package.
  4. Check that the details matchDates, job titles and functions in your degree, letters and CV must be consistent.