Digital nomad visas expand as Spain, Canada vie for global talent

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Consequently the list of attractive destinations cutting red tape and offering remote work visa schemes is getting longer. It includes more locations in the Global North, as industrialized nations are often described. That’s because the competition is for long-term talent, not temporary tourists.

As of 2023, Spain’s residency visa is open to “international teleworkers,” which allows digital nomads to live in the land of Don Quixote, paella and Mediterranean beaches for a period of up to a year while they work remotely for an employer that’s based outside of Spain. You can apply at a Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country.


If you are already in Spain on a tourist visa, you can submit an application for a residency card as a digital nomad that will be valid for three years, and renewable for two.

Canada unveils its first-ever Tech Talent Strategy

Open to non-European Union citizens, Spain’s one-year remote work visa requirements, among others, include an income of at least double the Spain minimum wage (more than €2,600, or $2,750, a month, about $33,000 a year, for a solo traveler, a clean criminal record, private health insurance, a one-year employment contract with a company outside of Spain, and proof of sufficient work experience or a university degree in that field. Expect a fast-track, 20-day processing period.
Canada, which has long welcomed digital nomads for stays of up to six months while on a visitor visa, announced it’s working on a new “tech talent strategy” to attract foreign workers by the end of this year. The government is consulting with provinces and territories to find ways to promote Canada to digital nomads, and it’s working on allowing startups to apply for work