The Spanish digital nomad visa has become a nightmare
Both people who are applying for the first time and people who are applying for renewal have been receiving arbitrary requests from the UGE or even absurd rejections.
In the nomad groups, everyone is complaining:
- People who apply have been rejected because they entered the Schengen Area through other countries. This was always a common practice for people who took a vacation trip before finally applying in Spain. This was never a problem. Now it is.
- After 20 days from the application without an answer, nomads had the right to positive silence. This is in the law. This is being completely ignored, and many nomads are either not receiving approval after requesting administrative silence or, believe it or not, having their applications rejected when the LAW requires their approval.
- Nomads who are applying for renewal are receiving pressure from the UGE to register with Social Security retroactively from the day after the visa was approved. This is materially impossible (or it was in 2023). It was necessary to have several documents before doing this, which could mean waiting weeks or months for available appointments.
All these things have no legal basis and are arbitrary and unfair. I deeply regret coming here. The country is wonderful, but it is impossible to live with the fear of this instability.
Entire families who were living here and were already completely integrated into life here are having to leave the country because of pure greed. It is extremely unfair.
EDIT: My main intention with this post is to let everyone who already has this visa know that they should be prepared, and also to warn those who are interested in applying for it to be ready for surprises, which are generally negative.