Staying a year or longer
The visa for international teleworking is valid for up to one year. It lets you live in Spain while working remotely for companies outside Spain. Once you are in Spain on it, you can apply for a residence permit for remote work for a foreign company, valid for up to three years. The income test is 200% of the Spanish minimum wage each month. To be safe, have more than €2,500 a month.
- You need a degree or three years' relevant experience, and at least three months with your employer or clients.
- Freelancers may also take Spanish clients for up to 20% of their work.
- The non-lucrative visa does not allow work, so it is unlikely to fit.
- If you are 18 to 30, a 12-month working holiday visa also exists. Check whether its conditions fit remote work.
More detail
The 2026 minimum wage is €1,221 a month, and a Spanish consulate publishes the resulting single-applicant figure. The annual minimum wage of €17,094 spread over 12 months would give a higher amount. On that reading, have more than €2,900 a month. Ask the Wellington embassy which basis it applies, and recheck the figure for 2027.
Sources: Embassy of Spain in Wellington (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Boletín Oficial del Estado (Real Decreto 126/2026), Consulate General of Spain in Sydney (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand), Consulate General of Spain in Washington (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Checked 4 October 2026.
Documents, fees and timing
The Wellington embassy accepts applications from people resident in its district. You need a passport valid for at least a year and issued less than ten years ago, and New Zealand criminal record certificates for the last two years, apostilled through Internal Affairs. You also need Spanish-authorised health insurance (unless Spanish social security covers you), an employer or client certificate, a registry certificate showing the company is at least a year old, and proof of Spanish social security registration. The legal decision deadline is 10 days from application, longer if more documents or an interview are requested.
- Apply for an NIE alongside. The embassy says it usually takes about two weeks.
- The Ministry of Justice aims to answer criminal record requests within 20 working days, and the apostille adds time.
More detail
We found no visa fee in the research, so it is unknown here.
Sources: Embassy of Spain in Wellington (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Ministry of Justice (New Zealand), New Zealand Government (govt.nz). Checked 4 October 2026.
Tax
A year away does not by itself end New Zealand tax residence. You stop being resident only if you are away more than 325 days in a 12-month period and have no permanent place of abode in New Zealand. In Spain, you are resident if you spend more than 183 days there in a calendar year, or if your main economic interests are there. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, subject to the treaty.
- A home kept available in New Zealand, or other ties, can keep you resident. The treaty may decide which country has first taxing rights if both treat you as resident.
- Spain is not on New Zealand's list of social security agreements, so there is no certificate keeping you in a New Zealand system.
- The visa asks employees for their employer's Spanish social security registration, and freelancers for self-employed (RETA) registration. RETA contributions in 2026 follow bands of net earnings.
- After a year living overseas (not in Australia), most KiwiSaver savings can be withdrawn. A student loan stops being interest-free once you are overseas-based, generally after around five of six months away.
More detail
Spain's tax agency names employees holding the international telework visa among people who can opt to be taxed under non-resident rules for the year of arrival and five more, if not resident in Spain in the previous five years. The choice is made on form 149. Freelancer eligibility depends on further conditions, so we assume no special rate.
Sources: Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax Agency), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand), Seguridad Social (Spain), Embassy of Spain in Wellington (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Checked 4 October 2026.
Setting up
New Zealand's reciprocal health agreements cover only Australia and the UK, so nothing covers you in Spain by default. The visa asks for health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain covering everything the public system covers, unless Spanish social security already covers you. Everyone living in Spain must register on the padrón of the town where they usually live.
- An NIE identifies you for dealings with Spanish authorities but does not prove residence. You can request it through the Wellington embassy.
- A residence card (TIE) is optional with the telework visa, but required within a month of arrival for the non-lucrative visa.
- The Banco de España says a basic payment account costs at most €3 a month, covering up to 120 payments a year in euros within the EU.
- Ask each bank which New Zealand documents and which Spanish identifiers it accepts before you arrive.
More detail
We found no official source for home internet prices, so they are unknown here.
Sources: Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora), Embassy of Spain in Wellington (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Banco de España (Portal del Cliente Bancario). Checked 4 October 2026.
Living in Seville
Seville is the city the research looked at most closely. The tourism office describes it as easy, flat and sunny, with kilometres of bike lanes, the Sevici public bike scheme, an extensive bus network, one metro line and the Metrocentro tram into the historic centre. Summers are very hot. At Sevilla Aeropuerto the average daily maximum was 36.0°C in July and 35.5°C in August from 1981 to 2010. We found no official source for rents or other living costs there, so they are unknown here.
- Traditional food markets include Triana, Calle Feria, Encarnación and Arenal.
- Flamenco is performed daily in tablaos, neighbourhood peñas and bars, and the Bienal de Flamenco is held in even-numbered years.
- The Guadalquivir shapes the city. Its calm water is used for canoeing and boat trips, with riverside walks.
Sources: Visita Sevilla (Seville City Council tourism), Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET). Checked 4 October 2026.
Other places we looked at
The research also looked at Valencia and Zaragoza, for contrast. We found no official source for rents in either place, so they are unknown here.
- Valencia: an August average maximum of 30.2°C (1981 to 2010), against 35.5°C at Sevilla Aeropuerto.
- Zaragoza: a January average maximum of 10.5°C and 7.6 frosty days, against 16.0°C at Sevilla Aeropuerto. The July average maximum is 32.4°C.
Sources: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET). Checked 4 October 2026.
New Zealand
Spain