The Digital Nomad Permit in Spain has become one of the most popular residence options for foreign nationals who work remotely for companies or clients located outside Spain. However, many applicants preparing their file face a very specific and practical question: which government fee must be paid for the Digital Nomad Permit in Spain?

The usual answer is the 790 Code 038 fee, also known in Spanish as Tasa 038. This fee is paid through the official Modelo 790 Código 038 form. Although most applicants refer to the procedure as the “Digital Nomad Visa” or “Digital Nomad Permit”, the official Spanish form normally places this category under international mobility authorisations regulated by Law 14/2013.

This difference in terminology creates a lot of confusion. Many applicants expect to find a box that literally says “digital nomad”, but the official form may not use that wording. Instead, the applicant usually needs to select the section corresponding to international mobility authorisations under Law 14/2013.

In this guide, Visal Immigration Lawyers explains what the 790 Code 038 fee is, when it must be paid, which section should normally be selected, how much it may cost, how to complete the form, and which common mistakes may delay your application.

If you are preparing your Digital Nomad Permit application and want to make sure your case is correctly structured, you can schedule your consultation here.

What is the 790 Code 038 fee for the Digital Nomad Permit in Spain?

The 790 Code 038 fee for the Digital Nomad Permit is the administrative fee that normally accompanies the residence authorisation application for international remote workers when the application is submitted in Spain before the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos, commonly known as the UGE.

Technically, the Spanish Digital Nomad Permit is not always referred to in the law by the popular commercial expression “digital nomad”. The legal term is usually connected to international remote work or teleworking of an international nature. In practice, this residence permit allows certain non-EU nationals to live in Spain while working remotely for foreign companies or foreign clients, using computer, telematic and telecommunication systems.

Therefore, when we talk about the “Digital Nomad fee”, we are using a clear and client-friendly expression. Legally, however, we are referring to a fee connected to a residence authorisation regulated under Law 14/2013, the Spanish law that covers several international mobility residence permits.

This distinction is very important. The applicant should not necessarily look for a box called “digital nomad”. Instead, they should identify the section of the 790 Code 038 form corresponding to international mobility authorisations under Law 14/2013.

In practical terms, for a Digital Nomad residence application submitted from Spain, the usual form is Modelo 790 Código 038, selecting the section for Solicitud de autorizaciones de movilidad internacional (Ley 14/2013).

Why does the official form not clearly say “Digital Nomad”?

One of the most common questions is: if I am applying for the Digital Nomad Permit, why does the Spanish government form refer to international mobility instead?

The reason is simple. The Digital Nomad Permit is part of a broader group of residence authorisations regulated by Law 14/2013. This same legal framework includes other categories such as highly qualified professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, intra-company transfers and dependent family members.

For that reason, although lawyers, clients and online articles commonly use expressions such as “Digital Nomad Visa Spain” or “Digital Nomad Permit Spain”, the official form may use more technical wording such as teletrabajador internacional or movilidad internacional.

This does not mean that you are choosing the wrong procedure. It simply means that the commercial name and the technical legal name do not always match.

This is especially important for applicants completing the fee form by themselves. If they search only for the words “digital nomad”, they may think they are in the wrong form. In reality, the correct option is usually found under the broader heading of international mobility.

If you want to avoid mistakes before submitting your application, you can schedule your consultation here.

Which section should you select in the 790 Code 038 form?

For a Digital Nomad residence application submitted before the UGE, the relevant section of the 790 Code 038 form is usually section 7:

Solicitud de autorizaciones de movilidad internacional (Ley 14/2013).

In English, this means application for international mobility authorisations under Law 14/2013.

Within this section, the form normally distinguishes between two options: initial residence authorisation and renewed residence authorisation.

If this is your first Digital Nomad residence authorisation in Spain, the usual option will be initial residence authorisation. If you already hold a Digital Nomad residence authorisation and you are applying to continue your residence in Spain, the correct option may be renewed residence authorisation.

This point must be analysed carefully. The fact that a person has previously lived in Spain as a student, as a non-lucrative resident, as a family member of an EU citizen, or under another type of visa does not automatically mean that the Digital Nomad Permit is a renewal.

In many cases, even if the applicant has previously lived in Spain, the Digital Nomad Permit is legally submitted as an initial authorisation, because it is a different type of residence permit.

This is one of the most frequent mistakes we see in practice. Applicants often assume that any new application after living in Spain is a renewal, but immigration law does not work that way. The correct answer depends on the exact type of permit being requested.

How much is the 790 Code 038 fee for the Digital Nomad Permit in 2026?

The exact amount of the 790 Code 038 fee should always be checked directly in the official form at the time of generating the payment document, because administrative fees may be updated.

As a general reference, the original ministerial order established a fee of €70.40 for initial residence authorisations and €75.60 for renewed residence authorisations in international mobility procedures. However, those amounts may be updated over time.

For this reason, the safest recommendation is not to rely only on figures found in old guides or articles. The applicant should always generate the official 790 Code 038 form and pay the exact amount shown by the system.

This is particularly important because some applicants reuse old forms, download outdated templates or copy payment forms from previous applications. That is not advisable. Each application should have its own correctly generated and paid fee form.

In practice, the amount of the Digital Nomad fee is relatively low compared with the importance of the residence procedure. However, paying the wrong fee, selecting the wrong category or submitting an incomplete payment receipt can still cause delays.

Who must pay the fee: the main applicant and family members

Another common mistake is thinking that one single fee covers the whole family. In general, this is not correct.

In Digital Nomad applications, if the main applicant is applying together with a spouse, registered partner, children or other dependent family members, the safest approach is to prepare one fee for each applicant.

This means that if a family of four applies for residence in Spain under the Digital Nomad route, there will normally be four separate fees: one for the main applicant and one for each dependent family member.

This point is particularly important because family applications are often delayed by formal mistakes. Some applicants submit only one fee for the whole family. Others pay several fees but put all of them under the name of the main applicant. In other cases, the payment receipt does not clearly identify the correct person.

Each fee should correspond to the person in whose favour the residence authorisation is requested. If the spouse is applying, the spouse should normally have their own fee. If a child is applying, the child should normally have their own fee.

If you are submitting a family application, it is advisable to review the entire file before sending it to the authorities. You can schedule your consultation here and a lawyer from Visal Immigration Lawyers can guide you on the correct documents and strategy.

How to pay the 790 Code 038 fee for the Digital Nomad Permit

The 790 Code 038 fee is generated through the official electronic system of the Spanish Ministry responsible for migration matters. Access may require electronic identification, such as a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve, depending on the available options at the time.

The process usually follows a simple structure. First, the applicant accesses the Modelo 790 Código 038. Then, the details of the taxable person must be completed. This means the person in whose favour the authorisation is being requested.

Next, the correct taxable event must be selected. For the Digital Nomad Permit, this will normally be the section corresponding to international mobility authorisations under Law 14/2013.

Finally, the payment document is generated and the fee is paid.

If payment is made electronically, the system should generate a payment confirmation. In many cases, this will include a Número de Referencia Completo, commonly known as NRC. This reference is very important because it proves that the payment has been correctly completed.

It is not enough to have a screenshot, a draft form or an incomplete payment page. The application should include a clear payment receipt showing that the fee has been effectively paid.

What information must be correct on the fee form?

The fee must match the application. For that reason, the personal details must be completed very carefully.

The applicant’s name and surname should match the passport. If the applicant already has a NIE, it should be entered correctly. If the applicant does not yet have a NIE, the passport number may normally be used when the form allows it.

The applicant should also check the nationality, address and type of authorisation selected.

A small mistake will not always destroy an application, but details matter in immigration procedures. If the passport shows one name, the application form shows a different name and the fee receipt shows another version, the authorities may have doubts about the identification of the applicant.

This is especially common in cases involving compound names, multiple surnames, transliteration from non-Latin alphabets or differences between the name used in professional documents and the name appearing in the passport.

For this reason, we recommend reviewing the fee together with the rest of the application documents before submission. The fee should not be prepared separately from the legal strategy. It should form part of a coherent and complete application file.

Difference between the 790 Code 038 fee and the 790 Code 012 fee

Many applicants confuse the 790 Code 038 fee with the 790 Code 012 fee. They are not the same.

The 790 Code 038 fee is normally connected to the administrative processing of certain residence authorisations, including the Digital Nomad residence authorisation when submitted before the UGE under Law 14/2013.

The 790 Code 012 fee, on the other hand, is usually paid at a later stage, once the residence authorisation has already been approved and the foreign national must attend the police appointment for fingerprints and issuance of the physical foreigner identity card, known as the TIE.

This means that a person may need to pay the 790 Code 038 fee first for the residence authorisation process, and later pay the 790 Code 012 fee for the physical residence card.

They are different fees, for different stages, with different purposes.

Therefore, you should not assume that paying the 790 Code 038 fee automatically covers the issuance of the physical card. It usually does not. First comes the residence authorisation; later comes the TIE process.

Digital Nomad fee if you apply from Spain

When the applicant is in Spain legally, it may be possible to apply for the Digital Nomad residence authorisation from within Spain. This is one of the most attractive features of the Spanish Digital Nomad route.

In this scenario, the 790 Code 038 fee is usually part of the electronic application submitted before the UGE.

This is also where selecting the correct section of the fee form becomes especially important. Many applicants are in Spain as tourists, students or holders of another type of permit, and they are unsure whether they should select initial authorisation, renewal, modification or another section.

The answer depends on the specific case.

As a general rule, if the applicant is requesting the Digital Nomad residence authorisation for the first time, it will normally be treated as an initial authorisation, even if the person has previously held a different immigration status in Spain.

This is why it is important not to rely only on intuition. Immigration categories are technical, and the fee must match the legal nature of the procedure being filed.

Digital Nomad fee if you apply through a Spanish consulate

When the foreign national is outside Spain and wants to obtain a Digital Nomad Visa through the Spanish consulate in their country of residence, the procedure may be different.

In that case, there may be consular fees or specific visa payment requirements, and the process may not work exactly the same way as a residence authorisation submitted from Spain before the UGE.

This distinction is very important because many people search online for “Digital Nomad Spain fee” without distinguishing between a consular visa and a residence authorisation submitted from Spain.

The popular name may be similar, but the procedure can be different.

If the objective is to obtain a residence authorisation from Spain, we are usually talking about the 790 Code 038 fee. If the objective is to obtain a visa through a consulate, the applicant should check the instructions of the competent Spanish consulate, because practical requirements may vary.

If you are unsure whether you should apply from Spain or through a consulate, you can schedule your consultation here and we will help you analyse the best strategy for your case.

Common mistakes when paying the Digital Nomad fee in Spain

The first common mistake is selecting the wrong section of the 790 Code 038 form. Some applicants choose sections related to ordinary work authorisations, modifications or general temporary residence, when they are actually applying under Law 14/2013.

The second mistake is paying the fee as a renewal when the procedure is legally an initial authorisation. This often happens when the applicant already lives in Spain under another type of permit and assumes that any later application is automatically a renewal.

The third mistake is paying only one fee for the entire family. As explained above, family applications normally require one fee per applicant.

The fourth mistake is using incorrect personal details. A wrong passport number, incorrect NIE or name that does not match the passport can create unnecessary complications.

The fifth mistake is submitting an incomplete receipt. The authorities must be able to verify payment. The receipt should clearly show the relevant data, the amount, the correct concept and, where applicable, the NRC.

These mistakes may seem minor, but in practice they can delay applications that would otherwise have been well prepared.

What happens if you pay the wrong fee?

If you have paid the wrong 790 Code 038 fee, this does not necessarily mean that your application will be refused. In many cases, the authorities may issue a request for correction and ask you to provide a new correctly paid fee.

However, this can delay the procedure. If your application is time-sensitive, every request for correction can create uncertainty and stress.

It may also be necessary to pay a new fee and, later, request a refund of the incorrectly paid fee if it was not applied to the file. This process can be slow and inconvenient.

From a practical perspective, the best solution is to avoid the mistake before submitting the application. Correct preparation of the fee is part of a professional and well-structured immigration file.

If you have already paid the fee and you are unsure whether it is correct, you can schedule your consultation here and we can review it in the context of your full application.

Paying the fee does not mean the Digital Nomad Permit will be approved

Although this article focuses on the 790 Code 038 fee, it is important to remember that paying the fee does not guarantee approval of the Digital Nomad Permit.

The Digital Nomad route requires the applicant to prove several legal, professional and financial elements. Depending on the case, the applicant may need to provide evidence of remote work, a professional or employment relationship with foreign companies or clients, sufficient income, health coverage, criminal record certificates, company documents, contracts, invoices, bank statements and other supporting documents.

The fee is necessary, but it is not enough.

A strong Digital Nomad application must be coherent, complete and adapted to the applicant’s specific profile. The documentation required for an employee is not always the same as the documentation required for a freelancer, company owner or independent contractor.

For example, a remote employee may need to prove an employment relationship with a foreign company and authorisation to work remotely from Spain. A freelancer may need to prove professional activity with foreign clients, invoices, contracts and payments. A company owner may need to explain the structure of the company and how the income is generated.

This is why the fee should be seen as one part of a broader legal strategy, not as an isolated administrative payment.

Practical tips from Visal Immigration Lawyers before submitting your application

Based on practical experience with Digital Nomad applications, we recommend preparing the fee once the legal strategy is clear.

Before paying, it is important to confirm whether the application will be submitted from Spain or through a consulate, whether it is an initial authorisation or a renewal, how many family members will be included, and who should appear as the taxable person on each fee form.

We also recommend saving all payment receipts as PDF files with clear names. For example: “790 Code 038 main applicant”, “790 Code 038 spouse” or “790 Code 038 child”. This makes the electronic submission easier and reduces the risk of confusion.

In family applications, each family member should have their own document folder. That folder may include the passport, application form, fee receipt, family relationship documents, health insurance where applicable and financial evidence.

Another important recommendation is not to leave the fee until the very last moment. Sometimes the electronic platform may show technical errors, cache problems, update warnings or access issues. If the application is urgent, these problems can create unnecessary stress.

If you want to prepare your application safely, you can schedule your consultation here.

Why professional legal review matters

Many Digital Nomad applicants are highly organised and used to dealing with international paperwork. However, Spanish immigration procedures can be technical. A document that seems sufficient from a commercial or business perspective may not be enough from an immigration perspective.

For example, an applicant may have excellent income but fail to prove the correct legal relationship with the foreign company. Another applicant may have a valid contract but no clear evidence that the work can be performed remotely from Spain. In family applications, marriage certificates, birth certificates and dependency documents may also require legalisation, apostille or sworn translation.

The government fee is one of the simplest parts of the process, but it still needs to be correct. If there is a mistake in a simple part of the file, it may raise concerns about the preparation of the rest of the application.

A professional legal review can help identify risks before submission, organise the documents correctly and avoid avoidable delays.

Frequently asked questions about the 790 Code 038 fee for the Digital Nomad Permit

Which fee do I need to pay for the Digital Nomad Permit in Spain?

For a Digital Nomad residence authorisation submitted from Spain before the UGE, the usual fee is the 790 Code 038 fee. Although the official form may refer to international mobility, this is the technical section where the international remote worker residence authorisation is normally included.

Why does the form not say “Digital Nomad”?

Because the technical legal category is connected to international remote work and is regulated under Law 14/2013. The official 790 Code 038 form normally places this permit under international mobility authorisations, even though applicants commonly call it the Digital Nomad Visa or Digital Nomad Permit.

How much is the Digital Nomad fee in Spain?

The amount must always be checked in the official form when generating the payment document. As a general reference, the original fees were €70.40 for initial authorisations and €75.60 for renewals, but these amounts may be updated. Always pay the amount generated by the official system.

Do I need to pay a fee for each family member?

Yes, normally each applicant needs their own fee. This means that the main applicant, spouse or partner, children and other dependent family members should each have a separate fee payment. Paying only one fee for the whole family may cause delays or requests for correction.

Is the 790 Code 038 fee the same as the 790 Code 012 fee?

No. The 790 Code 038 fee is usually connected to the processing of the residence authorisation. The 790 Code 012 fee is normally paid later, after approval, when the applicant attends the fingerprint appointment to obtain the physical TIE residence card.

Do you need personalised advice for your Digital Nomad Permit in Spain?

At Visal Immigration Lawyers, we are immigration lawyers in Spain specialised in helping foreign nationals, remote professionals, international freelancers, employees, business owners and families prepare their Digital Nomad applications correctly.

The 790 Code 038 fee may seem like a small administrative detail, but it forms part of a much broader immigration file. A mistake in the fee, the form or the supporting documents can create avoidable delays.

Before submitting your application, it is advisable to confirm that the procedure, documents and legal strategy are correct.

You can schedule your consultation here and our team will review your case personally.

You can also contact Visal Immigration Lawyers by WhatsApp, messages only, at +34 618 702 253, or visit our website for more information: www.visalimmigration.com.

If you are preparing your Digital Nomad Permit in Spain and want to avoid mistakes from the beginning, schedule your consultation here. We will be happy to study your case and guide you step by step through the procedure.