David Shipp and his wife Nadine always enjoyed the laid-back lifestyle, the food and the weather when they spent a holiday at their villa in Murcia in south-eastern Spain.

Now, they are considering living it for real when Madrid brings a new digital nomad visa into force possibly later this year.

The visa will give Britons and other non-EU citizens the chance to work under the Spanish sun at a lower cost of living than the UK and with tax breaks thrown in as an extra sweetener.

The visas will be offered to people who work remotely for businesses outside Spain and for those who derive a maximum of 20 per cent of their income from Spanish firms.

Law firms that specialise in dealing with the visa said they have received thousands of enquiries from Britons.

Mr Shipp, 51, from Cambridgeshire, who is managing director of a company distributing polished concrete products, can work from anywhere using his laptop and telephone.

I have been keeping an eye on the digital nomad visa. Our intention to move would be in around two years. We are monitoring things now because I still have a daughter at university, he toldi from his home in Britain.

When we go away to Spain for long periods I am still working. This visa (would be) ideal really.

Mr Shipp said he had always admired the Spanish way of life. He bought a holiday home with his wife about a year ago in San Javier in Murcia, a region popular with Britons.

It is something that my wife and I have been speaking about for many years. We used savings to buy the house (in Spain), he said.

(We like) the laid-back attitude (of Spaniards), the weather, the food, all the clichs. It is just a great country.

Maria Luisa Castro, of CostaLuz Lawyers which specialises in dealing with the digital nomad visa, said there had been huge interest from Britons.

There have been hundreds of potential nomads waiting for the visa to be approved, she told i.

I would say that we have between 1,000 and 1,200 prospective applicants in our files.

British diplomats echoed this feeling, telling the i that there was considerable interest in Spains nomad visa.

Spains prime minister Pedro Snchez promised last month that the Start Up law, which includes the visa, would be passed before the end of the current legislature next year.

The visa will initially be valid for one year but can be renewed for up to five years, depending on the applicants situation. Close relatives, such as a spouse or children, will be eligible to join the applicant.

To qualify, the person must come from outside the European Economic Area and be able to demonstrate that they have been working for at least a year for a company outside Spain.

They must also have a contract of employment or, if freelance, they must be able to show that they have been working for companies outside Spain for more than a year.

Applicants must show they will earn enough to be self-sufficient and that they have a permanent address in Spain. It is likely, but not certain yet, that they will have to undergo a criminal record check.

For the first four years that they are living in Spain, they will be taxed at 15 per cent, rather than the standard 25 per cent base rate in Spain.

The Start Up law, which still has to overcome some final hurdles before coming into force, aims to boost the digital economy and attract foreign talent to Spain.

It is also hoped it will smooth foreign entrepreneurs path through the notorious Spanish bureaucracy.

At present, it takes an average of between 20 and 30 days to set up a company in Spain compared to one day in the UK.

Apart from its lifestyle and weather, Spain is well connected to the internet, a crucial factor for people who may be hoping to make the beach their office.

Internet speed is among the fastest in Europe at 148Mbps, almost double the UK speed of 75Mbps.

One disadvantage is that in cities like Madrid and Barcelona, rents have risen sharply in recent years.

Spain hopes good Wi-Fi even in country villages may attract nomads who want a taste of real Spain thus offsetting a growing political problem of rural depopulation.

When the nomad visa becomes a reality in Spain, it will make it the 15th country in Europe to bring in such a scheme.

Across the border in Portugal, nomads can apply for the D7 visa which requires a monthly income of 700 (600).

In Croatia, applicants must earn at least 2,300 per month while in Estonia the minimum figure is 3,500 (3,000) and in Iceland 7,100 (6,140).

Greece brought in a nomad visa in 2021 and sets the minimum monthly income at 3,500. It is not known what the figure will be in Spain.

Link:

New Brexit visa which lets British expats wfh in Spain set to be launched this year - iNews