The national parliament introduced a visa for digital nomads earlier this year by passing a startup law.
To qualify for the Spanish Digital Nomad program, applicants must be foreigners working abroad, self-employed or employed by a non-Spanish company operating outside Spain.
Remote workers also have to earn at least €2,334 per month or €28,000 per year to meet the government’s minimum income criterion. In Spain, visitors are allowed to stay for a maximum of one year. They can then apply for a residence permit for three years and a two-year extension. After five years they can qualify for permanent residence.
Hotel projects
According to data from the THP databasethe number of records for this plan has increased enormously in the past year, increasing from 75 locations in 2022 to 157 projects, now comprising a total of 22,170 rooms. This substantial growth indicates that the program is poised to have a significant impact on the significant upswing in luxury hotel construction in Spain.
Statistics show that in the next three years At least $4.2 billion will be spent on developing accommodations tailored to the higher end of the market.
The Spanish capital Madrid will be the center of the development. At least sixteen projects are already underway here, double the number of Cordoba in the south, which is in second place with eight projects. The city of Valencia on the east coast and its south coast neighbors Cadiz and Malaga are in joint third place with at least seven projects each.
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Worldwide each have at least seven projects in progress, while Melia Hotels International, a Spanish company, has at least six locations planned.
Hotel Indigo Jerez, owned by IHG, is one of the latest developments on the agenda. The 78-room hotel, which will consist of two historic Andalusian buildings, has been commissioned as a conversion project in partnership with Meravo Management AS and is expected to open in early 2025.
Another major announcement this year was Banyan Tree Group’s Angsana Real de la Quinta Benahavis Marbella. The development includes a hotel, branded apartments, apartments and commercial space and marks the debut of the Angsana Resorts & Spa brand. The resort is expected to be completed in 2026 and will include 90 suites and rooms that embrace nature.