More than 200,000 individuals left Georgia for the EU in the first six months of 2025. Most of them were Georgian citizens taking advantage of the new visa-free regime, but there’s no reason foreign nationals in Georgia can’t use Tbilisi or Batumi as a springboard to the EU too.
In this article we will tell you how you can legally take up residence in Spain, the world’s second most popular country for expats.
The easiest way to legalize your status in Spain
There are many ways to obtain residency in Spain, but the most clear cut is the Digital Nomad Visa introduced in 2023.
In the two years since the visa was first introduced, regulators have approved nearly 28,000 applications at an approval rate of roughly 80%, with rejections mostly the result of filing errors.
The digital nomad visa is intended primarily for specialists who plan to work with clients from other countries (like Georgia). Freelancers aren’t forbidden from working with local companies, but it can’t account for more than 20% of their revenue.
The main requirement for a digital nomad visa is proof of income, which must be at least 200% of the minimum subsistence level in Spain, EUR 2,762 per month (EUR 33,152 per year) in 2025. And that’s if you’re alone. If you plan to move with a partner, add another 75% (EUR 1,036 per month), and 25% (EUR 345 per month) if you have a child.
Advantages of the Digital Nomad Visa
First, it should be noted that you can apply for a digital nomad visa through an embassy outside of Spain (and subsequently exchange it for a residence permit), but if you do, it will only be valid for a year. If you apply for a residence permit under the same program immediately from Spain itself, however, the residence permit will be valid for three years, making the whole process easier, faster, and cheaper.
The visa comes with the following advantages:
- The Spanish residence permit issued to digital nomads for up to three years can be extended for another two years. After those five years, you can apply for permanent residence, and after 10 years, citizenship.
- There are no restrictions on coming and going from Spain, and you can legally travel to other countries in the Schengen Area.
- With the residence permit, you can register in the Spanish public health system and get free public healthcare.
- Digital nomads enjoy favorable tax rates. The Beckham Law allows foreign professionals to retain limited tax resident status even if they spend more than 183 days in Spain in a year. As a result, they pay income tax at a rate of 24% (on income up to EUR 600,000 per year). In comparison, regular Spanish tax residents face progressive rates of up to 47%.
- The residence permit provides the right to work and start a business in Spain.
- The visa allows for a spouse and minor children to come along for the ride.
Residency in Spain comes with other advantages too, like a low cost of living compared to other EU countries (though not Georgia), a pleasant climate, and technologically developed cities. In 2025, Spain topped the Global Citizen Solutions ranking in terms of convenience for freelancers, ahead of the Netherlands, Uruguay, Canada, and the Czech Republic.
What documents you’ll need for a Spanish residence permit
The list of documents below is for what you’ll need to apply for a residence permit with the digital nomad visa from in Spain itself, which we believe to be the best option. Requirements may vary when applying through an embassy abroad.
So, you will need:
- A passport and scanned copies of all its pages. According to the official requirements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there must be at least one year of validity left on the passport, though if you’re planning to apply for a three-year residence permit, adjust accordingly.
- A criminal record check issued by the authorities in the countries where you have lived for the last two years. It must be translated into Spanish by an official translator.
- A valid tourist visa or other legal basis for your stay in the European Union (you’ll need it to enter the EU zone for the first time).
- A document showing the date you entered Spain: this can be a plane, train, or bus ticket or something similar.
- A standard 3 cm by 4 cm photo.
- Originals and copies of qualification documents, university diplomas, or other certificates of that ilk, translated into Spanish and confirmed by an apostille or consular legalization (depending on your country of citizenship).
- For employees: an extract from the labor register and letter from the employer confirming their willingness to work with you remotely. For freelancers, you will need documentation of self-employment or IE status and contracts, all translated into Spanish.
- A bank statement showing regular income for the last three months.
Depending on the case, additional paperwork may be required and can be tricky to prepare on your own, especially if you are not registered as a sole proprietor or self-employed or do not satisfy some other criteria.
Enter the lawyers of PB Services: during a free consultation we will assess your chances of obtaining a Spanish residence permit and help you improve them. We can help you draw up a plan of action and prepare and submit documents regardless of your citizenship. Write to us to find out more.
Applying for a residence permit with the help of PB
For your convenience, we have described the process in this table. Important: PB Services will accompany you through every stage of the application process. Our associates will meet you upon arrival in Spain, go with you to the police, and help you fill out the forms. You can submit your documents in Malaga (budget option) of Madrid or Barcelona (more expensive cities).
| No. | Stage | Action | Time needed |
| 1 | Consultation and preparation | You outline your circumstances and send us the documents you have. We draw up a personalized plan and conclude a written contract. | About two weeks |
If you are satisfied with the terms, you make an advance payment, and we get to work.
| 2 | First trip to Spain to apply | If you already have a Schengen visa or don’t need one, you travel to Spain to apply in person. A good option for citizens of Georgia, for example, who can enter the EU visa-free for up to 90 days with a passport. If you don’t have a Schengen visa, you’ll want to skip ahead to the next section of this article. | One day |
| 3 | Waiting for approval | From the moment you apply, your stay in the EU will be legal for as long as the application is pending. | About a month |
| 4 | Biometrics | Once your application has been approved, you will need to visit the police to be fingerprinted. | One day |
At this stage, you make the rest of the payment stipulated in the contract
| 5 | Waiting for the documents | After you’ve submitted your biometrics, Spanish regulators will need a little more time to process the final documents for you. | About three weeks |
| 6 | Picking up your Spanish residence permit | Visit the police one more time to pick up your resident ID card. | One day |
How to enter Spain without a Schengen Visa
There are different locations, depending on the circumstances, where foreign nationals residing in Georgia who do not have the right to enter the EU can apply for a Spanish tourist or digital nomad visa. For example, there is a Spanish embassy in Ankara, Turkey, and an official BLS visa center in Yerevan, Armenia (Turkey and Armenia both border Georgia, in case you weren’t sure). There is no Spanish representation in Georgia itself, but the Dutch Embassy in Tbilisi provides consular services for Spain.
It should be noted that diplomatic missions in countries other than your country of citizenship are often only willing to receive you if you have residency status where they are located. Otherwise put, if you plan to apply in Tbilisi, you will need a Georgian residence permit, and if in Ankara, you will need a Georgian or Turkish residence permit. The embassy won’t give you an appointment without it, so don’t waste your time.
You don’t need to get a visa specifically for Spain, though, a Schengen visa issued by any EU state is enough, meaning there are plenty of options, with about 50 diplomatic missions in Tbilisi and Batumi, including the embassies of Italy, Germany, France, Greece, etc… Where you should apply depends on your citizenship.
Whatever the case, the lawyers at PB Services will be happy to helpyou get a Georgian residence permit on the basis of an employment contract, study, or investment in real estate that you can then use to legally obtain a Schengen visa to apply for a Spanish residence permit. If the first option is not for you, we can help find another way to obtain a Schengen visa. Just contact us through the form below: