Digital nomad visa Europe

The income test: from €3,000 a month to a wage multiple

Among thresholds published per month, Hungary sets the lowest at €3,000/month, and it must be met in each of the 6 months before entry, not as an average. Cyprus and Greece follow at €3,500/month, then Croatia at €3,623/month, Portugal at €3,680/month and Estonia at €4,500/month.

Three countries publish a yearly figure instead: Bulgaria €31,010/year, Spain €34,188/year and Malta €42,000/year gross. Malta's older threshold of €32,400 applies only to files submitted before 1 April 2024.

Czechia, Slovenia and Romania state the rule as a multiple of a national salary (1.5 times the average gross annual salary, twice the average net monthly salary, and three times the average gross monthly salary). The euro amount moves each time the statistics office publishes. Italy and Latvia do not publish a euro figure that we could confirm in a primary source.

Greece: the visa now has to come first

Since 6 February 2026, Law 5275/2026 has removed the option to enter Greece visa-free and then apply from inside the country. A type D visa must be issued by a Greek consulate before arrival; it can be followed by a 2-year residence permit, renewable for 2-year periods.

The income test stays at the same net monthly figure, plus 20% for a spouse or partner and 15% for each child.

Spain: four conditions beyond income

Filed from inside Spain, the residence authorisation has a legal maximum of 20 days, and silence counts as approval. The file must still show a university degree or 3 years of professional experience, a working relationship with the foreign employer or clients of at least 3 months, and an employer that has been active for at least 1 year.

Freelancers may take Spanish clients, but no more than 20% of total activity. A file that shows mostly Spanish income does not meet the telework conditions, whatever the amount.

Who your employer can be

Czechia is the narrowest route: IT and marketing specialists only, and only nationals of Australia, Brazil, India, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, the USA or Taiwan. An employee route requires a foreign employer with at least 50 staff, and there is no legal right to take part.

Latvia accepts employers or self-employed persons registered in an OECD country and excludes Russian citizens. Malta refuses remote work performed for a Maltese subsidiary; Hungary bars work for Hungarian employers and ownership of Hungarian businesses.

Family members: included, priced extra or excluded

Hungary gives no family reunification permits to White Card holders, except for children born in Hungary during the stay. Romania is marked the same way in a secondary source that the Romanian immigration office has not confirmed.

Where family is allowed, the income test usually rises. Spain adds 75% of the minimum wage for the first family member and 25% for each additional one; Croatia adds 10% of the average net salary per person. Slovenia allows reunification immediately, with no minimum residence period.

Which permits lead to permanent residence

Portugal and Spain both count the time towards permanent residence after 5 years. Portugal lists 10 years to citizenship, or 7 years for CPLP and EU nationals.

Several short permits do not build that time. Estonia's visa lasts up to 12 months and cannot be extended; Slovenia's permit is not extendable, and a new one can be requested only 6 months after the previous permit expires. Time on the Hungarian White Card does not count towards a national residence card, and Bulgaria's permit does not by itself lead to permanent residence.