Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa vs Spain Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Visa – Law 14/2013)
A factual side-by-side comparison of two residency programmes. All figures are drawn from the canonical program pages — follow either link in the table header for sources and the full profile.
Key Differences at a Glance
- ›Spain Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Visa – Law 14/2013) is faster: 1 months vs 2 months for Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa.
- ›Faster to citizenship: Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa at ~5 years, vs 10 for Spain Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Visa – Law 14/2013).
Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa Portugal · digital nomad | Spain Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Visa – Law 14/2013) Spain · entrepreneur | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Portugal | Spain |
| Category | Digital Nomad | Entrepreneur |
| Application Fee | $540 | $80 |
| Minimum Income | $3,280 /mo | — |
| Minimum Investment | — | — |
| Processing Time | 2 months | 1 months |
| Family Included | 50% of main applicant income per additional adult; 30% per minor child | Spouse/partner and dependent children may be included as family unit members under the same application or subsequent family reunification |
| Path to PR | Yes — 5 years | Yes — 5 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 5 years | Yes — 10 years |
| Physical Presence | Must reside in Portugal for at least 183 days per year or maintain a habitual residence | Must reside in Spain; no fixed minimum days per year specified for the startup visa itself, but physical presence is expected to run the business. PR requires not exceeding 10 months absence in 5 years. |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Tax Impact | Eligible for Portugal's NHR 2.0 regime (20% flat tax on Portuguese-sourced income from high-value activities; some foreign-sourced income may be exempt for 10 years) | Holders who become tax residents (183+ days/year) are subject to Spanish worldwide income tax. The Beckham Law (Ley Beckham, Article 93 LIRPF) may allow qualifying arrivals to pay a flat 24% rate on Spanish-sourced income for up to 6 years instead of progressive rates up to 47%, provided application is filed within 6 months of registration. |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 183 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Yes | Yes |
| Renewal Cost | $320 | $80 |
About Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa
The Portugal D8 Digital Nomad visa allows non-EU/EEA remote workers and freelancers earning at least 4× the Portuguese minimum wage (~€3,280/month in 2024) from foreign employers or clients to legally reside in Portugal. Introduced in October 2022 alongside the D7, it formalised a route that previously fell into ambiguous tourist-visa territory. The D8 shares the D7's residency-to-citizenship pathway — now 10 years of legal residence under the 2026 Nationality Law (7 for CPLP/EU nationals) — but targets active remote income rather than passive sources, with stricter requirements around demonstrated foreign-source revenue. Holders pay Portuguese income tax once tax-resident (183-day rule), and qualify for the IFICI tax regime only in narrow research/innovation/high-skill categories — most remote workers do not qualify for the special rate. Portuguese consulate appointment waits range from 4 to 24 weeks depending on the jurisdiction; AIMA biometrics post-arrival typically take a further 4–12 weeks. Family reunification is generous: spouse, minor children, dependent parents (over 65), and dependent siblings can be included with proportional income uplifts.
Full Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa profile →About Spain Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Visa – Law 14/2013)
Spain's Startup Visa, established under Law 14/2013 on Support for Entrepreneurs and their Internationalisation, provides a streamlined residence permit for non-EU founders seeking to launch or scale an innovative business project in Spain. The programme is administered by the Large Business and Strategic Collectives Unit (UGE-CE) of the Spanish immigration authorities and grants initial residence for up to two years, renewable for two further years. The defining feature of the route is the ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación) assessment: applicants must obtain a favourable report from ENISA — or another accredited evaluating body — confirming that the proposed venture is genuinely innovative and commercially viable. There is no prescribed minimum capital investment, making the visa accessible to knowledge-based and technology startups that may not require significant physical capital. A fast-track processing target of 20 business days applies once a complete application is accepted, making it one of the faster entrepreneur routes in the EU. Successful applicants receive a residence and work authorisation, allowing them to operate their company, take on employment in Spain, and access the Schengen Area. Family members may be included at the time of application or through subsequent family reunification. After five years of legal residence, applicants may apply for long-term EU residence; Spanish citizenship is available after ten years of continuous legal residence, subject to language and integration requirements.
Full Spain Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Visa – Law 14/2013) profile →Gotchas to Watch For
Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa
- ⚠D8 income must be foreign-sourced; Portuguese-sourced income triggers different rules
- ⚠AIMA backlogs continue to affect card issuance timelines
- ⚠IFICI tax regime eligibility is narrower than former NHR — remote workers often do not qualify
- ⚠4x minimum wage threshold is strictly enforced (2024: ~€3,280/month)
Spain Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Visa – Law 14/2013)
- ⚠The ENISA assessment is the critical bottleneck — submit early and engage advisors who have worked with ENISA before. A negative report ends the application.
- ⚠Dual citizenship is generally not permitted after naturalisation; Spanish law requires renunciation of prior nationality (with limited exceptions for citizens of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal).
- ⚠The Beckham Law election window is strict: 6 months from first Social Security registration. Missing it means being taxed as a full resident on worldwide income from day one.
- ⚠Business plan language requirements are strict — submission in Spanish is standard and translations must be certified.
- ⚠Silence from UGE-CE beyond 20 business days is treated as denial (silencio administrativo negativo), triggering the need for an administrative appeal rather than automatic approval.
- ⚠Law 28/2022 (Startup Act) amended and expanded Law 14/2013 provisions — confirm current implementing regulations with a lawyer as secondary legislation is still evolving.
Neutral reference — we don't recommend one programme over another. Programmes change: always verify each detail against the official source linked on the individual program pages.