Spain

Income tax (IRPF) is shared federal + regional. Federal brackets 2026: 9.5% up to €12,450, 12% to €20,200, 15% to €35,200, 18.5% to €60,000, 22.5% to €300,000, 24.5% above. Regional autonomous community brackets stack on top — Madrid 8.5-21%, Catalonia 10.5-25.5%. Combined top marginal: 47% in Madrid, ~50% in Catalonia. Capital gains: 19% / 21% / 23% / 27% / 28% (progressive on gains). The Beckham Law (Régimen de Impatriados, Article 93 IRPF Law) gives inbound expats a flat 24% on Spanish-source income up to €600K + 0% on foreign-source income for 6 years. Wealth tax (Impuesto sobre el Patrimonio) and Solidarity Tax on Large Fortunes apply progressively — autonomous communities like Madrid and Andalusia have effectively 0% wealth tax.

• Software developer$42,000
• Data scientist$47,000
• Banking manager$65,000
• Marketing manager$50,000

INE Estadística de Salarios. Spanish tech compensation is among the lowest in Western Europe at junior tiers but gives world-class lifestyle/cost ratio. Madrid / Barcelona / Bilbao tech scene strong; remote roles for US/UK companies often pay 2-3x local market. RSU equity rare outside listed-multinational subsidiaries.

Spanish cost of living is dramatically lower than Northern Europe: Madrid central 1BR €1,200-1,800/mo, Barcelona €1,300-2,000, Valencia €900-1,400. Restaurants, groceries, public transport are 30-50% cheaper than UK / Germany / France. The major hidden cost is Spanish bureaucracy — every transaction involves NIE, padrón, and gestor fees.

• Digital Nomad Visa (Visado Teletrabajo)

  €2,646+/mo for remote workers. Pairs with Beckham Law 24% flat tax. 1y → 5y residence pathway.

• Non-Lucrative Visa (Visado No Lucrativo)

  For passive-income retirees / investors. €31,752/yr threshold. Cannot work for Spanish entities.

• Highly Qualified Worker visa

  Sponsored employment route under Startups Act for €40K+/yr senior tech / scientific roles.

• Golden Visa (Investor)

  ENDED 3 April 2025 for new applicants — the €500K real-estate route is closed.

Citizenship eligibility: minimum 10 years of legal residence (varies by pathway).

Naturalization typically requires 10 years of legal residence (2 for Latin American, Sephardic Jewish, Andorran, Filipino, or Equatorial Guinean nationals). Spain technically does not allow dual citizenship for non-Iberian nationals — but enforcement is rare and many Latin American + Portuguese passport holders practically retain dual.

SL (Sociedad Limitada) is the SME standard. Min capital €3,000, fully paid-up. Corporate tax 25% standard, 23% for SMEs (revenue < €1M). Strong start-up regime under Ley 28/2022 — reduced 15% rate for first 4 profitable years for emerging companies.

• Sociedad Limitada (SL)

  Standard private limited company. €3K min capital, €1 minimum since 2022 reform via SLNE 'simplified' track.

Banking

Santander and BBVA have full English onboarding for foreign professionals — opens with NIE + employment contract. ING is Spain's leading digital bank for residents. N26 and Revolut serve the SEPA market well. Padrón (city registration) is the catch-22 docs requirement; hostel address sometimes accepted.