Portugal vs Spain digital nomad visa: income and stay
Portugal and Spain are the comparison most people mean when they say southern Europe. Both are active, both are Schengen, both can lead toward permanent residence. The useful differences are the income rule, the first permit length, and how you file.
At a glance
Portugal income: $4,048 / mo. Spain: $3,134 / mo.
| Portugal | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Open | Open |
| Income | $4,048 / mo | $3,134 / mo |
| Savings | $12,144 | None required |
| First stay | 4-month visa, then 2-year permit, renewable 3 | 1 year (consulate) or 3 years (in Spain), renewable to 5 |
| Permanent residence | Direct (high) | Direct (medium) |
| Schengen | Yes | Yes |
Income and savings stay on the country pages, with sources and grades. This table is rebuilt from those rows when the site builds.
The short answer
Choose Portugal if you want the D8 route with a clear wage-multiple rule and a path that starts with a short national visa then a multi-year permit. Choose Spain if the telework (digital nomad) track’s income bar and longer in-country first permit fit better — and you can live with consulate practice that still disagrees with itself on the monthly figure.
Side by side
| Portugal | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Programme | D8 Digital Nomad Visa (active) | Digital Nomad Visa / teletrabajadores (active) |
| Income | Multiplier of the Portuguese minimum wage (see the country page) | Multiplier of Spanish SMI; consulates and UGE do not always quote the same monthly number |
| Savings | Required on the Portugal row | None required on the Spain row |
| First stay | Short visa, then a multi-year temporary permit | One year from a consulate or three years if you file in Spain |
| PR | Yes (high confidence) | Yes (medium confidence) |
| Apply online | No | Yes |
Read the income and savings cells on each page — they carry data-usd in the tool and stay graded against the sources.
Who each fits
- Portugal: people who can meet the RMMG multiple and will go through a consulate for the national visa.
- Spain: people who want the telework statute and can document the SMI-based income the mission they use actually asks for. See how Washington spells the paperwork in the news note below.
See also
- Compare Portugal and Spain
- Open app · Check eligibility
- Digital nomad visas that lead to permanent residence
- Cheapest digital nomad visas by annual cost
- News: Spain telework visa — Washington goes through BLS
- Lifestyle: Lisbon coworking — what a month costs
- How multiplier bars move: The income bar that moves while you pack
The rows behind this
Every figure this post relies on lives on a country page with its source and its confidence grade beside it. That is where it gets corrected, and where it stays current after the post stops being news.
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