Become a Digital Nomad- Make a living and experience Spanish history and culture while you do it!

At Jacaranda Spain, as well as selling real estate, we promote a lifestyle. We like to share our experiences with like-minded lovers of Spanish culture and, even if you are not in a position to buy a home here, we also want to encourage visitors and travellers to come and appreciate the beautiful Marina Alta area of Spain.

 "Digital nomads are people who travel freely while working remotely using technology and the internet"  -Daniel Schlagwein at the International workshop of the Changing Nature of Work (CNOW)

The world is experiencing a seismic shift in the way we live our lives. The world of technology is evolving rapidly and, if you want to keep up, you literally, have to get with the programme! 

The term "nomad" conjures up images of a desert dwelling traveller, moving around from oasis to oasis according to where there is plentiful water and sustenance. The term "Digital Nomad", for many people, evokes visions of hippy backpackers roaming around in VW camper vans. However, Digital Nomadism is fast becoming a global phenomenon. The term "backpacker" has become "flashpacker", which means that digital nomads are a world away from the hippies of my imaginings. 

- Digital Nomads are highly intelligent, motivated people who want more than a 9-5, office job can offer.

- They want successful careers that are not spatially restricted.

- They are entrepreneurs, freelancers, people who work for small companies and those who work for big internationals.

The increasingly digital world we live in makes it, not only possible, but, for those with vision and confidence, a very real option. The Covid-19 pandemic has also been an important factor in this new emergence. The pandemic and the subsequent "lockdown" that happened in most of the world, paradoxically, taught us all that the freedom is there if we want it. We can work in an office, we can work from home and we can work in cafés, hotels, libraries, coworking spaces. Hell, we can even work in a different country!

So, what do you need to be a Digital Nomad?

Whether you are interested in a short term change of lifestyle or a more permanent change, you will need to get a visa. In January 2023 the Spanish Government passed the Startup Act and part of this was the Digital Nomad Visa.

You will need to apply, in person, to a Spanish Embassy or Consulate or, if you travel to Spain as a tourist you can apply for a fast track visa. You will need to provide ID documents, proof of income and a clean criminal record, but there are considerable tax benefits for Digital Nomads. For more information go to the official website Digital Nomad Visa (exteriores.gob.es) The visa is a 6 month visa but it is easy to renew it for up to 5 years. After that you are entitled to apply for permanent residency.

Here at Jacaranda Spain we fully expect that, at some point in the future, we will meet a prospective buyer who will say "we fell in love with the Marina Alta, when we were Digital Nomads"!