Spain plans to launch digital nomad visa; many small towns ready to host

There is already a National Network of Welcoming Towns for Remote Workers in the country

More and more countries are thinking of ways to welcome the new generation of digital workers. And they try to get creative in enticing them to set up shop somewhere off the beaten track and away from the regular tourist crowds.

Now it is Spain’s turn, with the country planning to introduce a digital nomad visa, allowing such travellers to stay legally in the country for up to 12 months. The Iberian country is already one of the most popular and visited destinations in the world, however, the idea here is not to think of opening your laptop and putting up your feet somewhere in Barcelona or Pamplona.

There is an initiative, called Red Nacional de Pueblos Acogedores para el Teletrabajo (or National Network of Welcoming Towns for Remote workers) that wants to shine the spotlight on smaller, countryside towns that are experiencing a decline in their population.

These places, one might say, preserve the true charm of Spain of yesteryear

Said network already counts with its own website (which somewhat oddly enough is for the moment only available in Spanish) and with 30 members – towns and villages from across Spain. These can fit any taste for scenery and living budgets. What is common among them is that all these localities have under 5000 residents, so you would be in for a truly rural experience.

A lack of job opportunities in rural Spain has left many small towns and villages with dwindling populations but these destinations, in particular, are more than ready to welcome remote workers. Whether people stay for a short break or make these places their temporary homes, it is hoped that an influx of people working from home will help to revitalise communities.

What is great about this initiative is that the programme gives willing remote workers the chance to immediately connect with a host, who will welcome them and show them around. This overcomes the common problem of moving to a new place but also feeling out of context there.

You can consult an interactive map of the towns and also compare the living costs among them. The latter are marked in red and given in euros per week.