My Spain Digital Nomad Journey
My profile & background
🇵🇭 Philippine passport holder
Applied inside Spain via UGE, not through a consulate
Did everything DIY, legally and intentionally
Fulfilled missing requirements remotely, without flying back home
No EU spouse nor dependents, no company relocation, no shortcuts
Had 10 Schengen days remaining
If that sounds like you, this playbook will benefit you the most!
Again, we do this DIY so we save at least 1500 euro that we could put into rent :))
My Story
🇭🇷 My First Step: Croatia
Before Spain, there was Croatia. I previously held a Croatian Digital Nomad Visa.
You are free to skip this. It was my personal choice to try Croatia first before Spain.
Why Croatia first?
100% online application. No need to set foot in Croatia or home country to start & wait for the decision
Approval in under a month
No translations or apostilles needed, less bureaucratic.
No foreign income tax
Residency card issued after arrival
Croatia gave me:
Legal EU presence
Time to think strategically & test the EU waters
Proof that I could navigate EU immigration on my own
1 yr residency and can leave anytime
To be honest, I wasn’t completely sold on Spain on my first visit. I felt like exploring more of the EU before I commit.
Im glad I did. I would not know Croatia and the Balkans the way I know now and appreciate its people.
So I was thinking, if I wanted a taste of EU without too much paperwork, taxes & bureaucracy, Croatia seems like a good amount of trial of the European life.. and so I did.
I am sharing this just in case you want to test the EU waters first just like me.
🇪🇸 Why I moved to Spain
After 8 months of exploring the Schengen and Balkan region, I was ready to commit to EU.
I wanted to finally get rooted..
..and if I am spending time anyway, I might as well pick a country that will benefit me long-term.
In this case, a citizenship.
For my circumstance, Spain was the top pick.
My reasons
Fast-track citizenship
2 years for Filipinos (vs 10 for most others)
System integration
Public healthcare, Legal protections, Long-term stability
EU market access
Once you’re integrated in Spain, Europe and its 28 countries opens up
+ the US is suddenly much closer, legally and strategically
Optionality
I wasn’t just securing residency
I was unlocking the entire European Union 🇪🇺
Nomad Life end of era
I want to do greater things, and that requires less movement.
And yes..
This was the fastest “upgrade” I could make without marrying anyone.
(not that I don’t want to marry at all)