Spain is less one destination than a handful of very different bases. Valencia and Málaga give you Mediterranean city life with beaches a tram ride away, while Las Palmas on Gran Canaria offers spring weather almost all year. Fibre is fast and cheap, high-speed trains link the big cities, and daily life runs on a late rhythm: lunch at two, dinner after nine. The telework visa makes long stays straightforward for non-EU remote workers, but rents in the popular coastal cities have climbed sharply, so budget for housing first.

• The international telework visa gives non-EU remote workers up to three years, renewable

• Fibre to the home is the norm, and mobile data is cheap and fast

• Valencia, Málaga and Las Palmas offer very different climates and paces of life

Rent is the line that decides your budget: a furnished one-bedroom in the popular coastal cities now costs far more than groceries, transport and eating out combined. The menú del día, a three-course lunch for a modest fixed price, keeps food costs reasonable. Prices assume one adult and a monthly lease.

Spain has some of the best fibre coverage in Europe, typically 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps for a few dozen euros a month. Movistar, Vodafone, Orange and Digi all sell prepaid SIMs, and eSIMs are widely supported. Older buildings can have weak Wi-Fi in back rooms, so ask for a speed test from the actual desk.

Expats and remote workers are spread across the coastal cities, with English widely used in coworking spaces but much less in shops and administration. Learning some Spanish changes the experience completely.

Spain is safe for daily life, and violent crime against visitors is rare. The main risk is petty theft in crowded tourist areas, so keep phones off café tables. Summer heatwaves are the other thing to plan for.

High-speed AVE trains connect Madrid, Valencia, Málaga and Barcelona in a few hours, and low-cost flights reach the Canary Islands. City centres are walkable with good buses, metro or trams; outside them, a car becomes useful.

Varies by region

The Mediterranean coast has hot summers and mild winters; Las Palmas stays between roughly 18 and 26°C all year. Inland cities are much colder in winter and hotter in summer, and August heatwaves are increasingly common everywhere.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens move freely. Around 60 visa-exempt nationalities get 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area, recorded by the Entry/Exit System. Longer remote-work stays use the international telework visa (about EUR 2,849 a month in 2026); people living on savings use the non-lucrative visa.

• Furnished rents in Málaga, Valencia and Las Palmas have risen fast, and short lets face growing local restrictions

• Geography and destination overviewWikipedia2026-10-07
• National destination informationNational tourism board2026-10-07

Last reviewed 2026-10-07