BRITISH and American digital nomads are flocking to Spain, new data has shown, in what industry experts have dubbed the ‘Barca-loner effect.’
Spain issued more than 7,800 digital nomad visas in 2025 alone, according to employment services company Agility EOR, with applications from Britons, Americans, and Argentinians showing ‘strong demand.’
The ‘Barca-loner effect,’ a term coined by Agility itself, has seen Spain cement its position as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for remote professionals, the company said.
“This reflects a world where professionals choose where they live independently of where their employer is based,” said Scott Winter, Chief HR Officer at Agility EOR.
He added: “Spain appears increasingly well positioned to benefit from a new generation of professionals seeking greater lifestyle flexibility without changing employers.”
Under Spain’s digital nomad visa scheme, introduced in 2022, applicants must meet a minimum income threshold of roughly 200% of Spain’s minimum wage – around €2,800-€3,000 per month, depending on family circumstances.
Applications can be submitted either from abroad, initially for around one year, or from within Spain (for a residence permit of up to three years).
Renewals allow stays of up to five years.
Industry estimates suggest that more than 28,000 approvals have been granted since the programme launched, with applications this year reportedly running at around three times 2025 levels, Agility has said.
Citing Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), the company added that around one in five employees now works remotely on a regular basis.
At the same time, more than a third of businesses with 10 or more employees offer some form of remote working arrangement.
Among large employers, nearly eight in ten provide remote-work options, with remote employees averaging 2.4 days of home working each week.
Unlike traditional expat assignments, the ‘Barca-loner effect’ describes workers relocating without corporate relocation packages, internal transfers, or local employment contracts, according to Agility.
These workers are instead opting for remote-first arrangements that allow them to live in Spain while remaining employed by organisations elsewhere, the company found.
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