Can Lawyers, Psychologists, and Other Regulated Professions Get the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa?

You have a prestigious degree, years of experience, a high remote salary, and a dream of living in Spain. On paper, you are the perfect candidate for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa (DNV).

But if you work in a "regulated profession"—like medicine, law, architecture, engineering, or psychology—you have likely hit a massive roadblock.

You keep hearing about homologación (the nightmare process of getting your foreign degree officially recognized in Spain). Does a remote psychiatrist for a US telehealth company really need to spend three years getting their degree validated by Spanish universities just to work from a laptop in Valencia?

The answer is a frustrating paradox. The law says one thing, the instructions say another, and the documents you are required to submit seem to contradict each other entirely.

The Contradiction: The Law vs. The Instructions

If you read the actual text of the law that governs the Digital Nomad Visa (Law 14/2013), you will breathe a sigh of relief. There is no specific requirement in the law for degree homologation. Article 71 is intentionally broad, leaving specific requirements to administrative "instructions."

It looks easy. But then you encounter those instructions.

The Unit for Large Companies (UGE-CE) operates under technical criteria that state if your job title falls under a regulated profession, you must provide one of two things:

1. Homologation of your degree (which is often impossible for non-EU degrees without years of exams).
2. OR a Sworn Declaration (Declaración responsable ante notario) stating that you will not exercise the profession in Spain.

The Trap: The Employer Letter

Here is where the situation becomes a legal minefield.

To get the DNV, you are also required to submit a letter or contract from your employer. This document must explicitly detail the functions and tasks you will be performing remotely while living in Spain.

Do you see the trap?

• Document A (Employer Letter): Must prove you are highly qualified. It states: "Jane is a Senior Clinical Psychologist who treats patients daily."
• Document B (Sworn Declaration): To avoid the impossible homologation process, the Spanish government asks you to sign a legal document swearing: "I will not exercise the profession of Psychology in Spain."

If your employer says you are working as a doctor, but you swear to the government you are not exercising the profession of a doctor, the discrepancy is obvious. 

Walking the Legal Tightrope

So, how do you prove to the government that you are working enough to qualify for the visa, while simultaneously swearing you aren't "exercising the profession" to satisfy the regulators?

The "solution" is a legal gray area that involves very specific phrasing. The declaration and the employer letter must be drafted in a way that harmonizes these two opposing realities. 

Don't Guess with Your Future

At Move To Spain Guide, we specialize in the Digital Nomad Visa for regulated professionals. We know exactly how to structure your employer letter and draft your sworn declaration so that they satisfy both the immigration requirements and the professional regulation boards.

Don't risk a rejection by trying to solve this paradox alone. Contact us today to ensure your application is legally sound and ready for approval.