Since the Government announced at the end of January 2026 an extraordinary regularisation process for foreign nationals in Spain who are in an irregular situation, enquiries have continued to come in. The measure has raised many hopes, but also many doubts, and the most urgent question in almost every case is the same: when does it begin, who can apply, and what can you do to make sure you are not left out?
Greetings, readers. Today we would like to address the many enquiries we have received this year regarding how to obtain an NIE for an internship in Spain. We believe this will help you clearly understand the key points involved. In addition, we would like to remind you that, when your stay exceeds certain time thresholds, what must then be applied for is the foreigner identity card, which proves your legal status in Spain.
Many people have written to us because they want to know how to obtain an NIE in Spain through investment or entrepreneurship, and we have noticed that behind this query there is a broader and more important question. Beyond obtaining a number, the real issue is choosing the right application route from the very beginning. This is where things need to be put in order, because not every investment opens the same doors, nor is every business treated in the same way in legal terms.
At present, the expression “mass regularisation” is being widely used online as a media label. However, in official terms, what has been communicated by the Government is the start of the urgent processing of an extraordinary regularisation process by Royal Decree. As of today, the prudent approach is to treat this as a procedure still in the course of approval and development, rather than as a regularisation already rolled out with fixed requirements.
Choosing a city to work remotely from in Spain rarely comes down to finding some supposedly best universal option. What tends to be decisive is matching your lifestyle to a specific combination of genuine connectivity, available housing, everyday services, mobility, a professional community and an affordable overall cost, not just the rent.
Choosing a city to work remotely from in Spain rarely comes down to finding some supposedly best universal option. What tends to be decisive is matching your lifestyle to a specific combination of genuine connectivity, available housing, everyday services, mobility, a professional community and an affordable overall cost, not just the rent.
Choosing a country for remote work is about more than good weather and affordable rent. In 2026, with markets more sensitive to change and tighter mobility checks, the decision often comes down to overall practical stability: strong digital infrastructure, easy access to essential services, international connectivity, safety, and a regulatory framework that lets you live and work remotely without improvisation.
If you have chosen Spain as your place of study, it is common that, alongside your education, you are also building a life project in which professional continuity plays a role—whether because you wish to consolidate your career or because you are looking to settle after a period of adaptation.
Deciding to retire in Spain is often accompanied by reasonable expectations regarding quality of life and stability. However, for that project to be genuinely stress-free, it is advisable to have the legal and documentary framework properly resolved from the outset. When you plan ahead, you avoid potential delays, requests for further information and rushed decisions which, when they arise later, are difficult to remedy.
If you are citizens of the United States and want to live in Spain while working remotely, the biggest hurdle is usually Social Security. Many applications are prepared with only the standard immigration criteria in mind but, as the administration does not work on assumptions—only on documents that genuinely prove what they claim—if the certificate does not match your circumstances, the file can become rather cumbersome.