EU Visa Income Requirements in 2026: Spain, Portugal and France, by the Formula
The income you must show for a founder or digital-nomad visa is not one number, it is a formula tied to a moving index: Spain's DNV to 200% of the SMI (€2,849/month), Spain's Startup means test to IPREM (€600/month), Portugal's D8 to 4× the minimum wage (€3,680/month), France's Talent route to the annual gross SMIC (€22,404.20). This reference gives every 2026 figure, the formula behind it, and the exact per-dependent add-on for each program, so it stays right when the indexes move.
The income you must show for a European founder or nomad visa in 2026 is never a fixed number, it is a formula tied to a national index that moves at least once a year. Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa is 200% of the SMI (the minimum wage), which is €2,849/month in 2026. Spain’s Startup visa runs a separate IPREM-based means test of €600/month. Portugal’s D8 nomad visa is 4× the minimum wage, €3,680/month, plus a savings buffer. France’s Talent founder route asks you to show the full annual gross SMIC, €22,404.20, as available funds. Because every one of these is indexed, a figure copied from a 2024 blog is almost always wrong by now, and the errors compound when a site quotes the right number against the wrong program. This reference gives you each 2026 amount, the formula behind it so the number stays checkable when the index moves, and the exact per-dependent add-on for every program. It is general information, not legal or tax advice; confirm your own figures with a qualified adviser before you file.
Three different things people call “the income requirement”
Before any number, fix the vocabulary, because most filing mistakes start here. There are three distinct tests, and a single visa can use more than one:
- A monthly income requirement. Recurring earnings you must document, typically from an employer contract or freelance clients. This is what the nomad visas test: Spain DNV, Portugal D8. It answers “can you keep paying your way without a local job?”
- A means test or proof of funds. A lump sum of savings you must show is available in your account. This is what the entrepreneur and founder routes test: Spain Startup, Portugal D2, France Talent. You keep the money, but it must sit there during the application.
- A salary threshold. A gross wage a job must pay to qualify, used by employment routes: Portugal D3, the EU Blue Card, France’s mandataire social card.
Conflating these is the number-one source of bad advice online. “Spain needs €2,849/month” is true for the DNV and false for the Startup visa. “Portugal needs €11,040” is a savings figure, not a monthly income. Keep the three columns separate and the whole map gets clear.
The 2026 numbers at a glance
Every figure below is per main applicant, verified to July 2026, with the formula that generates it. The formula is the point: when the SMIC, SMI, IAS or minimum wage revalues, you can recompute rather than trust a stale euro amount.
| Program | Test type | 2026 figure (main applicant) | Formula / index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain DNV | Monthly income | €2,849/month | 200% of SMI (€17,094/year 2026) |
| Spain Startup | Means test (savings) | €600/month, ~€7,200/year | 100% of IPREM |
| Portugal D8 (nomad) | Monthly income + savings | €3,680/month + ~€11,040 saved | 4× minimum wage; savings = 12× minimum wage |
| Portugal D7 (passive) | Monthly income | €920/month | 100% of minimum wage |
| Portugal D2 (entrepreneur) | Means test (savings) | ~€11,040 saved + business investment | 12× minimum wage; investment set by plan |
| Portugal D3 (highly qualified) | Salary threshold | €1,611.39/month floor; ~€1,900–2,300 in practice | lower of 1.5× average salary or 3× IAS |
| France Talent (porteur de projet) | Means test (savings) | €22,404.20 shown | 1× annual gross SMIC |
| France mandataire social | Salary threshold | €67,212.60/year | 3× annual gross SMIC |
Two things jump out. First, the lightest legal minimum is Spain’s Startup means test, because an entrepreneur route tests viability, not salary. Second, the nomad routes (Spain DNV, Portugal D8) are the heaviest monthly figures, by design: they exist to prove you can live in the country without taking local work.
Spain: two visas, two different indexes, one constant mix-up
Spain is where the money numbers get mixed up most often, because its two main founder-adjacent routes use two different indexes.
The Digital Nomad Visa is indexed to the SMI (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional, the statutory minimum wage). The threshold is 200% of the SMI. For 2026 the SMI is €17,094/year (100%), so 200% is €34,188/year, which works out to €2,849/month for the main applicant. Family members add a percentage of the SMI: +75% (€1,068/month) for the first family member and +25% (€356/month) for each additional one. So a couple needs €2,849 + €1,068 = €3,917/month, and a couple with one child needs €4,273/month.
The Startup visa is indexed to IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples), a lower public income indicator used for means tests. The legal minimum is €600/month (100% IPREM, about €7,200/year) for the main applicant, plus €300/month (50% IPREM) per family member. This is a very different, and much lower, number than the DNV, because the Startup route is an entrepreneur means test, not a salary-replacement income test.
Here is the mistake to avoid: many pages, and several AI answers, state the Startup visa needs “200% SMI” or “€34,200.” That figure belongs to the Digital Nomad Visa. The Startup visa’s own legal test is IPREM-based and far lower on paper. In practice, Relovisa recommends showing a buffer of about €30,000+ for a Startup file, not because the law demands it, but because a credible application and a year of runway in Spain call for it. State the legal floor and the practical buffer as two separate things, never present the buffer as the requirement. We walk through how the two Spanish routes and the autónomo option compare in Spain Startup vs DNV vs autónomo, and the DNV income evidence specifically in Spain DNV income proof.
Portugal: everything tracks the minimum wage, except the salary route
Portugal is the cleanest to reason about, because three of its four routes are pinned to the national minimum wage (SMN), which is €920/month in 2026.
- D8, the digital nomad visa, wants monthly income of 4× the minimum wage, €3,680/month, plus a savings buffer of 12× the minimum wage, about €11,040. Family reunification adds +50% of the minimum wage (€460/month) for a spouse and +30% (€276/month) per child on the income side, and the savings buffer scales up per family member too; AIMA does not publish a fixed add-on percentage for it, so confirm the exact figure with your caseworker before filing. Full breakdown in Portugal D3 vs D8 for freelancers.
- D7, the passive-income route, is the lightest Portuguese option: €920/month, 100% of the minimum wage, intended for pensions, rental income or dividends rather than active work. Same family uplift structure as the D8.
- D2, the entrepreneur visa, has no legally set business-investment minimum, but you must show the same ~€11,040 savings buffer plus a real investment into the business (practice favours €50,000+ for a credible file). The number the consulate scrutinises is the business plan, not a salary. See Portugal D2 as a rescue lane for who this route actually fits.
- D3, the highly-qualified route, is the one salary threshold in the set. The legal floor is the lower of 1.5× the national average gross salary or 3× the IAS. The IAS (Indexante dos Apoios Sociais) is €537.13/month in 2026, so 3× IAS is €1,611.39/month. In practice AIMA files clear more easily at €1,900 to €2,300/month, and €2,500 to €3,000 for managerial (ISCO group 1) roles. Shortage occupations get a reduced 2× IAS floor of €1,074.26/month.
One naming trap worth flagging: Portugal’s index is the SMN (Salário Mínimo Nacional), not the “SMI.” SMI is the Spanish index. Sites that call Portugal’s minimum wage “SMI” are borrowing the wrong country’s acronym.
France: no nomad visa, a founder route pinned to the SMIC
France has no dedicated digital nomad visa. The route founders use is Talent, porteur de projet (projet économique innovant), the card widely marketed as the French Tech Visa, under CESEDA L.421-16. Its resources test is a lump sum, not a monthly wage: you show at least 1× the annual gross SMIC, €22,404.20, as available funds. The SMIC revalued on 1 June 2026 to €1,867.02/month, and the €22,404.20 annual figure is what the founder route uses. Per accompanying family member, add €12,000 to €15,000 in shown funds.
Two other French thresholds are salary-based and often confused with the founder route:
- Talent, mandataire social (company director, CESEDA L.421-19) requires a gross salary of 3× the annual gross SMIC, €67,212.60/year. This is the one Talent threshold still indexed to the SMIC; recompute it at every SMIC revaluation.
- The EU Blue Card in France requires roughly €59,373/year (1.5× a reference salary set by arrêté). This is an employee route, not a founder one.
The €30,000 “investment” figure you may have seen for France applies to the plain création d’entreprise route without innovation recognition, not to the innovative-project founder track. We cover why the SMIC moved but most Talent thresholds did not in the 2026 SMIC and Talent threshold explainer, and the founder route itself in the French Tech Visa for Founders guide.
Not sure which figure applies to your profile, or whether you meet a means test versus an income test? Tell us your situation and we will map your exact numbers, including the family add-ons: start with Spain Startup, Portugal D2 or France Talent.
Dependents: the add-on is a formula too
The number that surprises families most is not the main-applicant figure, it is how fast it grows. Each program adds a percentage of its own index per family member, so the increment is different in every country. Here is the 2026 add-on, per program:
| Program | First family member | Each additional / per child |
|---|---|---|
| Spain DNV | +75% SMI = €1,068/month | +25% SMI = €356/month |
| Spain Startup | +50% IPREM = €300/month | +50% IPREM = €300/month |
| Portugal D8 / D7 | +50% min wage = €460/month (spouse) | +30% min wage = €276/month (child) |
| Portugal D2 (savings) | scales per adult dependent | scales per child |
| France Talent | +€12,000 to €15,000 shown | +€12,000 to €15,000 shown |
A worked example makes the spread real. A couple with one child needs to show, per month or as savings:
- Spain DNV: €2,849 + €1,068 + €356 = €4,273/month.
- Spain Startup: €600 + €300 + €300 = €1,200/month legal minimum (with the ~€30,000+ practical buffer on top).
- Portugal D8: €3,680 + €460 + €276 = €4,416/month, plus the scaled savings buffer.
- France Talent: €22,404.20 + roughly €24,000 to €30,000 for two dependents = about €46,000 to €52,000 in shown funds.
The point of writing these as formulas rather than fixed euros: when the SMI, IPREM, minimum wage or SMIC revalues, the whole table moves, but the multipliers (200%, 100% IPREM, 4×, 75%/25%) do not. Recompute against the current index and you are current.
How to read your own number
Three rules keep you out of trouble with any of these programs in 2026:
- Identify the test type first. Is it monthly income, a savings means test, or a salary? That determines what document proves it (payslips and contracts versus bank statements versus an employment offer).
- Find the index, not the euro. Anchor to “200% SMI” or “4× minimum wage,” then plug in the current-year value. A number without its formula ages badly.
- Separate the legal floor from the practical buffer. Spain’s Startup floor is €600/month, but a real file shows far more. Portugal’s D2 has no legal investment minimum, but a thin plan gets refused. The law tells you what is allowed; experience tells you what gets approved.
If your income comes from a non-Western or sanctioned-banking employer, or you are self-funding from a foreign company, the evidence question gets harder than the threshold itself; we cover that in paying yourself from a foreign company as an EU resident. And if you are weighing the total cost rather than just the income to show, the full EU founder visa cost comparison sums the fees, apostille and insurance that sit alongside these figures.
Get your exact numbers, with the add-ons
We file France Talent, Spain Startup and DNV, and Portugal D2/D3/D8, so we can tell you precisely which test applies to your profile, what the 2026 figure is, and how much it grows for your family, before you commit to a route. No headline number, the real means test for your situation.
Want your income and means-test numbers mapped for your exact family and target country? Tell us your profile: France Talent · Spain Startup · Spain DNV · Portugal D3 + payroll · Portugal D2.
FAQ
What income do you need for a digital nomad visa in Spain, Portugal or France in 2026? Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa requires €2,849/month (200% of the 2026 SMI). Portugal’s D8 requires €3,680/month (4× the €920 minimum wage) plus about €11,040 in savings. France has no dedicated nomad visa; its founder route, Talent porteur de projet, asks you to show the annual gross SMIC of €22,404.20 as available funds rather than monthly income.
How much money do you need for the Spain Startup visa in 2026? The Startup visa means test is IPREM-based, not SMI-based. The legal minimum is €600/month (100% IPREM, about €7,200/year) for the main applicant, plus €300/month (50% IPREM) per family member. Relovisa recommends a practical buffer of about €30,000+. The €34,188/200% SMI figure some sites quote belongs to the Digital Nomad Visa, a separate program.
How much extra income do you need per family member? It is a percentage add-on. Spain DNV: +75% SMI (€1,068/month) for the first family member, +25% (€356/month) each additional. Spain Startup: +50% IPREM (€300/month) per member. Portugal D8/D7: +50% of the minimum wage (€460/month) for a spouse, +30% (€276/month) per child. France Talent: an extra €12,000 to €15,000 shown per accompanying family member.
Is proof of funds the same as an income requirement? No. An income requirement (Spain DNV, Portugal D8) is recurring monthly earnings you document. A means test or proof of funds (Spain Startup, Portugal D2, France Talent) is a savings lump sum you must show is available; you keep it, but it must sit in your account during the application. Some programs, like the D8, ask for both.
Which EU visa has the lowest income requirement in 2026? On the legal minimum, Spain’s Startup visa is lightest at €600/month (100% IPREM), because it is an entrepreneur means test, not a salary threshold. Portugal’s D7 is next at €920/month. The nomad routes are heavier by design: Spain DNV €2,849/month, Portugal D8 €3,680/month. France’s founder route asks for the highest single lump sum, €22,404.20.
Sources
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) / Ministerio de Trabajo, SMI 2026: annual €17,094 (100%), the base for the Digital Nomad Visa’s 200% threshold (€34,188/year, €2,849/month), verified July 2026
- UGE-CE / Ley 28/2022 (Startup Act) and Ley 14/2013, Spain Startup visa means test indexed to IPREM: 100% IPREM (€600/month) main applicant, 50% IPREM (€300/month) per family member, verified July 2026
- Spain Digital Nomad Visa family add-ons: +75% SMI (€1,068/month) first family member, +25% SMI (€356/month) each additional, cross-checked against multiple 2026 program trackers (nimextranjeria.com, immigrantinvest.com), verified July 2026
- Vistos / AIMA (Portugal), D8 income 4× minimum wage (€3,680/month) plus 12× minimum wage savings (€11,040); family uplift +50% minimum wage (€460) spouse, +30% (€276) per child, 2026 minimum wage €920/month, verified July 2026
- Portaria n.º 480-A/2025/1, IAS 2026 €537.13/month; D3 legal floor lower of 1.5× average salary or 3× IAS (€1,611.39/month), reduced 2× IAS (€1,074.26) for shortage occupations, verified July 2026
- Arrêté du 22 mai 2026 relatif au SMIC, annual gross SMIC €22,404.20 (monthly €1,867.02) from 1 June 2026; France Talent porteur de projet resources test = 1× annual gross SMIC; mandataire social = 3× (€67,212.60/year), verified July 2026
- service-public.gouv.fr, France Talent porteur de projet resources and per-family-member funds (€12,000–€15,000 each); EU Blue Card France reference salary, verified July 2026
- Relovisa, internal route guides and canonical facts registry for income thresholds across France Talent, Spain Startup/DNV, Portugal D2/D3/D7/D8, relovisa.co, verified July 2026
