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Sharp rise in demand for homes in Barcelona by foreign remote workers

Sharp rise in demand for homes in Barcelona by foreign remote workers

Local Spain5 days ago
As well as smaller coastal areas, such as the Canaries and the Balearics, Barcelona has become central hub for foreign remote workers due to its big international community, resources and services. This trend is even more pronounced since the launch of the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) in 2023.
Saúl Cubilla, Marketing Director at Homeclub, told Idealista that remote workers from overseas are primarily concentrated in Barcelona, especially in well-connected neighbourhoods with a high quality of life, such as Eixample, Gràcia, and Sant Antoni.
'There is also a growing presence in coastal areas like Sitges and Castelldefels, which combine proximity to the city with a more relaxed environment, ideal for the remote lifestyle', he added.
According to a recent report called 'Living in rented accommodation: insecurity guaranteed by law', published by the Barcelona Urban Research Institute (IDRA), nine out of 10 rentals in Barcelona now have temporary contracts.
These are seasonal or short-term rentals, just under the amount of time to be classed as a permanent rental – typically between 32 days and 11 months.
The vast majority of foreign remote choose to rent, rather than buy, unsurprisingly because many may want to eventually move back to their home country or on to somewhere else. Or they need time to settle in first and see where they want to buy.
Most even prefer contracts of between three and eight months, which allows them to settle in with ease without having to commit to a long-term place.
This is very different from what locals prefer which is steady long term contracts for up to five years.
The needs are different too. While most long-term rentals come unfurnished, remote workers are after fully furnished properties which already have certain amenities installed already such as internet and utilities included.
In general, "they are looking for a unique experience that allows them to live and work remotely from day one, without worrying about a thing. Renting offers them the freedom to move around, discover new destinations, and adapt to job opportunities without restrictions,' explain Homeclub.
All this means of course that they're paying well over market value for the convenience of a short-term contract and added services.
According to data from the company, they've recorded a 42 percent increase in requests for remote work-related stays in Barcelona over the last two years.
"This trend reflects the city's position as one of Europe's leading technology hubs. Barcelona hosts key events such as the Mobile World Congress, the most important global congress in the sector, and has consolidated its appeal as a home to numerous technology startups, including subsidiaries of Silicon Valley companies' they explain.
Despite the rise in popularity of these types of rentals, it is causing much anger among locals who say that they are taking properties away from the general rental market and leave fewer properties for them.
Spain is currently suffering from a big housing crisis and Barcelona is one of the worst affected areas, where many can't afford rent and there is a severe lack of available housing.
In order to put more permanent homes back on the market, in late 2024 the Spanish government gave the green light to a law to regulate temporary and room rentals. This meant modifying the law to force landlords and tenants to justify the need for temporary rentals.
This means that now remote workers are having to prove why they want a short-term rental, with documents such as temporary work or study contracts. This doesn't always work out, however, because simply having the DNV doesn't typically qualify as a good enough reason, and so many are finding it increasingly difficult to be able to find places to rent.
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Sharp rise in demand for homes in Barcelona by foreign remote workers
Sharp rise in demand for homes in Barcelona by foreign remote workers

Local Spain

time5 days ago

  • Local Spain

Sharp rise in demand for homes in Barcelona by foreign remote workers

As well as smaller coastal areas, such as the Canaries and the Balearics, Barcelona has become central hub for foreign remote workers due to its big international community, resources and services. This trend is even more pronounced since the launch of the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) in 2023. Saúl Cubilla, Marketing Director at Homeclub, told Idealista that remote workers from overseas are primarily concentrated in Barcelona, especially in well-connected neighbourhoods with a high quality of life, such as Eixample, Gràcia, and Sant Antoni. 'There is also a growing presence in coastal areas like Sitges and Castelldefels, which combine proximity to the city with a more relaxed environment, ideal for the remote lifestyle', he added. According to a recent report called 'Living in rented accommodation: insecurity guaranteed by law', published by the Barcelona Urban Research Institute (IDRA), nine out of 10 rentals in Barcelona now have temporary contracts. These are seasonal or short-term rentals, just under the amount of time to be classed as a permanent rental – typically between 32 days and 11 months. The vast majority of foreign remote choose to rent, rather than buy, unsurprisingly because many may want to eventually move back to their home country or on to somewhere else. Or they need time to settle in first and see where they want to buy. Most even prefer contracts of between three and eight months, which allows them to settle in with ease without having to commit to a long-term place. This is very different from what locals prefer which is steady long term contracts for up to five years. The needs are different too. While most long-term rentals come unfurnished, remote workers are after fully furnished properties which already have certain amenities installed already such as internet and utilities included. In general, "they are looking for a unique experience that allows them to live and work remotely from day one, without worrying about a thing. Renting offers them the freedom to move around, discover new destinations, and adapt to job opportunities without restrictions,' explain Homeclub. All this means of course that they're paying well over market value for the convenience of a short-term contract and added services. According to data from the company, they've recorded a 42 percent increase in requests for remote work-related stays in Barcelona over the last two years. "This trend reflects the city's position as one of Europe's leading technology hubs. Barcelona hosts key events such as the Mobile World Congress, the most important global congress in the sector, and has consolidated its appeal as a home to numerous technology startups, including subsidiaries of Silicon Valley companies' they explain. Despite the rise in popularity of these types of rentals, it is causing much anger among locals who say that they are taking properties away from the general rental market and leave fewer properties for them. Spain is currently suffering from a big housing crisis and Barcelona is one of the worst affected areas, where many can't afford rent and there is a severe lack of available housing. In order to put more permanent homes back on the market, in late 2024 the Spanish government gave the green light to a law to regulate temporary and room rentals. This meant modifying the law to force landlords and tenants to justify the need for temporary rentals. This means that now remote workers are having to prove why they want a short-term rental, with documents such as temporary work or study contracts. This doesn't always work out, however, because simply having the DNV doesn't typically qualify as a good enough reason, and so many are finding it increasingly difficult to be able to find places to rent.

Is the Student Visa still the easiest visa to get for Spain?
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There are several ways to get residency in Spain as a non-EU national. One is via the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) if you have a remote job or are self-employed and earn over a certain threshold, while another is the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV), where you aren't allowed to work but must prove you have enough in savings and passive income. The third most popular option is the Student Visa, which has often been said to be easiest visa to gain residency in Spain. With the recent changes to the Student Visa which came into force in May 2025, however, is this still the easiest visa to get? Firstly, there is no simple answer to this question. It entirely depends on what type of course you plan on taking. The rules are now very different if you want to take say a language course or if you want to take a higher education course. Previously, you could sign up to a language course and then exchange your visa later on to a different one whilst you were still living here, but now you can only stay a maximum of two years. This could be an excellent option if that's all you want to stay for. As long as you're accepted onto the course and can afford it, getting the visa should be relatively easy for this type of course. Year-long language courses in Spain can range anywhere from €3,000 to €7,000 depending on what it includes and where it's located. This is significantly cheaper than the €2,762 per month needed for the Digital Nomad Visa, as well as a lot less paperwork. It's also a lot less than the €28,800 per year needed for the Non-lucrative visa and less hassle than proving where all your passive income comes from. One point to keep in mind is that at end of your first year, you can only renew your Student Visa for a second year if you pass a language proficiency test first. So, you'll have to make sure you've actually been studying. It's no longer just a way to get residency. This is still a great and easy option if you only want to stay for two years, but if you want to stay longer, then you'll have to sign up to a higher education course. It could mean a significant amount of study time, not to mention quite a bit more in fees. According to Study in Spain, for a Bachelor's Degree at a private university in Spain, you can expect to pay from €2,400 to €30,000. Keep in mind that public universities are generally cheaper but it's likely the course will be taught in Spanish or other local languages such as Catalan in Catalonia. If you go to a public university, Master's courses can start anywhere from €800 for the year, but if you go a private university, it can range from €7,000 upwards. This could work out cheaper than the DNV or the NLV, but it could work out more expensive too, depending on what type of course you do and where you study. Doing a Bachelor's or a Master's is also a big commitment, so you have to be prepared for it, it's not just simply an easy way to get to live in Spain either. For some courses you may also need to prove previous experience or qualifications. This could be tricky depending on what country you're from and if Spain recognises your previous qualifications. Going through the recognition process to get them recognised here can be very difficult and time consuming. If you don't have to prove previous qualifications it will be a lot easier for you. One thing to keep in mind is that if you eventually want to move back to your home country or another country, you'll have to make sure that your qualification from the Spanish university is valid and you can use it elsewhere. If you are applying for the long-term Student Visa for a course that lasts more than six months, you will also need to provide proof of financial resources to support yourself and have private medical insurance. Both of these can again make the Student Visa slightly more complicated. According to Studying in Spain, it can take between 1-3 months to apply for the Student Visa, which is similar to the length of time needed for the DNV or NLV. Another point to be aware of is that you can only apply for a Student Visa outside of Spain. This is similar to the NLV, however for the DNV you can apply for it once you're already in Spain. This makes the DNV slightly easier in that respect. All in all, the Student Visa is still one of the easiest visas to get to live in Spain provided you're accepted onto a course and can pay for it, it's just a lot harder to apply for than it was before.

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