EU Digital Nomad Visas Compared 2026: Income, Fees, and Processing Times

The comparison is only useful if it reflects the current route logic. These eight countries do not share one common "digital nomad visa" model. Some are straight remote-work permits, some are narrower business or program routes, and the income screens move on different legal formulas.

Comparison Table

Country	Current income screen	Processing note	Fee position	Route caveat
Croatia	EUR 3,622.50/month	15-30 days at consulates; often longer inside Croatia	Roughly EUR 123 in official fees, depending on channel	Up to 18 months initially; if the first grant was shorter, only a limited 6-month extension is possible
Italy	formula-based; app screen about EUR 2,066/month	About 90-120 days, depending on sub-route	EUR 116 visa fee plus permit-stage costs	High-qualification route, not a casual fallback permit
Malta	EUR 42,000/year gross (about EUR 3,500/month)	About 30 working days after receipt of funds	EUR 300 per applicant	Family is possible, but the official FAQ does not publish a simple dependent-income add-on
Portugal	EUR 3,680/month average over the previous 3 months	Mission-dependent, with AIMA friction after arrival	Varies by mission and AIMA stage	Accommodation and fiscal-residence evidence are major refusal points
Spain	EUR 2,442/month	Fast by EU standards, but filing door matters	Mission-dependent or UGE/TIE-stage fees	Employees must stay foreign-employer based; professionals must respect the 20% Spain-client cap
Romania	RON 27,816/month (about EUR 5,500/month)	Apply early; visa and permit are separate stages	Current eVisa portal baseline EUR 300 for portal-submitted long-stay applications validated on or after 27 April 2026	Proof is for the last 6 months and the visa period, and the route is not a broad freelancer permit
Estonia	EUR 4,500/month	Public guidance says review within 30 days	EUR 120 D-visa fee	Official wording differs on net versus gross, so applicants should check the competent mission
Czech Republic	CZK 69,248/month (about EUR 2,800/month)	About 45 days for DNP; much longer for Zivno/business cases	Varies by route and consulate	Not a one-size-fits-all visa; most cases need Digital Nomad Program versus Zivno triage first

Country Notes And Threshold Sources

Malta

The current Malta screen is EUR 42,000/year gross, roughly about EUR 3,500/month. Malta remains a permit for remote work outside Malta, not a local-employment route. (Residency Malta official FAQ)

Portugal

Portugal's live-app screen is EUR 3,680/month on average over the previous 3 months, based on the rule of 4 times the Portuguese minimum wage and the 2026 wage base of EUR 920/month. (AIMA remote-work route; Portugal 2026 minimum wage notice)

Spain

Spain's current main-applicant screen is EUR 2,442/month. The route still turns on the foreign-work structure and the 20% Spain-client limit for professional activity cases. (Spain ONE digital nomad procedure; Spanish government SMI notice)

Croatia

Croatia's current published screen is EUR 3,622.50/month, or EUR 43,470 for 12 months for a full year, with EUR 65,205 for 18 months for the maximum initial grant if you rely on available funds. The route is still temporary, but it is now better framed as an initial stay of up to 18 months with only a limited extension path when the original grant was shorter. (Croatian Ministry of the Interior)

Estonia

The live app uses EUR 4,500/month and a 6-month proof window. Public official wording still differs on net versus gross, so the competent mission should be checked before filing. (Estonia digital nomad visa guidance)

Czech Republic

For the Digital Nomad Program, the current app screen is CZK 69,248/month, roughly about EUR 2,800/month. Czechia should be marketed narrowly because many cases are really Zivno or business-route cases rather than a broad nomad-visa fit. (Czech Digital Nomad Program; MPSV wage notice)

Romania

Romania's current screen is RON 27,816/month, roughly about EUR 5,500/month, with proof for each of the last 6 months before filing and for the visa period. The MAE eVisa fee page currently lists EUR 300 for portal-submitted long-stay applications validated on or after 27 April 2026. Older EUR 120 references are historical for portal submissions before 27 April 2026. It is one of the highest bars in the set and it is not a broad freelancer-first route. (Romanian eVisa supporting documents; INSSE salary table; Romanian eVisa visa fees)

Bottom Line

The easiest countries to oversell are Czechia and Romania. Czechia is not a universal digital nomad visa, and Romania is not a low-income, generic freelancer permit. The easiest countries to underestimate are Portugal and Spain, because the numbers are lower than Romania's but the document logic is stricter than many public blogs admit.

If you are comparing route fit rather than just search-volume headlines, start with the live country pages and then open the country-specific FAQ or guide that matches the filing door you actually plan to use.