Beckham Law Alicante: flat 24% income tax for digital nomads and remote workers on the Costa Blanca

Beckham Law in Alicante: the expatriate tax regime for the Costa Blanca’s international community

Alicante and the Costa Blanca are home to one of Spain’s most established and rapidly growing international communities. A combination of factors — Alicante-Elche International Airport (direct routes across Europe and to the UK), Mediterranean climate, affordable housing relative to other Spanish coastal cities, and a long history of northern European residents — has made the province a natural destination for remote workers, digital nomads and international freelancers who want to live in Spain without sacrificing professional income.

Spain’s Beckham Law — the special expatriate tax regime under Article 93 of IRPF Law 35/2006, as reformed by the 2023 Startup Act — allows these professionals to pay income tax at a flat 24% rate on Spanish-source income for up to five years, instead of the progressive IRPF scale that can reach 47% in the Comunitat Valenciana.

At BMC, we provide the full Beckham Law service for Alicante and the Costa Blanca entirely remotely, adapted to the lifestyle and mobility requirements of digital nomads and remote professionals.

Who qualifies for the Beckham Law in Alicante?

• Remote workers: Employees who maintain their employment with a foreign company and transfer their residence to Alicante or the Costa Blanca — by far the most common profile in the province.
• Digital nomads and international freelancers: Self-employed professionals who provide services principally to non-Spanish clients, including those who have obtained the Spanish digital nomad visa.
• Transferred employees: Professionals hired by a Spanish company or seconded from a foreign group company to Spain.
• Entrepreneurs: Founders of innovative companies establishing themselves in Spain.
• Company directors: Persons holding director roles in a Spanish company without controlling shareholdings.

The six-month window: the most common mistake on the Costa Blanca

The application for the special expatriate regime must be filed within six months of Social Security registration or AEAT census registration. There is no extension and no second opportunity.

In Alicante, the most frequent mistake we encounter is remote workers and digital nomads who successfully complete their Spanish residency paperwork — empadronamiento, Social Security registration, NIE — but treat tax planning as a secondary concern to address “at some point”. When they finally consult a tax advisor, the six-month window has closed and the regime is permanently unavailable for that period of residency.

If you have recently registered with the Spanish Social Security and are not yet certain whether you have applied for the Beckham Law, contact BMC immediately to assess whether the window is still open.

The Spanish digital nomad visa and the Beckham Law: designed to work together

The Spanish digital nomad visa (visa para nómadas digitales), introduced by the 2023 Startup Act, is a legal residence permit for professionals who work remotely for non-Spanish companies or clients. It is specifically designed for the profile that also qualifies for the Beckham Law’s remote worker pathway.

The 2023 Startup Act explicitly extended eligibility for the special expatriate regime to remote workers — creating a deliberate alignment between the digital nomad visa and the Beckham Law tax regime. If you are a digital nomad who has obtained or is applying for the digital nomad visa, the Beckham Law application is the natural and time-sensitive next step in your Spanish tax compliance journey.

Wealth tax in the Comunitat Valenciana under the Beckham Law

The Comunitat Valenciana applies a progressive wealth tax scale from 0.25% to 3.5%, with no full 100% regional exemption — unlike Madrid and Andalusia. Under the Beckham Law, you only pay wealth tax on assets located in Spain (not worldwide assets).

For digital nomads and remote workers who arrive in Alicante without significant Spanish-based assets — no Spanish property, no Spanish investment accounts — the practical wealth tax exposure is minimal in the early years of residence. The difference between Alicante and Málaga in wealth tax treatment becomes relevant primarily for those planning to purchase Spanish real estate or hold significant Spanish investments.

The Solidarity Tax on Large Fortunes (ITSGF) may apply if Spanish net assets exceed €3 million. BMC analyses this exposure before the Beckham period begins.

Foreign-source income under the Beckham Law in Alicante

Under the special expatriate regime, the taxpayer pays Spanish income tax only on Spanish-source income. For remote workers and digital nomads with all or most of their income from non-Spanish employers or clients, this means:

• Salary from a foreign employer: Income from a foreign employer for activity performed in Spain may be considered Spanish-source income — but where the activity is genuinely international, elements may be foreign-source. BMC analyses the specific situation.
• Freelance fees from foreign clients: Where the activity is demonstrably performed for non-Spanish clients and the service has its economic substance outside Spain, these may be treated as foreign-source income not taxable in Spain under the Beckham Law.
• Investment income from foreign accounts: Dividends and interest from foreign accounts are generally foreign-source and not subject to Spanish income tax under the Beckham Law.

How much does a remote worker in Alicante save with the Beckham Law?

For a senior developer or consultant with an annual income of €80,000 working remotely for a foreign employer from Alicante:

• Under standard IRPF (ordinary resident in the Comunitat Valenciana): the tax burden is approximately €24,000–€27,000 (effective rate of 30–34%).
• Under the Beckham Law: the flat 24% rate gives a tax burden of €19,200.

The annual saving is approximately €5,000–€8,000, accumulating more than €25,000–€40,000 over the five years of the regime.

Use our Beckham Law calculator to estimate the saving for your specific income profile. For advisory fees, see how much does applying for the Beckham Law cost.

To understand the regime from the start, see what is the Beckham Law? or the complete 2026 guide.

If you are also evaluating Valencia as an alternative within the Comunitat Valenciana, see our Beckham Law in Valencia page.

Fully remote service in Spanish, English and Dutch

BMC provides the Beckham Law service for Alicante and the Costa Blanca entirely remotely. Initial consultation by video call, all documentation submitted digitally, modelo 149 filed electronically with the AEAT. No need to visit any office at any point in the process.

The service is available in Spanish, English, and Dutch to serve the main language communities of the Costa Blanca expat community.

BMC has a representation in Alicante. See our Alicante representation for local support.