Startup Visa (Entrepreneur Residence)
This route is for foreign founders who want to start, run or lead an innovative business in Spain. You apply for a residence authorisation for entrepreneurial activity under articles 69 and 70 of Law 14/2013, as amended by the Startup Law (Law 28/2022). There is no minimum investment and no minimum job creation. The project is judged by ENISA.
Key facts
- Requirements
- See the requirements table below.
- Processing time and validity
- The authorisation lasts 3 years and renews for 2 years. The UGE must resolve within 20 days of an electronic filing, and silence means approval.
- Where it is filed
- In Spain, online at the UGE. From abroad, one single application starts the authorisation and the visa procedure, one after the other.
- Work
- The permit is for the entrepreneurial activity you applied for.
- Path to permanent residence or citizenship
- Permanent residence is possible after 5 years.
- Can you bring family?
- Yes. The spouse and children under 18 (or adult children who cannot provide for themselves) can apply together or later.
- Our price
- Individual price, confirmed in a free consultation. The visa itself has no minimum investment or job creation.
Two ways to file
Inside Spain
Online at the UGE, the Ministry's unit for strategic groups. This is open if you are in Spain legally.
Through the consulate
You apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate that covers your place of residence. Each consulate publishes its own document list and appointment process.
Requirements
Requirements as published in the law and by the Spanish consulates. The consulate or office you apply to has the final say.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Activity | An entrepreneurial activity that is innovative and/or of special economic interest for Spain, with a favourable report from ENISA. |
| Business plan | It describes the project, the product or service, and the financing, including the investment required and the possible sources of funding. |
| Your profile | ENISA assesses your professional profile and your involvement in the project. With several partners, each partner's role is assessed, whether or not they apply for a visa. |
| Added value | The elements that create added value for the Spanish economy, innovation or investment opportunities. |
| Investment and jobs | There is no minimum investment and no minimum job creation. |
| General requirements | Age 18 or over; no criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived in the last 5 years; health insurance with an insurer authorised in Spain; enough resources for you and your family; payment of the fee. |
Government fees
- If you apply from abroad, the visa fee at the consulate is €90 for a national long-stay visa (type D), paid in euros or in the local currency.
- The residence authorisation fee (Modelo 790, code 052) is set in the annex of Order PJC/617/2025. We confirm the item that applies to your permit in your quote.
- TIE (Modelo 790, code 012): €16.08 for the first issue and €19.30 for a renewal.
Amounts as published on 2026-11-03. The law updates them every year with the budget laws, and each consulate may state the visa fee in local currency. Your consultant confirms the exact figures in your quote.
Steps
The process in order.
Check that this route fits you
- What you need
- Your situation, your current status and your goal.
- Why
- A wrong route costs time and fees.
- Where to get it
- The requirements above, or a free consultation with us.
- Example
- You compare your situation with the requirements table.
Choose how much you want us to handle
- What you need
- A decision on how much help you want.
- Why
- It sets the price and who does what.
- Where to get it
- The packages page, or the plans at the end of this guide.
- Example
- You collect the documents yourself and we review them: that is CHECK.
Prepare the documents
- What you need
- The documents from the checklist.
- Why
- Missing or outdated papers delay a file.
- Where to get it
- Authorities in your country, your employer, bank or insurer. Sworn translations are made in Spain.
- Example
- Foreign certificates usually need an apostille and an official or sworn translation. Your consulate or the UGE lists exactly which.
Filing
- What you need
- The complete, reviewed file and your signed authorisation.
- Why
- An accredited Spanish lawyer files it with a digital signature.
- Where to get it
- We file online for you, or you file at the consulate when the route requires it.
- Example
- You get proof that the application was filed.
Decision and after approval
- What you need
- Your passport and the approval notice.
- Why
- A residence authorisation longer than 6 months needs a TIE.
- Where to get it
- The authority's notification.
- Example
- After approval you ask for your TIE.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the permit?
3 years. After that you can renew it for 2 years, and permanent residence is possible after 5 years.
Who decides, and how fast?
The UGE handles the application online and asks ENISA for a mandatory report, which is due within 10 working days. The UGE must resolve within 20 days of the electronic filing. If it does not, the authorisation is approved by administrative silence.
Can I apply from abroad?
Yes. From outside Spain, one single application starts the authorisation and the visa procedure, one after the other. Once the authorisation is granted, you request the residence visa.
Does the Startup Law matter?
Yes. Law 28/2022 changed the articles of Law 14/2013 on entrepreneurs, and it added the rules for remote workers.
How we help
We review your file before filing, and an accredited Spanish lawyer files it with a digital signature. This is how we work on every route. What exactly we do for this route, ask us in a free consultation.
Plans and prices
Plans and prices
The price for this visa is individual. We confirm it in a free consultation, before you pay anything.
Short glossary
- NIE
- The identification number Spain gives to foreigners.
- TIE
- The residence card for foreigners.
- UGE
- The Ministry unit (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos) that processes several residence permits, such as entrepreneurs and remote workers.
- Empadronamiento
- Registration of your address at the town hall.
- Apostille
- A stamp that certifies a foreign document for use abroad.
- Sworn translation
- A translation by a translator certified in Spain (traducción jurada).
Sources
Official sources used on this page. The consulate or office you apply to has the final say. Checked against official sources: .
- Ley 14/2013, texto consolidado, BOE
- Ley 28/2022 (empresas emergentes), BOE
- Ministerio de Inclusión, UGE: emprendedores
- Orden PJC/617/2025 (tasas de extranjería, en vigor desde 16/06/2025), BOE
- Policía Nacional, sede electrónica: tasas de extranjería (TIE, modelo 790-012)
- Orden AUC/891/2024 (tasas de visados, en vigor desde 13/09/2024), BOE
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