How Spain's entrepreneur visa works

Key rules

• Qualifying test: Your venture must be innovative or of special economic interest for Spain, and each plan is judged individually.
• Reviewer: ENISA issues the favourable report on your plan before the residence decision.
• Minimum investment: No fixed minimum investment is set, but your plan must credibly show the funding.
• Duration: Residence is granted for 3 years at first and renews in 2-year periods.

What this route is

The entrepreneur route is for ventures judged innovative or of special economic interest for Spain. ENISA reviews your business plan, and its favourable report is the key step.

Who reviews your project

ENISA, a public innovation company, assesses your business plan and issues the favourable report. The Large Business Unit then decides your residence application.

What counts as innovative or of economic interest

There is no fixed list. Reviewers look for:

• A new or highly innovative product, service or process.
• Real technology content.
• Jobs created in Spain.
• Investment in Spain.
• A positive social, economic or regional impact.

Technology startups, biotech, fintech, digital platforms, and industrial or green tech are typical examples. Founders and employees of startups can also use this route.

Who can apply

• You are an adult from outside the EU.
• You have no criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived over the last five years.
• You are either abroad or lawfully in Spain; if you are in Spain without a valid status, you must apply from abroad.
• You are the promoter or a key participant in the project.
• Your CV, qualifications or track record fit the activity. Reviewers weigh these.
• You have health insurance and sufficient means to support yourself.

How much money you need

No minimum investment is set for this route. Your plan must show how the project is financed. Reviewers expect funds that credibly cover both the plan and your living costs.

What you get

The entrepreneur visa is valid for one year. After the visa, your first residence lasts 3 years and each renewal 2 years. To renew, you must keep working on the project, be up to date with tax and Social Security, and show progress and enough resources. After 5 years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence.

Fees

On this route you pay €73.78 for the residence authorisation (modelo 790 code 038) and €16.40 for the TIE card (modelo 790 código 012), which you pay after you arrive. Applicants abroad also pay the €80 national visa fee at the consulate; applicants in Spain do not. The ENISA report has no fee.

If you bring family

Your family joins on the same terms as for the self-employment permit: the proof for each relationship, the means, the spouse's right to work and schooling are in the family rules. An adult child who cannot provide for themselves because of a disability is also covered, with a disability certificate and the birth certificate.

If you already live in Spain

If you are lawfully in Spain in any status, including a tourist stay or a student permit, you can file the residence application with the Large Business Unit instead of a consulate. You still need the favourable ENISA report first, and you pay no consulate visa fee. If you are in Spain without a valid status, you must apply from abroad.

Timeline and deadlines

• Prepare your business plan and documents: before anything else
• Request the favourable ENISA report through the Large Business Unit's platform: the report takes 20 working days, longer if documents are requested, and has no fee
• File your residence application with the favourable report: at the consulate if you are abroad, or with the Large Business Unit if you are lawfully in Spain
• Receive the decision: within 20 working days of admission of the file; silence counts as approval
• Collect your visa at the consulate and enter Spain, if you applied abroad: the visa is valid for 1 year
• Apply for your foreigner identity card (TIE) and give fingerprints at the police: within 1 month of entering Spain
• Register with Social Security (RETA) and the tax office: within 3 months of entering Spain
• After an unfavourable report: revise the plan and ask ENISA again, or file and challenge the refusal
• After a refusal: a reconsideration request within 1 month, or a court appeal within 2 months, not both

Documents you need

• Your passport and the completed application form.

• A criminal record certificate covering the last five years, from Spain and from each country where you lived.

• Proof of health insurance.

• Proof of sufficient economic means to support yourself.

• Your CV and proof of your qualifications or experience for the activity.

• A detailed business plan covering the activity, what is innovative, the market, finances, jobs and investment.

• Proof of the funds and investment that finance the project.

• Proof that you paid the residence authorisation fee, and the consular visa fee if you apply abroad.

• Foreign certificates: the apostille, legalisation and sworn translation you need depend on the issuing country; see Proving investment and qualifications.

What if your idea is not innovative enough for the entrepreneur route?

If your business is an ordinary one, such as a standard shop or bar, the entrepreneur route does not fit. Use the self-employment permit, which asks for a viable plan instead of innovation, or, if your clients are outside Spain, the nomad route.