Self-employment and entrepreneur routesArticle 5 of 5 · 3 min read
What ENISA looks at in an entrepreneur visa business plan
Explains the four things the reviewer judges in an entrepreneur visa business plan: innovation, viability, benefit to Spain and your background. It also lists what weakens a plan. For non-EU founders writing or commissioning a plan.
Key rules
- Criteria: The reviewer judges four things, innovation, viability, benefit to Spain (jobs and investment) and your background, with no published weighting.
- Outcome: The result is a favourable or unfavourable report, not a points score.
- Consistency: Your plan must agree with your documents on qualifications, experience and funds.
- Language: Write the plan in Spanish or attach a translation.
What the reviewer judges
Your plan is judged on four things: how innovative the project is, whether it is economically viable, its economic and social benefit for Spain (including jobs and investment), and whether your background fits the project. The reviewer forms an overall judgement rather than scoring each one. Write the plan so each of the four is easy to find and easy to believe.
Innovation
Say what is new about your project and why Spain gains from it. Show what it does differently from what already exists. A plan with little innovation, or no clear benefit for Spain, is a common reason for refusal.
Viability and market
Show that people will pay for what you sell. Include a market analysis with evidence of demand, realistic financial projections, and the reasoning behind each number. Unsupported or inflated figures weaken the plan fast.
Show how the project is funded and how much of your own money goes in. A plan that does not show funding and your own means is a red flag.
Jobs and investment
Spell out how many jobs you expect to create, when, and how much you will invest in Spain. Tie these figures to your financial projections so they agree.
Your background
Explain why you are the right person to run this business. Your qualifications and experience should match the activity. If they do not, say how you will close the gap, for example with a partner or hire who has the skills.
What weakens a plan
- A generic or template plan that could describe any business.
- An ordinary shop, bar or consultancy with nothing that sets it apart.
- Weak ties to Spain.
- A plan that contradicts your own documents. Check dates, amounts and job titles against your CV, certificates and bank records.
Format and length
There is no official template. Cover the project, your profile, the market, investment and financing, job creation, and the innovation and added value for Spain.
What happens after you submit
You request the report before you file the residence application. It takes 20 working days, longer if you are asked for more documents.
If the report is unfavourable, fix the plan and request a new report, or file the application anyway and appeal the refusal. The sequence, the decision time and the refusal deadlines are on the entrepreneur visa page.
If you bring family
Your family joins on the terms in the family rules; the plan itself does not change.
Documents you need
- The business plan, in Spanish or with a sworn translation.
- Documents that show your qualifications, experience and funds; what they say must match the plan.
More in Self-employment and entrepreneur routes
- Autónomo, entrepreneur or digital nomad, which self-employed route is yours?
- Moving to Spain to work for yourself, the self-employment permit
- Proving investment and qualifications for Spain's self-employment permit
- How Spain's entrepreneur visa works
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