What is the UGE in Spain and what does it do

What the UGE is

UGE stands for Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE). It is a unit of Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. It was set up in 2007 to deal quickly with companies and organisations that need to bring specialists from non-EU countries to Spain [1]. Consulate websites shorten the same name to UGECE [8].

The procedures have a single legal basis: Ley 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs and their internationalisation. Article 76 states expressly that the permits in this part of the law are handled by the UGE through electronic channels and granted by the Dirección General de Migraciones [4]. Recent ministry documents refer to the Dirección General de Gestión Migratoria [6]. We have not checked how these two names relate in legal terms.

Which permits the UGE handles

The UGE page lists eight groups, all of them under Ley 14/2013 [2]:

• entrepreneurs;
• highly qualified professionals and EU Blue Card holders;
• researchers;
• intra-corporate transferees (ICT);
• collective ICT permit applications;
• workers in the audiovisual and cultural sector;
• teletrabajadores de carácter internacional, that is, digital nomads (DNV);
• family members of all the groups above.

The DNV is governed by Articles 74 bis - 74 quinquies Ley 14/2013 [4]. What exactly they say is covered in the article on international remote work under Ley 14/2013.

How the UGE differs from a consulate and an oficina de extranjería

The UGE accepts residence permit applications, the consulate issues the visa, and the oficinas de extranjería (immigration offices) handle the cases that are not on the UGE list.

You do not apply to the UGE for the permit directly from your country of residence: first you need a visa from the consulate. You go to the UGE either from Spain while you are there lawfully, or in the last 60 days of your visa’s validity [5]. The two routes compared: applying from Spain or through the consulate.

The documents show three more differences. Deadline: UGE must decide within 20 days, and silence means approval (article 76 of Ley 14/2013)[4]. Fee: for UGE it is paid with form 790-038 on the Ministry of Inclusion e-office, for oficinas de extranjería on the Ministry of Territorial Policy e-office[7]. Card: after UGE approves, the TIE card is requested separately if the permit runs longer than six months[4]. A detailed comparison of their powers: extranjería and UGE: who does what.

Who files with the UGE: you, your family, a company or a representative

Who may file depends on the type of permit. The procedure page in the sede sets it out as follows[9]:

Family members of a digital nomad can apply together with them or later[5]. In every case the filing can be delegated to another person or company: the authority is registered in the Registro electrónico de apoderamientos (the apodera application) under procedure code 201361[9]. UGE's guidance for teletrabajadores says much the same: you can apply in person or through a representative, attaching a document that gives them the power to sign the application[6].

If a company files, form MI-T or MI-F is signed with a legal entity representative certificate[9]. How to set up such powers is explained in digital certificate and representative.

How to apply to the UGE for the digital nomad visa

The application and all related documents (replies to requests, additional documents, appeals) are filed only electronically through the sede electrónica of the Ministry of Inclusion [3]. The steps are:

1. Get an electronic certificate: without it you cannot open the sede [3].
2. Pay the fee using form 790-038 on sede.inclusion.gob.es and note the NRC number; the payment document is attached to the application [5][7].
3. Fill in form MI-T (applicant) and, if needed, MI-F (family members), and attach the documents [3][6].
4. Then watch for electronic notifications: requests for documents from the UGE are also answered through the sede [3].

You can apply yourself or through a representative, but then you need a document that authorises them to sign the application [6]. The documents gathered for the DNV are listed on the service page Digital nomad residence permit, and the step-by-step procedure is in the DNV route card.

UGE advises adding a cover letter explaining the documents, especially where something does not match the list exactly: it makes the case easier for the officers handling it[6]. Public documents not in Spanish are filed with a sworn translation, foreign public documents with an apostille or legalisation, and UGE may request additional documents at any time[6].

Which digital certificate you need for the UGE

Without electronic identification you cannot file in the sede or read notifications. The ministry's guidance (July 2017 version) says filing and notifications require a digital certificate or Cl@ve permanente[11].

• The guidance names FNMT certificates and the electronic DNI certificate as the most common[11].
• The sede accepts certificates from the official trusted provider list, as well as the Cl@ve system[11].
• An organisation filing for an employee needs a legal entity representative certificate[9].

Renewals hide a trap. Notifications in the sede can only be downloaded with the certificate or Cl@ve linked to the applicant's NIF or NIE. If the certificate expires before the procedure ends, you will not be able to open notifications, so check its expiry before applying[11]. For login or signing errors, the ministry advises checking that AutoFirma version 1.9.0 is installed[7].

How to check the status of a UGE application

The main channel is the sede. In the Ley 14/2013 procedure you can check the stage of the case (estado de tramitación), open notifications, send further documents and answer requests[9]. Article 53 of Ley 39/2015 gives you the right to know the stage of your case, which body handles it and which acts have been issued[10].

• Within 10 days of receiving the application, the authority must tell you the maximum decision period and the effect of silence (article 21.4 of Ley 39/2015)[10].
• An electronic notification counts as received when you open it. A notification left unopened for 10 calendar days counts as rejected, and the procedure moves on[10].
• For questions, UGE has the email movilidad.internacional@inclusion.gob.es and the phone numbers 91 363 32 75 and 91 363 32 67[12].

If 20 days have passed since filing without a decision and the deadline was not paused, the application counts as approved[4]. Through the same sede you can request a decision granting the permit by silence[9]. How this works: what silencio positivo means.

What public sources do not say about how the UGE works

The ministry does not publish statistics on UGE processing times or approval rates. Figures in blogs differ many times over, so we do not use them. The law allows 20 days for a decision [4]; for the real timeframe see the article how long the UGE takes to process a DNV application. For questions about the procedure the unit has the address movilidad.internacional@inclusion.gob.es [1][7]. How the UGE will decide a particular case depends on the circumstances; take that question to a lawyer or gestor. How to follow an application once filed is described in the article how to check the status of a UGE application.

Frequently asked questions

Related articles

ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 20.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.