Cuenta propia in Spain: residence for self-employment and your own business

What cuenta propia is and how it differs from other routes

Cuenta propia is part of the general immigration regime: it is a permit to reside and carry out a self-employed, gainful activity for a person over 18 who enters Spain for more than 90 days and less than five years [1]. It does not replace the special permits under Ley 14/2013, which follow a different logic.

How to choose between the two routes for a business is explained in the article entrepreneur (emprendedor) or cuenta propia, and for a freelancer with foreign clients there is a comparison DNV or cuenta propia. Setting up an SL does not in itself give you a residence permit: what counts is your personal permit, not the legal form of the business; more on this below and in the article on autónomo and SL.

Requirements and documents for cuenta propia

Article 84 of the RD sets six conditions: the activity meets the requirements the law sets for nationals to open and run it; you have professional qualifications or sufficient experience and, where required, colegiación; the investment is sufficient and the project has an impact on employment, including self-employment; no undertaking not to return after a voluntary departure is in force; there is no threat to public order (criminal records in Spain and a police report are checked); the fee is paid [1]. The application pack includes [2]:

• application form EX-07 signed by you and your full passport;
• a criminal record certificate from your countries of residence over the last five years;
• for retail trade and services listed in the annex to Ley 12/2012, at fixed premises of up to 750 sq m: a declaración responsable or prior notification;
• for all other activities: a list of the licences and permits needed to open and operate, stating the stage each has reached;
• qualification documents and, for regulated professions, homologation and colegiación as well;
• documents proving sufficient investment and the impact on employment; as an example, the Ministry cites an assessment report from the self-employed associations ATA, UPTA, CIAE, OPA or UATAE.

Foreign documents must come with a sworn translation and an apostille or legalisation [2].

The project memoria: how it is prepared in Catalonia

The Generalitat stresses that the core of a cuenta propia file is the project’s memoria descriptiva, and that personal details and qualification documents only accompany it [4]. There are two guides for drafting it, one for setting up a new company and one for joining an existing one, as well as a support service for preparing the memoria [3][4].

The plan must be verifiable. Separate three budgets: the initial investment, the business’s running costs and your personal living costs. Buying equipment does not prove you have money for rent and ongoing payments. Mark which assumptions are backed by agreements or offers and which are still hypotheses: a revenue forecast is not the same as a signed contract. The law does not name an investment amount, so there is no point looking for a “minimum amount from the adverts”: what is assessed is whether the investment is sufficient for your particular project [1].

Check licences and permits before you rent premises. The immigration permit does not replace municipal and sector-specific requirements, and the list depends on the field of activity and the location [1][2]. Do not commit to unconditional costs just because the landlord says “a business has already operated here before”.

Steps and timelines, one by one

1. Prepare the memoria and documents. Set out what you sell, to whom and how, and which licences you need [3][4].
2. Generate the payment slip for the work permit. In Catalonia this is the first step: the proof of payment is attached to the application. The residence fee is paid later, once an NIE has been assigned [3]. The general modelo 790 codes are 052 for the residence permit and 062 for a work permit of six months or more [2].
3. File in person at the consulate. A representative is allowed only in justified cases, at the consulate’s discretion. The consulate sends the documents to the Generalitat, which enters them into the ACEX system and requests an NIE if needed [3].
4. Wait for the decision. The time limit is three months from receipt of the consulate’s notification; if there is no answer, the application is deemed refused [1].
5. Get the visa. After a favourable decision, apply for the visa within one month; the consulate decides within one month, and the visa must be collected within one month [2].
6. Enter Spain and register (alta). Entry must take place within the visa’s three-month validity, and then the alta with the Seguridad Social within three months of entry. If you do not have it within three months, you are required to leave Spain [1][2].
7. Apply for the TIE. The card is requested in person within one month of the alta [1].

How to complete tax registration and join the RETA after entry is shown in the article autónomo registration step by step, and the monthly contributions are covered in cuota autónomo in 2026.

First year, renewal and switching to another permit

The initial permit is valid for one year, in one autonomous community and one sector. If in the first year you want to operate in several communities at once, in the same sector, you need the corresponding permits for each [1]. The renewal is filed within the two months before expiry, and the decision time is three months: if there is no answer, the renewal is deemed granted. The main ground is continuing the activity, with your tax and social security obligations checked.

There are others too, for example if a resident relative meets the financial requirements for family reunification (reagrupación familiar) with you, or if you have been granted cessation of activity benefit [1]. The renewed permit is issued for four years and allows you to work as an employee and for yourself anywhere in the country and in any sector [1]. If you have school-age children who are minors, the renewal requires a report on their school enrolment [1].

If you are already in Spain, the route may not need a visa. Article 190 lets a graduate switch to cuenta propia from a study estancia, article 191 allows residents to change their ground, and article 192 covers moving from employment to cuenta propia [1]. In Catalonia the Generalitat has separate procedures for this: MOD01c, MOD03b and MOD07d [4]. Details: changing the ground for a residence permit.

Common mistakes

• Filing “I will open a business in Barcelona” without a description. You need to answer: what, for whom, how, and what you do personally [4].
• Attractive profits instead of verifiable figures. A forecast without agreements and calculations will not pass the review [1].
• Treating an SL as a ground for a residence permit. A company does not replace a personal permit and the right to work [1].
• Signing a lease before checking licences. The premises may not be suitable for the type of activity.
• Putting off the alta in the RETA. Without it you will have to leave three months after entry [1].
• Confusing cuenta propia with emprendedor. The latter has a different procedure, timeline and the ENISA report [5].
• Forgetting the children’s school enrolment certificate at renewal. Without it the renewal will not be granted [1].

When you need an individual review

An individual review is needed if your activity requires a licence or colegiación, if you are joining an existing company as a partner, if you want to work in several regions, if you have other income in Spain or if you are choosing between cuenta propia and emprendedor.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona helps you work out which route suits your project, structure the document pack and the memoria, and prepare translations and apostilles, and supports you with autónomo registration and the tax steps after entry. Consultation: the first 15 minutes are free. Service: residence permit with work. The overall process: residence permit in Barcelona and work route card. Case handling is priced individually by quote; fees and translations are paid separately.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.