Spain startup visa: requirements, ENISA report and how to apply

What is a startup visa in Spain?

There is no “startup visa” in the law. The term refers to the autorización de residencia para emprendedores: a residence permit for a foreign national who wants to start, develop or lead a business activity in Spain. The legal basis is articles 69 and 70 of Ley 14/2013 «de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalización», as amended by Ley 28/2022 on startups, which came into force on 23 December 2022 [1][2]. The permit is valid throughout Spain. The application is handled by the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE) of the Ministry of Inclusion, and the permit is issued by the Dirección General de Migraciones [1]. The same UGE handles the DNV; the procedures are compared in the article UGE: what it does.

What conditions apply to a startup visa?

The conditions have three parts [1][3]:

• General requirements of article 62. You are not in Spain irregularly, you are 18 or over, you have no criminal record for offences under Spanish law in Spain or in the countries where you have lived for the last two years, plus a declaration of no criminal record for the last five years; you are not on any entry ban list under agreements Spain has signed; you have public or private health insurance and sufficient funds for yourself and your family; and you have paid the fee.
• Entrepreneurial activity. It must be innovative, of special economic interest for Spain, or both. A favourable ENISA report confirms this (article 70.1).
• Legal requirements for starting the activity. Meet whatever the sector rules require for your type of activity: licences, registrations (article 69.2).

Article 62 does not state what amount of funds is considered sufficient. For the DNV the amounts are linked to the SMI and set out in the authorities’ instructions, but for entrepreneurs we have not found such a figure in official sources. Check current guidance with the authority or a lawyer.

What does ENISA assess in its actividad emprendedora report?

The UGE requests a report on the business activity from ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación). The law names three things to assess: the applicant’s professional profile and involvement in the project; the business plan describing the product or service and its financing, including the investment needed and its sources; and the elements that add value to the Spanish economy, innovation and investment opportunities (article 70.2) [1]. The report is mandatory and is prepared within ten working days [1].

ENISA explains how to fill in the form in its “Guía Visados 2026”. Projects are assessed on their degree of innovation and on scalability. Innovation is looked for in the product, processes or model, and in patents and proprietary technology. Objective criteria confirm it directly: for example, public funding for projects in the last three years, an award or recognition at regional level, an informe motivado vinculante from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación on high innovativeness, or the Sello PYME Innovadora.

Scalability is assessed by market attractiveness, the company’s stage, business model, competition, team, shareholders, suppliers and customers [4]. The form asks for a four-year forecast, an investment plan for 18-24 months and how that investment will be financed [4].

Step-by-step filing procedure

1. Decide whether there will be a company. ENISA accepts a project even if the company has not yet been set up: in that case the form asks for the project name, activity, CNAE code and province. If the company exists, you need its name, NIF and address [4]. We covered setting up an SL as a non-resident in the article how to open an SL in Spain.
2. Submit the form to ENISA. Register in the ENISA personal area (Área privada), select “Autorización de residencia para emprendedores” and fill in the form: applicant details and business plan. You can save the form and complete it over several sessions [3][4].
3. Gather the immigration documents. The MIT application, the receipt for the fee under modelo 790 038 item 7 (with the NRC), passport, proof of funds, health insurance, and a criminal record certificate (except where you already hold a permit or an authorised stay of more than six months) [3].
4. File the application with the UGE electronically with a digital certificate or Cl@ve. The UGE will request the ENISA report and decide within 20 days of electronic filing; if there is no decision, the permit is deemed granted (article 76) [1][3]. Filing extends your current stay or residence status until the decision [1].
5. If you are abroad, request the visa at the consulate once the permit is granted; by law the visa is decided within 10 working days [1]. In that case the criminal record certificate is submitted at the consulate [3].
6. After entry apply for the TIE: a permit valid for more than six months requires the card (article 76.2). Your passport is enough for alta in the Seguridad Social for the first six months [1].

You can apply from Spain if you are there legally; the UGE instructions allow filing while on an estancia (a stay of up to 90 days) with a criminal record certificate [3]. If the UGE sends a requerimiento, see what a UGE requerimiento is.

How much does a startup visa cost and how long is the wait?

In practice it usually takes longer: a requerimiento stops the clock, and consulates set out their own rules. We have found no official statistics on startup visa applications. Project costs, ENISA and translations are not included in the table.

How does the startup visa differ from the digital nomad visa and the entrepreneur visa?

The DNV and the startup visa are handled by the same UGE, but the DNV does not suit work for your own Spanish company: that status is designed for remote work for companies outside Spain. The DNV income threshold is €2,849 per month. The difference between the DNV and autónomo is covered in a separate article, and choosing a residence route in general in the comparison table. If a foreign company transfers you to its Spanish branch, that is neither a startup visa nor a DNV: that case is covered in the article ICT, intra-company transfer.

What is an empresa emergente and what does it have to do with the visa?

Empresa emergente: a company certificate under Ley 28/2022. It is issued by ENISA and it is not a visa. Conditions for the company: set up no more than five years ago (seven for some sectors), has not distributed dividends, is not listed on a stock exchange, has its registered office or an establecimiento permanente in Spain, at least 60% of its staff work under Spanish employment contracts, and the project is innovative and scalable (article 3) [2].

In return, the company pays Impuesto sobre Sociedades at 15% in its first period with a positive tax base and in the three following ones (article 7) [2]. ENISA takes up to three months to decide on the application, and silence means approval (article 4) [2][5]. The certificate does not replace the ENISA report for the visa: they are different procedures.

Common mistakes when applying for a startup visa

• A generic business plan. ENISA asks for a four-year forecast, investment for 18-24 months and a financing plan for it; you cannot fill in the form without figures [4].
• Confusion with the empresa emergente certificate. It is a separate procedure and is for the company, not for the visa [2][5].
• Trying to apply for the DNV instead. The DNV is designed for work for companies outside Spain, and a professional may work for a Spanish company for no more than 20% [1].
• No criminal record documents. From Spain, the certificates and the declaration are filed with the application; when applying from abroad, the consulate takes the certificate [3].
• Ignoring sector licences. Article 69.2 requires you to meet the legal conditions for starting the activity [1].
• Expecting a guaranteed outcome. The decision is taken by ENISA and the UGE, and no one can promise it.

When do you need an individual review?

You need a review if the project has several founders and not all of them are applying; if the activity requires a licence; if you want to apply from Spain while on a stay; if you need to choose between the startup visa, the DNV and cuenta propia; or if there is no prototype yet and it is unclear whether ENISA will consider the project innovative. There are no clear threshold figures; everything depends on your case, so have it checked by a lawyer before you apply.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona looks at whether the startup visa, the DNV or another route suits you and helps prepare the document package for the UGE. We do not assess the project in place of ENISA and we do not promise approval. First consultation: 15 minutes free; full consultation: €121 for 45 minutes. Book: consultation. Service pages: digital nomad residence permit, residence permit with the right to work. Overview of routes: residence permit in Barcelona.

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