ICT visa for Spain: intra-company transfer and requirements

ICT visa for Spain: what it is and who it is for

ICT, intra-company transfer, is a permit for people who come to Spain to work while remaining linked to a company or group of companies: through an employment or professional relationship, or for professional training. The law requires a visa matching the length of stay and an autorización de residencia por traslado intraempresarial, which is valid throughout the country (article 73.1 Ley 14/2013) [1]. It is handled by the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE) of the Ministry of Inclusion, and the decision is made by the Dirección General de Migraciones [1].

The law sets out two types, and the choice determines the duration and your rights:

The law defines the terms: a manager runs the company or one of its divisions, a specialist has specialised knowledge of the business, techniques or management, and a trainee is a university graduate sent to learn the company’s methods in return for pay [1]. Examples of the national type given on the UGE page: transfer of workers to carry out a contract between a Spanish and a foreign company, and transfer within a professional relationship [3].

Conditions for obtaining an ICT

Besides the general requirements of article 62, the law sets four specific conditions (article 73.2) [1]:

• the company and, where applicable, the group carry out genuine activity;
• the employee has a university degree equivalent to at least level 1 of the Spanish qualifications framework (MECES), or at least three years of experience that can be treated as equivalent to such a qualification;
• the employee has had a prior and continuous relationship, employment or professional, with one or more companies of the group for at least three months;
• there are company documents confirming the transfer.

General requirements of article 62.3 Ley 14/2013: not being in Spain irregularly, being over 18, having no criminal record in Spain or in your countries of residence over the last two years (plus a written statement covering the last five years), not appearing on lists of undesirable persons, having public or private health insurance and sufficient funds for yourself and your family, and paying the fee [1]. The UGE states separately that the Situación Nacional de Empleo does not apply to ICT [4].

Who applies and in what order

The ICT application is filed by the Spanish organisation where the employee will work, not by the employee. The UGE electronic filing page says so explicitly [2]. Family members can apply themselves, through the main applicant or through the company [2].

1. Determine the category: ICT UE or national authorisation [1][3].
2. Put together the company’s and the employee’s documents (list below) [4].
3. Pay the fee using modelo 790 código 038, section 7. Check the amount for ICT and for family members on the authority’s page before filing: for the DNV this code shows €73.26, but you cannot assume the same amount for ICT without checking. You need the receipt’s NRC to file [2].
4. File the application electronically through the Ministry of Inclusion sede with the company representative’s digital certificate [2].
5. Wait for the decision: the UGE has 20 days from electronic filing, and if there is no answer the permit is deemed granted [1].
6. If the employee is abroad, after approval apply for the visa at the consulate: the deadline is 10 working days [1][4].
7. Arrive, register with Seguridad Social (alta) and, if the stay exceeds six months, apply for the TIE [1].

If there is no decision within the time limit, you can ask through the sede for confirmation by silencio administrativo [2]. How the time limit is counted: UGE processing time; about the authority: what the UGE is; about access: sede electrónica.

Documents for an ICT

In its information leaflet the UGE lists the documents, some prepared by the company and some by the employee [4].

Companies on the UGE register have it easier: when applying they do not have to prove some of the conditions of article 73.2, although the authority may check them later [1][4]. As a general extranjería rule, foreign documents are translated by a sworn translator and apostilled or legalised; check the current requirements on the UGE page before you apply: what an apostille is, sworn translation.

Timelines, validity and renewal

The law sets short deadlines: 10 working days for the visa (unless consultation under the Visa Code is required), 20 days for the permit [1]. Filing extends the applicant’s legal stay or residence until the decision [1]. The UGE leaflet gives the same deadlines (visa 10 days, permit 20 days), and the permit is valid for as long as the transfer lasts [4].

Maximum transfer durations: 3 years for managers and specialists, 1 year for trainees [1]. Renewal is possible in two-year periods as long as the conditions are still met; filing within 90 days after expiry also extends validity until the decision [1]. The UGE leaflet gives a maximum duration of up to two years, while article 73.3.b of the law speaks of three years or the length of the transfer for the national type: go by the text of the law and check the current UGE page [1][4].

A company registered with the UGE proves the requirements once. Registration is valid for 3 years and can be renewed, and changes in circumstances must be reported to the UGE within 30 days, otherwise the company is removed from the register [1].

Family and mobility within the EU

A spouse or partner, minor children or financially dependent adult children, and dependent parents can apply at the same time as the main applicant or later. If they apply at the same time, the permits are decided together [1]. According to the UGE, the visa and the permit are valid for work and residence throughout the country, including family members who are old enough [4].

ICT UE gives the right to enter, live and work in other EU states under simplified procedures (Directiva 2014/66/UE) [1][4]. If a foreign company from another EU state sends an employee with ICT UE to Spain, it notifies the UGE in advance, and the Dirección General de Migraciones may object within 20 days if the conditions are not met, the documents are forged or the maximum duration has been reached [1]. The UGE publishes the notification form on its applications page [5].

ICT, digital nomad visa and Blue Card: how not to mix them up

If the foreign company you work for remotely has a branch in Spain, the UGE does not treat you as a teletrabajador (DNV): this is an intra-company transfer and the ICT requirements apply [5]. For comparison: working for a Spanish company on a DNV, the 20% rule. Highly qualified professionals and the Blue Card fall under different articles, 71 and 71 bis [1]; see residence permit for highly qualified professionals.

Taxes depend on residence: tax residence and the 183 days. To register with Seguridad Social (alta) in the first six months, a passport is enough if you do not have an NIE yet [1].

Common mistakes when applying for an ICT

• Treating a transfer to a branch as a DNV and applying for teletrabajo: the UGE classifies such cases as ICT [5].
• Not having three months of prior relationship with the group: this condition is mandatory if the company is not on the UGE register [1].
• Filing yourself: the application is filed by the Spanish organisation, and the form for a legal entity is signed with the representative’s certificate [2].
• Not answering a requerimiento within 10 days: under article 68 Ley 39/2015 the application is treated as withdrawn [2].
• Not reporting company changes to the UGE within 30 days: the registration is lost [1].
• Counting the duration from an old leaflet: check maximum transfer durations against the law [1][4].

When you need an individual review

An individual review is needed if the transfer involves several countries and companies, the employee has less than three months in the group, a transfer beyond the maximum duration is needed, you and your family are on different statuses, or you are choosing between ICT, DNV and the Blue Card. The answer determines the permit category, the documents and the risk of refusal.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona helps determine the ICT category, draw up the document list together with your company and check the file before submission. The filing with the UGE is done by the Spanish organisation or by a representative it appoints under a formal mandate (poder). First consultation: 15 minutes free; full consultation: €121 for 45 minutes. Book: consultation. Service: work and work permits. You can compare grounds in the overview residence permit in Barcelona and on the route card residence permit with work.

Frequently asked questions

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