A three-year permit for non-EU founders with a scalable business idea. The hardest part is the business plan review, and we help you get it right.
The Spain Entrepreneur Visa is a residence and work authorization for non-EU nationals who want to launch an innovative, scalable business in Spain. It was introduced by Law 14/2013 (Spain’s Startup and Entrepreneurship Law) and is processed through UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas — Spain’s Large Companies Unit) on a streamlined timeline.
To qualify, your business project must be submitted to and approved by ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación — Spain’s national innovation agency). ENISA evaluates whether the project is genuinely innovative and has realistic growth potential. If your business plan passes that review, the immigration path is well structured and leads to a three-year initial permit with the right to live, work, and build your company in Spain.
This is not a passive residency route. It is designed for founders who are actively building a business in Spain, not for people who simply want to open a holding company or register a dormant entity.
You may qualify for the Spain Entrepreneur Visa if you meet all of the following requirements:
The Entrepreneur Visa does not require you to incorporate your company in Spain before applying. Your business plan is evaluated first by ENISA, and formal company incorporation normally takes place after your visa has been approved and you have arrived in Spain.
The ENISA review is where most Entrepreneur Visa applications either move forward smoothly or become delayed. Business plans prepared without ENISA’s specific evaluation framework often require multiple rounds of revisions. A properly structured application has a much stronger chance of progressing efficiently.
Our Entrepreneur Visa service includes:
If we believe your business plan needs further development before submission, we will tell you upfront. Improving the project before filing is almost always faster and more effective than going through a rejection and starting over.
Related to but distinct from the Entrepreneur Visa, the Business Project Visa covers
projects of general interest under a different strand of Law 14/2013. If you are uncertain which route applies to your project, we clarify this at consultation.
If you are a freelancer or remote worker who is not yet ready to formalize a Spanish business, the Digital Nomad Visa may be a more suitable starting point.
For founders or investors considering residency through a financial investment route
rather than an active business project.
The ENISA review is not a rubber stamp, and the business plan you submit matters. If you
have a concept that you believe is genuinely innovative and scalable, let us assess it against ENISA’s framework before you invest months in a plan that needs significant revision. Your first consultation is free.
ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación — Spain’s national innovation agency) assesses
whether your business project meets their definition of innovative and scalable. They look at whether the business introduces something new to the market (product, process, or model), whether the market opportunity is credible and sizeable, whether the founding team has the capability to execute, and whether the financial projections are realistic. They do not assess whether your business will succeed — they assess whether it plausibly could, and whether it meets the innovation bar.
No. The entrepreneur visa can be approved before formal incorporation. The business plan review and the immigration authorization happen first. Once you are in Spain on your visa, you carry out the legal incorporation of your Spanish company. This is intentional: it means you do not take on the administrative and tax obligations of a Spanish company until your legal status is confirmed.
Approximately €30,250, which currently represents 100% of Spain’s annual IPREM (the
income index used to set financial thresholds for visas). This is a minimum figure. If you have dependants accompanying you, the required amount increases. Having funds significantly above the minimum strengthens the overall application.
The most variable element is the ENISA review, which can take several months depending on the complexity of the business plan and whether revisions are required. The UGE-CE immigration authorization that follows typically takes around 20 business days once the ENISA report is obtained. Total process time from initial preparation to visa issuance is commonly four to six months, sometimes longer.
Yes. Your spouse and dependent children can apply for their own residence authorizations alongside your main application. They are not required to meet independent financial requirements, but their inclusion does affect the minimum funds threshold. Family members can typically work in Spain once their residence authorization is granted.
ENISA issues either a positive or a negative assessment. A negative assessment does not
necessarily end the process permanently. In some cases, a revised and strengthened
submission can obtain a positive outcome. We assess whether revision is viable or whether an alternative immigration route would better match your situation.
They are related but different. Both operate under Law 14/2013 and involve ENISA review, but the Entrepreneur Visa is aimed at founders building a private innovative company, while the Business Project Visa targets projects of general interest, a broader category that can include projects with public-benefit components. If you are unsure which applies, that is exactly the kind of question we answer at consultation.
