Chinese applicants · Kingdom of Spain
Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013) for Chinese citizens
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Residence permit for founders establishing an innovative business in Spain under the Entrepreneurs' Law.
This page covers the Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013) specifically for Chinese applicants — including document requirements, consular procedures, and common issues specific to China. The route's general criteria are summarised below, but the current corridor-specific filing, visa-issuance, and entry position above can still determine whether the route is usable.
- Processing time
- No fixed national clock publishedUse the current UGE-CE — Entrepreneur residence service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.
- Government fees
- Variable.
- Typical duration
- Initial 3 years; renewable.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
Bilateral context
- Schengen Area
Consular processing: a Kingdom of Spain consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence
Tourist entry vs. this route
Tourist-entry rules for Chinese nationals change periodically and are separate from the Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013). Check the destination government's current entry guidance before travel.
Key figures for Chinese applicants
Computed from our continuously re-verified, primary-sourced data. Indicative, not legal advice.
How long it takes
No fixed national clock published
UGE-CE — Entrepreneur residence does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.
Use the current UGE-CE — Entrepreneur residence service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.
Verified 10 September 2026 · UGE-CE — Entrepreneur residence
Time to permanent residence
Arrival → permanent residence (5 years) → citizenship (10 years for most nationalities; 2 for Latin American).
Leads to Residencia de Larga Duración, then Spanish citizenship.
Visa overview
Spain's Entrepreneur Visa covers founders of innovative businesses. The application is evaluated against the "innovative and of special economic interest" standard by ENISA. The route is intended for businesses that create jobs, generate exports, or inject technology into the Spanish economy.
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓Innovative business concept with ENISA-style evaluation.Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (Spain) ↗
- ✓Evidence of financing and skills.Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (Spain) ↗
Common blockers
- !Business plan judged non-innovative by ENISA.Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (Spain) ↗
Typical evidence
- ·Business plan.Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (Spain) ↗
- ·ENISA evaluation report.Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (Spain) ↗
- ·Financial evidence.Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (Spain) ↗
Application pathway
Obtain favourable ENISA report
This is the defining step; without it, UGE-CE will refuse.
Submit to UGE-CE
Full package via Mercurio.
Visa/TIE
Consular or in-country depending on current location.
Plan the practical side of your stay
Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Spain. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- ApplyApplicantSubmit entrepreneur residence application ↗
Use the official electronic procedure to submit the Ley 14/2013 entrepreneur residence application.
Ministerio de Inclusion, Seguridad Social y Migraciones · verified
- Official guidanceApplicantCheck entrepreneur requirements ↗
Use this official guidance to confirm innovation, business-plan and evidence requirements before filing.
Ministerio de Inclusion, Seguridad Social y Migraciones · verified
Other Kingdom of Spain routes covered for Chinese applicants
Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV)
Residence visa for financially self-sufficient non-EEA nationals not planning to work in Spain.
Highly Qualified Professional (HQP) permit
Residence permit for highly qualified workers with a Spanish employment contract, processed under the Law 14/2013 regime.
Family reunification (Spain)
Residence authorisation for eligible family members of certain non-EU residents in Spain; EU-family routes follow a separate regime.
Not sure Kingdom of Spain is right for you? Compare similar routes
Other countries offer entrepreneur routes that Chinese nationals also apply to. See how they compare.
Frequently asked questions
Are Chinese citizens eligible for the Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013)?+
Eligibility for the Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013) is set by Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations. Chinese applicants must meet the general route criteria plus any nationality- or location-specific intake requirements described in the current corridor guidance above.
Where do Chinese applicants typically file the Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013)?+
a Kingdom of Spain consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence. Specific intake (online portal, biometrics centre, or in-country lodgement) is determined by Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations — confirm the current intake channel on the primary source linked above before filing.
Do Chinese applicants need a tourist visa for Kingdom of Spain as well?+
Tourist-entry rules for Chinese nationals change periodically and are separate from the Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013). Check the destination government's current entry guidance before travel.
How long does the Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013) take to process from China?+
UGE-CE — Entrepreneur residence does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route. Use the current UGE-CE — Entrepreneur residence service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying. Chinese applicants usually file via a Kingdom of Spain consulate or visa application centre in your country of residence, and appointment or post-specific backlogs can add to the wait. Source: UGE-CE — Entrepreneur residence, verified 10 September 2026.
How long until permanent residence in Kingdom of Spain?+
Arrival → permanent residence (5 years) → citizenship (10 years for most nationalities; 2 for Latin American). The route leads to Residencia de Larga Duración, then Spanish citizenship. See Ministerio de Justicia — Nacionalidad española for the qualifying-residence rules.
What counts as innovative for the Spanish Entrepreneur Visa?+
ENISA evaluates innovation against the introduction of new products/services, use of technology, scalable models, and export potential. Traditional retail, hospitality, and me-too service businesses rarely meet the bar.
How we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations
Last checked: 30 July 2026