Kingdom of Spain
UGE-CE — Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (Spain)
The Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (Large Enterprises and Strategic Collectives Unit) is the specialist Spanish immigration unit responsible for Startup Law 28/2022 routes — Digital Nomad, Highly Qualified Professional, Intra-Company Transfer, Entrepreneur, and Investor visas. It was established in 2013 under Law 14/2013 on Entrepreneurs.
Parent ministry
Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (Spain)
Established
2013
Last reviewed
20 April 2026
Scope
- Decides residence authorisations under Law 14/2013 (Entrepreneurs Law) and Law 28/2022 (Startup Law), including the Digital Nomad Visa and the Highly Qualified Professional Visa.
- Runs a 20-day statutory processing target — among the fastest in Europe for comparable routes — with positive administrative silence if UGE-CE does not respond within the window.
- Administers collective applications for large Spanish employers (fewer than 100 applications can be batched) and strategic-sector permits.
- Does not handle general (non-Startup-Law) work or residence permits — those remain with the regional Oficinas de Extranjería.
Procedural quirks
- The 20-day statutory silence creates a strong incentive to apply under Startup Law routes where eligible, since other Spanish permits can take 3–6 months.
- UGE-CE can refuse applications if the applicant "cannot demonstrate" funds or qualifications even when the minimum threshold is met — in practice the unit expects margin above the floor.
- TIE issuance happens separately at the police station of residence after arrival, not through UGE-CE. Booking the TIE appointment is commonly a second bottleneck.
Primary service channels
UGE-CE main page
https://extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es/en/UnidadGrandesEmpresas/index.html
Digital Nomad / Startup Law routes
https://extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es/en/UnidadGrandesEmpresas/visado_trabajadores_internacional/index.html
Mercurio portal (electronic submissions)
https://sede.mityc.gob.es/es-es/procedimientoselectronicos/
Routes administered
UGE-CE decides the following Spain visa routes covered on Global Visa Routes:
Digital Nomad Visa (Spain)
Residence permit for remote workers and international freelancers under the Startup Law (Ley de Startups).
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.
Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013)
Residence permit for founders establishing an innovative business in Spain under the Entrepreneurs' Law.
Spain Golden Visa (ending April 2025)
Residence-by-investment route announced to end on 3 April 2025; residual queries reference historical rules.
Spanish Student Visa
Study visa for courses longer than 90 days at recognised Spanish institutions.
Family reunification (Spain)
Residence permit for family members of Spanish residents; arreigo (settled-status) routes also available.