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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

22 June 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

Routes administered

UGE-CE decides the following Spain visa routes covered on Visa Atlas:

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