Kingdom of Spain
Spain visa processing times
How long does each Spain visa take? Below are the typical decision windows for all 7 routes we track, each sourced directly from Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations (Spain). Click any route to see the full breakdown, including what drives the timeline and whether a priority service is available.
| Route | Published timing | Reality check | Sponsor needed? | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV)# Residence visa for financially self-sufficient non-EEA nationals not planning to work in Spain. | 3 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 3 months | No | 2026-09-10 |
| Digital Nomad Visa (Spain)# Residence permit for remote workers and international freelancers under the Startup Law (Ley de Startups). | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| Highly Qualified Professional (HQP) permit# Residence permit for highly qualified workers with a Spanish employment contract, processed under the Law 14/2013 regime. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013)# Residence permit for founders establishing an innovative business in Spain under the Entrepreneurs' Law. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| Spain Golden Visa (ending April 2025)# Residence-by-investment route announced to end on 3 April 2025; residual queries reference historical rules. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| Spanish Student Visa# Study visa for courses longer than 90 days at recognised Spanish institutions. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| Family reunification (Spain)# Residence authorisation for eligible family members of certain non-EU residents in Spain; EU-family routes follow a separate regime. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
Source authority: Ministerio de Inclusión — Portal de Inmigración. Processing times are indicative and change without notice — always confirm before applying.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Kingdom of Spain processing times dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/spain. Latest source check 10 September 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Primary sources (7)
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest Spain visa to get?+
Among the 7 routes we track, the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) has the shortest published decision window at 3 months. Processing times are indicative and depend on case complexity, so always confirm the current figure on Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations (Spain).
Are these Spain processing times official?+
Yes. Every window on this page is the figure published by Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations (Spain), shown with the date it was last checked. The figures are indicative rather than guarantees, and the linked source is authoritative on the day you apply.