Kingdom of Spain · entrepreneur · Leads to settlement
Entrepreneur Visa (Ley 14/2013)
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Residence permit for founders establishing an innovative business in Spain under the Entrepreneurs' Law.
- Processing time
- UGE-CE target 20 working days (often exceeded for complex cases).
- Government fees
- Variable.
- Typical duration
- Initial 3 years; renewable.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
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.
Guidance by nationality
Specific information for applicants from these countries. Don’t see yours? The general eligibility criteria above apply to everyone.
Brazilian applicants
Brazilian founders are among the largest Entrepreneur visa cohorts in Madrid and Barcelona, often in fintech and SaaS. T…
Colombian applicants
Colombian entrepreneurs benefit from linguistic and cultural ease in Spain; shared trade associations often help on the …
Indian applicants
Indian founders using this route typically enter with SaaS or IT-consultancy plans. Evidence of paying customer contract…
Chinese applicants
Chinese entrepreneurs are a growing Entrepreneur-visa cohort, predominantly in e-commerce, hospitality, and import-expor…
Russian applicants
Russian founders relocating post-2022 use the Entrepreneur visa primarily for tech and consulting ventures. ENISA scruti…
Turkish applicants
Turkish entrepreneurs use the Entrepreneur visa primarily for tech ventures (Madrid, Barcelona) and Mediterranean import…
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓Innovative business concept with ENISA-style evaluation.
- ✓Evidence of financing and skills.
Common blockers
- !Business plan judged non-innovative by ENISA.
Typical evidence
- ·Business plan.
- ·ENISA evaluation report.
- ·Financial evidence.
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.
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 information sheet to confirm innovation, business-plan and evidence requirements before filing.
Ministerio de Inclusion, Seguridad Social y Migraciones · verified
Fees and processing time
Indicative government fees: Variable.. A decision then typically takes 3 weeks – 2 months. Both change over time, so the dedicated pages below carry the itemised breakdown and the current official figures.
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Frequently asked questions
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.
What is the single most important requirement for the Spain Entrepreneur Visa?+
A favourable ENISA report on your innovative business concept is the defining step; without it, UGE-CE will refuse the application. Traditional retail, hospitality, and me-too service businesses rarely meet the innovation bar. Confirm the evaluation criteria with the official source.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
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