Spain · Temporary Residence
Holding Residence in Spain as a Founder
Founders approved through ENISA hold a three-year authorization issued by UGE-CE. Remote workers and freelancers serving foreign clients use the international teleworker permit, and the investor golden visa no longer accepts new applicants.
- Startup route
- Entrepreneur residence (Law 14/2013)
- Minimum capital
- No minimum investment; favorable ENISA report required
- Permanent residence
- 5 years of continuous legal residence
- Citizenship
- 10 years; 2 for Ibero-American nationals
Residence authorization for entrepreneurs
The entrepreneur authorization is the permit a founder actually lives on. UGE-CE issues it for three years; it covers the whole of Spain and allows residence and, if the holder wishes, work. Renewal is for a further two years while the business activity and the original conditions continue. Filing an application extends the holder's existing residence or stay status until UGE-CE decides. Holders may stay in other Schengen countries for up to three months per semester with their passport and permit. Family members apply as part of the same unit, together with the founder or later, and receive authorizations that let them take jobs or work for themselves.
- Validity
- 3 years, valid throughout Spain
- Renewal
- Renewable for 2 years under Article 69
- Processing time
- 20 days from filing; silence counts as approval
- Government fee
- Fee 038; confirm current amount with UGE-CE
- Family
- Joint or later application; relatives may work
- Leads to
- Long-term residence after 5 years
Requirements
- The business activity assessed by ENISA continues and matches the plan submitted with the original application.
- Sufficient financial means and valid health insurance for the holder and family throughout the stay.
- No criminal convictions and no irregular stay in Spain.
- Renewal filed electronically with UGE-CE before the authorization expires.
How to apply
- After approval, request the foreigner identity card (TIE) from the police and keep it with your passport for travel.
- Run the business described to ENISA and keep records showing activity, financing and accounts.
- Before expiry, apply to UGE-CE for the two-year renewal, showing that the activity and conditions continue.
International teleworker visa and residence authorization
Spain's digital nomad route lets non-EU nationals live in Spain while working remotely for companies based abroad, using only computer and telecommunications systems. From abroad, the consulate issues a teleworker visa valid for up to one year; within 60 days before it expires the holder can switch to a residence authorization of up to three years, renewable in two-year periods. Employees may work only for the foreign employer. Self-employed teleworkers may also take Spanish clients, provided that the work stays professional and does not exceed 20 percent of their total activity. Registration with Spanish Social Security, or an accepted coverage certificate for employees, is mandatory.
- Visa validity
- Up to 1 year
- Permit validity
- Up to 3 years; renewable in 2-year periods
- Income threshold
- 200% of the monthly minimum wage (SMI)
- Family income
- Plus 75% of SMI for first relative, 25% for each other
- Government fee
- EUR 73.26 for initial UGE-CE applications
- Visa decision
- 10 days, longer if interview or documents requested
Requirements
- Work remotely for a company established outside Spain, using only computer, telematic and telecommunications systems.
- Employer incorporated at least one year earlier; employees need three months' service, freelancers a contract of at least three months.
- Hold a university or postgraduate degree, or prove at least three years of professional experience in the activity.
- Show income of at least 200 percent of the SMI each month, plus set amounts for each family member.
- Spanish Social Security registration or accepted foreign coverage, plus health insurance without co-payments or waiting periods.
- No criminal record in Spain or countries of residence during the previous five years.
How to apply
- From outside Spain, apply at the Spanish consulate for the international teleworker visa, valid for up to one year.
- Pay the fee and submit contracts, the company registry certificate, qualifications, income proof and insurance.
- Within 60 days before the visa expires, apply to UGE-CE for the residence authorization of up to three years.
- Renew in two-year periods while remote work for the foreign company and the other conditions continue.
What happened to Spain's golden visa
Spain's investor residence route, widely known as the golden visa, stopped taking new applications on 3 April 2025, when Organic Law 1/2025 left Articles 63 to 67 of Law 14/2013 without content. Two transitional rules soften the change. Investors and relatives who filed before that date receive a decision under the rules in force when they applied. Visas and authorizations already valid on 3 April 2025 keep their validity for the period issued, and renewals are processed under the rules that applied when the first authorization was granted.
For founders, the practical result is that capital alone no longer secures a Spanish residence permit. The entrepreneur authorization and the teleworker permit remain open and sit in the same Law 14/2013 framework, with applications filed electronically before UGE-CE. Moving between Law 14/2013 categories is possible at any time if the holder meets the requirements of the new category, so a remote worker who later builds a Spanish company can seek the entrepreneur authorization once ENISA has reviewed the project.
Questions and answers
Can existing golden visa holders still renew in Spain?
Yes. Under the second transitional provision added by Organic Law 1/2025, investor visas and authorizations valid on 3 April 2025 keep their validity for the term issued. Renewal applications are processed and decided under the rules that applied on the date the first authorization was granted, so existing holders are not cut off by the closure.
Can a Spanish digital nomad take local clients?
Only in limited cases. A teleworker on an employment contract may work in Spain solely for the foreign employer. A self-employed teleworker may also serve Spanish companies, but only through a professional relationship, never as an employee, and that work cannot exceed 20 percent of total professional activity.
Can I move from the teleworker permit to the entrepreneur permit?
Yes. Ministry of Inclusion guidance states that a holder may request a change to another Law 14/2013 authorization at any time, provided that the requirements of the new authorization are met. For the entrepreneur authorization, that means obtaining a favorable ENISA report on the business project before UGE-CE decides.
How much income does a teleworker need to bring family?
The main holder proves means for the whole household. The threshold is 200 percent of the SMI for the holder, at least 75 percent of the SMI for the first family member and a further 25 percent for each additional one. Spouses, children and dependent parents can apply jointly or join later.
Official sources
- Ley 14/2013, de 27 de septiembre, de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalizaciónwww.boe.es
- Residence Application for Entrepreneursone.gob.es
- Telework visaexteriores.gob.es
- Frequently Asked Questions: Residence and Work Authorisations for International Teleworkersbibliovirtual.inclusion.gob.es
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Spain.
Startup visa
Entrepreneur visa or permit backed by a favorable ENISA report
02Temporary residence
3-year UGE-CE authorization, then a 2-year renewal
03Permanent residence
Long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal stay
04Citizenship
10 years with DELE A2 and CCSE; 2 years for Ibero-American nationals