Before preparing an “entrepreneur visa”, identify the route matching your nationality and status. The procedure described here concerns non-EU nationals who do not benefit from European freedom of movement rights. French citizens follow the EU route: they may work as employees or self-employed without a work permit, subject to applicable residence and business formalities. Sources: UGE instructions for entrepreneurs and Your Europe, working abroad.
This article organises application preparation. To understand whom the procedure covers, first consult our guide to entrepreneur residence in Spain. Criteria, documents and your situation must be examined before submission.
1. Check your status and project
For the non-EU route, check your immigration status, intended activity and supporting documents. The official UGE overview states that there is no minimum investment or job creation requirement. However, the project must receive a favourable ENISA report for an innovative activity and/or one of particular economic interest to Spain.
If you are French or another EU citizen, prepare formalities related to relocation and business activity instead. Your Europe explains workers’ residence rights.
2. Prepare the project submitted to ENISA
The UGE lists three assessment elements: your background and involvement, the business plan including the project and funding, and economic added value, innovation or investment opportunities. No percentage-based scoring scale is published on this page. Source: ENISA criteria presented by the UGE.
To prepare a coherent file, gather a precise description of the product or service, customers, your role, planned expenses and intended funding. Distinguish secured elements from assumptions: revenue, signed funding and prospects are not interchangeable.
The official submission instructions explain access to ENISA, the questionnaire and transmission of the report to the UGE. Follow the current fields and instructions rather than a business plan template presented as universal.
3. Gather supporting documents and submit the application
Prepare documents according to your situation and current administrative instructions: passport, form, resources, health coverage, evidence of payment and, where required, records relating to criminal history. Check translations or formalities required for each document. Source: UGE instructions and document list.
The residence application is submitted electronically to the UGE by the applicant or a representative. If you are outside Spain, check the appropriate authorisation and visa route. Article 69 provides for an initial three-year authorisation and the possibility of applying for a two-year renewal. Source: Law 14/2013, article 69.
Build your timetable around your file, any requests for additional documents and notifications received. Obtain a detailed quotation if you use a professional: project preparation, translations and representation may be separate services.
4. Check rights during the procedure and after the decision
Remote work for a foreign company depends on your status and applicable authorisations. Do not assume that a tourist stay or merely submitting an application permits it. The UGE presents a separate route for international remote workers.
For a family move, check each person’s applications and supporting documents. The framework permits applications for certain family members subject to conditions; examine the family relationship and the relevant file. Source: Law 14/2013, article 62.
Finally, residence and taxation should be treated separately. The inbound expatriate regime, often called the Beckham law, has its own conditions and opt-in arrangements. Entrepreneur residence does not automatically grant access. Source: Agencia Tributaria, special inbound expatriate regime.
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The official sources above were consulted on 14 October 2026. This preparation process is not an individual confirmation of eligibility, the right to work or tax treatment.