Residence Application for Entrepreneurs
Benefits
Foreign nationals who are not residents of the EU and who wish to enter Spain, or who, being holders of a stay or residence permit or visa, intend to start, develop, or manage an entrepreneurial economic activity in Spain.
- If you are an entrepreneur and hold a visa to carry out the procedures prior to starting an entrepreneurial activity:
- Proof that you hold a residence visa for the start of an entrepreneurial activity (or that you are within a maximum period of ninety calendar days after its expiry).
- Documentation proving your registration in the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers and payment of the Economic Activities Tax.
- If you are an entrepreneur without a visa to carry out the procedures prior to starting an entrepreneurial activity:
- Proof of the legal requirements necessary to start the activity or, where applicable, copies of the applications submitted (licences, professional qualification or professional association membership where applicable, etc.).
- If you hold a stay permit or a study stay permit in Spain of less than six months, you must submit a criminal record certificate from the country or countries where you have resided during the last five years.
- Business plan including a description of the project, the product or service, market analysis, financing, added value for the Spanish economy, and your professional profile (CV).
- If you have already started the activity, you must submit a document proving your registration in the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers and payment of the Economic Activities Tax.
- The completed application form.
- A copy of the full valid passport or travel document and, where applicable, that of your family members.
- Proof of sufficient financial means for yourself and your family members during your period of residence in Spain.
- Public or private health insurance taken out with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, unless you will carry out an activity through which you will be covered by the National Health System.
- Proof of payment of the corresponding fee.
- If the applicant is already in Spain when the application is submitted and holds a stay permit or a study stay permit of less than six months, they must submit the original criminal record certificate from the country or countries where they have resided during the last five years.
What steps should you follow?
Step 1. Application and submission of the project evaluation report.
Log in and complete the form “Residence Authorization for Entrepreneurs” on Enisa’s website. Once inside, you must fill out the questionnaire with the project details. Enisa will then inform the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit of your application submission, and once the proposal is evaluated, it will issue the report.
Step 2. Visa application and payment of the fee.
Complete and sign the application form (MIT form) as the entrepreneur.
You must pay fee 038 of model 790 – section 7, either in cash or via a bank account. After payment, you will obtain the NRC (Complete Reference Number), which you must include when requesting the authorization.
Step 3. Application through the UGE electronic headquarters.
Once the MIT form is completed, you must access the electronic headquarters of the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit, select “new application,” and fill in the authorized person’s details.
After uploading the documentation and clicking the “sign” button, you will receive a receipt confirming the submission.
Do you need additional information?
Modelo de solicitud de autorización residencia titulares MI-T
Format: .pdf. 231.53 KB
Solicitud para familiares
Format: .pdf. 194.21 KB
You must provide proof of both the general and specific requirements established for each type of authorization, in accordance with Law 14/2013. You can consult an indicative list of the documentation to be submitted on the website of the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit.
To prove that an entrepreneurial or business activity is innovative and of special economic interest to Spain, the applicant must obtain a favorable report from ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación, S.A.), which issues a report on the viability and innovation of the project. This report is sent directly to the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE‑CE), which uses it to decide on the residence authorization regulated by Law 14/2013.
To obtain long-term residence, you must meet the general requirements set out in the Regulations of Organic Law 4/2000. The most common case is having legally and continuously resided in Spanish territory for five years.
Residence will not be affected by absences from Spanish territory of up to six consecutive months, provided that the total does not exceed ten months (or one year if the absence is for work reasons) within the five-year period, unless the departures were made irregularly.
Regarding stays in Schengen countries, there is no difference between authorizations regulated by Law 14/2013 and other residence authorizations. That is: any foreign resident in Spain has the right to move freely within the territory of the States applying the Schengen Agreement for a period not exceeding three months per semester. (Currently, the countries applying the Agreement are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Netherlands, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland.)
The required documentation for traveling between these States is a valid travel document (passport or other) and the residence authorization. You must also make a declaration of entry in the corresponding State. For more information, you can consult the website of the Ministry of the Interior.
At the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit of the Subdirectorate General for Immigration, part of the Directorate General for Migration, under the Secretariat General for Immigration and Emigration of the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, located at Plaza de la Remonta, number 12, 3rd floor, postal code 28071, Madrid.
In particular, they can be submitted, if preferred, at the registry of the Secretariat General for Immigration and Emigration at Calle José Abascal, 39, Madrid, as well as at the headquarters of the aforementioned Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit at Plaza de la Remonta, Madrid; in the latter case, by prior appointment. For more information about appointments, consult the website of the Large Companies Unit.
Applications can also be submitted online with a digital certificate through the electronic headquarters of the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, where you will find all the information about electronic processing.
The applicant, depending on the type of authorization, may be:
- For initial authorizations:
- In the case of investors and entrepreneurs, the foreign person themself.
- For highly qualified professionals, researchers, or intra-company transfers, the company or entity requiring the foreign person’s services.
- For family authorizations:
- If the application is submitted jointly with that of the main holder, it will be the main holder (in the case of investors and entrepreneurs) or the company or entity (in the case of highly qualified professionals, researchers, or intra-company transfers).
- If the application is submitted later, it may be one of the above or the family member themself.
Renewals are submitted by the foreign holder of the authorization (family members apply for the renewal of their own authorization). Applications can be submitted by the applicant or through an accredited representative.
Foreigners who have been issued a residence visa under this regulation may remain in Spain for a period of one year, authorizing the holder’s residence in Spain without the need to process the Foreigner Identity Card.
However, those who obtain a residence authorization under Law 14/2013 must personally apply for the Foreigner Identity Card. The resolution granting the authorization indicates the procedure, documentation, and where it can be requested.
When submitting the application in person, you must bring the original and a copy; the UGE will keep only the copy. If you submit it at a public registry, you must bring the original and a copy and send only a certified copy.
You will find the residence authorization application forms at this link.
The law establishes as a requirement not to be in Spain irregularly, so you must meet this requirement at the time of application.
Submitting the residence authorization application will extend the validity of the residence or stay status you hold until the procedure is resolved.
Yes, it is possible, provided that the requirements for modifying an authorization established by the Regulations of Organic Law 4/2000 are met.
Yes. The fourth additional provision of Law 14/2013 establishes that residence authorizations allow residence and work (both self-employed and employed).
During their stay in Spain, foreign nationals must have coverage either through public healthcare or private insurance. It is not necessary to provide proof of insurance when there is a prospect that the foreign national (as well as their family members) will be insured under the National Health System, due to registration with Social Security as a result of an employment contract or a professional relationship.
In the case of entrepreneurs, if the activity is not going to start immediately, insurance policies with limited validity are accepted (for example, travel insurance, which usually has a validity of three months).
In all other cases, you must have public or private health insurance contracted with an insurance company authorized to operate in Spain, providing coverage equivalent to that of the National Health System and for the duration of your authorization or at least one year, renewable (travel insurance is not valid).
For inquiries about Social Security contributions, you can visit the Social Security website.
All documents must be translated into Spanish. In the case of public documents from foreign nationals, they must also bear the Hague Apostille or, failing that, have been legalized through diplomatic channels.
You can obtain more information about document legalization at this link.
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