Start-up visa in Spain: conditions, ENISA report and procedure for submission of NEXO

Q: What kind of investment is needed for a startup visa?

The law does not specify the amount: ENISA estimates the business plan, the necessary investment and funding sources, and the form requests a four-year projection and an investment plan of 18-24 months.

Q: Does the Empresa certificate grant visa rights?

This is the Ley 28/2022 certificate with tax benefits (supplies 15% of the four periods). For a visa, ENISA needs a report on the founder ’s activities under article 70 Ley 14/2013. These are different procedures and the certificate of report does not replace [1][2].

Short

Officially: Residencia para emprendedores, articles 69 and 70 Ley 14/2013 as Ley 28/2022, valid three years, two years extension, permanent residence possible five years [1].
The main condition is: The report is 10 working days in advance of the report. [1].
Delivery: The decision is 20 days from the electronic application, otherwise the authorization is considered to be silencia positivo. [1].
Don't confuse: The startup visa is not equal to the Empresa Emergente (Ley 28/2022) certificate, which gives tax benefits to the company, and differs from the DNV and the vissa de cuenta propia on RD 1155/2024. [1][2][6].
Sent: Modelo 790, código 038, paragraph 7: 73.26 I for primary supply; for extension, the sum is shown in the Tasa table as code 038 on the agency page, check it before payment. [3].
A company in Spain may not exist at the time of delivery: ENISA accepts the project without NIF and address [4].

What is a startup visa in Spain?

The law does not contain a start-up visa, which is called autorización de residencia para emprendedores: a residence permit for an alien who wishes to start, develop or take over business in Spain, the basis being articles 69 and 70 Ley 14/2013 "de apoyo a los enprendores y su internationalización" in Ley 28/2022 on startups, which entered into force on 23 December 2022. [1][2]The permit is valid throughout Spain, and it is submitted by the Ministry of Inclusion, the Directorate General of the Ministry of Inclusion, and is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [1]The same UGE is dealing with DNV; comparison of procedures is in the article UGE: What does.

What conditions are needed for a startup visa?

Conditions are made of three parts [1][3]:

General requirements of article 62. You are not in Spain illegally, you are 18 years old, you have no convictions for offences under Spanish law in Spain and in the countries of residence for the past two years, plus a declaration of no convictions for the last five years; you are not listed on the entry ban lists under the agreements of Spain; you have public or private health insurance, sufficient funds for yourself and the family; you have paid the fee.
Business. Activities should be innovative and (or) of particular economic interest to Spain, as evidenced by the positive report of ENISA (art. 70.1).
Legal requirements for starting an operation. Do what industry law requires for your activity: licences, registration (art. 69.2).

The amount of funds considered sufficient is not named by Article 62. For DNV, the amounts are tied to SMI and are fixed in the instructions of the agencies, and for entrepreneurs we have not found such a number in official sources. Check the relevant guidelines from the agency or the lawyer.

What does ENISA assess in the activityidad emprendedora report?

UGE requests the ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Inovación) business report, which identifies three evaluation areas: applicant ’s professional profile and participation in the project; business plan with product or service and financing, including necessary investments and sources; elements that add value to the Spanish economy, innovation and investment opportunities (art. 70.2) [1]Report mandatory and prepared in 10 working days [1].

In Guía Visados 2026, ENISA explains how to fill out the form: the evaluation is based on the degree of innovation and scalability of the project; innovation is measured by product, process or model, patents and its own technology; objective criteria, such as public funding of projects over the past three years, a prize or recognition of the regional level, the MIS report on high innovation, and the results of the research project are clearly demonstrated. Sello PYME Inovadora: The size of the market, the company stage, the business model, competition, the team, shareholders, suppliers and customers is assessed by the attractiveness of the market [4]The form requests a projection for the next four years, an investment plan for 18-24 months and a funding scheme for them. [4].

Step-by-step procedure

You decide if the company will be there. ENISA accepts the project even if the company is not already established: then the form indicates the name of the project, the activity, the CNAE and the province. [4]I. The creation of SL by a non-resident has been discussed in the article How to Open SL in Spain.
Get the form to ENISA. Register in the ENISA personal office (Área privada), select "Autorización de residencia para emprendedores" and fill in the form: applicant data, business plan. [3][4].
Get the migration documents. MIT application, payment of duty on modulo 790,038, paragraph 7 (with NRC), passport, confirmation of funds, health insurance, certificate of incriminating (except when you have a permit or a permit is valid for longer than six months) [3].
Apply for UGE electronically with certificate or Cl@ve. UGE will request ENISA ’s report and decide within 20 days from the electronic application; if no decision is reached, the authorization is deemed to have been granted (art. 76) [1][3]The surrender shall extend your current stay or residence until the decision is reached [1].
If you're abroad, If you are authorized to apply for a visa, request a visa from the consulate; the visa is legally decided in 10 working days. [1]Impartiality certificate is then filed with the consulate. [3].
After entry If you have a permit valid for more than six months, you must have a card (Article 76.2). [1].

You can serve from Spain if you are legally present in Spain; UGE instructions for the application of the status of estancia (up to 90 days) with a certificate of indictability [3]If UGE sends a requerimiento, look. What is requerimiento UGE.

How much is a startup visa and how long is it?

Phase	Duration	Amount	Basis
ENISA report on actividad emprendedora	10 working days	We didn't find the bill on the report.	Ley 14/2013, art. 70.1 [1]
UGE Decision on the Resolution	20 days from electronic application, Silencio positivo	73.26 (initial); extension (renewal): Check the office page	Art. 76; modulo 790,038 para. 7 [1][3]
Visa in the consulate	10 working days	The consulate tariff	Art. 75.5 [1]
TIE	Politicala	Size is on the office page	Art. 76.2 [1]

The real period is usually longer: requerimiento suspends the account for days, and consulates report their rules. Official statistics on start-up visa applications are not available. Project costs, ENISA and transfers to the table are not included.

How does the startup visa differ from the DNV and the business visa?

Sign	DNV	Startup visa	Residencia por cuenta propia	Empresa empergente certificate
Basis	Ley 14/2013, art. 74 bis - 74 quinquies [1]	Ley 14/2013, art. 69-70 [1]	RD 1155/2024, arts. 82-86 [6]	Ley 28/2022, art. 3-5 [2]
For whom	Remote employment for companies outside Spain, Spanish clients up to 20% for professionals [1]	Founder of the innovation project in Spain [1]	Any independent activity in Spain with sufficient investment [6]	Company, not person [2]
Who decides	UGE, 20 days [1]	UGE, 20 days, ENISA report [1]	A visa in the consulate, 3 months, silence means no. [6]	ENISA, up to 3 months, silence positive [2]
Initial term	Up to 3 years [1]	3 years, extension 2 years [1]	1 year, 1 area and 1 sector [6]	Legal benefits for up to 5 to 7 years from creation [2]

DNV and startup visa are the same UGE, but it is not suitable for working for its own Spanish company, DNV: this status is intended for remote work outside Spain. Income threshold for DNV: 2,849 a month. separate articlegeneral choice of basis - Comparative tableIf a foreign company is moving you to its Spanish unit, it's not a start-up visa or a DNV: this case is dealt with in the article. ICT, intracorporate translation.

What is empresa emergente, and what does she have to do with the visa?

Empresa Emergente is a Ley 28/2022 certificate issued by ENISA and not a visa, and must meet the conditions: established no more than five years ago (seven years for a number of sectors), not distributing dividends, not traded on the market, has a legal address or establecimiento permanente in Spain, at least 60% of the Spanish labour contract, is in the process of an innovative scale project (art. 3) [2]. In return, the company pays Impuesto sobre Sociedades at a rate of 15% in the first positive period and in the next three (Article 7). [2]. ENISA evaluates the application up to three months, silence means approval (Article 4) [2][5]The certificate does not replace ENISA's visa report: these are different procedures.

Typical start-up errors

A business plan. ENISA requests a four-year projection, an 18-24-month investment and funding scheme; without figures, no form is filled out [4].
A travesty with an empresa empergente certificate. It's a separate procedure for the company, not for the visa. [2][5].
Trying to get a DNV instead. DNV is intended for companies outside Spain and a professional can work for a Spanish company by no more than 20% [1].
No record of incriminating. The Spanish authorities, together with the application, submit certificates and declarations; the consulate takes a certificate from abroad [3].
Ignoring industry licences. Article 69.2 requires that the legal conditions for commencement of activities be fulfilled [1].
Waiting for a pre-known outcome. The decision is made by ENISA and UGE, and it cannot be made.

When does it take a case?

A review is needed when the project has several founders and is not all; when the activity requires a licence; when you want to apply for a stay status from Spain; when you need to choose between start-up, DNV and cuenta propia; when the project is still without a prototype and it is not clear whether ENISA will be innovative. The threshold numbers for this are not clear, depending on your case; check with the lawyer before filing.

What can we help you with?

The NEXO team in Barcelona is looking into whether you want a startup visa, a DNV or another base, and helping you prepare a package for UGE. We don't evaluate the project instead of ENISA and promise approval. First consultation: 30 minutes free, full consultation: 121 I in 45 minutes. Record: ConsultationIII. Service lines: Digital nomad ’s residence permit, Residence permit with workII. Overview of the grounds: Residence permit in Barcelona.

Frequent issues

What is a startup visa in Spain, and what is it officially called?

Officially, this is the autorizacion de residencia para emprendedores (articles 69 and 70 Ley 14/2013, version Ley 28/2022). [1].

Do you need a registered company to start up a startup visa?

No: In the form of ENISA, you can specify a project without NIF, name, activity, CNAE and province. If a company already exists, you need its name, NIF and address. In any case, you must comply with legal requirements to start an activity, for example, with the necessary licences. [1][4].

How many permits were in force and could you obtain permanent residence?

The initial term of three years, the two-year extension, permanent residence can be obtained after five years (art. 69.1 Ley 14/2013). The permit is valid throughout Spain; the conditions for extension and permanent residence must be checked according to the relevant text of the law before submitting a request for a permit. [1].

What kind of investment is needed for a startup visa?

The law doesn't call the amount: ENISA estimates the business plan, the necessary investment and the funding sources, and the form asks for a four-year forecast and an investment plan for 18-24 months. [1][4].

How much is the startup visa application pending?

UGE decides 20 days from the electronic application, otherwise the permit is considered to be issued by silencia positivo; ENISA's report is prepared 10 working days, the visa of the consulate is decided 10 working days. [1].

Can you apply for a tourist visa in Spain?

Yes, if you are in Spain legally: UGE allows for the application of estancia status (up to 90 days), then you need to have a certificate of independency and a declaration over the last five years. [1][3].

Does the Empresa certificate grant visa rights?

No, it's a Ley 28/2022 tax-reward certificate (a 15% four-period supply). For a visa, ENISA needs a report on the founder's activities under article 70 Ley 14/2013. These are different procedures and the certificate of report does not replace the certificate of credit. [1][2].

Based on source

Sources are viewed on 02.10.2026. Consolidated texts and departmental reference pages are informative: legal application takes into account official publications, changes and specific circumstances. Material has not been personally checked by counsel.

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The source is viewed on 02.10.2026 · NEXO · Drafting Draft · Sources do not replace individual legal advice.