Startup visa for Spain: requirements and how to get it
12/05/2025 
Reading time: 5 min How to get a startup visa for Spain: requirements and process
The startup visa (entrepreneur visa) grants Spanish residence to those launching an innovative business. Its real value isn't just legal relocation for the whole family — it's the tax break: a startup company pays corporate tax of 15% instead of 25% in its early years. The one decisive condition is non-financial: your business plan must be certified as innovative by ENISA, the state agency. That, not the money, is where most applications are filtered out.
Let's clear up a common money myth right away: the startup visa needs noticeably less capital than the digital nomad visa — many blogs wrongly apply the nomad formula to it. Done under one roof: startup residence permit.
- Key conditionENISA approvalThe project must be innovative and useful to the economy.
- Funds to show≈ €7,200/year (100% IPREM)+ €3,600 (50% IPREM) per family member.
- Company tax15% instead of 25%Corporate tax in the early years, plus deferral.
- Card term1-year visa → 3-year permitOr a permit straight away if applying from Spain.
- Familyrelocates togetherWith the right to live and work in Spain.
What the startup visa is
A national visa and residence permit for entrepreneurs founding an innovative business in Spain or relocating one. It began under Ley 14/2013 and its conditions are now updated by the Startup Law, Ley 28/2022 (in force since 2023). Note: the "entrepreneur permit" and the "startup permit" refer to the same route — the residence for entrepreneurs with an ENISA-approved innovative project. The goal is to attract founders who strengthen the economy through technology, investment, exports and jobs.
Requirements — in brief
| Item | Condition |
|---|---|
| Business plan | Innovative, approved by ENISA; 20–50 pages in Spanish or English |
| Funds (applicant) | ≈ €7,200/year (100% IPREM; IPREM 2026 = €600/month) |
| Funds (family) | + ≈ €3,600 (50% IPREM) per family member |
| Age | 18+ |
| Insurance | Full Spanish private cover, no co-payments |
| Criminal record | Certificate for the last 2 years, apostille + sworn translation |
| Company tax | 15% in the early years, plus payment deferral |
What the business plan must prove
ENISA approval is the heart of the application. The project is judged on several criteria:
- Innovation — a unique idea, technology or business model, not a copy of something existing.
- Economic value — a contribution to growth, investment or exports.
- Jobs — a plan to hire local staff.
- Team competence — the founders' skills and experience to run this specific business.
You're not required to have a finished product or to invest in local assets upfront — the plan decides.
How to apply, step by step
- Refine the startup concept and growth strategy.
- Write a business plan (20–50 pages) in Spanish or English.
- Submit it to ENISA to assess innovation.
- Gather documents: passport, criminal-record certificate, bank statement, health insurance, fees — for each family member.
- Apply at a consulate (for a D visa) or directly to UGE-CE (for a permit, if you're already in Spain). Decision in 20 working days.
- After approval — fingerprints at the police and the TIE card.
Timelines, cost and the path to permanent residence
The whole journey from gathering documents to the card is about 4 months. Government fees are small; preparing the business plan typically costs around €2,000. The funds on account (see the table) aren't a payment — you show them, you don't spend them. As with other permits, after 5 years of continuous legal residence you can apply for permanent residence, and citizenship after 10. How this compares with other bases — in the residence permit guide; the tax side of running a business — in taxes in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources:
• BOE — Ley 28/2022 (Startup Law)
• ENISA — innovation assessment
• IPREM 2026 — €600/month, BOE
