Spain start-up visa: renewal and modification to other residence permits

This article is a practical guide to the two key tasks facing a holder of a start-up residence permit in Spain: renewing it (renovación) and/or switching to another type of residence (modificación) without losing legal status.

Startup/Entrepreneur residence authorisation (residencia para emprendedores) is what is most often renewed within Spain: a residence and work permit under Ley 14/2013, processed by the UGE‑CE. The permit is issued for 3 years and then renewed for 2 years.

Who runs the process: ENISA and the UGE‑CE

ENISA

ENISA takes part in assessing the project: it is ENISA that evaluates whether the project is innovative or of special economic interest. ENISA is responsible for assessing the business plan and liaises with the immigration authorities.

ENISA also has a second role unrelated to visas: it provides participative loans to businesses. It is a separate procedure and the two should not be confused; see our article on how to get ENISA funding.

What exactly ENISA offers and how to get its loan is covered separately: ENISA funding.

UGE‑CE

The UGE‑CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos) is the key “entry point” for Ley 14/2013 procedures: applications, additional submissions, corrections, renewals and notifications all go through its electronic platform.

The UGE officially lists the types of residence it handles under Ley 14/2013: Emprendedores, Profesionales altamente cualificados, Investigadores, ICT, Teletrabajadores internacionales and others, including family members

Renewing a start-up residence permit (renovación): logic, deadlines, documents

What the law says about duration and renewal

Under Ley 14/2013 an entrepreneur’s or start-up founder’s residence permit is issued for 3 years, after which a renovación for 2 years is possible, and the law mentions the prospect of obtaining “permanent” residence after 5 years if the requirements are met.

You can apply for renewal from 2 months before the expiry date up to 3 months after it.

Where to apply for renewal

Renewal (like other steps in Ley 14/2013 cases) is filed through the electronic platform “Presentación de solicitudes…”, which also states that for renovaciones the applicant is the foreign national themselves (or the parents/guardians of minors).

List of documents for renewal

• A full scan of your valid passport.
• Modelo 790 código 038: the form + proof of payment (justificante).
• Formulario MI‑T (MIT), signed by the applicant.
• If you are moving from employment to your own business, you will need cuenta propia status

For the SL company (the focus is on “legal hygiene” and genuine activity):

• The latest cuentas anuales (annual accounts) filed with the Registro Mercantil.
• The latest Modelo 347 (annual return of transactions with third parties).
• A certificado that the company is “al corriente” (up to date) with the Seguridad Social.
• A certificado that the company is “al corriente” with the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT)

Modelo 347:

Modelo 347, the “Declaración anual de operaciones con terceros” (annual return of transactions with third parties), is filed in February for the previous year’s transactions.

The official instructions for renewing a start-up visa are published by the Spanish ministry (PDF)

ENISA at renewal: how to prepare

Renewal uses a business plan template similar to the one for the initial application. For renewal it is important to show that the project has developed. The foundation of the renewal is the company’s original business plan and its compliance.

Typical red flags and causes of problems

1) You cannot obtain an “al corriente” certificate from the Seguridad Social

Our key source explicitly marks this as a RED FLAG: if the company has no employees, you may not be able to obtain the “al corriente” certificate (for the company) “in the usual form”, and this needs to be resolved in advance with a gestor. Source

2) Technical debts and unfiled reports

• no cuentas anuales filed,
• outstanding obligations to the AEAT/Seguridad Social,
• incorrect or expired certificates.
• To avoid this, companies usually do not handle their reporting themselves: what a gestor’s work includes and which forms they file, such as Modelo 036 and Modelo 100, is covered separately.

3) No evidence of genuine activity

In an entrepreneur renewal, what often decides the outcome is not a “nice presentation” but the plain paper trail of the business: reports, tax returns, counterparties, no debts.

Modification (modificación): when it is better to change your residence permit rather than renew it

Modification is a change of residence type when:

• the start-up objectively cannot pass renewal (especially because of compliance, social security or tax issues),
• you have changed your employment model (taken a job in Spain, moved to remote work, gone into research),
• you want a more stable path to larga duración (long-term residence).

The UGE officially handles several types of residence permit within Ley 14/2013, which makes switches within the UGE range the fastest and most logical.

In addition, the UGE electronic platform is explicitly designed for the full cycle: initial application → additional submissions → subsanación (correction) → renovación.

Where you can move from a start-up residence permit: all the main routes

Below are the main “live” routes actually used to replace a start-up residence permit.

The three most common are covered below. If none of them fits, the full set of grounds, including arraigo, study and family routes, is collected in our overview of Spanish residence permits in 2026.

A) Start-up visa → Teletrabajador de carácter internacional (digital nomad)

This is one of the most popular “turns” if you have started working remotely.

What the law says:

• For teletrabajo, Ley 14/2013 provides requirements (in separate articles), a visa, residence and renewal. In particular, a teleworker’s residence permit is renewed for 2 years at a time as long as the conditions are maintained.

Where to apply: through the UGE platform; for a teletrabajador (as for an emprendedor) the applicant is the foreign national themselves.

There are many successful cases. The key thing is to have at least autónomo status open.

B) Start-up visa → Profesional altamente cualificado (highly qualified professional / PAC)

If you have received a job offer in Spain for a suitable position.

The UGE explicitly includes highly qualified professionals in the list of permit types it handles.

An important practical point: for the PAC the applicant is usually the company or organisation, as reflected on the application page: for a “profesional altamente cualificado” the application is filed by the Spanish entity.

C) Leaving Ley 14/2013 for the “general regime” (LO 4/2000): cuenta propia / cuenta ajena and others

This scenario is used when:

• there are no grounds to remain within the UGE categories,
• you want “ordinary” self-employment or “ordinary” employment under the general regime.

The principle is indirectly reflected in the law as well: after research activity ends, it mentions the need to apply for “the corresponding permit” among those governed by LO 4/2000 or Ley 14/2013 (meaning that movement between “regimes” is allowed).

There are several successful cases, but there are also refusals.

Strategy checklist: renew or modify

Choose renewal if:

• everything is in order with the company: cuentas anuales, Modelo 347 (if required), no debts to the AEAT/Seguridad Social
• your business is genuinely continuing and it suits you to keep your entrepreneur status.

Choose modification if:

• you have red flags (especially with social security or certificates), and renewal may fail or will be costly in time and effort.
• your real life is no longer that of a “start-up founder” but:
  • remote work → digital nomad
  • a Spanish job offer → highly qualified professional (through the employer)
  • running a business that is not innovative → Cuenta Propia

Alternative options

Have your husband or wife apply for a start-up visa and join them as a family member. You get a residence permit for another three years.

Have your husband or wife apply as a digital nomad and join them as a family member. You get a residence permit for another three years.

 

Where a start-up residence permit that is later renewed begins: the case of an application for four founders, with a business plan, two government bodies and a decision on the last day of the deadline.