Spain — International teleworking visa (Ley de Startups)
Spain's remote-worker authorisation under the Startups Law, lodged either at the consulate or as a residence application from inside Spain through the UGE.
Requirements
- Non-EU nationality
- Employer or clients established outside Spain, with the relationship at least 3 months old
- Employer trading for at least 1 year, or, for freelancers, no more than 20% of income from Spanish clients
- Graduate degree, professional qualification or 3 years of relevant experience
- Spanish social security registration or an A1 / bilateral coverage certificate
- Income test met, uplifted for dependants
- Clean criminal record, sworn declaration of no prior convictions
- Income test
- Monthly income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage (SMI), with higher amounts required for each accompanying family member.
- Permit length
- Visa valid 1 year, or a 3-year residence authorisation when lodged in Spain, renewable.
- Typical timeframe
- 2–4 months from a complete file
- Government charges
- Consular or UGE application fee and the TIE card fee, paid at cost to the Spanish authorities.
Document checklist
You upload these once you have placed the order. Nothing identifying is requested before then.
- Passport bio-data page, valid for the whole requested stay
- Recent passport-specification photographs
- Police clearance certificate from every country lived in over the last 5 years
- Proof of remote work: employment contract, client contracts or company registration
- Income evidence: 6 months of payslips, invoices or company distributions
- Personal bank statements for the last 6 months
- Proof of accommodation in the destination country
- Private health insurance covering the destination country
- Curriculum vitae
- Marriage certificate and birth certificates, where family members are included
- Degree certificate or documented proof of 3 years' professional experience
- Employer letter authorising remote work from Spain
- Social security coverage certificate (A1) or Spanish social security registration
- Proof the employer or clients have traded for at least 1 year
- NIE, where already issued
Stages you are emailed about
- 1File opened and lawyer assigned
- 2Document collection, apostille and sworn translation
- 3Social security and qualification evidence confirmed
- 4Application lodged with the consulate or UGE
- 5Administration review and any requerimiento answered
- 6Authorisation granted
- 7TIE biometric appointment
- 8Residence card issued
Every stage change sends you an email and is written to the audit log in your portal. You can change what you receive at any time in your email preferences.
Official government forms
Download the current application forms directly from the official government source, so you always have the latest version.
The legal work on your application is carried out by an independent, locally licensed law firm in the destination country, engaged for your file. PermitDirect prepares, certifies and coordinates the documents and keeps you updated. We are not a law firm and we do not give immigration advice. No residence permit or visa outcome is guaranteed — the decision belongs solely to the competent authority.
Requirement and income figures shown here are the thresholds published by each authority and change without notice. Your instructing lawyer confirms the exact figures and document list that apply to your file before anything is lodged.