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Three-year EU residency for innovative founders, with a clear path to permanent residency and citizenship
Spain’s Startup Visa, formalised under the 2022 Ley de Startups (Startup Law), is a residence permit for founders building scalable, innovative businesses with Spanish operations. Unlike the discontinued Spain Golden Visa, it rewards economic activity rather than passive capital, and it grants three-year residency on a single approval — up from the prior two-year framework.
The route is open to founders whose project is certified as “innovative entrepreneur” activity by ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación) or another accredited entity before the visa application is filed. Renewal is tied to ongoing business activity.
A single approval grants three years of residence, reducing renewal friction during early business growth.
The right to live and operate in Spain, with full Schengen mobility across 45+ countries.
Qualifying applicants may elect Spain’s special non-resident regime, often called the Beckham Law, capping personal income tax at 24% on up to EUR 600,000 of Spanish-source income for up to six years. Eligibility requires recent non-residency in Spain.
Permanent residency after five years of continuous legal residence, and citizenship after ten years of legal residence.
Calibrated for genuinely innovative, scalable business activity rather than passive investment.
Founders building scalable, technology-driven businesses with documented innovation — R&D, defensible IP, or novel business models.
Eligible for Spanish citizenship after two years of legal residence rather than the standard ten.
Founders eligible to elect Spain’s special non-resident regime on Spanish-source income.
Founders relocating with spouse and dependent children, drawing on Spanish public healthcare and education.
The principal route: a scalable, innovative business project certified by ENISA or another accredited evaluator. Project capital varies by activity; applicants typically demonstrate working capital from EUR 25,000 alongside ongoing operating capacity.
Annual living expenses of approximately EUR 30,000 for the principal applicant, plus an additional 75% of that figure for the spouse and 25% per child, held and traceable in advance of application.
The discontinued Spain Golden Visa (real-estate-led residence) is no longer an eligible route; passive property investment does not grant residency under the post-2025 framework.
Proof-of-funds figures are held-and-traceable requirements rather than payments. Mirsatori confirms the full cost position in writing before any application is filed.
Over 18, clean criminal record across all countries of residence in the past five years, valid health insurance, ENISA (or accredited equivalent) certification of the underlying business project as scalable and innovative.
In official marriage or recognised civil partnership.
Under 18 automatically; older children if financially dependent and in full-time education.
The applicant must remain actively engaged in the certified business throughout the residence-permit validity. Renewals are conditional on ongoing project activity and compliance.
Cross-border decisions with clarity — from relocation and structuring to long-term planning, risk reduction, and private coordination.
Speak with a partnerMirsatori reviews the founder’s business model, market traction, and tax-residency clock to confirm fit for the Startup Visa pathway.
The innovative-entrepreneur dossier is prepared and filed with ENISA or an accredited evaluator, with iterative feedback addressed under Mirsatori’s supervision.
Passport, criminal-record certificate, proof of funds, health insurance, and the ENISA certification are filed at the Spanish consulate in the applicant’s country of primary residence.
The applicant enters Spain on the visa, applies for the residence-permit card, and submits biometrics.
The three-year permit is issued, with derivative permits for family members in parallel and renewal conditional on ongoing project activity.
| Category | Spain (Startup) | France (Tech) | Portugal | Hungary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status Duration | 3 years | 4 years | 2+3+3 years | 1 year, renewable to 3 |
| Minimum Investment | From EUR 25,000 | From EUR 25,000 | From EUR 250,000 | EUR 7,700 + EUR 1,500/month |
| Citizenship Waiting | 10 years (2 for LatAm) | 5 years | 5 years | 8 years |
| Tax Regime | Beckham Law (24% cap) | Standard French rates | NHR where eligible | Standard Hungarian rates |
| Innovation Required | Yes (ENISA cert.) | Yes (French Tech) | Optional | No |
From EUR 25,000 in project capital, alongside documented proof of funds for living expenses.
No strict day-count is imposed, but ongoing project activity is required — which typically implies meaningful presence in Spain — and absence may affect renewal and citizenship eligibility.
ENISA evaluates innovation, scalability, market traction, technology defensibility, and economic-and-social impact. Qualifying activity is typically technology, life sciences, clean energy, or other R&D-led work; conventional retail, hospitality, and pure-services models do not qualify.
Permanent residency after five years of continuous legal residence; citizenship after ten years, reduced to two years for nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Sephardic Jews.
No. It was discontinued in 2025; the Startup Visa is among the principal active routes for founders seeking Spanish residency.
Send a one-paragraph brief on the decision in front of you. You will have a considered reply within one business day, under signed NDA — the first conversation carries no fee. Where the position is complex, we scope a written memo from there.
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