📅 Last updated: 1 October 2026
For Fintech FoundersSpain Startup Visa for Fintech Innovators
EU market access for your fintech startup: the regulatory sandbox, the PSD2 licensing path and Barcelona's fintech ecosystem.
This guide covers what is specific to fintech: how to present financial technology to ENISA, the regulatory sandbox, and building banking partnerships in Spain.
Full guide to the Spain startup visa: requirements, timeline and costs
The Startup residency permit at a glance
- Duration
- 3 years
- Financial requirement
- €34,188 (2026) for the main applicant
- Family and partner's work rights
- Spouse, children, and parents
- Business plan
- Innovative IT project
Spain vs Other EU Fintech Hubs
Where should you launch your fintech startup in Europe?
| Option | Processing Time | Cost | Difficulty | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RecommendedSpain (Barcelona/Madrid) | ~8 weeks startup residence | Low visa fees, competitive living | Moderate (ENISA review) | Best for PSD2 gateway + quality of life |
| UK (London) | Innovator Founder visa | Higher costs, complex visa | High (endorsement required) | Established fintech hub, post-Brexit complexity |
| Lithuania (Vilnius) | Faster EMI licensing | Lower costs | Easier licensing | Quick EMI licences, smaller market |
| Germany (Berlin) | Freelance visa route | Moderate | Complex BaFin regulation | Larger market, stricter regulation |
Spain's Fintech Sector, by the Official Count
427
Non-bank fintechs in Spain
The Bank of Spain's census, as updated in May 2025.
71
Of them in Barcelona province
Second to Madrid's 148, ahead of València's 14. Counted across the 294 entities whose 2023 accounts the Bank of Spain holds, not the full census.
291 → 427
Growth of the census since 2020
The same census counted 291 resident fintechs in 2020, so it has grown by about half in five years. It counts entities, not investment: there is no official Spain-wide fintech investment figure to quote.
What do you get?
Full Spanish residence permit for 3 years for you and your family — spouse, children, and parents — with the right to work and do business.
- Access to Spain's regulatory sandbox for testing fintech products
- EU-wide passporting under PSD2 and MiCA once you are licensed
- Barcelona's growing fintech ecosystem with 100+ startups
- Spanish banks run active fintech partnership programmes
- Beckham Law tax benefits through an SL company structure
- Travel across the Schengen area without visas
- Permanent residence after 5 years in Spain
- Children born in Spain can apply for citizenship after 1 year
- Spanish passport after 10 years
ENISA updates for 2026
Recent changes in the Startup residency permit review process
Processing takes about 8 weeks
Processing now runs about 8 weeks end to end: roughly 5 weeks for the mandatory ENISA report and 3 weeks for the UGE decision (2026).
Financial requirement is now €34,188
Financial requirement: €34,188 (2026) per founder, based on 200% SMI (BOE 126/2026, confirmed 19 February 2026)
87% approval across our own cases
Across our own cases the approval share runs at about 87% when there is a real, operating project — our figure, not official data.
What ENISA looks for in your project description
Innovation
Innovation carries the most weight. Describe your own technology, your R&D spending, and what clearly sets you apart from others in the niche
Traction
Show traction: a product at MVP stage or launched, investment received, and clients — at least pre-contracts or letters of intent
The founding team
Present the founders as talent — the team must match the project's complexity and field
B2B preferred
B2B reads better than B2C. General wording will not work — explain exactly how the product works, why, and what your unique value proposition is
Types of innovation the Startup residency permit accepts
Four kinds of innovation that pass ENISA review
Breakthrough innovation
A new technical or scientific solutionA new neural network, or a new material with unique properties — needs published research and patentsImprovement innovation
A better version of an existing solutionA retrained neural network that outperforms competitors, or implants that last 25 years instead of 10Combinatorial innovation
Existing solutions combined into something newConnecting two neural networks to get a new business resultDiffusion innovation
A solution moved from one field to anotherUsing GPT to generate management reports from video instead of text
Requirements
- An innovative business plan — most serious IT projects can qualify
- Professional experience that matches your business plan
- A legal way to enter Spain (any Schengen visa, of any duration)
- A startup idea — project description, business model, and some traction
- Proof of funds: 200% of the annual SMI — €34,188 in 2026, plus more for each family member
You can do this yourself. Or we can do it.
Everything you need is on this page — the requirements, the process, the full document checklist. Founders do file on their own. Here is what the bureaucratic half of the work actually takes, and what we do if you would rather spend that time on the company.
- Eligibility check
- Your document list
- Forms and filing
- Until the resolution
Bringing family: Spouse, or a dependent child aged 18 or over — from €500. Child under 18 — from €400.
Procedure and timeline
Every step, from preparing your documents to collecting your residence card.
1 week
Write your business plan
Write your business plan in the ENISA form format and prepare your documents
Upon arrival
Come to Spain
Enter Spain and scan your passport, including the entry stamp. Everyone who applies must be in Spain legally
1 day
Submit documents online
Upload your documents as PDF files and submit the residence permit application online
~8 weeks
Wait for the decision
By law the UGE has 20 working days, but that clock pauses while it waits for the ENISA report. In practice about 8 weeks: roughly 5 weeks for the ENISA report and 3 weeks for the UGE decision. You do not have to wait in Spain.
When ready
Get the approval
The decision arrives as a PDF file. You do not need to collect anything in person at this stage
1 visit
Give your fingerprints
In person in Spain only: book a police appointment, go, and give your fingerprints
15–20 days
Collect your residence card
Collect your residence card (TIE, a plastic card). Everyone who gave fingerprints collects their card in person
Documents you need
What the main applicant and each family member file
Passport scan — all pages
Bank statement showing €34,188 (2026)
Health insurance
Fee payment receipt — €73.26
Main application — Form MI-T
Criminal record certificate with sworn (jurada) translation, plus a criminal record declaration
Business plan, in the ENISA form
Proof of legal entry into Spain
Power of attorney, if someone files for you
Main application — Form MI-F
Fee payment receipt
Marriage or birth certificate with sworn (jurada) translation
Passport scan — all pages
Health insurance
Bank statement (same as the main applicant)
Criminal record certificate with sworn (jurada) translation
Proof of legal entry into Spain
Power of attorney, if someone files for you
Certificate that the marriage is still valid
Legal framework
The law and the official documents behind the startup visa — formally, the Startup residency permit
Official UGE Instructions
Filing instructions from the Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE)
Download the PDF instructionsLaw 14/2013
Full text of the law. Article 69, "Residencia para emprendedores", is the residency permit itself
Read the law“La solicitud de autorizaciones de residencia previstas en esta sección prorrogará la vigencia de la situación de residencia o de estancia de la que fuera titular el solicitante hasta la resolución del procedimiento”
Questions from Fintech Founders
The sandbox is run by the Bank of Spain and the CNMV. Once you hold the startup visa and have set up your company, you can apply to join. Inside the sandbox you test innovative financial products with real customers under regulatory supervision. Approval typically takes 3 to 6 months. The startup visa does not guarantee you a place — it gives you the legal footing to apply.
ENISA looks favourably on fintech projects that show: 1) genuine technological innovation, not just another payment app, 2) a B2B focus or a distinctive B2C approach, 3) awareness of compliance and a clear regulatory path, 4) traction, or letters of intent from potential partners and customers. Put your own technology, your data security measures and what sets you apart from traditional financial services at the front.
Spanish banks are increasingly open to fintechs. BBVA, Santander and CaixaBank all run active partnership programmes. A workable order: 1) open a business account with a digital-friendly bank — N26, Revolut Business or a Spanish neobank, 2) build initial traction, 3) approach the banks' innovation departments. A startup visa and a Spanish company help establish credibility.
Yes. Once you hold a PSD2 licence in Spain — as a payment institution or e-money institution — you can passport it to every EU/EEA country. That is the main advantage of Spain over non-EU jurisdictions. The Bank of Spain handles the licensing, and full authorisation typically takes 6 to 12 months. You can apply once your Spanish company is set up.
Spain applies MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets). Crypto and blockchain fintechs can get startup visas — ENISA has approved blockchain projects. To operate as a crypto service provider you need to register with the Bank of Spain; MiCA passporting follows once you are registered. When presenting to ENISA, put the technology and the use case at the front, not speculation.
General startup visa questions are answered in the full guide
Related guides
Core pages for choosing the right Spanish residence route.