Spain vs Portugal Startup Visa

Spain's startup residence runs at roughly 8 weeks end to end: about 5 weeks for the mandatory ENISA report, then 3 weeks for the UGE decision. The legal deadline is 20 working days, suspended while that report is awaited.

Portugal's founder route, the StartUP Visa, varies more — commonly 90-120 days once you include finding an incubator and signing the incubation contract.

If a predictable timeline matters, Spain has the edge. A well-prepared Portuguese application with an incubator already lined up can still move quickly.

No. ENISA, a government agency, evaluates your project directly — no incubator partnership needed. That is a real advantage if you are an experienced founder who does not want incubator oversight.

Portugal's founder route, the StartUP Visa (art. 89.º(4)), requires an incubation contract with an IAPMEI-certified incubator. The Portuguese Tech Visa is a different scheme — employer certification for hired employees, with no incubator involved — and it is not a founder route.

If you already have a relationship with a certified Portuguese incubator, that is a genuine advantage on the Portuguese side.

Spain's Beckham Law gives startup founders a 24% flat tax for up to 6 years — if they structure correctly, through an SL company as autónomo societario (not autónomo profesional). Portugal's NHR regime has been replaced with narrower rules for new applicants. For tech founders willing to set up an SL, Spain's offer is competitive. Tax situations are personal — talk to tax advisors in both countries before deciding.

Portugal — Lisbon in particular — has historically been more crypto-friendly, with a larger Web3 community. Both countries now apply the MiCA regulation, and Spain's ENISA has approved blockchain projects. If the Web3 community and networking matter most, Lisbon wins. If you want a larger market, Spain is competitive.

Both countries let you include family, but the timing differs sharply — see the question on Portuguese family reunification below. On income, Spain asks for an uplift: 75% of SMI for the first dependant, 25% for each further one. Portugal has similar thresholds. Spain has more international schools, especially in Barcelona and Madrid; Portugal can be cheaper outside Lisbon. Both have good healthcare. Choose the country you want to live in, not the smoother visa process.

Yes, but it is not trivial. You would apply separately in the second country — residence in one EU state does not transfer to another. If you are unsure, ask yourself: where do you want to live, where are your customers, and where is your network? The startup visa is a 3-year commitment to building in that country.

Yes. Lei Orgânica 1/2026 has applied since 19 May 2026: seven years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU member states, ten for everyone else. It used to be five.

It also added an exam on language, culture and history, a solemn declaration of adherence to democratic rule-of-law principles, and a requirement to show you can support yourself.

One change matters more than the headline: article 15(4) was revoked. That provision counted your residence from the date you filed the permit application, so years spent waiting in AIMA's queue no longer count.

Applications filed before 19 May 2026 keep the old law. Spain is also ten years — but two for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and for Sephardim.

With no children, after two years. This is the new article 98 as worded by Lei 61/2025, in force since 23 October 2025: you may apply for reunification once you hold a permit valid for at least two years. For a spouse you lived with for 18 months before entering, it is 15 months.

There are exemptions, and the founder routes are not among them: dependent minors and incapacitated persons, their parents, and holders of the Tech Visa, Golden Visa and EU Blue Card. Neither D2 nor the StartUP Visa is on that list.

The reunification decision itself takes up to nine months.

In Spain the family applies alongside the main applicant from the start. For a founder with a partner this is probably the single most decision-relevant difference between the two countries.

The government fee is €73.26. You also pay for health insurance, an apostilled criminal record certificate, and sworn translations. The total rarely exceeds €300–600. At roughly 8 weeks end to end, it is a low-cost route for entrepreneurs to test.

Several founders can apply together. Three co-founders (CEO, CTO, CMO) is a typical setup that works well. Up to 5 can apply for complex tech projects with substantial R&D, or when every founder has proven entrepreneurial experience. Each founder gets an individual residence permit with full work rights in Spain.

Will be checked only when renewing residence permit. You must at least open a company and start some activity. If you do nothing — no sanctions, but you won't be able to renew residence permit.

ENISA assesses the technological core of a project, not the industry it sits in: what you built yourself, where the technical risk lies, and whether the solution can grow without costs rising in step. Present that part of your project — your own development, your data, your product — rather than a general business description. If there is no technological core, repackaging will not create one: ENISA asks for evidence, and what works best is a running project with a product, customers, and a team. If that is not your situation, it is worth looking at another route, such as the digital nomad residence permit.

Yes! Spain startup visa includes family reunification benefits. Eligible family members: spouse/partner, children under 18, financially dependent adult children over 18, and parents (with proof of dependency). All family members receive full Spanish residence permits with complete work authorization — both employment and self-employment rights. Family members may also apply for Beckham Law if they meet eligibility criteria.

Across the applications we have handled ourselves, the approval share runs at about 87% when there is a real, operating project behind the file. That is our own figure, not official data, and it is not a guarantee for your case. Timing: about 8 weeks end to end — roughly 5 weeks for the mandatory ENISA report and 3 weeks for the UGE decision. By law the deadline is 20 working days (art. 76.1 Law 14/2013), but it is suspended while that report is awaited (art. 22.1.d Law 39/2015), which is normal procedure rather than a delay. What actually moves the outcome: a working product or MVP, real customers or contracts, documented funding, proven team experience, and a clear innovation case.

Startup visa founders can access Spain's Beckham Law — 24% flat tax for 6 years. Note: to qualify, founders typically structure through an SL company (Spanish limited company), receiving income as salary or administrator compensation. Corporate tax: 15% for first 4 profitable years (vs standard 25%), plus R&D deductions up to 42%. Without Beckham, personal income uses progressive rates (up to 47%). Tax structuring is complex — consult a Spanish tax advisor for your setup.

Spain startup visa offers superior benefits for serious entrepreneurs: 3-year initial permit, path to permanent residency and citizenship, no minimum income requirement, family reunification rights, and freedom to build a local business and hire employees. The digital nomad visa (also up to 3 years when filed from Spain via the UGE) requires proof of about €2,849/month in income, is for remote work only, and limits local business activities. For tech entrepreneurs building companies, the startup visa provides much better long-term opportunities in Spain and the EU.

No worries! Spanish immigration law (Article 76, Ley 14/2013) automatically extends your legal stay during startup visa processing. You can remain in Spain legally throughout the review period, even with an expired Schengen visa. Restriction: no EU travel until residence permit approval. This legal protection ensures entrepreneurs don't face overstay issues while their startup visa application is processed.

Spain startup visa has no nationality restrictions. Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and other CIS citizens regularly receive approvals. In recent years, over 50% of approved applications have come from Russian and CIS passport holders. Spain evaluates projects on merit, not nationality. Focus on strong business plan, innovation, and genuine entrepreneurial activity — nationality is not a barrier.

Strongly not recommended. This means lack of focus and uncertainty in projects. Founder should be fully dedicated to one specific business. However, you can have existing business as gained experience.

Spain startup visa approval requires strategic preparation: 1) Build working MVP before applying, 2) Secure real customers/contracts with documented revenue, 3) Show funding sources (personal, investors, grants), 4) Demonstrate team's tech expertise and previous experience, 5) Create detailed 3-year business plan with market analysis, 6) Highlight clear innovation and scalability, 7) Prepare all documents professionally. Thorough preparation is the single biggest factor in the outcome.

UGE may send a requerimiento for subsanación — for example, asking you to clarify the business plan or financial documents. Under Ley 39/2015 (art. 68), you have 10 business days from the notification date to respond (extendable by up to 5 more days on reasonable request). If you don't respond in time, the application is considered withdrawn (desistido). We handle the requerimiento response for you, start to finish.

Yes, but there's an important nuance for the startup visa. Formally, a refusal (resolución denegatoria) can be appealed — you file a recurso, usually within 1 month. But if the refusal is based on a negative assessment of the business plan, appealing is generally not worth it. It's far more effective — and this is both allowed and works well — to reapply for the residence permit, revising and updating the ENISA business plan based on the feedback. We review the reason for refusal and choose the right tactic: appeal or resubmission with a strengthened project.

After approval — once you're in Spain — you'll need to submit fingerprints (huellas) and get your TIE card, register your address (padrón) at the town hall, and set up a certificado digital / Cl@ve. The key step for the founder: register a company (usually an SL) within 6 months — no later — and register as an autónomo societario. It's exactly this ongoing activity that gets checked at renewal. We'll guide you through the right sequence and recommend trusted services, including SL incorporation and tax structure.

Yes. This is lawful residence in Spain, so the years count towards both milestones: five years of continuous lawful residence for permanent residence (residencia de larga duración) and ten years for citizenship by residence, which is the general term applying to most nationalities under article 22 of the Civil Code. Switching permit type does not reset the clock — years spent on the Digital Nomad permit, the startup/entrepreneur permit and the highly qualified professional permit add together, including when you move from one to another. What matters is that lawful residence is not interrupted and that renewals are filed on time. Shorter citizenship terms exist for some nationalities: two years for citizens of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin; one year in cases such as marriage to a Spanish citizen or being born in Spain.