Applying for Residency as a Business Owner – Guide
Introduction
If you are planning to apply for residency in Spain as a future business owner, either with the self-employed visa or with arraigo social authorisation, you will need to include in your application some documents detailing the activity you want to develop.
The documents that you will need to include to your visa or arraigo social application are the following:
Copy of your Passport (all pages), with validity for the whole stay and at least 2 blank pages
Copy of the document that certifies the professional qualifications/training required to carry out your job
Document that accredits the professional qualifications/training required to develop your business (legal and professional qualification)
Document that ensures you have enough economic means to develop your business, or the business loan to fund the project
Business plan, with the planned investment, cost-effectiveness and expected job positions
If you wish so, you can accredit the last three points (professional qualifications/training, economic means and business plan) through one of these institutions sponsored by the Spanish authorities:
Federación Nacional de Asociaciones de Empresarios y Trabajadores Autónomos (ATA)
Unión de Profesionales y Trabajadores Autónomos (UPTA)
Confederación Intersectorial de Autónomos del Espato Español (CIAE)
Organización de Profesionales y Autónomos (OPA)
Unión de Asociaciones de Trabajadores Autónomos y Emprendedores (UATAE)
Documents depending on the type of business:
Retail business and services developed in spaces of less than 300sq/m: a declaration of responsibility and receipt of the required fee.
Other activities: authorisations and licences required (depending on the activity)
Note: All official documents (birth certificate/death, marriage certificate/divorce, criminal record) must be legalised through the consular representations of the issuing country or hold the Hague Apostille, except official documents issued by a Member State of the European Union.
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