01What it is and who it is for
The UGE-CE is a unit of the State Secretariat for Migration within Spain's Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. It was set up in 2007 to serve companies and institutions that need to bring non-EU professionals to Spain. Since 2013 it has handled the international mobility permits created by Law 14/2013, often called the Entrepreneurs Act.
This is a separate track from Spain's general immigration system. Applications do not go through the provincial immigration offices, there are no appointment queues and there is no labour market test: the employer does not have to show that no suitable candidate is available in Spain. Every application is filed electronically and the law sets a 20-day decision period. For international employers and their staff, it is usually the quickest legal route to Spain.
We file UGE applications for individuals and for companies of every size, from global groups to early-stage startups. We handle the main applicant and the family in the same file and stay on for renewals and, later, long-term residence. Clients include British and American professionals, founders relocating their business and HR teams hiring from abroad.
02Requirements
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03Documents
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04How we handle it online
- Choosing the right permit
We look at your profile and the company's and tell you which route fits best. Some people qualify under two routes, and the choice affects requirements, duration and mobility within the EU.
- Building the file
We tell you what you need to provide, what the company must sign and which foreign documents need an apostille and a sworn translation. We check everything before filing.
- Online filing with the UGE
We file as your authorised representatives, for you and your family in a single submission. The 20-day clock starts from that moment.
- Follow-up and decision
We monitor the file and answer any request from the UGE. If you are abroad, once the permit is granted you apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate.
- TIE and renewals
We guide you through the fingerprint appointment for your foreigner identity card (TIE) and file your renewals online as well.
05Timescales and validity
The UGE must decide within 20 days of electronic filing. If it does not, the permit is deemed granted (positive administrative silence). While the application is pending, your previous legal stay or residence is extended. Decisions can be challenged by an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada).
If you are outside Spain, you apply for the visa at the consulate once the permit is granted. The law gives consulates 10 working days to decide, unless a prior consultation between Schengen states is needed. The visa is valid for one year, or for the length of the permit if shorter, and lets you live in Spain without a TIE during that time.
Permits last up to three years depending on the route and are renewed for two-year periods. A renewal filed on time keeps your permit valid until it is decided, and so does one filed within 90 days after expiry, although a fine may apply. After five years you can apply for long-term residence.
Investors: Spain's residence by investment, the so-called golden visa, was abolished by Organic Law 1/2025 with effect from 3 April 2025. Applications filed before that date are decided under the old rules, and permits already granted remain valid and are renewed under the rules in force when they were first issued. No new applications are accepted.
06Do I need to attend anything in person?
Everything is filed with the UGE online, and nobody has to visit an office to apply. The in-person steps are the fingerprint appointment for the TIE at a police station, required when the permit lasts more than six months, and, if you live abroad, lodging the visa application at the consulate or its visa centre.
07Common mistakes and reasons for refusal
- Choosing the wrong route: for example, applying as a highly qualified professional when the salary is below the threshold, or as an intra-company transferee without three months' prior service in the group.
- Filing at a provincial immigration office a case that belongs with the UGE, or the other way round.
- Contracts paying below the 2026 threshold or not in line with the applicable collective agreement.
- Leaving the family out and filing for them months later, when they could have been decided together.
- Failing to tell the UGE within 30 days about a change of employer or working conditions.
- Letting the permit expire without applying to renew it.
08Frequently asked questions
What exactly is the UGE?
It is the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit of Spain's Ministry of Inclusion. It decides the economic interest residence permits under Law 14/2013. Despite the name, it is not only for large corporations: startups, SMEs, universities, founders and individual professionals all use it.
How long does the UGE take?
The law gives it 20 days from electronic filing. If there is no decision by then, the permit is deemed granted. Requests for further documents can extend the process, which is why it pays to file a complete application from the outset.
Do I need an appointment or to visit an office?
Not to apply. The UGE only accepts electronic applications, usually filed by a representative with a digital certificate. You will only attend in person for your TIE fingerprints and, if you are abroad, at the consulate for the visa.
Can my family come at the same time?
Yes. Your spouse or partner, children under 18, adult children who depend on you and dependent parents can apply with you or later. If they apply with you, all the applications are decided together.
Is the Spanish golden visa still available?
No. Residence through property, financial or business investment was abolished with effect from 3 April 2025. People who already hold it keep it and can renew. For new cases we look at other routes, such as the entrepreneur permit, the non-lucrative visa or the highly qualified professional permit, depending on your profile.
I am British or American. Is the UGE route open to me?
Yes. It applies to all non-EU nationals, and since Brexit that includes UK citizens moving to Spain. UK nationals who were already resident before 2021 have a separate status under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Do UGE permits allow me to work?
Yes. They are single residence and work permits for the activity in your route and are valid throughout Spain. If your family members also want to work, we review their position before filing.
Does this time count towards long-term residence and citizenship?
Yes. It is legal residence. After five years you can apply for long-term residence, and the time counts towards Spanish nationality by residence.
Can a law firm handle everything for our company?
Yes, for everything filed with the UGE-CE. Applications can be made by the applicant or by a representative and, since the process is online only, we file with our own digital certificate and also handle the fee, any requests for documents, the company's registration with the UGE and renewals. The company and the employee only need to sign their own documents, such as the employment contract, the assignment letter or the application form. What we cannot do for them are the personal steps: lodging the visa application at the consulate, normally in person, and the TIE fingerprint appointment.
What does the company need to provide?
It depends on the permit, but generally: the company's Spanish tax number (NIF), the power of attorney of the person signing for it, evidence that it is genuinely trading, the employment contract or job offer showing salary, duration and the applicable collective agreement, and a job description. For intra-company transfers you also need the assignment letter, evidence that the companies belong to the same group and the social security paperwork. The company proves its eligibility once and is then registered with the UGE-CE for three years, renewable, although any change must be reported within 30 days. Before we start, we give you a specific checklist for your case.
Can the employee start work before approval?
As a general rule, no. Filing the application extends the employee's existing stay or residence, but the law does not make it a permission to work in itself. The employee can start once the permit is granted or, if the UGE-CE has not decided within 20 days, once it is deemed granted by positive administrative silence; anyone abroad also needs the visa first. The exception is a holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU country, who may start work in Spain as soon as the complete application is filed here. During the first six months, a passport is enough to register the employee with Spanish social security if they do not yet have a NIE.
09Legal basis
- Law 14/2013, articles 61 to 76 (international mobility)
- Law 14/2013, fourth, fifth, seventh and twentieth additional provisions
- Law 28/2022 on startups, fifth final provision
- Organic Law 1/2025, twenty-first final provision (abolition of the investor residence route)
- Order PJC/44/2026 (EU Blue Card salary threshold)
- Directorate-General for Migration Management criteria on investors (10 June 2025) and Criterion 2/2025 on permit duration
Information reviewed on 03.10.2026 against the law in force. This page is for general information and is not a substitute for advice on your own case.