Who should apply?

Visa for people aged 16 or over who seek to engage in self-employed activity in Spain.

To obtain a self-employed work visa, it is first necessary to obtain an initial residence and self-employed work permit. For this reason, the procedure comprises two stages.

Obtaining an initial residence and self-employed work permit

Required Documents

• Application form for an initial residence and self-employed work permit. Each applicant must complete and sign two visa application forms, having filled in each section of the EX–07 form. If the applicant is a minor, one of their parents must sign the application.
• Passport. A photocopy of every page of a valid, unexpired passport or travel document.
• Activity permits and licences. List of permits or licences required for the installation, opening or operation of the planned activity or professional practice, indicating the status of the procedures for obtaining them. Certification of applications to the corresponding bodies must be attached.
• Professional training and qualifications. Original and a copy of the documents accrediting the legally required training, and where applicable, qualifications, for the professional practice. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.
• Plan for the establishment or activity. Plan for the establishment or activity to be carried out, indicating the planned investment, the expected return, and, where applicable, the jobs that will be created. Documents written in a foreign language must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.
• Financial means. Original and a copy of the documents accrediting that the applicant has sufficient financial means to carry out the planned investment, or a commitment by financial or other institutions to provide support. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.
• Payment of fees.
  Note: Nationals of Ibero-American countries, nationals of the Philippines, nationals of Andorra, nationals of Equatorial Guinea, Sephardim, children and grandchildren of persons of Spanish origin, and foreigners born in Spain are exempt from paying the fee for self-employed work permits.

When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also ask the applicant to come in for a personal interview.