You founded the company, hired the team and have run it for eight years. Then the Digital Nomad Visa checklist asks for “a certificate from your employer confirming your experience”. The employer is you. Your signature on your own letter proves very little to a caseworker.
This is one of the most common obstacles for business owners and directors applying for Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa. The fix is not a better letter. It is independent evidence of the role you have really held.
What “Highly Qualified” Means for the Visa
To qualify, you need one of the following:
Route A: Qualifications
WhatA university degree or equivalent professional qualification ProofDiploma, legalised and translatedRoute B: Experience
WhatAt least three years of professional experience in the field ProofObjective documents, not just your own statementFounders without a degree, or with a degree unrelated to their business, depend on Route B. That is where self-signed certificates fail.
How to Prove Your Role Objectively
Public records
Company registration naming you as director or owner Filed annual accounts and tax returns Chamber of commerce or licence recordsBusiness activity
Contracts with clients and suppliers signed by you Invoices and bank records over three or more years Payroll or contractor records showing a teamThird parties
Letters from clients, partners or your accountant Press, awards or industry profiles A legal report explaining your country’s systemExample
Rachel, a US founder without a degree, has run her e-commerce company in Delaware for six years. Instead of a letter signed by herself, her file combined the state registration naming her as managing member, six years of tax returns, contracts she signed with suppliers and a letter from her external CPA. Her experience was no longer a claim, but a record.
From Your Company to Your Visa
No degree at all? Read how we secured a Digital Nomad Visa without a university degree, and how self-employed applicants are assessed under the UGE-CE’s stricter criteria.
Why Founder Files Get Refused
- A self-signed certificate as the only proof of experience.
- A company younger than one year.
- Records that show ownership but not an active role.
- Documents that contradict each other on dates, titles or income.
Check Your Eligibility in 2 Minutes
Answer a few quick questions about your company, role and income. Our team reviews your answers and tells you where you stand.
Check My Eligibility →Eight years of building a company is real experience. The right documents make sure the caseworker sees it that way.
Talk to a Lawyer Before You File
If you own or run your own company and want to move to Spain, that is exactly what a consultation is for. At MigratioLex, we review your specific case, not a generic checklist. We respond within 24 hours, in English, French or Spanish.
Book Your Initial ConsultationThis article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Based on Law 14/2013, articles 74 bis to 76. The example is illustrative.
