Want to open your own business in Spain, from a bike workshop to a consultancy? The Self-Employed (Autónomo) residence and work permit is the route for non-EU (European Union) entrepreneurs with a viable, traditional business. Here is how it works under the new immigration regulation in 2026, step by step, with the real deadlines and the mistakes that cause refusals.
On this page
- 1) What the Self-Employed (Autónomo) Permit Is
- 2) Requirements in 2026
- 3) The Documents and the Viability Report
- 4) How Much Money Do You Need?
- 5) Step by Step: From Your Consulate to Your Residence Card
- 6) Your First Year, Renewal and Long-Term Residence
- 7) Bringing Your Family
- 8) Already Living in Spain? Changing Your Permit to Self-Employed
- 9) Self-Employed vs Start-Up vs Digital Nomad
- 10) Example: A Bristol Mechanic Opening a Workshop in Girona
- 11) Why Applications Get Refused
- 12) How MigratioLex Helps
- 13) Official Resources and Forms
- 14) Self-Employed Guides by Topic
- FAQs
1) What the Self-Employed (Autónomo) Permit Is
The “autorización de residencia temporal y trabajo por cuenta propia” is the residence and work permit for non-EU nationals who want to live in Spain and run their own business as a self-employed worker (autónomo) or through their own company. It is regulated by Organic Law 4/2000 on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain (LO 4/2000, arts. 25 bis, 36 and 37) and by the new immigration regulation, Royal Decree 1155/2024 (RD 1155/2024), in force since 20 May 2025: articles 82 to 85 for the initial permit and articles 86 and 87 for renewal.
Unlike the Start-Up and Entrepreneur permit, your project does not need to be innovative or high-tech. It needs to be viable: a realistic business, with enough investment, the licences it needs, and a plan that shows it can support you.
Typical businesses we see on this route:
- Consulting, design, marketing, translation and other professional services.
- Retail and e-commerce shops.
- Cafés, restaurants, bakeries and tourism services.
- Personal services: hairdressing, beauty, fitness, wellness.
- Trades and workshops: mechanics, carpentry, repairs, construction services.
2) Requirements in 2026
According to RD 1155/2024 and the Ministry of Inclusion information sheet (Hoja 14, updated May 2025), you must:
- Not be a citizen of the EU, EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland, or a family member of one covered by the EU citizens’ regime.
- Not be in Spain irregularly.
- Have no criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived during the last 5 years.
- Not be listed as inadmissible in countries with which Spain has an agreement to that effect.
- Not be within a period of commitment not to return to Spain (after a voluntary return programme).
- Not represent a threat to public order, public security or public health.
- Meet the legal requirements to open and run the planned activity (licences, permits, registrations).
- Hold the professional qualification or proven experience the activity requires, and join the professional association (colegio profesional) where required.
- Prove that the planned investment is sufficient for the project and its impact on job creation, including your own self-employment.
- Pay the fees.
3) The Documents and the Viability Report
The application file is built on three blocks of evidence:
You
Form EX-07, signedFull passport copy, validCriminal record certificates (last 5 years)Degrees, qualifications or proof of experienceHomologation or professional association membership if required
Your business
Business plan with investment and financingList of licences and permits and their statusResponsible declaration or prior communication for small shops or listed services (premises up to 750 m2)Proof of investment funds
Viability and fees
Viability report from a recognised self-employed workers’ organisationFee modelo 790 code 052 (epígrafe 2.1.3)Fee modelo 790 code 062 (epígrafe 3.3.1)Sworn translations and apostilles
The viability report is the heart of the file. The Ministry accepts it as proof of both the sufficiency of the investment and the job creation. It can be issued by, among others:
- Federación Nacional de Asociaciones de Empresarios y Trabajadores Autónomos (ATA)
- Unión de Profesionales y Trabajadores Autónomos (UPTA)
- Confederación Intersectorial de Autónomos del Estado Español (CIAE)
- Organización de Profesionales y Autónomos (OPA)
- Unión de Asociaciones de Trabajadores Autónomos y Emprendedores (UATAE)
Foreign documents must be translated by a sworn translator and legalised or apostilled (Hague Convention of 5 October 1961), unless an international agreement exempts them.
4) How Much Money Do You Need?
There is no fixed legal minimum investment for the self-employed permit. The authorities check that the investment is sufficient and coherent with your plan, and that the business can realistically support you. An unrealistically low budget is a common reason for an unfavourable viability report.
Typical investment by type of business
Illustrative ranges from our practice, in euros. These are NOT legal thresholds; your figure depends on your plan.
On top of the business investment, plan for your own living costs until the business pays you, and for your Social Security contributions. In 2026, new self-employed workers can usually benefit from the flat rate (tarifa plana) of €80 per month for the first 12 months in the RETA (Special Social Security Scheme for Self-Employed Workers). After that, contributions depend on your actual net income.
If you later want to bring your family, the family reunification income rules apply (see section 7).
5) Step by Step: From Your Consulate to Your Residence Card
The initial application must be filed in person at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence. The sequence set by RD 1155/2024 and the Ministry information sheet is:
- Business plan and viability report: prepare your plan and obtain the report from ATA, UPTA, CIAE, OPA, UATAE or another valid body.
- Licences and qualifications: gather proof of qualifications and the status of the licences your activity needs.
- Filing at the consulate: submit form EX-07 with all documents. Pay fees 790-052 and 790-062 (within 10 working days).
- Decision (up to 3 months): the immigration office of the province where you will work decides. If there is no answer within 3 months, the application is deemed refused by administrative silence.
- Visa application (1 month): after a favourable decision, you have 1 month from notification to apply in person for the visa. The consulate has 1 month to decide.
- Visa collection (1 month): collect the visa within 1 month of notification, or the file is archived.
- Entry (3 months): the visa lets you enter Spain within its 3-month validity.
- Social Security (3 months): within 3 months of entry, register with Social Security (RETA) and start paying contributions. This activates your permit.
- TIE (1 month): within 1 month of your Social Security registration, apply in person for your TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) at the police station of your province.
6) Your First Year, Renewal and Long-Term Residence
Year 1: limits to know
The initial permit lasts 1 year and is limited to one autonomous community (region) and one sector of activity. You must keep your activity running and your tax and Social Security obligations up to date.
Renewal: 4 years
Under RD 1155/2024 (arts. 86 and 87), the renewal is granted for 4 years and lets you work as an employee or self-employed, in any sector and anywhere in Spain. Apply in the 2 months before expiry (or up to 3 months after, with a possible fine). Filing on time extends your permit until the decision.
What you must prove to renew
Mainly, that you continue the activity with tax and Social Security obligations met. The regulation also allows renewal in other situations, for example if you receive cessation-of-activity protection, a contributory unemployment benefit, or if your family member meets the requirements to sponsor you. The Ministry’s sheet indicates that if the renewal is not decided within 3 months, it can be understood as granted.
Long-term residence and nationality
After 5 years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence. Those years also count towards Spanish nationality by residence (10 years in general, 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal).
7) Bringing Your Family
The self-employed permit does not include family members in the initial application. Your spouse or partner and children join you through family reunification (LO 4/2000 arts. 16 to 19 and RD 1155/2024 arts. 65 to 68):
- When: you can apply once you have resided in Spain for at least 1 year and have applied to renew your permit for at least another year.
- Grant: the family member’s permit is only granted once your renewal has actually been approved.
- Decision: 2 months; silence means refusal.
- Housing and income: you must prove adequate housing and stable income.
Family reunification income in 2026
Euros per month for the whole family unit, based on IPREM (Spain’s public income index) of €600: 150% for 2 people, plus 50% per additional member
Different amounts apply when the family includes minors (based on the Ingreso Mínimo Vital, Spain’s minimum living income), and a stable income at or above the SMI (Spanish minimum wage) may be accepted. If keeping your family together from day one matters, compare this route with the Start-Up and the Digital Nomad permits, which allow family members to apply with you.
8) Already Living in Spain? Changing Your Permit to Self-Employed
A tourist cannot generally apply for this permit from Spain. But if you already hold certain residence permits, the new regulation lets you request a modification to a self-employed residence and work permit without leaving Spain. One example is a Non-Lucrative residence holder who wants to start working:
In that case, a British client who had lived in Spain for about a year on a Non-Lucrative permit modified his status to open a specialised electric-vehicle garage, with a business plan and a viability report. The file was approved by the Alicante immigration office.
Want to open your business in Spain?
We check whether your plan is viable, which licences you need, and whether you should apply from abroad or modify your current permit. At MigratioLex, we review your specific case, not a generic checklist. We respond within 24 hours, in English, French or Spanish.
9) Self-Employed vs Start-Up vs Digital Nomad
In the Start-Up route, ENISA stands for Empresa Nacional de Innovación (Spain’s state innovation company) and UGE-CE for Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (the Ministry’s national unit for strategic permits). For Digital Nomads, Spanish clients may not exceed 20% of your work.
Self-Employed (Autónomo)
Best forTraditional businesses, Spanish clients
Legal basisLO 4/2000 and RD 1155/2024, arts. 82 to 87
Key documentViability report
Where to applyConsulate (or modification in Spain)
Decision3 months, silence means refusal
Initial duration1 year
Renewal4 years
FamilyReunification after 1 year
Start-Up and Entrepreneur
Best forInnovative or scalable projects
Legal basisLaw 14/2013, arts. 69, 70 and 76
Key documentFavourable ENISA report
Where to applyUGE-CE online, from Spain or abroad
Decision20 working days, positive silence
Initial duration3 years
Renewal2 years
FamilyFrom day one
Digital Nomad
Best forRemote work for non-Spanish clients or employers
Legal basisLaw 14/2013, arts. 74 bis to 76
Key documentContracts, degree or 3 years’ experience
Where to applyConsulate or UGE-CE in Spain
Decision20 working days in Spain, positive silence
Initial durationUp to 3 years (visa up to 1 year from abroad)
Renewal2 years
FamilyFrom day one
Where will your income come from?
If you will sell mainly to customers in Spain with a traditional business…Self-Employed (Autónomo) permit →
If your project is innovative, technology-based or scalable…Start-Up and Entrepreneur permit →
If at least 80% of your work is for clients or employers outside Spain…Digital Nomad permit →
If you want to live in Spain first, without working, on passive income…Non-Lucrative Visa →
10) Example: A Bristol Mechanic Opening a Workshop in Girona
Example (illustrative)
James from Bristol has 15 years of experience as a bicycle mechanic and wants to open a bike repair and rental workshop near the cycling routes of Girona. As a UK national arriving after Brexit, he needs a permit to work.
Route: his business is traditional and his customers will be in Spain, so the Digital Nomad permit does not fit, and the Start-Up route would require innovation ENISA would be unlikely to see. The Self-Employed permit is the natural route.
File: a business plan with the rent of the premises, tools and initial stock, a projection based on cycling tourism, proof of his experience, the status of the opening licence with the town hall, and a viability report from a self-employed workers’ organisation. He files form EX-07 in person at the Spanish consulate in London.
After approval: he collects his visa, enters Spain, registers in the RETA within 3 months (paying the €80 flat rate in his first year) and books his TIE appointment in Girona. After the first year, he renews for 4 years and applies to bring his partner through family reunification.
11) Why Applications Get Refused
Why Applications Get Refused
- A business plan with unrealistic numbers or an investment that is too low for the activity.
- No viability report, or a report that is unfavourable or does not match the plan.
- Missing licences or permits, or no evidence of their status.
- No proof of the professional qualification or experience the activity requires.
- Criminal record certificates missing, expired or without apostille and sworn translation.
- Applying from Spain as a tourist, when the initial application must be filed at the consulate.
- Starting to work after the 3 months of silence, believing the permit was granted (silence is negative).
- Missing the 3-month Social Security registration deadline after entry.
12) How MigratioLex Helps
We are a Spanish law firm led by Raquel Carmona Flaquer, a registered lawyer specialised in Spanish immigration and nationality. We manage the whole self-employed procedure so your business starts on solid legal ground.
Route and viability check
We confirm that the self-employed permit is your best option and stress-test your business idea before you invest.
Business plan and viability report
We review your plan so it meets what the self-employed organisations and the immigration office look for, and coordinate the viability report.
Complete file and consulate filing
We prepare form EX-07, the fees, the licences file and the translations, and follow the case with the immigration office until the decision.
Modification from Spain
If you already live in Spain with another permit (for example the Non-Lucrative Visa), we assess and file the modification to self-employment.
Arrival, RETA and TIE
We guide your Social Security registration within 3 months, your TIE appointment, your bank account and, if useful, your SL (sociedad limitada, Spanish limited company).
Renewal and family
We prepare your 4-year renewal and your family reunification as soon as you are eligible.
Start Your Application
Tell us about your business idea and your current situation. At MigratioLex, we review your specific case, not a generic checklist. We respond within 24 hours, in English, French or Spanish.
13) Official Resources and Forms
- Ministry of Inclusion information sheet 14: initial self-employed residence and work permit: requirements, documents, fees and deadlines.
- Ministry of Inclusion information sheet 15: renewal of the self-employed permit.
- Form EX-07 (editable), official application form.
- All official immigration application forms (Ministry of Inclusion).
- Fee forms modelo 790 codes 052 and 062 (Public Administration e-office).
- Ministry of Inclusion information sheet 8: family reunification.
- Organic Law 4/2000, consolidated text (BOE, Boletín Oficial del Estado, Spain’s Official State Gazette): arts. 16 to 19, 25 bis, 36 and 37.
- Royal Decree 1155/2024, immigration regulation (BOE): arts. 65 to 68 and 82 to 87.
- Official list of sworn translators (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
14) Self-Employed Guides by Topic
Ready to apply? Book your legal consultation and start your application. For a closer look at a specific situation, these are our detailed guides:
Choosing the Right Route
- Digital Nomad Visa vs Self-Employed (Autónomo) permit
- Start-Up and Entrepreneur permit (Law 14/2013 and ENISA)
- New Spanish immigration regulation: what changed in 2026
Setting Up Your Business
- How to set up a limited company (SL) in Spain as a foreigner
- When self-employed applicants must register with RETA
- Job and business opportunities in Girona for foreigners
Banking and Finance
- Qonto for new entrepreneurs, self-employed and startups
- How to open a bank account in Spain as a foreigner
- How to open a bank account in Spain without a NIE (foreigner identification number)
Keeping Your Permit
- Renewal and modification of residence permits
- Family reunification in Spain
- Most common reasons for losing your residence permit
Real Approved Cases
FAQs
Can I apply for the self-employed permit from Spain as a tourist?
Generally no. The initial application must be filed in person at the Spanish consulate for your place of residence. If you already hold certain residence permits in Spain (for example a Non-Lucrative residence), you may be able to request a modification to self-employment from Spain.
How long does the decision take?
The immigration office has 3 months. If it does not answer in that time, the application is deemed refused by administrative silence. After approval, allow up to about 3 more months for the visa application, decision and collection.
How long is the permit valid?
The initial permit lasts 1 year and is limited to one region and one sector. The renewal is granted for 4 years and lets you work as an employee or self-employed anywhere in Spain (RD 1155/2024). After 5 years you can apply for long-term residence.
Is there a minimum investment?
No fixed legal minimum. You must prove that your investment is sufficient for your project, usually through a viability report from an organisation such as ATA, UPTA, CIAE, OPA or UATAE.
Do I have to hire employees?
No. Creating your own self-employed job is enough. Hiring plans can strengthen the file, but they are not a requirement.
Can my family come with me?
Not in the initial application. You can apply for family reunification once you have resided in Spain for 1 year and applied to renew for at least another year. In 2026 you need, for example, €900 per month for you and your spouse, plus €300 per additional member.
How much will I pay in Social Security?
New self-employed workers can usually pay a flat rate of €80 per month for their first 12 months in 2026. After that, contributions depend on your net income under the income-based system.
Can I use the Beckham Law as a self-employed worker?
Generally not. The Beckham regime is designed for employees, company directors, highly qualified professionals and entrepreneurs under Law 14/2013. Ordinary self-employed activity is taxed under the standard income tax rules.
Is it better to be self-employed or to create an SL?
Both are possible under this permit. A sole trader is cheaper and simpler; an SL limits your personal liability and can be more tax-efficient at higher profits. Your business plan must reflect the structure you choose.
Open your business in Spain with legal certainty
From the viability report to your TIE, we handle the full procedure and keep you informed at every step. At MigratioLex, we review your specific case, not a generic checklist. We respond within 24 hours, in English, French or Spanish.
This page provides general information on Spanish immigration law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice for your specific case. Fees, IPREM and contribution rates change every year.
Not sure how this applies to you?
Every case is different. Tell us yours and we will tell you honestly whether you need us.
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