TIE HoyBusiness route triage in Spain - self-employed is not entrepreneur
This is a route splitter for people who want to build economic activity in Spain. Use it to decide whether the next page is self-employed, entrepreneur, or another route.
Is registering a company enough for residence?
No. Company registration does not grant residence by itself.
Immigration checks whether the activity, business plan, funds, permits, qualifications, and route fit cuenta propia or an entrepreneur authorization.
What is the difference between self-employed and entrepreneur?
Cuenta propia is the ordinary self-employed work route. It focuses on a viable activity, permits, investment, qualifications, and business plan.Emprendedor under Ley 14/2013 is for innovative entrepreneurial activity with special economic interest for Spain.
Who this fits
- Freelancers with a real Spanish operating plan.
- Shop, service, food, beauty, trade, or consulting founders.
- Innovative startup founders who can prove economic interest.
Who should pause
- People told that a company registration equals residence.
- Applicants investing in a lease before checking licenses.
- Founders using a generic business plan with no evidence.
Costs
- Official authorization, visa, and TIE fees.
- Company setup, tax, accountant, Social Security, licenses, premises, insurance.
- Business plan, lawyer, gestor, and accountant fees are private services.
Handling routes
- Ordinary activity: extranjería + accountant/gestor + local permit review.
- Innovative project: UGE route + innovation/economic-interest review.
- Before investment: route audit, license audit, and tax-cost estimate.
What to do
Decide the immigration route before signing a lease or spending heavily.
Bring
- Business plan.
- Funds and investment evidence.
- Professional qualifications when required.
- Premises, lease, or operating evidence.
- Sector permits or municipal-license path.
- Passport, criminal record, insurance or health coverage documents.
Steps
- Define the activity: shop, restaurant, services, consulting, online business, or innovative startup.
- Decide whether it is ordinary self-employment or an innovative entrepreneur case.
- Check permits, licenses, professional qualifications, premises, and financing.
- Prepare the business plan and evidence of viability.
- File through the correct channel, then handle tax, Social Security, municipal license, and TIE steps.
Basis
RD 1155/2024 arts. 82-85 regulate ordinary temporary residence and self-employment. Ley 14/2013 arts. 68 and 70 regulate entrepreneur residence and define entrepreneurial activity as innovative and/or of special economic interest with ENISA/UGE review. This page only triages between those legal routes.
More questions
Is a restaurant an entrepreneur visa?
Usually not by default. A restaurant may fit self-employment, but entrepreneur status requires innovation and special economic interest.
Do I need employees?
Not always, but hiring, investment, and local economic impact can affect the strength of the business case.
Can I run my foreign company from Spain?
Maybe, but compare business, self-employed, and digital nomad routes before choosing the label.