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
1. 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.
2. Passport. A photocopy of every page of a valid, unexpired passport or travel document.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Payment of fees. To pay the fees at the Consular Office, the applicant must complete all the fields of, and sign, two copies of form 790 code 052, ticking box 2.1 (initial temporary residence permit) and of form 790, code 062, ticking box 1.5 (self-employed work permits).
The fee can also be paid online, through the links to forms 790-052 and 790-062. In this case, the proof of payment obtained from the same webpage must be attached.
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.
If a work permit is applied for in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, the fee must be paid directly to that Autonomous Community.
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.
The translation into Spanish of all the documents may be required, in accordance with Art. 15 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the common administrative procedure of public administrations.
Procedure
This Consular Office is competent to accept applications from individuals residing in the consular district.
- Who can apply for a permit: The application for an initial residence and self-employed work permit must be submitted in person by the applicant, or by one of their parents if the applicant is a minor.
- Place of submission: Applications must be submitted in person at the Consular Office. An appointment is necessary.
- Proof of receipt: The Consular Office will provide the applicant with a copy of the application form (form EX-07) and, where applicable, of the receipts of payment of the fees (forms 790-52 and 790-62) and will forward the dossier to the corresponding Foreign Nationals' Office. Said Office will have a period of 3 months, from the day after the date on which the application is received, to reach a decision.
- Notification: The Consular Office will inform the applicant of the decision issued by the corresponding Delegation or Sub-delegation of the Government.
- If the decision is favourable, the Consular Office will invite the applicant to submit a visa application.
- If the decision is unfavourable, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration to the Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the permit refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.
Obtaining a self-employed work visa
Required documents
1. National visa application form. Each applicant must complete and sign a visa application form, filling in each of its sections. If the applicant is a minor, one of their parents must sign the application.
2. Photograph. A recent, passport-size, colour photograph, taken against a light background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face.
3. Valid, unexpired passport. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must have a minimum validity period of 4 months and contain two consecutive blank pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.
4. Criminal record check certificate. This requirement is not mandatory if the duration of the requested stay is less than six months. However, if the length of stay requested is longer than six months, a negative criminal record certificate, together with an official translation into Spanish, is required. It must be issued by the authorities of the country or countries in which you have resided for the last 5 years. In the case of Canada, only the negative criminal record certificate issued by the RCMP containing the visa applicant's fingerprints will be accepted. You will find more information about how to obtain it here.
Criminal records certificates from local police stations will not be accepted. The Canadian Criminal Record Certificate must be with the Hague Apostille Certification, and translated into Spanish. If the criminal record certificate has been issued outside of Canada, it must be legalized by the Spanish Consular Office with jurisdiction in that country, unless the country that issued it has signed the Hague Convention, in which case it must be apostilled. You can check the list of the countries signing the Hague Convention here.
5. Medical certificate. This requirement is not mandatory if the duration of the requested stay is less than six months. However, if the length of stay requested is longer than six months, a medical certificate is required. It must be issued by your family doctor and formulated as follows: "This medical certificate certifies that Mr. / Mrs. [...] does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions in accordance with the provided in the International Sanitary Regulations of 2005.”
6. Proof of residence in the consular district. The Consulate General of Spain in Montreal only accepts applications from residents of Quebec (except Gatineau), Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. If you reside in any other place, you must apply for your visa at the Consulate General of Spain in Toronto (provinces of Ontario (except Ottawa), Manitoba, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and British Columbia) or at the Embassy of Spain in Canada (Ottawa and Gatineau), according to the demarcations of the aforementioned institutions. To complete your application, an original and a copy must be submitted.
7. Proof of the representative's identity and capacity. If the applicant is a minor, a copy of the identity document or passport of the parent and the document that proves the relationship must be presented. The originals will be shown at the time of submitting the application.
If the visa is requested by a representative, a copy of the identity document or passport of the representative and the power of attorney previously legalized or apostilled or document proving the representation, must be submitted. Original documents will be shown when submitting the application. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, if necessary, submitted together with an official translation into Spanish. Please note that the consulate reserves the right to accept or deny the representative.
8. Payment of the visa fee. The fee must be paid in Canadian dollars in cash or money order. You can check the fees in "Tasas consulares" found in the comunicación/noticias section.
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.
The translation into Spanish of all the documents may be required, in accordance with Art. 15 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the common administrative procedure of public administrations.
Procedure
- Individual with the necessary legal standing: Visa applications must be submitted in person by the applicant, or by one of their parents if the applicant is a minor.
- Visa application period: Visas must be applied for within 1 month of the day following the date on which the notification of a favourable decision regarding the initial residence and self-employed work permit is received.
- Place of submission: Applications must be submitted in person at the consulate. It is mandatory to request an appointment by writing an email to cog.montreal.vis@maec.es in which you must indicate your name as it appears in your passport and the date of travel, and attach a copy of your passport (if you do not have Canadian nationality, a Canadian visa) and official proof that you reside in our consular demarcation.
ALL CITIZENS APPLYING FOR A VISA MUST ATTEND THE CONSULAR OFFICE IN PERSON, INCLUDING MINORS.
- Proof of receipt: The Consular Office will provide the applicant with proof of receipt of the application with a code that enables them to check the status of the dossier through the following link: https://sutramiteconsular.maec.es/Home.aspx
- Rectifying the application: The Consular Office may ask the applicant to submit any missing documents, or to provide additional documents or data that are necessary for a decision regarding the application. The applicant may also be called in for a personal interview.
- Decision period: The legal term to make a decision is 1 month from the day after the application is submitted, but this term may be extended when additional documents are requested or an interview is held. Visa applications submitted by nationals of some states require a consultation process with central authorities which may affect the duration of the visa procedure.
Visa applications submitted by nationals of some states require a consultation process with central authorities which may affect the duration of the visa procedure.
You can check the status of your visa application here, by entering the information on the receipt that was given to you at the consular office. If the processing status of your visa application appears as “RESUELTO”, the procedure of your file has been completed. To collect your documents, follow the instructions provided by the visa agent on the day of your appointment.
Another status of the process is: “EN TRAMITACIÓN”. The request is pending resolution.
- Collecting the visa: The visa must be collected in person by the applicant or by their representative (if the applicant is a minor) within a maximum period of 1 month, counted as of the day after the date on which the favourable decision is notified. The Consular Office will inform the applicant regarding the procedure for the return of the passport and any other original documentation.
- Visa refusal: Visa refusals will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.
- Appeals: If a visa is refused, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration to this Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification of the refusal is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.
- Validity period of the visa: The visa will be valid for 90 days. Once in Spain, workers must register with the Social Security system within a period of 3 months and before beginning their employment activity. They must also apply for a Foreigner Identity Card at the Foreign Nationals' Office or the corresponding Police Station within a period of 1 month from their registration with the Social Security system.