By Arturo García de la Cruz, Spanish Immigration Lawyer at MoveWise · Last updated: 14 November 2026

💡 The short answer: A requerimiento is the UGE-CE's written request to complete or correct your Spain Digital Nomad Visa application. It is not a refusal. You normally have 10 working days from the day after notification to answer, and the 20-working-day decision period is suspended meanwhile (arts. 22 and 68 of Ley 39/2015). You answer electronically; in our practice, as one PDF under 10 MB. If you do not answer, the application can be closed as withdrawn.

Key facts for 2026

• What it is: a request to remedy your application or add missing documents (requerimiento de subsanación, art. 68.1 Ley 39/2015), not a decision.
• Deadline: 10 working days; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays do not count (art. 30.2 Ley 39/2015). Day 1 is the day after notification (art. 30.3).
• Extra time: up to 5 more days when the documents are especially hard to obtain (art. 68.2 Ley 39/2015).
• The decision clock stops: the UGE-CE has 20 days from electronic filing to decide (art. 76.1 Ley 14/2013), suspended while the request is pending (art. 22.1.a Ley 39/2015).
• Notification: electronic. If left unopened for 10 calendar days, it is treated as rejected and the procedure continues.
• How you answer: electronically, through the Ministry of Inclusion's electronic office (sede electrónica).
• Format (MoveWise practice): one PDF, cover letter plus annexes, under 10 MB, sworn translations uncompressed.
• No answer: the application can be treated as withdrawn (desistimiento) by a formal resolution (art. 68.1 Ley 39/2015).
• Appeal: UGE-CE resolutions can be challenged with a recurso de alzada (art. 76.1 Ley 14/2013).

This guide is for you if you applied for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa from inside Spain and the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE) has asked you for more documents, or if you want to prepare a file that avoids the request. You will learn how many days you really have, what the UGE-CE usually asks for, how to build an answer an officer can check quickly and what happens if the deadline passes.

It is written by the MoveWise Legal Managers who prepare files and answer requerimientos for clients of our Spain Digital Nomad Visa service. Legal rules are linked to the BOE and Ministry pages; practical points come from our files and are labelled as our experience. We do not publish invented statistics or approval rates.

The main pitfall: treating the request as a formality. Ten working days is shorter than the time many countries need to issue a new certificate, and an answer that fixes one point but opens a new doubt can still end in a refusal.

In this guide:

• What changed recently
• Is this guide for you?
• What a requerimiento is (and what it is not)
• How the requerimiento reaches you
• The deadline: 10 working days, counted the Spanish way
• What the UGE-CE usually asks for, and how to answer each point
• How to build your answer: one PDF, under 10 MB
• How to respond, step by step
• What happens if you miss the deadline
• After you answer: what to realistically expect
• Most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• Frequently asked questions
• How MoveWise can help

What changed recently

The rules did not change in 2026: requerimientos still follow Ley 39/2015 and art. 76 of Ley 14/2013. What changed is the evidence officers check on some points.

• No entry stamp for visitors. Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System (EES) records short-stay travellers digitally. If you entered as a visitor, your proof of legal entry is your travel evidence.
• Higher income figures. Real Decreto 126/2026 raised the minimum wage (SMI), and with it every Digital Nomad Visa income threshold.
• Electronic only. The UGE-CE requires applications and any later subsanación, appeal or communication to be filed through the Ministry's electronic office (UGE-CE, Solicitudes).

Is this guide for you?

It covers requests issued by the UGE-CE on residence applications filed from inside Spain. Consulates follow their own procedures.

✅ It is for you if:

• You (or a family member) filed online with the UGE-CE and received a request for documents, including at renewal.
• You filed on your own and are not sure how to answer.
• You are preparing your file and want to know which weak points trigger requests.

❌ It is not for you if:

• Your application has been refused: read our guide to appealing a Spain visa refusal.
• You applied for the visa at a consulate: follow its instructions.
• You have not applied yet: start with the Spain Digital Nomad Visa requirements checklist.

👉 Just received a requerimiento? Send it to a MoveWise Client Manager today — tell us the date it was notified and what it asks for, and we will tell you honestly what can be fixed within the deadline.

What a requerimiento is (and what it is not)

A requerimiento means the officer has read your file and found something missing, unclear or in the wrong form. The procedure is still open, and a complete answer puts the file back on track.

The legal basis

Under art. 68.1 of Ley 39/2015, when an application does not meet the legal requirements, the applicant is asked to correct it or provide the required documents within 10 days, with a warning that otherwise they will be treated as having withdrawn the application, by a resolution. A request can also be based on art. 73, which covers steps the applicant must complete during the procedure and also gives 10 days. Check which article your letter cites: it tells you the consequence of not answering.

Requerimiento, refusal and inadmission

• Requerimiento: the procedure is waiting for you. You can still fix the file.
• Refusal (denegación): the UGE-CE has decided against you on the merits. You need an appeal or a new application.
• Inadmission (inadmisión a trámite): in our experience, an application filed without its documentation can be rejected before the merits are examined. The remedy we use is a recurso de alzada with the complete documentation.

How the requerimiento reaches you

It arrives electronically, not by post: filing for the Digital Nomad Visa is electronic by law (art. 76.1 Ley 14/2013), and so are the notifications.

• Who receives it: whoever filed: your representative, or you if you filed with your own digital certificate.
• Where: in the administration's electronic notification services, usually the Dirección Electrónica Habilitada única (DEHú), also reachable through the Carpeta Ciudadana.
• The email: an email notice may tell you a notification is waiting, but the legal document is in the electronic inbox.
• When it counts as notified: when it is opened. Unopened for 10 calendar days after being made available, it is treated as rejected and the procedure continues, as the Ministry of Justice explains for electronic notifications under Ley 39/2015.

⚠️ Common mistake: Waiting for a letter or a phone call. The UGE-CE has no public counter and, in our experience, no phone line for applicants. If someone else filed for you, ask them to forward any notification the day it arrives.

The deadline: 10 working days, counted the Spanish way

You have 10 working days from the day after the notification is opened. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are excluded (art. 30, Ley 39/2015).

How to count your days

• ✅ Day 1 is the day after notification. With no holidays in between, a notification opened on a Monday gives you until the Monday two weeks later.
• ✅ Holidays in two places count. A day that is a holiday where you live or where the office is based is a non-working day (art. 30.6). The UGE-CE is in Madrid, so check national, regional and local holidays for Madrid and for your town.
• ✅ August is not excluded. Administrative deadlines run through the summer.

Can you get more time?

Yes, within limits. Art. 68.2 allows an extension of up to 5 days, at your request or on the officer's initiative, when providing the documents presents special difficulties. Ask before the original deadline expires, explain why (for example, a criminal record certificate that takes weeks) and attach proof that you have requested the document. The extension is discretionary.

What happens to the 20-day decision clock

The UGE-CE must decide within 20 working days of electronic filing (art. 76.1 Ley 14/2013). That period is suspended from the notification of the request until you comply or, if you do not, until your deadline expires (art. 22.1.a Ley 39/2015). In principle the clock then resumes with the days that were left; it does not restart from zero.

💡 Pro tip: Write down the filing date, the notification date and your last day to answer. Together they tell you when the decision period can run out.

What the UGE-CE usually asks for, and how to answer each point

In the requerimientos we answer, the same points come back: work experience, bank statements, apostilles, the company certificate and proof of legal entry. Each has a fix that works better than simply sending "more documents".

Work experience (if you have no degree)

• Trigger: no third-party evidence of 3 years in a similar role. Spain does not accept documents you sign yourself as proof.
• Fix: employer certificates, contracts, official employment records, tax records and, for freelance periods, client certificates.
• 👉 UK applicants: the HMRC PAYE employment history plus the National Insurance record has led to approvals in our files, although the UGE-CE has occasionally questioned it as a tax document. Add employer letters where you can.

Bank statements and income

• Trigger: statements not stamped by the bank or notarised, fewer than 3 months of payments, or amounts that do not match the contract, letter and payslips or invoices.
• Fix: stamped statements with each payment highlighted, plus a Payment Summary in Spanish matching each payment to its invoice or payslip, converted into euros. If a platform pays you, add its statement or a note linking each payout to your employer or client.

Apostilles

• Trigger: a notarial apostille, meaning an apostille on a notary's signature on a copy. Spain wants the apostille on the document issued by the competent authority, especially for the criminal record.
• Fix: a new apostille on the original. In Brazil, for example, Spain accepts CNJ apostilles issued by the cartório directly on the electronic document; apostilles on notarial copies are often not accepted, so we redo them and apostille the original diploma.

Company certificate

• Trigger: a certificate that is too old, does not prove 1 year of activity, or lacks an apostille and translation.
• Fix: a fresh certificate; our team treats it as valid if issued within 6 months before filing. In Canada we use the provincial Certificate of Status or, for federal companies, the Corporations Canada Certificate of Compliance.

Legal entry into Spain

• Trigger: no entry stamp and no evidence of when and how you entered.
• Fix: boarding passes, e-tickets and other travel records, with an explanatory note in Spanish. The optional declaration of entry (declaración de entrada) is only available within 72 hours of arrival, so travel evidence is what you can add later.

Criminal record certificate

• Trigger: no certificate from your country of nationality, an expired one, or an invalid apostille.
• Fix: request it from your country of nationality from the start, apostilled and with a sworn translation. Our validity criterion is 6 months for the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and EU countries, and 3 months for others. Where the certificate is already in Spanish, as with the Turkish e-Devlet certificate, translating the apostille page is usually enough.

Social Security, role and company owners

• Social Security: an employee needs a certificate of coverage that covers remote work from Spain. There is no agreement with Israel, so employees of Israeli companies usually switch to a contractor agreement with the same company. See the three ways employees qualify.
• Role letters: describe a hands-on role tied to your expertise and do not state that you must travel for work, which the UGE-CE has rejected. Self-employed applicants mention Spanish clients only within the 20% allowed (art. 74 bis Ley 14/2013), and we do not file invoices from Spanish clients or suppliers.
• Company owners: with 25% or more of the shares you are treated as an owner, and presenting yourself only as "director" tends to fail. Document a genuine remote professional role plus the corporate block (shareholding, latest company tax return, company expenses), and talk to a Legal Manager before answering.

⚠️ Common mistake: Answering only the literal question. If you send a new apostille but your translation does not include it, the next request will be about the translation. Check each new document against the whole file.

👉 Want our team to check your answer before you file it? Ask a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us which points the UGE-CE raised and your deadline, and we will tell you whether your documents close them.

How to build your answer: one PDF, under 10 MB

The answer is a written submission (escrito) in Spanish, followed by the documents that support it. In our practice it goes in as one PDF, and each upload must stay under 10 MB.

What the cover letter should contain

• ✅ File number (número de expediente), full name as in the passport, NIE if you have one, and the date of the request.
• ✅ One paragraph per point, in the officer's order and numbering, each citing the annex that answers it.
• ✅ A list of annexes and the signature of the applicant or representative.

How to assemble the PDF

• ✅ One file: cover letter first, annexes in the order cited. In our experience, separate uploads of annexes are not accepted.
• ✅ Under 10 MB: reduce scans and bank statements if you need space.
• ❌ Never compress a sworn translation. Compression can break the electronic signature check.

Sworn or plain translation?

• 👉 "Translation" without "sworn": a plain translation has been accepted in our files.
• 👉 "Sworn translation" (traducción jurada): use a translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ask for one PDF with the original, its apostille and the translation, the whole PDF electronically signed.
• 👉 Check the signature before filing with VALIDe, the Spanish government's free signature-validation service (valide.redsara.es). Our guide to apostilles for Spain shows which documents need what.

How to respond, step by step

1. Open the notification the day it arrives and download the request and the proof of notification.
2. Count your deadline in working days and diary it.
3. List every point, numbered as in the letter, and note which article of Ley 39/2015 it cites.
4. Sort each point: documents you have, documents to obtain, points that need an explanation.
5. Order slow documents the same day: criminal records, apostilles, sworn translations.
6. If a document cannot arrive in time, ask for the extension of up to 5 days before the deadline, with proof of your request.
7. Draft the cover letter in Spanish.
8. Check consistency of names, dates, income and job title across the whole file.
9. Check every digital signature on VALIDe.
10. Assemble one PDF under 10 MB.
11. File it through the Ministry's electronic office and keep the filing receipt (justificante) with the registry date and time.
12. Keep checking notifications: the decision period resumes.

⚠️ Common mistake: Filing on the last evening. Systems can be slow, and a submission made on a non-working day counts as made on the next working day. Aim to file at least two working days early.

What happens if you miss the deadline

If you do not answer a request issued under art. 68, the UGE-CE can treat you as having withdrawn your application, through a formal resolution notified to you.

Before the closing resolution is notified

Art. 73.3 of Ley 39/2015 states that the applicant's action is admitted if it happens before, or on, the day the resolution declaring the deadline expired is notified. The Defensor del Pueblo relied on this rule in an immigration case and suggested that an office revoke the closure of a file whose applicant had complied late; the office accepted (Defensor del Pueblo). Do not plan around it: acceptance is not guaranteed. If you have missed the deadline, file your complete answer immediately and get legal advice.

After the resolution

• Appeal: UGE-CE resolutions can be challenged with a recurso de alzada (art. 76.1 Ley 14/2013). The deadline is short: read the appeal information at the end of the resolution the day it arrives.
• New application: possible, with a new fee, if you meet every requirement on the new filing day, including legal presence in Spain.
• Your legal stay: filing extends your residence or stay situation until the procedure is resolved (art. 76.1 Ley 14/2013). A resolution closing the file ends the procedure, so check your position with a lawyer at once, especially if your visa-free days have run out.

After you answer: what to realistically expect

Once you answer, the decision period resumes. These are typical patterns from our files, not guarantees.

• Few days may be left. If the request arrived late in the 20-working-day period, the clock can run out soon after your answer.
• A decision, a further request or silence. If the period ends without a decision, the application is treated as approved by positive administrative silence (art. 76.1 Ley 14/2013), although the formal resolution can arrive later.
• Family files run separately. Each family member has their own application and can receive their own request; see our guide to bringing your family on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa.
• After approval: TIE, Social Security and padrón follow, as our checklist for keeping your Digital Nomad Visa in Spain explains.

💡 Pro tip: Check every personal detail in the resolution against your passport, including your country of birth. A mismatch can block the TIE fingerprint appointment; it is fixed with a request to correct a material error (art. 109.2 Ley 39/2015). Our TIE residency card guide explains the appointment.

Most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Missing the notification. Fix: whoever filed checks the electronic inbox every working day.
2. Counting calendar days. Fix: count working days, excluding holidays in Madrid and where you live.
3. Waiting for the last document. Fix: ask for the 5-day extension in time.
4. Sending documents without a cover letter. Fix: answer each point in a Spanish escrito citing the annexes.
5. Separate uploads or files over 10 MB. Fix: one PDF, annexes in order, under 10 MB.
6. Compressing a sworn translation. Fix: reduce other files and check the signature on VALIDe.
7. Adding new problems. Fix: no Spanish invoices, travel requirements or new job titles that contradict the file.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to answer a requerimiento for the Spain Digital Nomad Visa?

10 working days, counted from the day after the notification is opened. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays do not count, including holidays in Madrid, where the UGE-CE is based, and in your own town. If a document is especially hard to obtain, you can ask for up to 5 more days before the deadline expires.

Does a requerimiento mean my application will be refused?

No. A requerimiento means the officer needs something more before deciding: the procedure is still open and a complete answer puts the file back on track. What matters is that you answer every point within the deadline, with documents that fit the rest of your file and raise no new doubt.

Can I ask for more time to answer a requerimiento?

Yes. Art. 68.2 Ley 39/2015 allows an extension of up to 5 days when providing the documents presents special difficulties. Ask through the electronic office before your original deadline ends, explain the reason and attach proof that you have requested the document. The extension is discretionary, so keep working to the original date.

Does the 20-day deadline stop during a requerimiento?

Yes. The 20-working-day decision period is suspended from the notification of the request until you comply, or until your deadline expires if you do not (art. 22.1.a Ley 39/2015). In principle the clock then resumes with the days that were left, so a decision or positive silence can follow soon after your answer.

Will my application be closed if I miss the requerimiento deadline?

Yes, it can be. If the request was issued under art. 68 Ley 39/2015, a formal resolution can close your application as withdrawn (desistimiento). An answer filed before that resolution is notified may still be admitted under art. 73.3, but this is not guaranteed. File immediately, then get legal advice on an appeal or a new application.

Do I need a sworn translation for the documents I send with my answer?

No, not always. When the UGE-CE asks for a "translation" without specifying a sworn one, a plain translation has been accepted in our files. Official documents such as criminal record certificates, company certificates and degrees, and anything the officer expressly asks to be sworn, need a sworn translation, ideally as one signed PDF.

Can I upload my documents as separate files?

No, in our practice. We file the answer as one PDF: the cover letter in Spanish first, then the annexes in the order cited, and each upload must stay under 10 MB. Reduce the size of scans and bank statements if needed, but never compress a digitally signed sworn translation.

Will the requerimiento be sent to my personal email?

No. The legal notification goes to the electronic notification system of whoever filed the application, usually your representative's digital certificate. You may receive an email notice, but the notification itself is in the electronic inbox. Unopened for 10 calendar days, it is treated as rejected and the procedure continues.

Can I add documents the UGE-CE did not ask for?

Yes, if they help answer the points raised, for example a note explaining a platform payout. Be careful with anything new: invoices from Spanish clients, a different job title or a reference to business travel can create a new doubt, so everything you add must match your file.

Can MoveWise answer a requerimiento if I filed on my own?

Yes, in many cases. We first need to see the requerimiento, your file and the notification date, and a new representative must be authorised before filing on your behalf, which takes time. That is why you should contact us the day the request arrives, not near the end of the 10 working days.

How MoveWise can help

MoveWise prepares Spain Digital Nomad Visa files for employees, freelancers, company owners and families, and answers the requerimientos that follow. A Spain Legal Manager handles your file from the first check to the resolution.

• Module 1, eligibility assessment: your Legal Manager reviews income, contract, experience and Social Security route before you spend money on apostilles and translations, so weak points are fixed before filing.
• Module 2, full preparation and submission: we draft the letters, the Payment Summary and the explanatory notes, check every apostille and sworn translation, file through our partner professionals and answer any requerimiento within the deadline, as one complete PDF.
• If you filed on your own: send us the requerimiento and we will tell you whether we can take over the answer in the time left.

Our modular service comes with a full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement. Our clients have left more than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot, and our free webinars on the Spain Digital Nomad Visa let you ask questions live. Still choosing a route? Compare the Non-Lucrative Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa.

👉 Book a free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us where your application stands and what the UGE-CE has asked, and we will tell you honestly what your answer needs.

Sources and legal references

• Ley 39/2015, del Procedimiento Administrativo Común (consolidated text) — BOE
• Ley 39/2015, arts. 66 to 69, including art. 68 on subsanación — consolidated text, Papelea
• Ley 39/2015, arts. 70 to 74, including art. 73 on completing steps — consolidated text, Papelea
• Ley 14/2013 (consolidated text) — BOE
• Ley 14/2013, art. 76: procedure, 20-day deadline, positive silence and appeal — consolidated text, Papelea
• UGE-CE, Solicitudes: electronic filing of applications and subsanaciones — Ministry of Inclusion
• UGE-CE, digital nomads FAQ — Ministry of Inclusion
• Agencia Tributaria, Dirección Electrónica Habilitada única (DEHú)
• Ministry of Justice, notice on electronic notifications and the 10-calendar-day rule
• Defensor del Pueblo, suggestion on a requerimiento answered late (art. 73.3 Ley 39/2015)
• Real Decreto 126/2026, minimum wage (SMI) for 2026 — BOE
• European Commission, Entry/Exit System (EES)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and administrative practice change frequently; the information was verified on 14 November 2026. For advice on your situation, speak to a qualified professional.

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