Spain
Intra-companies transfer

Overview

Intra-Companies Transfer Spain is a residence and work route for non-EU employees moved to Spain within a company or group relationship. It can cover managers, specialists, trainees, and certain other transferred workers, and it is processed through Spain’s Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit, known as UGE.

This route is useful when the worker is not simply hired from the market. The key fact is the transfer within a business structure or for an approved company project.

Highlights

Residency & Path to Citizenship:

High-speed internet, vibrant culture, and startups-friendly.

Intra-Companies Transfer Spain is for employees transferred within a company or group, not ordinary new hires.
Spain recognizes ICT-EU and national intra-company transfer routes.
Applicants usually need at least three months of prior continuous relationship with the group.
The file should prove the business activity, transfer purpose, qualification, and Social Security position.
Charfort helps companies plan transfers, prepare evidence, coordinate UGE filings, and support family applications through its Intra-companies Transfer Spain service.

Benefits

Residency & Path to Citizenship: Time counts toward permanent residency and, eventually, nationality.
Lifestyle: High-speed internet, vibrant culture, and startups-friendly ecosystem.
Accelerated and streamlined application process
The ICT visa is given preferential treatment both at Spain’s consulate abroad and at the domestic immigration office.

Requirements

Education or Experience: Diploma or at least 3 years of relevant work experience.
Work relationship: The existence of a prior and continuous employment or professional relationship of 3 months with one or more companies within the group.
Company documentation that proves the transfer.
Clean criminal record certificate with Hague Apostille or Legalization and sworn translation.
Marriage certificate (if applicable) with Hague Apostille or Legalization and sworn translation.
Birth certificates (for family members) with Hague Apostille or Legalization and sworn translation.

Application process from home country

Gather documents
Apply at Oficina de UGE.
Apply for a visa to enter Spain to Spanish
consulate once your residency permit is
approved.
Biometrics (if needed).
Wait decision.
Travel to Spain & register (TIE) after
approval. (Answer from UGE is around 20 days. Consulate answer depends from each one.)

Application process from Spain (Fast track)

Enter on tourist visa.
Apply at Oficina de UGE.
Police registration & TIE after approval.
Apply at Oficina de UGE.
Timeline: Around 20 days.

How Charfort can help you?

Eligibility assessment, Application Submission

We review your profile and advise on meeting visa criteria.

Step-by-step support through the application and consular processes.

Obtain the TIE Card

Once your visa is approved, we help you complete the process to obtain your TIE card
in Spain.

Document preparation, Ongoing legal support

Help preparing and organizing proof of income, employment, insurance, and other paperwork.

We gather your documentation and handle the submission of your application as
quickly as possible.

Application Follow-up

We proactively track the status of your application and respond to any requests from the authorities.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the process.

Who is eligible to apply for the ICT visa in Spain?

Employees of a company or corporate group outside Spain who are being transferred to a Spanish branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in a managerial, specialist, or trainee role. You must have worked with the company for at least 3–12 months (depending on the position).

How long does the ICT visa process take?

The process is much faster than other permits: Spanish consulates usually decide on visa applications within 7–10 days, and residence permits are resolved in about 20 working days.

How long is the ICT visa valid for?

Managers & specialists: Up to 3 years, renewable.
Trainees: Up to 1 year, renewable under certain conditions.
Validity is usually tied to the length of the work assignment in Spain.

Can my family join me in Spain?

Yes. Immediate family (spouse or partner, dependent children, and dependent parents) can apply for residence permits at the same time. Family members are typically granted the right to live—and in many cases work—in Spain.

Can I travel within Europe with this visa?

Yes. With the Spanish ICT permit, you can travel freely within the Schengen Area. If you hold the EU ICT permit, you may also have the right to work in other EU member states under intra-EU mobility rules.

Does time spent in Spain under the ICT visa count toward permanent residency or citizenship?

Yes. The years you live in Spain with an ICT residence permit generally count toward the legal residence requirements for long-term residency (after 5 years) and potentially Spanish citizenship (after 10 years, or less for certain nationalities).

What is the difference between ICT-EU and national transfer?

ICT-EU usually applies to managers, specialists, and trainee workers and can include EU intra-mobility features. The national route covers other transfer scenarios, such as contract execution or cases that do not fit ICT-EU.

How can Charfort help with Intra-Companies Transfer Spain?

Charfort can assess the right transfer route, review group evidence, prepare document checklists, coordinate Social Security and health coverage evidence, support UGE filing, and plan family relocation.

Topic	Practical answer
Legal basis	Law 14/2013, articles on intra-company mobility
Main authority	UGE, the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit
Main routes	ICT-EU authorization and national intra-company transfer
Typical duration	Up to three years for many residence authorizations
Key evidence	Group relationship, prior work relationship, role, transfer letter

Who Can Use This Route?

The route can fit non-EU nationals transferred to Spain within a company or group relationship. The worker may be a manager, specialist, trainee, or other worker whose transfer fits the national route.

The file commonly needs to show:

The worker is over 18.
The worker has a valid passport.
The worker is not irregularly in Spain at filing.
The company or group carries out real business activity.
The worker has a prior continuous employment or professional relationship with the group.
The role is linked to the transfer purpose.
The worker has higher education or equivalent experience where required.
The worker has health coverage and a clear Social Security position.
The worker has no relevant criminal record.

Plataforma One official guidance refers to a prior and continuous employment or professional relationship of three months with one or more companies in the group. That is one of the first facts Charfort checks.

Social Security and Health Coverage

Social Security is one of the most technical parts of an intra-company transfer. If Spain has a bilateral Social Security agreement with the country of origin, the worker may need a coverage certificate. If there is no applicable certificate, the company may need to explain who is responsible for Spanish Social Security obligations.

Health coverage also matters. If the worker will not be covered through Spain’s public system, private health insurance from an insurer authorized in Spain may be needed. If the foreign Social Security agreement does not include healthcare coverage, a separate health insurance policy may still be required.

This point should be reviewed before filing. A strong business transfer file can still stall if Social Security coverage is unclear.

Intra-Companies Transfer Spain vs Other Routes

Intra-Companies Transfer Spain is often confused with other Spanish work routes.

Route	Best fit	Main difference
Intra-Companies Transfer Spain	Existing employee moves within a company group	Transfer relationship drives the file
High Qualified Residency Spain	Spanish company hires skilled professional	Spanish employer job offer drives the file
Spain Digital Nomad Visa	Remote work for foreign company or clients	Work remains remote and mainly outside Spain

Contact us today

Charfort assists international clients in obtaining residence and citizenship under the respective programs. Contact us to arrange an initial private consultation.

Talk with an expert

Sources and Authority Notes

This guide relies on the Plataforma One intra-company transfer procedure, the UGE intra-company workers page, the EU Immigration Portal ICT Spain overview, and Law 14/2013 on BOE. Companies should confirm the latest authority checklist before filing.

SpainIntra-companies transfer