Practical preparation
Authenticated bank statements: what the UGE asks for if you are paid through a platform
Proving income is not the same as proving the statement is genuine. How to prepare if you are paid through Deel or another platform.
Nomad Hub editorial team · Editorial update:
What the official instructions say
For the teleworker residence authorisation filed from inside Spain, the UGE asks for payslips or invoices for the three months before the application and, in addition, a bank certificate in the applicant's name, stamped or signed by the institution, showing those invoices were paid. It also asks you to mark the payments for each invoice separately. In other words, it is not enough that the money arrived: the authority must be able to verify who issued the document.
Why payment platforms cause trouble
Many remote workers are paid through contractor or international payment platforms. Their statements are downloaded from a dashboard and rarely carry the institution's stamp or signature. An income verification letter signed by the platform is not the same as a certificate of the transactions either. In a recent file of two applications filed from Spain, the UGE found a Deel verification letter insufficient and issued a formal request: the three months of transactions had to be submitted again, properly authenticated.
The two routes that were accepted
In response, the law firm handling the case set out two options: a statement stamped or signed by the issuing institution, or a notarial certification of the transactions. As the platform did not issue the former, the applicants chose the latter. What the certification needs to do is specific: the notary accesses the platform with the account holder, checks that the transactions match the documents filed and records that they were not altered. A notary in the country of origin was accepted, provided the certification carried an apostille.
What to ask the notary for
In this case, the first certification only stated that the copies were true copies. The firm warned that it did not say explicitly that they had been checked against the platform, and it was filed with that risk. Both applications were approved, but it is better not to rely on luck. Ask for a deed stating that the notary accessed the account and identifying the holder, the period and the transactions, and confirming they match the invoices. Then get it apostilled and, if it is not in Spanish, arrange a sworn translation.
How to avoid the request from the start
Before filing, ask your bank or platform whether it issues a signed certificate of transactions in your name. If it does not, arrange the notarial certification before you apply, not when a response deadline arrives. Mark each payment, match it to its invoice in a table and add a cover letter: the UGE itself recommends one when your documents do not match the request exactly. If income passes through an account in another currency, explain the conversion as well.
Take this next step
- A certificate or statement stamped or signed by the institution, in your name.
- Three months of payments marked and matching each invoice.
- A plan B settled before filing: an apostilled notarial certification.
- A cover letter if your documents do not match the request exactly.