Last updated: August 20, 2026, 8AM

If you recently filed a Spain Digital Nomad Visa application and are wondering what is happening to applicants who submitted around the same time, recent Lakbyte case data gives us a clearer picture of how applications are moving through the UGE.

The main takeaway is that filing date matters when interpreting current status. Earlier cohorts are largely resolved, while more recent cohorts, particularly July, filings are still working their way through the process. This article looks at three questions applicants are asking most often:

1. Where are UGE applications right now?
2. Who is reaching administrative silence?
3. If a case enters administrative silence, how much longer might the applicant wait?

Where are UGE applications right now?

The clearest way to understand the current picture is to look at applications by the week they were filed.

Lakbyte’s recent case tracking shows a visible shift between older and newer cohorts. May and early June filing cohorts are essentially complete, while July cohorts remain predominantly pending. That distinction is important. Someone who filed in May should not compare their current status directly with someone who filed in July. The later cohorts simply have not had the same amount of processing time yet.

The current data includes applications that have:

1. received a direct approval;
2. been approved after entering administrative silence;
3. reached administrative silence and are still waiting;
4. remain within the normal resolution window.

This makes filing cohort one of the more useful ways to answer the question: “People who filed around when I did: what is happening to them?”

Who is reaching administrative silence?

Administrative silence has not affected main applicants and dependents in the same way.

Lakbyte’s April-to-July case data shows that dependents have been considerably more likely to reach administrative silence than main applicants, while a much larger share of main applicants have received direct resolutions. Files that were still within the normal resolution period were excluded from this comparison. The pattern also changed among more recent main-applicant cohorts.

Earlier months showed relatively few main applicants reaching administrative silence. By July, that share had increased noticeably. Dependents, however, continued to reach administrative silence at a high rate throughout the period shown in the data.

This does not mean that administrative silence automatically signals a negative outcome. It describes where the application is in the process, not the final decision. If your case enters administrative silence, how much longer might you wait? This is understandably one of the biggest concerns for applicants.

For Lakbyte’s April-to-June administrative-silence cohort, the cumulative resolution pattern from the original filing date was:

– 13% resolved by week 6

– 31% by week 7

– 64% by week 8

– 78% by week 9

– 91% by week 10

– 97% by week 11

– 100% by week 12

The data shows that approvals tend to accumulate more quickly from around weeks seven and eight onward. It also shows why administrative silence can feel particularly difficult in the first few weeks: a relatively small share of these cases had resolved by week six, but the majority had resolved by weeks eight to ten.

Recent cases appear to be resolving more slowly during the earlier part of that curve. That does not necessarily mean they will remain unresolved; it means newer cohorts have not yet had enough time to follow the full pattern seen in older cases.

What about main applicants?

Main applicants generally follow a different timeline. According to Lakbyte’s case data, 87% of main applicants were approved directly within the first four to five weeks after filing, without entering administrative silence. The cumulative main-applicant approval curve rises quickly between approximately weeks three and seven, with most cases resolved well before the longer administrative-silence timeline typically associated with dependent applications.

Dependents generally follow later. The data in the report indicates that spouses and children typically receive decisions about three weeks after the main applicant, with most approvals occurring between weeks seven and ten after filing.

This difference is why comparing a dependent application directly with the main applicant’s timeline can create unnecessary concern.

Are recent administrative-silence cases taking longer?

There are signs that newer cohorts may be moving more slowly during the first several weeks.

The month-by-month administrative-silence comparison shows different resolution curves for April, May, and June. The June cohort had a larger share of files still pending at the time the data was pulled, while April and May had progressed much further through their resolution curves. July was excluded from that particular comparison because the cohort was still too recent to show a meaningful pattern.

The important distinction is between “taking longer so far” and “not resolving.” The available data supports the first statement. It does not yet support the second. More time and additional resolutions are needed before we can determine whether this represents a lasting change in UGE processing behavior.

What this means if you are currently waiting

If your DNV application is still pending, the most useful comparison is with applicants who filed during the same period and under similar circumstances.

A July applicant should not interpret a pending case using the same expectations as a May applicant whose filing cohort has already had several additional weeks to resolve.

Similarly, dependents should expect a different pattern from main applicants. The current Lakbyte data shows that main applicants are much more likely to receive a direct resolution earlier, while dependent applications more frequently continue into administrative silence and resolve later.

Administrative silence can extend the period of uncertainty, but Lakbyte’s recent case data shows that a substantial proportion of these files continue to resolve in the weeks that follow.

Disclaimer

These figures are based on Lakbyte case-level data and recent filing cohorts. They describe patterns observed across Lakbyte-managed applications and should not be interpreted as guaranteed processing timelines or outcomes.

Individual cases can differ based on filing date, applicant type, document requests, case circumstances, and UGE processing activity.About Lakbyte

Lakbyte provides private administrative and consultation support to international applicants relocating to Spain.

Lakbyte is not a government agency and does not issue visas, permits, licenses, or official documents. Eligibility, processing times, and application outcomes remain subject to the requirements and discretion of the relevant Spanish authorities.