Are you ready to grow your business?
Are you ready to grow your business?
The right route comes first, and for degree-level hires that is usually the EU Blue Card.Each Spanish work permit has its own authority, conditions and timeline, and the rules changed in May 2025. The Blue Card stands out because there is no labour market test, decisions have a short statutory deadline and family can apply at the same time.
Not every visa works without a Spanish entity.An intra-company transfer needs a Spanish group company, and the digital nomad visa needs an employer based outside Spain. An Employer of Record can act as the Spanish employer for the EU Blue Card and the standard work permit.
Approval is only the halfway point.The employee must be registered with Social Security before their first day, apply for a TIE card after arrival and renew on time. Employing someone without the right authorization can lead to fines for each worker.
Spain work visa requirements depend on two things: the nationality of the person you want to hire, and the role you are hiring them for. Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland can start work after a simple registration. Everyone else, including UK nationals since 2021, needs a residence and work authorization for a specific route and, when applying from abroad, a national visa to enter Spain.
For employers, this is not just the candidate’s paperwork. In most routes, the employer starts the application, signs the contract the authorisation is based on and registers the employee with Social Security before their first day. Spain has also rewritten its immigration rules: a new Immigration Regulation (Real Decreto 1155/2024) has applied since 20 May 2025, so guidance written before then may already be out of date.
This guide covers every main Spain work visa route, the documents you need, the step-by-step process, official processing periods and your obligations as an employer. If you do not have a Spanish entity, we also explain how you can still hire in Spain through an Employer of Record with work permit support.
| Spain work visa | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Who needs a work visa | Nationals of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, including UK nationals since 1 January 2021 |
| Main routes for employers | EU Blue Card, Highly Qualified Professional, standard work permit |
| Who applies | The employer applies for the authorisation; the employee applies for the visa |
| Where | Large Companies Unit, UGE-CE (Blue Card, Highly Qualified Professional) or the provincial Immigration Office (standard route) |
| Official decision period | 20 working days (UGE-CE routes) or 3 months (standard route) |
| After arrival | Social Security registration, residence card (TIE), town hall registration |
Sources BOE: LOEX art. 36 → BOE: Ley 14/2013, art. 76 → BOE: Real Decreto 240/2007, art. 7 → BOE: Real Decreto 1155/2024 →
Before looking at routes, check whether your candidate needs a work visa for Spain at all. The general Spain visa requirements fall into three groups.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can live and work in Spain without a permit. If they stay longer than three months, they must register in person with the Central Register of Foreign Nationals and receive a registration certificate showing their foreign identity number (NIE).
UK nationals have been treated as non-EU nationals since 1 January 2021. Anyone who was legally living in Spain before the end of 2020 keeps their rights under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and holds a residence card (TIE) confirming this. Everyone else needs a work authorisation like any other non-EU national. Visa-free stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period do not allow work for a Spanish employer.
Non-EU nationals need a residence and work authorisation before they can start work. If they live outside Spain, they then apply for a national (type D) visa at the Spanish consulate to enter the country.
There is a short list of activities that do not need a work authorisation, such as certain technical, scientific, academic and artistic engagements (LOEX art. 41). These are narrow exemptions, so check them carefully before relying on one.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they are different documents issued by different authorities.
| Document | What it is | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Residence and work authorisationAutorización de residencia y trabajo | Permission to live and work in Spain under a specific route. This is what people usually mean by a "work permit" | Immigration Office or UGE-CE |
| National visa (type D)Visado nacional | Entry visa placed in the passport once the authorisation is approved | Spanish consulate |
| NIENúmero de identidad de extranjero | Foreign identity number used for tax, Social Security, banking and contracts | Policía Nacional |
| TIETarjeta de identidad de extranjero | Physical residence card for non-EU nationals living in Spain | Policía Nacional |
| Social Security numberNúmero de afiliación (NAF) | Needed to register the employee before they start work | Seguridad Social (TGSS) |
Sources BOE: LOEX art. 36 → Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores: visas → Policía Nacional: foreign nationals → Seguridad Social: registration →
Spain’s work routes sit under two laws. The Entrepreneurs Law (Ley 14/2013), expanded by the Startups Law (Ley 28/2022), covers the EU Blue Card, Highly Qualified Professionals, intra-company transfers, researchers and digital nomads. These applications go to the Large Companies Unit (UGE-CE), are decided within short statutory deadlines and do not require a labour market test. Everything else falls under the Immigration Act (LOEX) and its Regulation, and is handled by the provincial Immigration Office.
One route has disappeared: since 3 April 2025, Spain no longer grants residence through property investment, after the so-called golden visa was abolished by Ley Orgánica 1/2025. Some guides still list it.
The table below compares every main Spain work visa route, including whether it can be used when hiring through an Employer of Record (EOR).
| Route | Best for | Key condition | Processed by | Labour market test? | Usable with an EOR? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU Blue Card | Degree-level roles | Salary of at least €39,270 a year (€31,416 reduced threshold) | UGE-CE | No | Yes |
| Highly Qualified Professional | Senior and specialist roles | Employer meets company criteria; salary assessed by UGE-CE (rule of thumb: €40,000+) | UGE-CE | No | Depends on the employing entity |
| Standard work permit | Most other roles | No suitable local candidate, or role on the shortage list | Immigration Office | Yes, unless exempt | Yes |
| Intra-company transfer | Staff moving within a group | 3 months' prior employment in the group | UGE-CE | No | No |
| Digital nomad | Remote workers for a foreign company | Income of at least €2,849 a month (200% of the minimum wage) | UGE-CE or consulate | No | No |
| Researcher | Research and R&D roles | Hosting agreement with a research body | UGE-CE | No | Case by case |
| Seasonal work | Agriculture, tourism | Up to 9 months in any 12 | Immigration Office | Varies | Not typical |
| Self-employed | Own business or start-up | Viable business plan | Immigration Office or UGE-CE | No | No |
Sources BOE: Ley 14/2013, arts. 70 to 74 bis → BOE: LOEX arts. 37, 38 and 42 → BOE: Real Decreto 1155/2024 → INE: Annual Wage Structure Survey →
The EU Blue Card is the main route for degree-level professionals whose salary meets the national threshold. It is also the route we support most often. We summarise how it works and how it compares with the Highly Qualified Professional route below.
The Highly Qualified Professional route is for managers, highly qualified professionals and graduates of leading universities and business schools. Unlike the Blue Card, the employer has to qualify too. The company must meet at least one condition, such as an average workforce of more than 250 employees in Spain, an annual net turnover in Spain above €200 million, or a project recognized as being of general interest.
There is no fixed salary figure for this route in law. Instead, UGE-CE assesses whether the salary is consistent with a highly qualified role, benchmarked against national wage statistics for the occupation. As a rule of thumb, salaries of around €40,000 a year for technical and qualified roles, and around €60,000 for directors and senior managers, are typically accepted. Lower levels can apply to younger applicants. The contract is usually expected to be full-time and permanent. The authorisation is valid for up to three years and can be renewed.
The standard residence and work authorisation covers most roles that do not fit a Ley 14/2013 route. The main hurdle is the labour market test: the employer has to show that no suitable candidate is available locally, usually by advertising the role through the public employment service.
The test does not apply if the job appears on the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations, which SEPE publishes every quarter for each province. Under the 2025 Immigration Regulation, the first authorisation is valid for one year and renewals are granted for four years. The application is handled by the provincial Immigration Office rather than UGE-CE, and the official decision period is longer.
An intra-company transfer lets a multinational move managers, specialists or trainees from a group company abroad to a Spanish group entity. The employee must have worked for the group for at least three months before the transfer.
The catch for many employers is that an ICT only works if you already have a company in Spain to transfer the employee to. Without one, you need another route, such as the EU Blue Card through an Employer of Record.
Spain’s digital nomad visa, formally the international teleworking route, is for people who work remotely for a company based outside Spain. The main digital nomad visa Spain requirements in 2026 are:
For employers, the key point is that this visa is designed for people whose employer is outside Spain. If you want to employ someone on a Spanish contract, or the arrangement becomes long term, you still need to manage Spanish payroll, tax and Social Security. An Employer of Record is often the simpler option.
Researchers hired by universities, research centres or companies with R&D activity can use a dedicated route processed by UGE-CE. It also covers academic staff and is usually based on a hosting agreement with the research body. As with other Ley 14/2013 routes, there is no labour market test.
Seasonal authorisations cover temporary work in sectors such as agriculture and tourism, for up to nine months in any 12-month period. Large seasonal programmes are often run through collective hiring in the worker’s country of origin (GECCO), under an annual order from the Ministry of Inclusion. This route is rarely relevant for office-based or professional roles.
People setting up their own business in Spain can apply for a self-employed authorisation or, for innovative and scalable projects, the entrepreneur route. Neither is an employer route, but they can matter if a contractor you work with is considering relocating to Spain.
The 2025 Immigration Regulation extended the job-seeker visa to 12 months and allows students to work up to 30 hours a week, which makes it easier to hire international graduates who are already in Spain. People who have lived in Spain for at least two years may also qualify through settlement routes (arraigo). These are not employer-led, but you may come across candidates using them.
The chart below brings the salary and income thresholds for each route together.
EU Blue Card Digital nomad visa Minimum wage
| Minimum wage (SMI) 202614 payments of €1,221 | €17,094 |
|---|---|
| EU Blue Card: reduced thresholdShortage occupations and recent graduates | €31,415.94 |
| Digital nomad visa200% of SMI (€2,849 a month), main applicant | €34,188 |
| EU Blue Card: standard threshold1.4 times the INE average gross annual salary | €39,269.92 |
Highly Qualified Professional salaries have no fixed figure and are assessed case by case by UGE-CE. Digital nomad amounts rise by 75% of the SMI for the first family member and 25% for each additional member.
Sources BOE: Ley 14/2013 → INE: Annual Wage Structure Survey → Spain minimum wage 2026 →
Use the decision tree below as a starting point. The final choice depends on the candidate’s documents and the role, so confirm it before you file anything.
| Which Spain work visa fits your hire?Start at question 1 and follow the answers down. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the candidate an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen? |
Yes | No work permit neededRegister with the Central Register of Foreign Nationals and get an NIE |
| No | |||
| 2 | Will they work remotely for a company outside Spain, with no Spanish employer? |
Yes | Digital nomad visaInternational teleworking route |
| No | |||
| 3 | Are they moving from a group company abroad to a Spanish group entity? |
Yes | Intra-company transfer (ICT)Requires a group company in Spain |
| No | |||
| 4 | Do they hold a degree (or qualifying ICT experience) and meet the salary threshold? |
Yes | EU Blue CardNo labour market test; family can apply togetherWorks with an EOR |
| No | |||
| 5 | Is it a senior or specialist role at a company that meets the HQP criteria? |
Yes | Highly Qualified ProfessionalThe employer must also meet company criteria |
| No | |||
| 6 | Standard work permitLabour market test applies, unless the role is on SEPE's list of hard-to-fill occupationsWorks with an EOR |
||
No Spanish entity? An Employer of Record in Spain can act as the Spanish employer for the EU Blue Card and the standard work permit.
Sources BOE: Ley 14/2013, arts. 71, 73, 74 bis → BOE: LOEX art. 38 → BOE: Real Decreto 240/2007, art. 7 →
The EU Blue Card is an EU-wide permit for highly qualified non-EU workers, introduced into Spanish law through the Startups Law (Ley 28/2022). For well-paid, degree-level hires, it is often the most practical Spain work visa. To qualify, the employee needs:
Employers choose it because there is no labour market test, applications are decided within short statutory deadlines and family members can apply at the same time. After 12 months, the Blue Card also makes it easier to move to a highly qualified job in another EU country.
Both routes are processed by UGE-CE and skip the labour market test. The difference lies in who has to qualify and what the employee gets.
| EU Blue Card | Highly Qualified Professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | The employee: degree (or ICT experience) and salary | The employee and the employer, which must meet company criteria |
| Salary | At least €39,269.92 (€31,415.94 reduced) | No fixed figure; as a rule of thumb, around €40,000 (technical) to €60,000 (director) |
| Contract | At least six months | Usually full-time and permanent |
| EU mobility | Yes, after 12 months | No |
| Validity | Up to three years | Up to three years |
| Family | Can apply at the same time | Can apply at the same time |
Sources BOE: Ley 14/2013, art. 71 → EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2021/1883 →
As a rule of thumb, the Blue Card suits degree-level hires paid above the threshold, especially where future moves within the EU matter. The Highly Qualified Professional route can suit technical and senior hires at qualifying employers, and its lower level for applicants under 30 can help with early-career specialists
“For most of the degree-level hires we support in Spain, the EU Blue Card is the strongest option. There is no labour market test, the deadlines are short and the employee’s family can come at the same time. Where employers trip up is the salary: it has to meet the threshold on the contract itself, not after bonuses or allowances are added on.”
— Samantha Petersen, HR Consultant at ThisWorks
From choosing the right work permit to payroll and Social Security, we handle the details of hiring non-EU talent in Spain. No Spanish entity required.
The exact Spain work visa requirements vary by route, but most applications draw on the same set of documents. The employer prepares the company side; the employee prepares their personal documents.
| Employer providesCompany documents | Employee providesPersonal documents |
|---|---|
Tick off each document as you go. Exact requirements vary by route and consulate.
Sources Ministerio de Inclusión: information sheets → BOE: Real Decreto 1155/2024 → Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores: visas →
Two details cause most delays. First, foreign documents must be legalised or carry an apostille under the Hague Convention, and translations must be done by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) recognised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Second, criminal record certificates are usually only accepted for three months after issue, so the timing has to line up with the application.
“The documents that hold applications up are almost always the personal ones: apostilles, sworn translations and criminal record certificates that expire before the file is complete. We ask candidates to start on these as soon as the offer is signed, while we prepare the employer side in parallel.”
— Nicoletta Papadopoulos, Junior HR Consultant at ThisWorks
If you are wondering how to get a work visa for Spain, the process follows the same order for most routes. The employer files first; the employee applies for the visa once the authorisation is approved.
| 1 | Confirm the routeCheck nationality, role, salary and whether you have a Spanish entity | Both |
| 2 | Labour market testStandard route only, unless the role is on the shortage occupations list | Employer |
| 3 | File the authorisationOnline to UGE-CE (Blue Card, HQP) or the provincial Immigration Office | Employer |
| 4 | DecisionUGE-CE or the Immigration Office resolves the application | Authority |
| 5 | Apply for the national visaAt the Spanish consulate in the country of residence | Employee |
| 6 | Travel to SpainEnter within the visa's validity | Employee |
| 7 | Social Security registrationRegister the employee before their first working day | Employer |
| 8 | Apply for the TIE cardFingerprint appointment with the Policía Nacional | Employee |
| 9 | Register with the town hallPadrón registration at the local town hall | Employee |
Sources BOE: LOEX arts. 36 and 38 → BOE: Ley 14/2013 → BOE: Real Decreto 1155/2024 → BOE: Ley 39/2015, art. 14 → BOE: Ley 7/1985, art. 15 →
Spanish law sets maximum periods for each decision. These are official deadlines, not guarantees. The real timeline also depends on how quickly documents are ready and how soon appointments are available.
EU Blue Card and Highly Qualified Professional route. These applications go to UGE-CE, which has 20 working days to decide. If it misses that deadline, the application is treated as approved. Once the authorisation is granted, the consulate has 10 working days to issue the visa. This makes these the fastest employer-led routes, and one reason the Blue Card is often the first choice for skilled hires.
Standard work permit. The provincial Immigration Office has up to three months to decide. If it doesn’t decide in time, the application is treated as refused, so it pays to file a complete application the first time. After approval, the consulate has up to one month to issue the visa. Remember to allow time for the labour market test before you file, unless the role is on the shortage occupations list.
After arrival. There is no fixed period for the TIE card. It depends on appointment availability with the Policía Nacional, which varies by city. The employee can start work once they are registered with Social Security, so plan the start date around the visa rather than the TIE.
Getting the authorisation is the start. As the employer, you also take on these ongoing responsibilities:
If you hire through ThisWorks as your Employer of Record, the split of responsibilities looks like this:
| Task | ThisWorks (EOR) | Your company | Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route assessment | Advises on the right route | Shares role details | Shares background |
| Employment contract | Issues a Spanish permanent contract | Agrees terms | Signs |
| Authorisation application | Prepares and files | Provides role information | Provides documents |
| Visa and travel | Guides the employee | Supports | Applies and attends |
| Social Security registration | Registers | None | Provides details |
| Payroll, tax and contributions | Runs monthly payroll | Funds payroll | None |
| TIE and padrón | Guides | None | Attends appointments |
| Renewals and changes | Manages | Tells us about changes | Provides updated documents |
No Spanish entity needed. Find out how our Employer of Record service in Spain works.
Under the 2025 Regulation, a standard work authorisation is first granted for one year and then renewed for four years. The renewal can be filed from 60 days before the expiry date and up to 90 days after it, although filing late can lead to a fine. Blue Card and other Ley 14/2013 authorisations follow their own validity periods.
Changing employer depends on the route. Blue Card holders can change jobs subject to the notification rules in Directive (EU) 2021/1883, art. 15. The EU’s recast Single Permit Directive also had to be in national law by 21 May 2026 and makes changing employer easier for single-permit holders.
After five years of continuous legal residence, employees can apply for long-term residence, which no longer depends on a specific job.
For Ley 14/2013 routes, including the Blue Card and Highly Qualified Professional route, the spouse or partner and children can apply at the same time as the employee and the partner can work in Spain. Under the standard route, family reunification is possible once the employee has held their authorisation for one year and has renewed it or applied to renew it.
For candidates with families, this difference can decide which route you choose, so raise it early in the hiring process.
Spain does not have a sponsor licence system like the UK or a recognised sponsor register like the Netherlands. Instead, the Spanish employer applies for the authorisation. That creates a problem for companies without a Spanish entity: they cannot file a standard work permit themselves.
In practice, there are four options:
|
1
Set up a Spanish company
Gives you full control, but takes time and brings ongoing accounting, tax and HR obligations. |
2
Intra-company transfer
Only possible if a group company already exists in Spain. |
|
3
Digital nomad visa
Only for people working remotely for a company outside Spain, and not a long-term employment structure. |
4Our service
Employer of Record
A Spanish employing entity becomes the legal employer, issues the contract, supports the work authorisation, registers the employee with Social Security and runs payroll, while your company directs the day-to-day work. Explore EOR in Spain |
An EOR works with the EU Blue Card and the standard work permit, because both are based on a Spanish employment contract. It does not work for intra-company transfers or the digital nomad visa, which by design require a group company or a foreign employer.
At ThisWorks, we combine Employer of Record in Spain with work visa management for Spain. We work through our own entity in Spain and focus our immigration support on the EU Blue Card, so you can hire highly skilled non-EU talent without setting up a company.
UGE-CE must decide Blue Card and Highly Qualified Professional applications within 20 working days, while the Immigration Office has up to three months for standard permits. The visa, travel and TIE appointments add further time, so plan start dates with some margin.
Only if they are employed by a company based outside Spain. If you want to employ them on a Spanish contract, they need a different route, such as the EU Blue Card through an Employer of Record.
Yes. Since 1 January 2021, UK nationals need a work authorisation like other non-EU nationals, unless they were legally living in Spain before the end of 2020 and are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
It depends on the route. EU Blue Card holders can change employer subject to notification rules, and other permits have their own conditions. Check the rules before any move, as the authorisation is linked to the original job.
Yes. An Employer of Record can act as the Spanish employer, issue the contract, support the work permit and run payroll.
Hiring non-EU talent in Spain means getting the route, the contract, the payroll and the timing right together. We bring Employer of Record, payroll and EU Blue Card and work permit support into one service, so you can hire in Spain without opening a company. Get in touch to talk through your next Spanish hire.
