Residence And Work Permit In Spain

We are a team of lawyers with more than 20 years experience in dealing with the residence and work permit applications made by Spanish citizens or foreigners. We have created our website to guide those interested in obtaining their residence or work permit, whatever the case may be.

Antonio has just arrived in Madrid airport after a long flight. He has to find a short-term accomodation, settle all the relevant paper work, find an official job, and more importantly; he needs to learn Spanish. Check out our step-by-step guide to obtaining residence and work permit in Spain.

Spain is a popular destination for expats and travelers. You can still enjoy the weather, great food and fun lifestyle when you are not exploring the country’s rich history and beautiful cities. Here are some tips to help you when filing for residence or work permit in Spain.

Spain has proven itself to be one of the most welcoming countries towards expats, and foreign residents. The country is spoken of as the European country with one of the easiest residence permits , contrasted with its European counterparts.

Residence And Work Permit In Spain

Spain is an enticing country to live in. Unsurprisingly, thousands of people apply for jobs in Spain and many make the move each year. Non-EU citizens need a Spanish Work Visa to be able to legally start work.

What is a Work Visa?

Workers who are not from EU countries need to obtain a Work Visa to be able to live and work in Spain. Without a Work Visa a company cannot legally employ non-EU citizens.

There are various types of Work Visas for Spain for different types of jobs and for different lengths of employment. Some of the most common types of work visas are:

• Long-term Work Visas
• Seasonal Work Visas
• Au Pair Visas
• EU Blue Card

List of Countries which Need a Work Visa

• Albania
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Bosnia and Herz.
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Canada
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Dominica
• El Salvador
• Georgia
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Israel
• Japan
• Kiribati
• Macau
• Malaysia
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• North Macedonia
• Palau
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• S.V. and Grenadines
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Solomon Islands
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Timor Leste
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United States
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City
• Venezuela
• UK who are not EU citizens

How to get a Visa to Work in Spain

There are numerous different types of Spanish Work Visas. Most require going to a Spanish embassy or consulate in the individual’s home country although for some certain types of visa, the prospective employer makes the initial application on the employee’s behalf.

Work as an Employee (Highly-skilled)

To work in Spain as a highly-skilled employee, non-EU citizens need to find a job which is listed as a ‘Shortage Occupation’. This is a job for which there is a lack of suitable candidates within the EU. The employer must then request a Work Visa from the Ministry of Labour.

Work permit applications can take up to 8 months to process so forward planning is needed. Once the Ministry of Labour has approved the application, the embassy or consulate issue the work and residence visa.

Visa for Seasonal Workers

The process of obtaining a Work Visa for Seasonal Workers is similar to the process for highly-skilled workers. Employers need to apply for the visa on the worker’s behalf from the Ministry of Labour.

In addition to this process, seasonal workers need to demonstrate they have suitable accommodation arranged, their travel costs are covered, and that they will return to their country once the job has finished. The visas are valid for the duration of the work contract.

Self-employed and Freelance Workers

To work in Spain as a freelance, it is necessary to apply for a Work Visa at a Spanish consulate or embassy. The work visas are valid for one year but can be renewed if all the conditions are still met. The required documentation includes:

• Proof of sufficient finances to support yourself
• Proof of relevant skills and experience
• A business plan (if applicable)
• Any contracts or commissions from companies
• Any required licences or registrations (industry or job-specific)

EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card is for people who spent at least 3 years completing a higher education qualification which allows them to work as a skilled professional. People who have a minimum of 5 years’ professional experience at a high level are also eligible. The employer submits the application on the behalf of the applicant.

A work contract that includes a salary which is at least 50% more than the average wage in Spain (or at least 20% more if the skills are in demand) is a requirement. Once approved, the worker also needs to apply for a visa from a Spanish embassy or consulate in their home country. Blue cards are valid for one year but can be renewed as long as the conditions are still met.