How to get a Spain Work Visa

The single thing that surprises people most about working in Spain is that you do not apply for the permit. Your employer does.

For most people there is no route where you arrive as a tourist, find a job and convert it. The exception is the job seeker visa, covered at the end of this page. The company has to have the post, has to show that the job is on the shortage list or that it could not fill it locally, and has to open the file while you are still abroad. Almost everything that goes wrong with these applications goes wrong because somebody assumed otherwise.

What changed in 2025

This whole area was rebuilt. Royal Decree 1155/2024 approved a new Immigration Regulation that came into force in May 2025, replacing the rules that had governed work permits since 2011. Any guide written before that date is describing a system that no longer exists, which is worth knowing before you copy a document checklist off the internet.

Why your job title decides almost everything

Spain does not let an employer hire whoever they like from outside the EU. Article 75 of the regulation sets out two ways through, and which one applies to you depends on the job, not on you.

The first is the shortage list. The state employment service publishes a catalogue of occupations that are hard to fill, and it is updated every quarter. If your occupation is on it, your employer can file straight away.

The second route covers everything not on that list. The employer lodges the vacancy with the public employment service, which spends eight days putting local candidates forward. The employer then reports back on who applied and why they were not suitable, and the service issues a certificate within three days confirming there were not enough candidates. Only then can the application go in.

Those eight days are not a formality. Employers who treat them as one, or who write the job advert so narrowly that it reads as tailored to one person, are where these files collapse.

What is needed to obtain a Spain Work Visa?

In Spain in order to work, a work employment visa must be obtained. If you do not plan to work in Spain at all, the NLV, Spain’s visa for non-workers, is the alternative route. A Spain Work Visa allows for the foreigner or foreigners to be able to enter, stay in Spain, and carry out any and all employed tasks, with previous Government Authorization. There are a multitude of steps that must be correctly followed in order to obtain the work visa. First bit of information regarding the work visa application process, the visa must be applied for in person. Applications must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the expected date of travel. Starting from the time approval notification was received; residence visas must be picked up within 30 days,anytime after that, visas will be cancelled.

Are there different types of work visas in Spain?

When looking at a Spain Work Visa there are different types of work visas, with some requiring going to a spanish embassy or consulate. Under the general regime, the job has to be on the shortage occupation list, or the employer has to show it could not fill the post locally. The employer then applies for the residence and work permit at the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) of the province where the job is. If you are hired as a highly qualified professional, the employer files under Law 14/2013 with the UGE instead, and the job does not need to be on the shortage list. Work permits can take up to 8 months to process so thinking ahead is essential. The embassy or consulate will issue the work and residence visa after the immigration office has granted the permit. For those who will be working seasonal, there is a Work Visa for seasonal workers and the process to obtain a visa is similar to the process in obtaining a visa or highly skilled employees. Employers would have to apply for the permit on behalf of the employee. On top of that process, seasonal workers would need to show that they have accommodations arranged, travel cost taken care of and that they will be returning back to their respective country once the job has been completed. These types of visas are valid for the duration of the work contract. If your employer is moving you from its office abroad to its company in Spain, the intra-company transfer permit is usually the better route. A player or coach signed by a Spanish club also goes through an employer-led work permit; our guide for athletes covers tournaments, training stays and academies.

How do I submit the required documents that are needed?

When applying/submitting the documents required for a spanish work visa there are a few steps involved. All documents for this visa must be in Spanish. Any documents that can only be obtained in English must be translated by a Sworn Translator. Be sure to bring all photocopies and originals of all documents.
1.Both the originals and photocopies of forms for the visa must be signed.
2.Glued to the form should be a one passport type photo (white background 2×2”).
3.Passports should be no older than 10yrs and should have at least blank page for the new visa.
4.I.D. card that proves where you reside is within the jurisdiction of the Spanish Consulate of Los Angeles. You can also provide U.S. driver’s license, State I.D. card, Voter’s Registration Card, current student I.D.
5.(For non- US citizens only) Alien Registration Card or long term U.S. Visa. (Original and a photocopy).

– Anyone holding B-1 and B-2 Visas cannot apply in the United States; they must apply in their country of residence or country of origin.

– Applicants that are holding Student Visas must also submit their I-20 signed by the university on the last page and a copy of their F-1 Visa.

6.The residence and work permit granted by the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) in Spain, or by the UGE for permits under Law 14/2013. This document cant be older than 30 days.
7.Work Contract proving the fulfillment of minimal economic funds during time in Spain (Original and a photocopy)
8.Certification of “absence of police records” (18 years of age or older) (Original, photocopy, translation into Spanish, photocopy of translation): Obtain a background check verified by fingerprint comparison. This document is valid for 3 months in reference to the date that it was issued. It must be legalized with the “Apostille of The Hague” and then translated into Spanish.

Background checks can be issued by either The U.S. Justice Department– FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation and must be legalized with the “Apostille of The Hague” by the Secretary of State in Washington or The State Justice Department (all states where the applicant has resided in the last 5 years) and the document must be legalized with the “Apostille of The Hague” by the Secretary of State of said state.

9.Medical Certificate: (Original, photocopy and a translation): Must be recent (Issued within the last 3 months), include letter-head and handwritten signature of a doctor (M.D. or D.O.).
10.Payment of the Visa Fees is accepted with money orders. Money orders are to be addressed to the ”General Consulate of Spain Los Angeles”. Money will not be reimbursed even if the visa is not granted or is cancelled.

•The spouse of the main applicant must submit his/her own visa application for Residence visa, with all required documents plus the Marriage certificate authenticated with the Apostille of The Hague and translated into Spanish.

•Any children of the main applicant should submit his/ her own visa application for Residence visa, with all required documents plus the Birth certificates authenticated with the Apostille of The Hague and translated into Spanish.

11.Disclaimer duly signed

Once you have completed gathering the needed documentation, you may use this Check List as a guide to make sure you have everything ready for your appointment.

Can students find employment in Spain?

If you are in Spain on a student stay for higher education, you can work up to 30 hours a week. The right to work comes with your student authorisation, so there is nothing extra to apply for. Other students need a work authorisation first, which the employer or the student can request (article 57 of Royal Decree 1155/2024).

What is an EU Blue Card?

The EU Blue Card is Europe’s answer to the US Green Card. The EU Blue Card is a work- and live permit for non-EU/EEA nationals. The European Blue Card gives you broad social and economic rights and a path towards long-term residence. If you have a higher education qualification that took at least three years to complete that allows you to work at a high level in a professional capacity, or have a minimum of five years’ professional experience at the same level, then you can apply for an EU Blue Card. You will also have to have a work contract or legally-binding job offer. The job must pay at least €41,356.36 gross a year in 2026, or €33,085.09 for shortage occupations and recent graduates. No labour market test applies. The employer, or you, then files the application with the UGE, with details of the job, your qualifications, your passport and proof of health insurance for Spain. Once the EU Blue Card is granted, you must apply to the Spanish embassy in your home country for a visa. Documents will need are your passport, medical certificate, no criminal record certificate and a copy of the job contract. When you have the visa, you have three months to come to Spain. The first Blue Card lasts up to three years, and it is then renewed for two years at a time while you meet the conditions. Once you have obtained an EU Blue Card, you will be able to travel to other EU states for up to three months within a six-month period. After 12 months, you can move to another EU state, where you apply for that country’s Blue Card. If you have held a Blue Card issued by another EU member state for 12 months, or 6 months if you held it in more than one member state, you have the right to move to Spain and apply for a Spanish EU Blue Card. You or your employer can apply either before you arrive in Spain or within a month of entering the country.

Can I work as a freelancer or self-employed?

In order to be able to work in Spain as a freelancer, it is necessary to apply for a Self employment 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 for the work visa includes:

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

Once you have the work and residence permit, you can apply for a visa to enter Spain, if necessary. Find out if you need an entry visa in our guide to Spanish visas.

Who needs no work permit at all

Article 88 exempts some people from needing a work authorisation entirely, although most of them still need a visa to enter. The list is narrower than people hope, and it is specific:

• Technicians, researchers and scientists invited or contracted by the state, a region, a university, a local authority or a public research body.
• Teaching staff, technicians and researchers invited or contracted by a Spanish university.
• Directors and teaching staff of foreign cultural or educational institutions of recognised standing, running their own country’s programmes in Spain.
• Foreign civil or military officials coming to Spain under a cooperation agreement with a Spanish administration.
• Accredited correspondents of foreign media.
• Members of international scientific missions carrying out authorised research in Spain.
• Ministers of religion and members of the hierarchy of registered religious bodies.
• Foreigners who sit on the representative, governing or administrative bodies of trade unions and employers’ organisations.
• Foreigners who already hold a valid work permit in another EU member state and are posted to Spain to provide services.

If you are not on that list, you need the permit, and you need the employer.

What the permit actually gives you, and what it does not

The first permit is narrower than most people expect. Article 73 ties it to one occupation and one autonomous region, unless the national employment situation does not apply to your case, and it lasts as long as the work does, up to a maximum of one year.

Three deadlines catch people out. Your employer has to register you with Social Security within three months of your legal entry into Spain. If the permit runs for more than six months you must apply in person for your TIE card within one month of that Social Security registration. And the geographic limit is real: a permit issued for Catalonia is not a permit for Madrid.

One thing works in your favour. The permit also allows self-employed work while it is valid, as long as the employed job stays your main activity. So the consultancy on the side is not automatically a problem, provided the job is still the job.

Where this usually goes wrong

The occupation is described loosely, so the file is judged against the wrong catalogue entry. The employer runs the eight day search as a box to tick and cannot explain why nobody suitable applied. The Social Security registration slips past three months while everyone waits for a flight. None of these is a hard case in law. They are all avoidable, and they all cost months.

Tell us the job title, the region and whether your employer has run the vacancy yet, and we will tell you which of the two routes you are on and what your employer needs to have ready.

Can family members travel to Spain and work also?

Family members can join relatives of non- eu citizens who have been residing in Spain for one year and hold a residence permit for a further year, by applying for a family reunification residence permit. Once approved, family members can work without a work permit Non-EU relatives of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can come to Spain without waiting for a year and can also work without a permit.

What happens once you arrive in Spain?

The visa from the department will only be valid for 90 days. Don’t be alarmed, this is normal. Within one month of your Social Security registration, you must apply in person at the police for your foreigner identity card. They will take your fingerprints and check your documents, and then you will be issued the Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE), which shows your NIE number. This card validates your residency until the listed expiration date. Note that the dates will be formatted DAY/MONTH/YEAR. Everyone working in Spain must register with the Spanish Social Security authorities, the General Social Security Fund (Dirección General de la Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social – TGSS). If you are an employee your employer will do this for you; if you are self-employed it is your responsibility. Take a look at their website for more information on how to register, contributions and benefits. There are also provincial offices all throughout Spain

If you do not have an offer yet, the job seeker visa lets you come to Spain and look for one before any of this applies.