What happens when you’ve found the perfect candidate but they’re in Spain?
Do you spend the next three months Googling “Spain work visa requirements” and trying to decode government websites that seem designed to confuse? Do you hire a local lawyer and hope they can navigate the bureaucracy faster than your competitor can snatch up your ideal hire?
The good news is that Spain is one of the more straightforward European markets to hire in once you know the system. Spain actively wants international talent and investment. The country offers strong worker protections, competitive salaries in growing sectors like tech and finance, and a quality of life that makes retention easier than in many other markets.
But getting from “we want to hire them” to “they start Monday” means understanding Spain’s work visa landscape. Different visa types serve different situations. Some take weeks, others take months. Some require company sponsorship, others let employees handle the process themselves.
The difference between doing this right and doing this wrong? Speed, compliance, and whether your dream hire is still available when the paperwork finally clears.
Here’s what you need to know about Spain work visas, how to get them, and what it means for companies ready to tap into one of Europe’s most dynamic talent markets.
Who requires a Spain work visa?
Citizens of countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland don’t need a work visa to reside and work in Spain. However, individuals from all other non-EEA countries do.
The EEA includes all 27 European Union (EU) member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. As a result of Brexit in 2020, the U.K. is no longer a part of the EEA, which means U.K. citizens must apply for a work visa if they want to live and work in Spain.
Types of work visas in Spain
Spain offers five types of work visas to foreign nationals: the Long-Term work visa, Seasonal work visa, Au Pair work visa, EU Blue Card visa, and Self-Employed visa.
Below, we discuss each of these work visas in detail.
Long-Term work visa
The Long-Term work visa is Spain’s standard work visa. It’s valid for one year, and holders can renew it indefinitely as long as they continue to meet the requirements.
To apply for a Long-Term work visa, candidates must first sign a work contract with a local company incorporated in Spain.
Local authorities must also consider the candidate’s job position a “Shortage Occupation,” or the employer must prove that there were no suitable alternative candidates within the EU.
Seasonal work visa
As the name suggests, the Seasonal work visa permits foreign nationals to live and work in Spain on short-term employment contracts for several months.
The qualifications are similar to the Long-Term work visa, with a few additional requirements:
- Proof of accommodation
- Employer-provided travel
- Candidate’s commitment to return to their country of origin upon finishing the work contract
Au Pair work visa
Spain offers a work visa specifically for foreign nationals coming to Spain to provide Au Pair services for a local family. The Au Pair work visa is valid for one year and is renewable for one year at maximum, for a total of two years.
Applicants must be between 17 and 30 years old, speak English, French, or German fluently, have basic Spanish language competency, have no children of their own, and must secure a host family before applying.
EU Blue Card visa
Europe’s EU Blue Card program establishes a unique route for highly qualified foreign nationals to obtain a work visa in participating states.
The Spanish EU Blue Card is valid for one year, renewable for as long as the holder satisfies the requirements, and offers favorable conditions for individuals to bring family members with them to Spain, including access to work for spouses.
Requirements for this work visa include:
- A three-year higher education diploma or at least five years of professional experience at the same level
- A signed work contract from a locally-incorporated Spanish company offering a salary of at least 1.5 times the average Spanish wage (or 1.2 times for in-demand jobs)
The current minimum annual salary for EU Blue Card applicants in Spain is €33,908.
Self-Employed visa
Spain’s Self-Employed visa allows foreign nationals to work as freelancers, or autónomos, in the country.
This work visa is valid for one year, and applicants can renew it for an additional four years. During this time, they may resign their autónomos status and work as an employee without undergoing additional procedures.
Applicants must be over 18 years old, have no criminal record, have appropriate professional qualifications or experience, provide proof of sufficient financial resources to conduct their business, and have an irregular immigration status in Spain.
Spanish work visa requirements
While the exact list of requirements varies depending on the applicant’s nationality and work visa category, below is a general list of required documents for most Spain work visas:
- Work contract. Unless applying for the Self-Employed visa, all applicants must have a job offer from a local Spanish entity outlining their work terms, including their monthly salary.
- Valid passport. Applicants must provide an original, unexpired passport—no more than ten years old—containing two blank pages, plus copies of all pages with biometric data.
- Photograph. Applicants must provide a recent, passport-size, color photograph.
- Work authorization. Employers must obtain a work permit (Autorización de Residencia y Trabajo por Cuenta Ajena) for their employee before they can apply for a work visa.
- Criminal record. Applicants must provide a document no older than three months from each country they have lived in over the past five years that proves they haven’t committed any criminal offenses.
- Medical certificate. Applicants must provide a document from a legally certified physician stating the applicant does not suffer from a disease that may threaten public health, such as H1N1 influenza, polio, or Ebola.
- Proof of accommodation. Applicants must provide a document, such as a lease agreement, that proves they have arranged housing for the duration of their visa.
- Proof of professional qualifications. Applicants must provide a document proving the employee’s professional qualifications or equivalent experience relevant to their job offer in Spain.
How to get your Spain hire legally working: 5 steps
Here’s how it works:
1. Request a work visa from the Ministry of Labor
First, request work authorization on behalf of the employee from Spain’s Ministry of Labor. This can take up to three months, so starting in advance is essential.
To apply, submit the necessary documents, such as a copy of the employee’s passport, a document certifying the employee’s professional qualifications, and a company identification document. You’ll also pay the administrative fee.
2. Candidate applies for a work visa at a local Spanish embassy
Upon receiving the Spain work permit, the employee schedules an appointment with a local Spanish consulate in their home country, either through the consulate’s call center or online.
On the day of the appointment, the applicant provides all of the required documents and biometrics, pays the relevant visa fee, and attends a short interview with a consular officer to answer several questions about their trip to Spain.
3. Candidate obtains the work and residence visas from the embassy
Visa processing can take up to three months, depending on the country where you apply. Upon visa approval, the candidate must return to the consulate within one month to collect their passport with the visa stamped inside.
4. Candidate travels to Spain
Upon receiving their work visa, the applicant may travel to Spain.
5. Register with the Spanish Social Security authorities
Upon arriving in Spain, you will register your employee with the appropriate Social Security system before they start working.
If the employee intends to stay in Spain for longer than six months, they will also apply for a Foreigner Identity Card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) at the Foreign Nationals’ Office, which proves their legal status in Spain and includes their Foreign Identity Number.
Note that Seasonal Work visas are valid for the entire period the individual has authorization to work in Spain, exempting them from applying for a Foreigner Identity Card upon arrival.
Also, individuals from select backgrounds, such as researchers, artists, and civil servants, may hold a unique visa with six-month validity that indicates “exempt from work permits,” allowing them to start work immediately.
What to figure out before you start
One thing to think about when getting a Spanish work visa is that every applicant needs an employment contract from a legally incorporated Spanish entity. This complicates the process for global companies hiring foreign nationals in Spain.
A simple workaround is to partner with an employer of record (EOR). An EOR is a third-party organization that serves as the legal employer of your global workforce, allowing you to enjoy global mobility by hiring or relocating talent worldwide without establishing local entities.
An EOR handles everything from hiring and onboarding to immigration and compliance, allowing international organizations to test the Spanish market and quickly hire foreign nationals without violating Spanish employment and immigration laws.
Learn more: What Is an Employer of Record (EOR)?
Spain work visa FAQs
Below you’ll find answers to commonly asked questions about Spain work visas.
What is the cost of getting a Spain work visa?
The cost of obtaining a Spain work visa varies depending on the visa duration, visa category, and the applicant’s nationality.
We provide a general outline of application costs for each visa below:
Long-Term work visa
U.S. citizens: €167 (US$187.50)
Canadian citizens: €100 (US$112.28)
Other nationalities: €80 (US$89.82)
Seasonal work visa
€73 - €550 (US$82 - US$617.50), depending on the visa duration and nationality
Au Pair work visa
U.S. citizens: €141 (US$158.31)
Canadian citizens: €83 (US$93.19)
Other nationalities: €80 (US$89.82)
EU Blue Card visa
€418 (US$469.32) for all nationalities
Self-Employed visa
U.S. citizens: €238 (US$267.22)
Canadian citizens: €674 (US$756.76)
Other nationalities: €80 (US$89.82)
Visa fees change according to reciprocal agreements between Spain and other countries.
How long does a work visa last in Spain?
It depends on the visa type, ranging from several months to one year.
For example, the standard Long-Term work visa is valid for one year and is renewable indefinitely. However, Seasonal work visas are valid for several months, and the individual must return to their home country when the visa expires.
Is a Spanish work visa equivalent to a Spanish remote work visa?
The Spanish work visa and the Spanish remote work visa both permit foreign nationals to reside and work in Spain. However, these two visas are distinctly different.
A standard Spanish work visa permits a foreign national to reside and work in Spain under an employment contract with a locally incorporated company. A remote work visa permits a foreign national to reside and work in Spain on a self-employed basis.
Ready to hire in Spain without the visa maze?
You know what’s frustrating? Finding amazing talent in Spain and then spending months trying to figure out whether they need a work visa, which type, and how long the whole process will take. Meanwhile, your project timelines don’t pause for immigration paperwork.
That’s where Pebl comes in. We handle the visa process so you can focus on what you do best—building great teams. Document collection, translations, government filings, compliance requirements—we’ve got the local expertise to get it right the first time.
Think of it like having an immigration team that already knows the rules in Spain (and 185+ other countries). No more guessing whether you’ve filed the right forms or wondering if your hire will actually be able to start when you need them.
One of our recent clients needed to transfer a key team member from the U.K. to Switzerland in a tight timeline. Instead of spending weeks navigating Swiss immigration law, we streamlined the entire process and had their person legally working in under three weeks. That’s the difference between knowing the system and learning it on the fly.
Ready to see how much simpler international hiring can be? Let’s talk about getting your Spain hire started without the paperwork stress.
This information does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or tax advice and is for general informational purposes only. The intent of this document is solely to provide general and preliminary information for private use. Do not rely on it as an alternative to legal, financial, taxation, or accountancy advice from an appropriately qualified professional. The content in this guide is provided “as is,” and no representations are made that the content is error-free.
© 2025 Pebl, LLC. All rights reserved.
Topic:
Immigration + Relocation
