Work visas in Spain: employees and highly qualified professionals
Most work routes to Spain are led by the Spanish employer, who requests the authorisation on your behalf. Highly qualified professionals and EU Blue Card candidates usually go through the UGE under Ley 14/2013; other employees follow the standard work authorisation. We coordinate the individual’s side — documents, family members, visa and arrival — alongside the employer and its advisers.
This route suits
- Professionals with a job offer from a Spanish employer
- Senior and specialist hires who meet the highly qualified criteria
- Graduates and experienced professionals eligible for the EU Blue Card
- Employers relocating non-EU staff who want the employee’s side handled
It’s not designed for
- People without a job offer from a Spanish employer
- Remote workers whose employer is abroad — the digital nomad route fits better
- Self-employed people starting their own business in Spain
Key requirements
A Spanish employer
A job offer or contract from a company in Spain that will act as the applicant for the authorisation and meet its own obligations as employer.
Highly qualified professional route
For senior or specialist roles, filed with the UGE under Ley 14/2013. It generally requires a higher-education qualification or equivalent experience and a salary consistent with the role.
EU Blue Card
For highly qualified employment that meets the Blue Card criteria for qualifications, contract and salary. It offers mobility advantages within the EU.
Standard employee authorisation
Depends on the labour market situation — for example, whether the role appears on the shortage occupations list (catálogo de ocupaciones de difícil cobertura). Conditions change, so we confirm them at consultation.
Personal documents
Passport, qualifications (homologated or recognised where required), criminal-record certificate and medical certificate, apostilled and with sworn translations where needed.
Family members
Spouses or partners and children can often be included or join later, depending on the route.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; we confirm your situation in a consultation.
Last reviewed: Legal basis: LO 4/2000 (LOEX) · Ley 14/2013 · RD 1155/2024 · Directive (EU) 2021/1883 (Blue Card)
How the process works
Route and responsibilities
With you and the employer, we confirm the route and set out who does what: the employer’s filing and the employee’s documents.
Employee documents
We prepare and review your personal documents and those of family members — qualifications, certificates, apostilles and sworn translations.
Authorisation and visa
The employer files the authorisation; once granted, you apply for the visa at the consulate where required. Where a filing legally requires a colegiado professional, it is submitted by our named partner (abogado or gestor administrativo colegiado).
Arrival and onboarding
We coordinate TIE, padrón, Social Security registration, bank account and housing logistics so you can start work on time.
After approval
After arrival you obtain your TIE. The authorisation is renewed while the employment conditions continue to be met; highly qualified and Blue Card holders have specific rules for changing employer and moving within the EU. We track expiry dates and coordinate renewals with the employer.
Why files get refused or delayed
- Qualifications not recognised or homologated when the route requires it
- Salary or contract terms that don’t match the highly qualified or Blue Card criteria
- Certificates too old for the consulate’s validity window, or without an apostille
- Translations that are not sworn translations (traducción jurada)
- Gaps between the employer’s filing and the employee’s documents, delaying the visa
- Applying for the visa at the wrong consulate for your place of residence
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a work visa for Spain?
In most cases you need a job offer from a Spanish employer, who requests the work authorisation for you. Once approved, you apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence. The exact route depends on the role and your profile.
What is the highly qualified professional visa in Spain?
It is a route under Ley 14/2013 for senior and specialist roles, filed by the employer with the UGE. It generally requires a higher-education qualification or relevant experience and a salary consistent with the role. Criteria change, so we confirm them at consultation.
What is the difference between the EU Blue Card and the highly qualified visa?
Both target highly qualified employment, but the EU Blue Card follows EU-wide criteria and gives advantages for moving to other EU countries. The Spanish highly qualified route can be more flexible in some cases. We help the employer and employee choose the better fit.
Can I get a job in Spain if my occupation is not on the shortage list?
Possibly. Outside the shortage list and the highly qualified routes, the employer may need to show that the role could not be filled locally. This depends on the labour market situation and can change, so we assess it case by case.
Can my family come with me on a Spanish work visa?
Often, yes. On the highly qualified and Blue Card routes, family members can usually apply at the same time. On other routes, family reunification may follow later. We plan the family’s documents alongside yours.
Turn this into a plan
The route finder takes two minutes. A consultation turns it into a plan.