Spain Work Visa 2026: Routes, Steps and Timelines
In Spain the work visa is the second half of a two-part process. First your employer obtains a residence and work authorisation in Spain; only then do you apply for the visa at a Spanish consulate. A separate family of permits exists for highly qualified professionals, EU Blue Card holders and remote workers. This guide follows the information sheets of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, the Official State Gazette and Spanish consulates, as read on 13 October 2026.
Quick answer
For an ordinary job, your employer applies in Spain for an initial authorisation of temporary residence and employment. The administration has three months to decide. Once it is granted you have one month to apply for the visa, and the consulate decides within one month. The job must normally be on the catalogue of hard-to-fill occupations, or the employer must show it could not be filled locally. An EU Blue Card needs a salary of at least 1.4 times Spain's average gross annual earnings. The regime does not apply to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.
The routes at a glance
| Route | Who applies | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary residence and employment (general regime) | The employer, in Spain | The national employment situation must allow the hire |
| Highly qualified professional or EU Blue Card | Through the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE) | For the Blue Card, a salary of at least 1.4 times average gross annual earnings |
| Intra-company transfer | Through the UGE | A move within the same company or group |
| International teleworker | The worker | Remote work for companies outside Spain and income of at least 200% of the minimum wage |
| Entrepreneur, researcher, audiovisual sector | Through the UGE | Conditions of Law 14/2013 |
The general regime, step by step
The ministry's Sheet 12, last updated in May 2025 under the new immigration regulation, Royal Decree 1155/2024, describes an authorisation for hiring a foreign worker over 16 for a period of more than ninety days and less than five years.
- The employer files the application online, on form EX-03, with the employment contract and a copy of your full passport.
- Fees are paid within ten working days: one by the worker (Model 790, code 052) and, if the authorisation lasts six months or more, one by the employer (Model 790, code 062).
- The administration decides within three months. If nothing is notified in that time, the application may be understood as dismissed by administrative silence.
- You apply for the visa in person at the Spanish diplomatic mission or consulate for your place of residence, within one month of the employer being notified.
- The mission decides within one month, and you collect the visa in person within one month of being notified.
- You enter Spain during the three months of validity of the visa.
- You are registered with Social Security within three months of entry. Until then the visa lets you remain in Spain in a situation of stay.
- You apply for the foreigner identity card in person at the police station within one month of registering with Social Security.
What the visa application needs
- An ordinary passport with a minimum validity of one year
- A criminal record certificate from the country or countries where you have lived for the last five years
- A medical certificate
- Proof of having paid the visa fee
Documents from other countries must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator and legalised or apostilled.
When Spain allows a foreign hire
The core test is the "national employment situation". According to Sheet 12 it allows recruitment if one of these applies:
- The occupation is in the catalogue of occupations of difficult coverage, which the State Public Employment Service publishes quarterly.
- The employer proves the difficulty of filling the vacancy with workers already in the domestic labour market. A job offer must first be posted on the Empléate portal and with the public employment services.
- The worker is a national of a state with which Spain has signed an international agreement. The sheet names Chile and Peru.
- The case falls under Article 40 of Organic Law 4/2000, which lists situations where the test is not applied.
What the employer must show
- A contract signed by both sides that guarantees continuous activity for the life of the authorisation.
- If the contract is part-time, pay equal to or greater than the full-time minimum wage in annual terms.
- Registration in the Social Security system and up-to-date tax and social security obligations.
- Sufficient financial, material or personal means for the business and for the obligations in the contract.
You, the worker, need the training or professional qualification legally required for the job, no criminal record for the last five years, and must not be in Spain irregularly.
Highly qualified professionals and the EU Blue Card
Permits under Law 14/2013 are processed by the UGE. An order published in the Official State Gazette in January 2026, Order PJC/44/2026, sets the Blue Card salary rule:
- A valid employment contract or firm job offer with a gross annual salary of at least 1.4 times the average gross annual earnings per worker published by the National Statistics Institute.
- A reducing coefficient of 0.8 applies to occupations in groups 1 and 2 of the national classification that are on the catalogue of hard-to-fill occupations.
- The same 0.8 coefficient applies to people who obtained their qualification no more than three years before applying.
The euro figure moves when the statistics institute publishes a new wage survey, and the ministry posts the current amount on the UGE portal. Check it there before signing.
Working remotely for a foreign employer
The international telework permit is for people who work at a distance for companies outside Spain. Applicants must be graduates of a recognised university or business school or have at least 3 years of professional experience, must have worked with the foreign company for at least three months, and must show income of at least 200% of the Spanish minimum wage. The Spanish consulate in Washington gives the 2026 minimum wage as 1,221 euros a month. The visa lasts a maximum of 1 year; a residence permit applied for inside Spain can run for up to three years.
Visa fees
The visa fee is paid when you submit the application, in local currency, and it varies by nationality because of reciprocity. As an example, the Spanish consulate in Washington lists, from 1 January 2026, $190 for US citizens and $106 for most other nationalities, and says fees are revised quarterly with exchange rates.
After you arrive
The initial authorisation also lets you carry out a self-employed activity alongside the job, as long as employment remains your main activity.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Spain work visa take?
The work authorisation has a three-month decision deadline. After it is granted you have one month to apply for the visa, and the consulate decides within one month.
Can I apply for a Spanish work visa myself?
Not for the first step. In the general regime the employer applies for the residence and work authorisation in Spain. You apply for the visa once it has been granted.
Do I need a job offer to work in Spain?
Yes for the general regime and the EU Blue Card, which both rest on a contract or firm job offer. The telework permit rests on an existing relationship with a company outside Spain.
What is the salary requirement for an EU Blue Card in Spain?
At least 1.4 times the average gross annual earnings per worker published by the National Statistics Institute, with a 0.8 coefficient for shortage occupations and recent graduates.
What is the catalogue of hard-to-fill occupations?
A list published quarterly by the State Public Employment Service. If your occupation is on it, the national employment situation allows your employer to hire you from abroad.
What happens if there is no answer on the work authorisation?
If three months pass without notification, the application may be understood as dismissed by administrative silence.
What do I do after entering Spain on a work visa?
You must be registered with Social Security within three months of entry and then apply in person for the foreigner identity card within one month.
Official sources
- Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration — Sheet 12: Initial authorisation of temporary residence and employment (updated May 2025)
- Ministry of Inclusion — Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit: authorisations and requirements
- Official State Gazette — Order PJC/44/2026 on the EU Blue Card salary threshold
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General in London — Employee visa
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate in Washington — Telework visa (2026 amounts and fees)
All figures verified against the official pages above on 13 October 2026. The ministry's sheets are for guidance; the regulations in force when you apply are what count. Information, not legal advice.