Spain Immigration News, Work Visa

Spain’s Work Visa, requirements, and procedure

Posted on by Arooj Fatima

Acquiring Spain’s work visa is becoming famous day by day. This is why it is the country in which many new skilled workers want to settle nowadays. Thousands of individuals seek jobs in Spain every year, which is not unusual. Furthermore, many of them made their homes thereafter having a good career followed by getting Spain’s work visa. The country has also been successful in generating more and more jobs in the sectors of ICT, construction, and services, etc.

No doubt, the work or job offer is a must for those who are non-EU citizens. In other words with this work visa, the skilled workers can not only first on temporary but later on a permanent basis too.

Categories of Spain’s work visa

The kinds of work visas are different depending upon the following things:

  • The level of your job
  • The duration of your job in Spain

There are the following categories of Spain work visas for which you can apply.

  1. Seasonal Work Visas
  2. EU Blue Card
  3. Long-term Work Visas
  4. Au Pair Visas
  5. Visa for highly skilled workers

The procedure to get Spain’s work visa

As we discussed, there are several types of work visas, so the procedure totally depends upon the stream of your visa. In each case, the employer will apply on your behalf anyhow. The first step is always to get a job offer from an employer in Spain.

1- How to find a job in Spain?

It might not be easy to find a job in Spain especially not having knowledge of the basic Spanish language. Anyhow many cases for the skilled people it could be possible. Following websites could help you out finding an employer in Spain:

Shortage occupations in Spain

Construction workers, programmers, pilots, engineers, teachers in Spanish universities, and some types of unskilled labor, such as nurses, nannies, maids, and harvesters have been considered as the most famous jobs in Spain in 2021. On the other hand, the shortage occupations list of Spain is as follows:

  • Farmer worker
  • Business Consultant
  • Marketer
  • Doctor (different specialization)
  • Engineer (different specialization)
  • Chef
  • Operating staff
  • Translator
  • Pilot of an air (commercial) vessel
  • Programmer (different directions)
  • Handyman
  • Teacher
  • Specialist in tourism
  • Sports Coach
  • Builder (different specialization)

Salary in Spain for foreign workers

According to official data from the Spanish Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the minimum wage in the country is €1,108.3 per month (for 12 salaries), or €950 if payments are made 14 times a year. It really depends on each sector to be considered for a certain salary threshold in Spain. For many, it could be as low as €510 per month and for some may be as high as €64,500 annually. For your ease, the following are some of the sectors, as an example of monthly or annual salary rates:

  • Economy, Finance, Accountancy €1,087-€3,712 (monthly)
  • Marketing, Advertising, PR €1,204-€3,696 (monthly)
  • Administration €1,098-€2,389 (monthly)
  • General labor €1,135-€1,981 (monthly)
  • IT €1,746-€ 5,288 (monthly)
  • Tourism, Gastronomy, Hotel Business €924-€2,331 (monthly)
  • Banking €1,041-€4,470 (monthly)
  • IT director €48,000 (annual)
  • Surgeon €64,500 (annual)
  • Sales manager €58,880 (annual)
  • Project manager engineer €59,900 (annual)

How high the salary in Spain could also depend a lot that in which region of it you are going to work in. This could be understood with the following examples:

  • Workers in Catalonia earn around €25,550 per year, on average,
  • In Valencia, the average is close to €22,000
  • The Basque region of Spain has the highest annual salaries for up to €28,500 on average,
  • The second and third best-paid areas are Madrid and Navarre, where the average annual salaries are just over €26,000.

2- Work visa process of Spain

The general procedure to apply for a Spanish work visa is as follows:

How the employer follows the visa application process?

Once you have got a job from a Spanish employer, he starts the way out for applying for the work visa. He/she submit an application for residence and work permit for the worker, either in person or through a legal representative, to the competent body in the province where the activity will be carried out. This must be accompanied by: 

  • The employer’s national ID or tax ID number. If the employer is a legal entity, then the public deed granting legal representation for the person making the application. 
  • Evidence, if applicable, of exemption from consideration of the national labor market situation.
  • The original employment contract and a copy.
  • Proof of economic, material, and human resources for the business project. 
  • A copy of the worker’s passport or valid travel document, and training or professional qualifications, if applicable, for the job. The initial permit is valid for one year and may be restricted to a particular geographical area and activity. It is conditional on the foreigner obtaining a visa, entering Spain, and registering with the Social Security system. 

How the foreign worker follows the process?

Once the permit is granted, the worker must present the visa application in person notwithstanding (notwithstanding exceptions) at the relevant diplomatic mission or consulate, in the month following notification to the prospective employer, together with: 

  • A copy of the employment contract, stamped by the Foreigners’ Office. 
  • A passport or travel document, valid in Spain and with a minimum validity period of 4 months. 
  • A criminal record certificate issued by the authorities in the worker’s country of origin or countries of residence over the past 5 years, which must not include any acts considered a criminal offence under Spanish law. 
  • A certificate stating that the applicant does not suffer from any disease that could have a severe impact on public health according to International Health Regulations. While the visa is being processed, the applicant may be required to appear in person to attend an interview. Any foreigner who is in an irregular situation in Spain will not be eligible to apply for a visa.

Process after the work visa grant

Once the visa has been issued, the worker must enter Spain within the period stated on the visa (not further than 3 months). Within 3 months after entering Spain, the employer requesting the permit must register the worker with the Social Security system. Within one month of being registering with Social Security, the foreigner must apply, in person, for a Foreigner’s Identity Number (NIE). If the established period to do so has elapsed, and the foreigner is not registered with Social Security, will be obliged to leave Spain. Failure to do so constitutes a serious offense, for being in the country illegally

Category-wise Requirements of Spain’s work visas

1- Highly skilled workers

Below is the guidance for highly skilled (non-EU applicants) desiring to do the job in Spain:

  • Firstly, find a proper job in a list of jobs named shortage occupations. Select the job for which you have your surety to meet all criteria. The jobs enlisted in a shortage of occupations are those jobs on which no one from EU citizens is available to do; 
  •  Secondly, once you have found a job and sent your all documents to your employer in Spain, he will submit your application for a work visa to the labor’s ministry;
  • Thirdly, you will need to make proper plans until the issuance of the work visa. The duration for the issuance of a work visa can be up to 8 months;
  • Finally,  during this processing timeperiod, the labor ministry will issue the visa confirmation letter that will be sent to you. You then need to book an appointment in the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country oforigin to apply for the long term visa. You can find the list of the Spanish missions abroad here.

2- Spain visa for seasonal workers

The procedure for getting the Spain visa for the seasonal workers is all the same as mentioned above for highly skilled workers. Furthermore, their visas will be workable until the end of their job duration in Spain. 

Extra requirements

There are some extra requirements for the seasonal workers:

  • They will have to assure the authorities that they have already managed their residence in the Spain;
  • They have managed their expenses of traveling;
  • They will have to clarify that they will leave Spain as soon as their job duration will end. 

3- Freelancers visa of Spain

The applicants who want to work as a freelancer in Spain must apply via embassy or consulate. It is important to note that visas for freelancers will be workable for one year. The authorities can also extend this date if the individual will desire to stay there for more duration. 

Documentations

To get the Spain visa as a freelancer, must submit the given documents:

  • Verification of your specific skills;
  • Verification of an agreement from any Spanish company;
  • Plan of your career in Spain;
  • Verification of the financial source by which you will support yourself;
  • Any registration from the company. 

4- EU Blue Card visa of Spain

Samelikemany other European countries, Spain does also allow highly skilled workers to apply for its EU Blue Card.

Eligibility criteria

The following individuals can apply for an EU Blue card of Spain:

  • those students who live in Spain for 3 years in order to complete their graduation from any university in Spain;
  • Individuals having at least 5 years of experience in a particular field can also apply for the EU Blue Card;

For all of the above-mentioned individuals, the employer will submit the application on their behalf. 

Requirements:

The individuals applying for an EU Blue Card will be required:

  • A job agreement revealing the salary range of 50% more than the average wage in Spain;
  • The salary average will be more than 20%, in case the job you are applying for is most demanding in Spain. 

Once you have fulfilled all the requirements, the authorities will consider your application. After that, you can apply for an EU Blue Card.

5- Spain Visa for Au pairs

There is a visa named Visa for Au pairs, for which Au pairs can apply. The visa validity is one year. The authorities can extend it as per the demand of the Au pair. The application procedure is the same as mentioned above for all visas. They can apply via an embassy or consultant. 

Requirements

The requirements for Spain Visa for Au pairs are:

  • The age of the applicant must be at least 17 and a maximum of 30 years;
  • Provide a contract from the family revealing the financial sources that will support you;
  • Provide the verification of the applicant’s own salary by which the applicant will support himself/herself;
  • Provide a medical report.

Spain work visa fees

Following is the table for Spain’s work visa:

  • Self Employed Work Visa: $318
  • Employed Work Visa: $73
  • Work Visa Except from Work Permit: $86
  • New Entrepreneurial Law 14/2013: $161

Important links

Spain’s work visa application form

Spanish police station for visa application submission

Spain’s embassies and consulates abroad

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