VAMOS Work Visa Spain 2026: Permits, Process & Cost
The employee work permit (cuenta ajena) explained from both sides: what the employer files, what the worker signs, the 2025 reglamento’s new 4-year renewals, the HQP and EU Blue Card fast tracks, and our fixed legal fee, from a Malaga-based abogada colegiada.
- Abogada colegiada
- Since 2009
- English + Spanish
- Malaga office
Hiring foreign staff, or holding a Spanish job offer?
We handle the employer-side authorisation, the worker’s consular visa, and everything through to social security registration and the TIE card in Malaga, for one fixed fee per file.
Free consultation
Spain’s standard work visa (cuenta ajena) is employer-led: the Spanish company files the work and residence authorisation with Extranjeria, and only then does the worker apply for the visa at their home consulate. The initial permit lasts one year and, under the reglamento in force since May 2025, renews for four years in one step. Highly qualified professionals and EU Blue Card candidates have a faster UGE track. Our fixed fee is 900 EUR per file, with corporate volume pricing on request.
How the Spanish work visa actually works
Spain’s standard employee work visa, the residencia y trabajo por cuenta ajena, is unusual among the visas we handle because the applicant who starts it is not the worker. It is the employer. A Spanish company with a genuine vacancy files a combined residence and work authorisation application with the Oficina de Extranjeria in Spain, and only once that authorisation is granted does the worker apply for the physical visa at the Spanish consulate in their home country, then travel, register with social security, and collect a TIE card.
This structure matters because it defines who has to do what. If you are a worker holding a job offer from a Spanish company, your file lives or dies on paperwork your employer prepares. If you are an employer, the compliance burden, solvency evidence, contract terms, and timing obligations sit with you. We work both sides of that relationship: individual employees whose employers have never sponsored anyone before, and companies hiring their first or their fifteenth international employee.
It is also worth naming what this visa is not. It is not the route for freelancers (that is the self-employed visa), not the route for remote workers paid from abroad (that is the digital nomad visa), and not a permit you can apply for speculatively while job hunting. A signed job offer from a Spanish employer is the non-negotiable starting point.
Who does not need a Spanish work permit
Before anyone builds a file, it is worth checking whether a permit is needed at all. A whole group of people can legally work in Spain without one, and a smaller group is exempt because of the nature of the work rather than their nationality.
- Nationals of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, and family members who hold rights through them, who register rather than apply for a work permit (see our EU citizen registration page)
- People who already hold a Spanish residence permit that carries a work right of its own, including anyone renewed under the four-year cycle described further down this page
- Short-activity categories that immigration guides commonly list as exempt for 2026: certain researchers and university teaching staff, artists performing on short engagements, accredited foreign correspondents, and specific business-mobility situations
Treat that third group as a prompt to check, not as a conclusion. Exemptions are defined by the activity, its duration and the instrument you enter under, and getting the category wrong is expensive in both directions: filing a permit you never needed, or working on an exemption that does not cover what you are actually doing.
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members do not need a work permit; they register instead. A few short-engagement categories are commonly listed as exempt for 2026, including researchers, teaching staff, performing artists, accredited correspondents and some business-mobility cases. Everyone else holding a Spanish job offer needs the employer-led authorisation described on this page.
The employer-side process, step by step
The sponsoring company’s application must show three things: a real job, a compliant company, and, where required, a labour market justification. In practice the employer file includes:
- A signed job offer or employment contract meeting the SMI (minimum wage) and the applicable convenio colectivo terms for the role
- Company documentation: registration, tax ID (CIF), and the signatory’s authority to act
- Evidence the company is current with tax (AEAT) and social security obligations, and financially able to sustain the position
- Where the labour market test applies, evidence of the shortage occupation listing or a documented, unsuccessful local recruitment attempt
- The worker’s passport details and qualifications for the role
The Extranjeria office then has up to three months to decide. Silence past the legal deadline counts as refusal for this permit type, not approval, which is one reason a complete, well-organised file matters more here than in almost any other procedure we run.
Employer tip: the single most common avoidable delay is a contract whose salary or hours do not match the convenio for the role. We check the convenio before filing, not after a requerimiento arrives.
The labour market test (situacion nacional de empleo)
For the standard permit, Spain asks whether the vacancy could reasonably be filled from the local labour market. There are two main ways to satisfy it. The cleanest is when the occupation appears on the catalogo de ocupaciones de dificil cobertura, the quarterly shortage occupation list published for each province; jobs on the list skip the recruitment-evidence step entirely. Otherwise, the employer generally needs to have run the vacancy through the public employment service and be able to document that no suitable local candidate emerged.
Several situations are exempt from the test altogether, including highly qualified professional and EU Blue Card files, permit modifications from within Spain (a student moving to employment, for example), and certain family and arraigo situations. Whether your file needs the test, and which route through it is fastest, is one of the first things we determine on the free call.
Fast tracks: HQP and the EU Blue Card
If the role is managerial, specialist, or graduate-level with a salary above the qualifying threshold, the highly qualified professional (HQP) permit and the EU Blue Card are usually better routes than the standard permit. Both are filed with the UGE, the centralised Madrid unit with short legal decision deadlines, both skip the labour market test, and both allow family members to apply alongside the worker from the start rather than waiting for reunification. The Blue Card adds intra-EU mobility on top.
How high is the threshold? It is set by ministerial instrument, it moves, and the figures circulating online do not agree with each other, so treat any number you read as a benchmark rather than as your number. The figures most commonly cited in 2026 guides sit at roughly EUR 40,000 a year for technical, scientific and intellectual roles, and around EUR 54,000 to EUR 55,000 for managerial and director roles, with EU Blue Card figures quoted anywhere between about EUR 41,000 and EUR 56,000 depending on the year and the source. The Spanish minimum wage (SMI) that a standard permit contract must clear is commonly cited at around EUR 1,184 a month across 14 payments.
Salary thresholds for these routes are updated periodically and were revised for 2026, so we confirm the current figure against your specific offer before choosing the route. Our fixed fee for an HQP or Blue Card file is 1,200 EUR, reflecting the heavier employer-side documentation.
The work routes compared: which one fits
Most people arrive here assuming there is one Spanish work visa. There are several, and the choice is decided by who sponsors you, whether the labour market test applies, and which office rules on the file. These are the routes we file most often.
| Route | Who sponsors | Labour market test | Where it is decided | Typical decision time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuenta ajenaStandard employee permit | A Spanish employer with a real vacancy | Usually yes, unless the occupation is on the catalogo or an exemption applies | Oficina de Extranjeria in Spain | Up to 3 months by law |
| Highly qualified professional (HQP)Managerial, specialist or graduate roles | A Spanish employer, salary above the qualifying threshold | No | UGE, the centralised unit | Often around 20 business days |
| EU Blue CardAdds intra-EU mobility | A Spanish employer, salary above the qualifying threshold | No | UGE, the centralised unit | Often around 20 business days |
| Cuenta propiaSelf-employed and freelance | Nobody: you are the business | Not applicable | Consulate and Extranjeria, led by the activity plan | Confirmed per file on the free call |
| Digital nomadRemote work for employers outside Spain | A foreign employer or foreign clients | Not applicable | UGE or consulate, see our digital nomad visa page | See that page for current figures |
Beyond these, Spain also runs intra-company transfer permits for staff moved inside a corporate group, seasonal permits tied to a fixed campaign, au pair arrangements and youth mobility agreements with particular countries. Each carries its own conditions, and none of them is the route to reach for if you simply hold an ordinary Spanish job offer. Tell us the offer and the nationality on the free call and we will name the route before you spend anything.
If a Spanish company is hiring you, the cuenta ajena permit is the default: decided by Extranjeria in up to three months and usually subject to the labour market test. If the role is managerial, specialist or graduate level and the salary clears the threshold, the HQP and EU Blue Card routes go to the UGE instead, skip the test, and are often resolved in around 20 business days.
Document checklist (worker side)
- Valid passport with sufficient remaining validity
- The approved work and residence authorisation (employer side, we manage this first)
- National visa application form, signed
- Criminal record certificate from every country lived in for the last 5 years, apostilled and translated
- Medical certificate on the format your consulate requires
- Qualifications or professional experience evidence relevant to the role
- Passport-sized photographs meeting Spanish visa specifications
- Visa fee payment receipt
How to apply for a Spanish work visa: the 8 steps
Two applications sit inside one process: the employer’s authorisation in Spain, and then the worker’s visa at the consulate. They happen in that order, and the second cannot start early. Here is the whole sequence, with who acts, what each step produces, and how long it takes.
Step 1: Sign the job offer and check it against the convenio
Who acts: the employer and the worker. What it produces: a signed job offer or employment contract. Before anything is filed, the contract has to clear the SMI and match the applicable convenio colectivo for the role, in both salary and hours. The mistake that kills files at this step is a contract written to a market rate rather than to the convenio. We check the convenio before filing, not after a requerimiento arrives.
Step 2: Choose the route before you build the file
Who acts: us, with the employer. What it produces: a decision between the standard cuenta ajena permit and the HQP or EU Blue Card fast track. The route decides which office rules on the file, whether the labour market test applies, and how long the whole thing takes. It is the cheapest decision to get right and the most expensive to revisit.
Step 3: Clear the labour market test, or establish the exemption
Who acts: the employer. What it produces: either evidence that the occupation appears on the catalogo de ocupaciones de dificil cobertura for the province, or documented proof that a vacancy run through the public employment service produced no suitable local candidate. HQP and EU Blue Card files, and permit modifications from inside Spain, skip this step entirely.
Step 4: The employer files the residence and work authorisation
Who acts: the employer, through us. Where: the Oficina de Extranjeria for the province, or the UGE for HQP and Blue Card files. How long: Extranjeria has up to three months to decide, and UGE files are often resolved in around 20 business days. The trap unique to this permit is that silence past the legal deadline counts as refusal, not approval, so an incomplete file is not a delay, it is a loss.
Step 5: Authorisation granted, the worker books the consulate
Who acts: the worker. What it produces: a consular appointment in the country of residence. Once the authorisation is notified the clock moves to the worker’s side, and guides in this market commonly cite a one-month window to lodge the visa application. Appointment availability, not the paperwork, is usually what sets the pace here.
Step 6: Submit the visa file at the consulate
Who acts: the worker, with our checklist. What it produces: the national visa in the passport. The consular file is the one listed in the document checklist above: passport, the approved authorisation, the signed national visa form, apostilled and translated criminal record certificates covering the last five years, the medical certificate in your consulate’s format, qualifications, photographs and the fee receipt. Roughly two to four weeks for the consular decision is the benchmark competitor guides commonly cite, and a criminal record certificate that has aged out of its validity window is the commonest reason a file goes back.
Step 7: Enter Spain, then register with social security and start work
Who acts: the employer, immediately on arrival. What it produces: the social security registration (alta) and a real start date. This is the deadline that quietly destroys otherwise perfect files. The worker must enter within the visa’s validity, and employment must genuinely begin within the legal window, generally three months from entry. Miss it and the authorisation can be extinguished.
Step 8: Empadronamiento, cita previa and the TIE card
Who acts: the worker, with us in Malaga. What it produces: the padron certificate, fingerprints and the TIE card that proves your residence. Guides commonly cite a 30-day window from entry to lodge the TIE application, and in practice the card takes 4 to 8 weeks from the appointment. The bottleneck is the cita previa itself, and hunting appointment slots is a large part of what we do locally.
Where the time actually goes
For the standard route, budget 3 to 8 months end to end: up to 3 months for the employer-side authorisation, several weeks for the consular visa stage including appointment availability, then entry, social security registration, and 4 to 8 more weeks for the TIE card in Spain. HQP and Blue Card files through the UGE move much faster, with authorisations often resolved within 20 business days.
One deadline deserves special mention: once the worker enters Spain, the employer must register them with social security and employment must actually begin within the legal window, generally three months from entry. Miss it, and the authorisation can be extinguished, undoing the entire file. We diarise and chase this date so neither side loses the permit to an onboarding delay.
Timeline at a glance
| Stage | Who acts | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| File build: offer, convenio check, company and worker documents | Employer and worker, with us | Set by how fast the company’s documents come together |
| Extranjeria decision on the authorisation (cuenta ajena) | Oficina de Extranjeria | Up to 3 months; silence past the deadline counts as refusal |
| UGE decision (HQP and EU Blue Card) | UGE | Often around 20 business days |
| Consular appointment and visa decision | Worker and consulate | Several weeks, driven by appointment availability; roughly 2 to 4 weeks for the decision is the benchmark competitors cite |
| Entry, social security registration and start of work | Employer | Generally within 3 months of entry |
| Empadronamiento, TIE cita previa and card issue | Worker, with us | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Realistic total, standard route | Both sides | 3 to 8 months |
Budget 3 to 8 months end to end on the standard route: up to 3 months for the employer-side authorisation, several weeks for the consular stage, then 4 to 8 weeks for the TIE card after arrival. HQP and EU Blue Card files through the UGE are far faster, often resolved in around 20 business days. The only immovable date is social security registration, generally within 3 months of entry.
Renewals and changing jobs: what the 2025 reglamento changed
The new Reglamento de Extranjeria (RD 1155/2024), in force since 20 May 2025, made the renewal picture dramatically better. The initial authorisation is granted for one year, and the renewal is now granted for four years in a single step under article 81.1, replacing the old two-plus-two cycle. One renewal now carries you to the five-year mark, at which point permanent (larga duracion) residency becomes available.
On mobility: during the first year the permit is generally limited to the occupation and province it was granted for, but from renewal onward it covers any occupation anywhere in Spain. If you are considering a job change during the first year, talk to us before signing anything, since the timing and the new role’s fit with your authorisation both matter. The reglamento also made modifications between permit types easier, including the student-to-work switch covered on our Student Visa Spain page.
From work permit to permanent residency and citizenship
The work permit is the first rung, not the destination. Under RD 1155/2024 the ladder is short: one year on the initial authorisation, then a single four-year renewal under article 81.1, which carries you to the five-year mark in one step instead of the old two-plus-two cycle.
| Stage | What you hold | What it takes to get there |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Initial cuenta ajena authorisation, 1 year | Employer-led authorisation, consular visa, social security alta, TIE card |
| Years 2 to 5 | Renewal, 4 years in a single step | Continued employment or equivalent evidence, filed under article 81.1; our fee is 300 EUR |
| Year 5 | Permanent residency (residencia de larga duracion) | Five years of continuous legal residence, subject to the absence rules |
| Year 10 | Spanish citizenship by residence | Ten years of legal residence is the benchmark commonly cited, plus the language and civics exams |
| Year 2, fast track | Spanish citizenship by residence | Two years is the benchmark commonly cited for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin |
Two things decide whether that ladder holds. The first is continuity: gaps in employment or in legal residence are what break a five-year clock, not the paperwork. The second is absences, which are counted differently for permanent residency and for citizenship, so a pattern of long trips home that is harmless for one can be fatal for the other. Our permanent residency and Spanish citizenship pages set out each test in full.
One year, then a single four-year renewal, then permanent residency at five years of continuous legal residence. Citizenship by residence commonly follows at ten years, and at two years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin. Continuity of employment and control of absences are what protect the clock.
If the work permit is refused
Refusals on this permit are rarely mysterious. In our files they cluster into four grounds, and three of the four sit on the employer’s side.
- Convenio mismatch. The contract’s salary or hours do not match the applicable convenio colectivo for the role. Usually fixable: correct the contract and refile.
- Employer solvency or compliance. The company cannot show it is current with tax (AEAT) and social security obligations, or cannot evidence it can sustain the position. Fixable once the company’s position is regularised.
- Incomplete labour market test evidence. The occupation was not on the catalogo and the recruitment attempt through the public employment service was not properly documented. Usually a refiling problem rather than an appeal problem.
- Criminal record or apostille defects. A certificate missing its apostille, missing a sworn translation, or outside its validity window by the time it reached the consulate.
There is also the refusal nobody notices: silence. For this permit type, a file left undecided past the legal deadline counts as refused rather than approved, so the appeal clock can start without a letter ever arriving.
You have two routes. A recurso de reposicion, the administrative appeal, must be filed within one month of notification. A contencioso-administrativo court appeal must be filed within two months. Choosing between appealing and correcting the file is a judgement about which ground you were refused on: defects in evidence are usually faster to fix and refile, while a refusal that misreads the law is what an appeal is for. Our visa denial appeal page covers both routes.
Most work permit refusals trace back to a convenio mismatch, employer tax or social security compliance, weak labour market test evidence, or a criminal record certificate that was not properly apostilled, translated or still valid. A recurso de reposicion runs one month from notification, a contencioso-administrativo court appeal two months. Where the ground is a document defect, correcting and refiling usually beats appealing.
The Malaga angle
Malaga’s economy has been pulling in international hires at a pace the province had not seen before: the tech park (Malaga TechPark) and a wave of international company openings have made employer-sponsored relocation a routine local need rather than a Madrid-and-Barcelona story. The provincial Extranjeria office handles the employer-side filing for Malaga-based companies, and the worker’s TIE card is issued at the office covering their address here.
We prepare the employer file for the Malaga Extranjeria, manage the consular stage wherever the worker currently lives, and then handle the arrival logistics locally: social security registration timing, empadronamiento, and the cita previa hunt for fingerprints. For companies planning several hires, we run the files in parallel with volume pricing. If you are relocating staff to the province, our Immigration Lawyer Malaga and Moving to Malaga pages cover the local side in more depth.
What a Spanish work visa really costs
The professional fee is the part everyone asks about and the part almost nobody in this market publishes. Here is the whole picture, government charges first, so you can see exactly which euros are ours and which are the state’s.
| Cost | Who is paid | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Residence authorisation tasa | Spanish state | Around EUR 10.94 |
| Work authorisation tasa (Modelo 790, employer side) | Spanish state | Commonly cited at around EUR 203.84 for an employee permit and around EUR 407.71 for an EU Blue Card; we confirm the exact code and amount per file before anything is paid |
| Consular visa fee | Spanish consulate | Varies by nationality; roughly EUR 80 to EUR 700 is the band competitor guides commonly quote |
| TIE card fee, per person | Spanish state | EUR 16.08 to EUR 19.30 |
| Apostilles and sworn translations | Third-party providers | Paid at cost, directly to them |
| Our fixed fee, cuenta ajena | VAMOS | EUR 900 per file, plus 21% VAT |
| Our fixed fee, HQP or EU Blue Card | VAMOS | EUR 1,200 per file, plus 21% VAT |
| Our fixed fee, renewal | VAMOS | EUR 300, plus 21% VAT |
TIE card fees by household
The TIE fee is charged per person, so a family relocating together multiplies it. These are the per-person figures above, worked out for the household sizes we see most.
| Household | TIE cards | Total TIE tasas |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | 1 | EUR 16.08 to EUR 19.30 |
| Couple | 2 | EUR 32.16 to EUR 38.60 |
| Couple plus 1 child | 3 | EUR 48.24 to EUR 57.90 |
| Couple plus 2 children | 4 | EUR 64.32 to EUR 77.20 |
Set that against what the market charges. Guides published by the relocation firms competing for this search commonly quote EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,500 for an immigration lawyer on a Spanish work permit, and then ask you to book a consultation to find out their own number. Ours is on this page, in eight languages, and it does not move once we have seen the file.
Government charges on a work permit file are modest: the residence authorisation tasa is around EUR 10.94 and the TIE card costs EUR 16.08 to EUR 19.30 per person, while the consular visa fee varies by nationality. The professional fee is the real variable, and ours is published: EUR 900 for a cuenta ajena file, EUR 1,200 for HQP or EU Blue Card, EUR 300 for the renewal, plus 21% VAT.
Work visa fees, fixed and published
One flat professional fee per file, covering both the employer-side authorisation and the worker’s visa stage. Government tasas, apostilles, and sworn translations are paid separately, at cost.
| Service | What’s included | Fixed fee |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit (cuenta ajena), per fileEmployer authorisation through TIE guidance | Employer file build and Extranjeria filing, labour market test strategy, worker’s consular visa support, social security registration tracking, TIE guidance in Malaga | €900 |
| HQP / EU Blue CardUGE fast-track filing | Salary threshold check, employer documentation, UGE filing, family members alongside, TIE guidance | €1,200 |
| Renewal (4-year cycle)Under RD 1155/2024 art. 81.1 | Document refresh, employment continuity evidence, renewal filing and TIE renewal | €300 |
Corporate volume pricing is available for companies sponsoring several hires; ask on the free call. Government fees are separate and small: the residence authorisation tasa is around €10.94, consular visa fees vary by nationality, and the TIE card fee is currently €16.08-€19.30. Apostilles and sworn translations are paid to their respective providers. All amounts are starting prices and vary with the circumstances of each case. Professional fees exclude 21% VAT. Government fees and third-party costs (sworn translations, notary, medical certificates, insurance) are billed separately.
Three steps, start to finish
Free consultation
We review the job offer, check whether the labour market test applies, and confirm whether the standard, HQP, or Blue Card route fits, no obligation.
Fixed quote + document list
You get one flat fee and separate checklists for the employer and the worker, so both sides know exactly what to produce.
We file and track to approval
We file the authorisation, manage the consular stage, and carry the worker through to social security registration and the TIE card in Malaga.
Trusted by the people we serve
Real Google reviews of VAMOS Academy Malaga, the school and legal office at Calle Reding 6. The legal and business services on this page are run by the same team, to the same standard. 4.9 ★ · 510 on Google 4.9 ★ · Tripadvisor, #11 of 410 in Malaga
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“I have been taking classes at Vamos Academy to improve my Spanish so I can connect more with friends and family here in Spain, and it has been such a great experience. My teacher is patient, encouraging, and really knows how to explain.”
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Why clients choose VAMOS
| VAMOS | National platforms | Typical gestoria |
|---|---|---|
| A named abogada handles your file | Anonymous caseworkers | Forms only, no legal advice |
| Every fee published before you call | Quote after a paid consult | Hourly, open-ended |
| English and Spanish, in-house | Translated support tickets | Spanish only |
| Office in Malaga, next to the extranjeria queue | Barcelona or Madrid, remote | Local but property-first |
Work visa questions, answered
Who applies for a Spanish work visa, the employee or the employer?
The employer starts it. For the standard cuenta ajena permit, the Spanish employer files the residence and work authorisation application with the Oficina de Extranjeria in Spain. Only once that authorisation is approved does the worker apply for the visa itself at the Spanish consulate in their home country.
How long is a Spanish work permit valid, and how does renewal work in 2026?
The initial cuenta ajena authorisation is granted for one year. Under the new Reglamento de Extranjeria (RD 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025), it then renews for four years in a single step, a major improvement over the old two-plus-two cycle. After five years of continuous legal residence you can apply for permanent residency.
What is the situacion nacional de empleo and when does it apply?
It is Spain’s labour market test. For standard work permits, the employer generally must show the vacancy could not be filled locally, usually because the occupation appears on the shortage occupation list (catalogo de ocupaciones de dificil cobertura) or because a job posting produced no suitable local candidates. Several categories, including highly qualified professionals and permit modifications from within Spain, are exempt.
What is the highly qualified professional (HQP) permit and the EU Blue Card?
Both are fast-track routes for managers, specialists, and graduates with a qualifying job offer above a salary threshold. They are filed with the UGE, a centralised unit with short decision deadlines, and skip the labour market test. The EU Blue Card additionally offers intra-EU mobility. If your role and salary qualify, these routes are usually faster and more flexible than the standard permit.
How long does the Spanish work visa process take?
Budget 3 to 8 months end to end for the standard route: up to 3 months for the employer-side authorisation, then the consular visa stage, then entry, social security registration, and the TIE card in Spain. HQP and Blue Card files through the UGE are much faster, often resolved in 20 business days.
What does the employer need to provide for a work permit application?
A signed job offer or contract meeting minimum wage and convenio terms, evidence the company is solvent and current with tax and social security obligations, company documentation, and where the labour market test applies, evidence of the shortage occupation listing or unsuccessful local recruitment.
Can my family join me on a Spanish work visa?
Yes. Family members can either apply for family reunification once you are resident, or in HQP and Blue Card cases apply alongside you from the start. Spouses admitted this way generally receive their own right to work in Spain.
Can I change employers on a Spanish work permit?
During the first year the permit is generally tied to the occupation and territory it was granted for, though not to a single named employer in most cases. From renewal onward the authorisation covers any occupation anywhere in Spain. We review the specifics before you sign with a new employer so a job change never puts your residency at risk.
Can I switch from a student visa or other permit to a work permit inside Spain?
Yes. Permit modification from within Spain is possible and became notably easier under RD 1155/2024, especially for students moving to employment. This avoids returning to your home country and restarting at the consulate.
What happens after my work visa is approved and I arrive in Spain?
You must enter Spain within the visa’s validity, be registered with social security by your employer and actually start work within the legal window, register your address (empadronamiento), and apply for your TIE card at the office covering your address. Missing the social security registration deadline can void the authorisation, so we track it closely.
What happens if the work permit application is refused?
You can file a recurso de reposicion, an administrative appeal, within one month of notification, or a contencioso-administrativo court appeal within two months. Refusals commonly trace back to labour market test issues or employer solvency documentation, both of which can often be corrected and refiled.
Do employers pay the legal fees for work permits?
Usually yes. Sponsoring companies typically absorb the legal and filing costs as part of recruiting international staff. We work with both individual employees whose employers have no Spanish immigration experience and directly with companies sponsoring one or several hires, with volume pricing for multiple files.
How do I apply for a work visa in Spain, step by step?
Eight steps. The employer signs a convenio-compliant contract, the route is chosen, the labour market test is cleared or exempted, and the employer files the authorisation at Extranjeria. Once it is granted the worker books the consulate, submits the visa file, enters Spain, is registered with social security within the legal window, and then applies for the TIE card.
How much does a Spanish work visa cost in total in 2026?
Government charges are small: the residence authorisation tasa is around EUR 10.94 and the TIE card is EUR 16.08 to EUR 19.30 per person, with consular visa fees varying by nationality. Our professional fee is fixed and published: EUR 900 for a cuenta ajena file, EUR 1,200 for HQP or EU Blue Card, EUR 300 for a renewal, plus 21% VAT.
Who is exempt from needing a work permit in Spain?
Nationals of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, and family members holding rights through them, register rather than apply for a work permit. Immigration guides commonly list further 2026 exemptions, including certain researchers and university teaching staff, artists on short engagements, accredited correspondents and some business-mobility cases. We confirm the category before anyone files.
Can a Spanish work permit lead to permanent residency and citizenship?
Yes. The initial authorisation runs one year, then renews for four years in a single step under RD 1155/2024 article 81.1, reaching five years of continuous legal residence, when permanent residency becomes available. Citizenship by residence commonly follows at ten years, or two years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews.
What salary do you need for the HQP permit or EU Blue Card in Spain?
There is no single figure we will quote as yours. Thresholds are set by ministerial instrument and revised periodically. Guides in 2026 commonly cite roughly EUR 40,000 a year for technical, scientific and intellectual roles and EUR 54,000 to EUR 55,000 for managerial roles, with Blue Card figures quoted between about EUR 41,000 and EUR 56,000. We confirm the official figure against your offer first.
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