Visa to Work in Spain
There are several ways to get a permit to work in Spain, depending on your contract, your qualifications and your salary. We help you choose the right one — as an employee, as a self-employed worker or with an internship — and handle the application for you.
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Which work permit is right for you?
Each Spanish work visa has its own requirements, depending on the type of contract, your qualifications and your salary. These are the main routes we handle:
As an employee
You have a job offer from a company in Spain. The company applies for your residence and work permit.
As a self-employed worker
You want to start a business or work as a freelancer in Spain, with a viable business plan and investment.
With an internship
You are studying or graduated in the last two years and have an internship related to your studies.
Get your free 15-minute consultation
Tell us about your case and, if we can help, we'll send you a link to book a free call with our lawyers.
General requirements for a work permit
- Not an EU citizenThe permits on this page are for non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss citizens.
- Not in Spain irregularlyYou must not be in an irregular situation in Spain when the application is filed.
- Clean criminal recordIn Spain and in the countries where you have lived in the last five years.
- QualificationsThe professional qualification required for the job or activity, homologated when needed.
- Job, business or internshipA signed contract, a viable business plan or an internship agreement, depending on the route.
If you have a university degree and a well-paid job offer, the highly qualified worker route is usually faster. If you work remotely for a foreign company, look at the Digital Nomad Visa.
Check your eligibility — freeWork visa as an employee
The company that hires you applies for your initial residence and work permit online. The contract must guarantee continuous work for the duration of the permit — more than 90 days and less than five years — and the salary must respect the legal minimums.
In general, the job must be on the list of hard-to-fill occupations, or the company must show that it could not find a suitable candidate in Spain. The company must also be up to date with its tax and Social Security obligations and have enough resources to pay your salary.
Once the permit is approved, you apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate, enter Spain, register with Social Security within three months and then apply for your residence card (TIE).
Work visa as a self-employed worker
If you want to start a business in Spain, you need a business plan that shows that the planned investment is sufficient and its impact on job creation (including your own), the qualifications or experience required for the activity, and the licences or permits needed to open it.
The investment and the business plan are usually backed by a report from a self-employed workers' association. The application is filed at the Spanish consulate, and the initial permit is valid for one year, for a specific sector and region.
Work visa with an internship
Students currently pursuing a higher education degree, and graduates who obtained their degree in the last two years, can come to Spain for an internship related to their studies, with an internship agreement or an internship employment contract.
The host company applies online, and the application is decided within 30 days. If you are already in Spain with a student permit, you can apply from here.
What our services include for work visas
We work with both the company and the worker, so the file is complete from the start.
- Analysis of the right route for your case.
- Review or preparation of the employment contract or business plan.
- Communication with the company and the worker to gather all the documents.
- Help with homologations, apostilles and sworn translations.
- Preparation of the forms and online submission of the application.
- Follow-up and answers to any request for more documents.
- Consulate appointment for the visa, if applying from abroad.
- Social Security registration once you arrive.
- Police appointment for your residence card (TIE).
How we work: four simple steps
Tell us about your case
We look at your job offer, business idea or internship and your profile.
Proposal
We send a quote with the route, the documents and the timeline.
Submission
We prepare the full file and submit it online or at the consulate.
Follow-up and arrival
We follow the application until approval and help you settle in Spain.
Deadlines of the process
In practice, the whole process as an employee usually takes 3 to 4 months, and as a self-employed worker it can take more than 6 months, including the visa. For internships, if there is no answer within 30 days the application can be considered approved.
Choose how much help you need
Full service
We handle your work visa
Personal quote
From choosing the right route to your residence card in Spain. Tell us about your case and we'll send you a clear, fixed quote.
- Route analysis for your case
- Contract or business plan reviewed
- Full application filed
- Visa, Social Security and TIE support
Do it yourself
Document review
€250 + VAT
You prepare and submit the application yourself. Before you file, you upload your documents to our client platform and one of our lawyers reviews them and sends you a written report.
- Full review of your documents by a lawyer
- List of anything missing or incorrect
- Written feedback so you can fix it before filing
- Starts with an online consultation, where we confirm DIY suits your case. Its cost is deducted from your final fee.
Visa to work in Spain: FAQ
Can't find your question? Ask us in a call — we'll look at your specific situation.
Can I get a work visa without a job offer?
As an employee, no: the company that hires you applies for the permit. Without a job offer, you can consider the self-employed route, the Digital Nomad Visa if you work remotely, or the job-search permit after studying in Spain.
How long must the employment contract be?
The contract must guarantee continuous work for the duration of the permit, which must be more than 90 days and less than five years.
What is the national employment situation?
It is the check that no suitable candidate is available in Spain. It does not apply if the job is on the official list of hard-to-fill occupations, and some nationalities and cases are exempt.
How long does it take?
The authorities have three months to decide on employee and self-employed permits. Then you apply for the visa, which the consulate decides within one month. Internship permits are decided within 30 days.
How much do I need to invest as a self-employed worker?
There is no fixed amount: the investment must be sufficient for the business you plan and have an impact on job creation. We help you prepare the business plan and the supporting report.
Can I do an internship in Spain after graduating?
Yes, if you obtained your higher education degree in the last two years and the internship is related to your studies.
Is there a faster route for skilled workers?
Yes. If the job requires a degree and the salary reaches the threshold, the highly qualified worker permit is decided within 20 working days.
What do I have to do when I arrive in Spain?
Register with Social Security within three months of entering Spain and apply for your residence card (TIE) at the police within one month of that registration. We help you with both.
