Visa for Highly Qualified Workers in Spain
The highly qualified worker permit lets a Spanish company hire a non-EU professional with a degree or proven experience and a salary of at least €41,356 a year (2026). The application is filed online with a central unit in Madrid, which decides in 20 working days, so nobody has to visit a local immigration office.
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Who is the highly qualified worker visa for?
The highly qualified professional visa is applied for by companies that need to hire non-EU workers with specific skills — often in technology, engineering, science or management.
Unlike other work permits under the general immigration law, it has preferential processing: the authorities decide within 20 working days, and family members' applications are processed with the same speed. It can be applied for from Spain or from the worker's country through the consulate.
Tech and engineering profiles
Developers, engineers and specialists hired by Spanish companies or startups.
Managers and executives
Directors and senior professionals joining a company in Spain.
Their families
Spouse or partner and children can apply together and move with the worker.
Get your free 15-minute consultation
Are you the professional? Tell us about your job offer and we'll check whether you qualify.
Are you a company hiring from abroad? We check the role and the candidate, prepare the company documents and file the application for you.
Highly qualified worker visa requirements
- A job offer or contract in SpainWith a company that meets the conditions to use this route, for at least six months.
- Minimum salaryAt least 1.4 times the average gross salary in Spain — €41,356.36 a year in 2026. Under the EU Blue Card, a reduced threshold of €33,085.09 applies to hard-to-fill occupations and recent graduates.
- Higher qualificationsA university degree or equivalent higher education qualification or, instead, at least three years of relevant professional experience (for the EU Blue Card: five years, or three years for IT roles).
- Clean criminal recordCertificates from the countries where you have lived in recent years.
- Health insuranceCoverage through Spanish Social Security once you start working, or private insurance where required.
The salary threshold is updated whenever the Spanish statistics institute (INE) publishes new salary data. We confirm the current figure and whether your case qualifies for the reduced threshold.
Check your eligibility — freeNational permit or EU Blue Card?
Both are processed through the same fast-track route, but they are not the same permit. We tell you which one fits your case.
| National highly qualified permit | EU Blue Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifications | A higher education qualification, or at least 3 years of equivalent professional experience | A degree of at least 3 years, or 5 years of relevant experience (3 years in the last 7 for IT managers and specialists) |
| Minimum salary (2026) | €41,356.36 a year | €41,356.36 a year, or €33,085.09 for shortage occupations and recent graduates |
| Job | With a company that meets the conditions of the route | Contract or firm job offer of at least 6 months |
| Validity | Length of the contract plus 3 months, up to 3 years. Renewals for 2 years. | |
| Working in other EU countries | Valid in Spain only | Business trips of up to 90 days in any 180, and an easier move to another EU country |
| Long-term residence | After 5 years of legal residence in Spain | After 5 years; time with a Blue Card in other EU countries can count |
Applying in Madrid, Barcelona or anywhere in Spain
The highly qualified worker permit is not handled by the local immigration office of the city where you will work. All applications go online to the Large Companies Unit (UGE), a central office of the Ministry of Inclusion based in Madrid. The rules, the fees and the 20-working-day deadline are the same whether the job is in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia or a small town.
We prepare and file the whole case online, so it does not matter where you or the company are. You only need to go somewhere in person twice: the Spanish consulate, if you apply from abroad and need the visa, and the police station in the province where you will live, to have your fingerprints taken for your residence card (TIE).
After approval: family, renewals, long-term residence and taxes
- Family. Your spouse or partner, children and dependent parents can apply at the same time and are processed with the same priority. Your spouse or partner can work in Spain.
- Renewals. Renewals are for 2 years, as long as you still meet the conditions (job and salary).
- Long-term residence. After 5 years of legal, continuous residence you can apply for long-term residence, which no longer depends on your job.
- Beckham Law. If you were not tax resident in Spain in the previous 5 years, you can usually opt to pay a flat 24% on your salary up to €600,000 a year, for the year you move and the following 5 tax years. You must apply within 6 months of your Social Security registration. See our Beckham Law service. Tax advice is given in a paid tax consultation.
What our services include for the highly qualified worker visa
We work with both the company and the employee, so the application goes in complete and is decided as fast as possible.
- Analysis of whether the job and the candidate meet the requirements.
- Communication with the company to obtain the necessary documentation.
- Preparation of the company and job profile for the application.
- Advice on the employment contract and the salary conditions.
- Online submission of the application on behalf of the company.
- Follow-up and answers to any request for more documents.
- Applications for family members at the same time.
- Consulate appointment for the visa, if applying from abroad.
- Police appointment in Spain for the residence card (TIE).
How we work: four simple steps
Tell us about your case
We check the job offer, the company and the candidate's profile.
Proposal
We send a quote with the procedure, the documents and the timeline.
Submission
We prepare the full file and submit it online on behalf of the company.
Follow-up and arrival
We follow the application until approval and book the visa and TIE appointments.
Deadlines of the process
Preparing the documentation usually takes the longest — especially obtaining legalised degrees and criminal record certificates. Once you arrive in Spain, you must apply for your TIE within one month.
Choose how much help you need
Full service
We handle the whole highly qualified worker visa
Personal quote
From the analysis of the job offer to the employee's residence card in Spain. Tell us about the case and we'll send you a clear, fixed quote.
- Eligibility check of company and candidate
- Full application filed online
- Family applications included
- Visa and TIE appointments
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.
Highly qualified worker visa: FAQ
Can't find your question? Ask us in a call — we'll look at your specific situation.
What is the minimum salary for a highly qualified worker in Spain?
Since 31 January 2026, the general threshold is 1.4 times the average gross annual salary in Spain — €41,356.36 a year with the latest INE data (May 2026). For the EU Blue Card only, a reduced threshold of €33,085.09 applies to some hard-to-fill occupations and to people who obtained their qualification in the last three years.
How long does the process take?
The authorities decide within 20 working days of the application being submitted. Family members' applications are processed with the same speed.
Can I apply from Spain?
Yes. The application can be filed while you are legally in Spain, or from your country of residence, in which case you then collect the visa at the Spanish consulate.
Do I need a university degree?
Usually a degree or equivalent higher education qualification. Proven experience can replace it: at least 3 years for the national permit, or 5 years for the EU Blue Card (3 years for IT roles).
Can I apply for the highly qualified professional visa in Madrid?
Every application goes online to the same central office in Madrid (the UGE), wherever in Spain the job is. You do not need to visit a local immigration office.
What is the difference between the national permit and the EU Blue Card?
The Blue Card has stricter qualification and contract rules but allows a lower salary in some cases and makes it easier to move within the EU. The national permit is simpler on qualifications but only valid in Spain.
Who applies, the company or the worker?
The application is normally filed by the company that hires you. We work with both of you to prepare the documentation.
Can my family come with me?
Yes. Your spouse or partner and children can apply at the same time and are processed with the same priority.
What is the EU Blue Card?
It is the EU-wide permit for highly qualified workers. In Spain it is processed through the same fast-track route, and it makes it easier to move to another EU country for work after a period of time.
Can I benefit from the Beckham Law?
Many highly qualified workers who move to Spain can opt for the Beckham Law and pay a flat 24% tax on their employment income. Our tax team can check your case.
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