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Work Visa for Spain

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Work Visa for Spain

As with most information about the bureaucracies of Spain, it's only a guide in your efforts toward a work visa.

Posted by The Expatriator

Information and guide to getting a work visa in Spain.

There is no “working holiday visa” like there is in Japan for instance. No, Spain is a part of the EU, and as such carries the same process and requirements as for the rest of the Schengen countries’ work visas. Spain also has fairly a fairly high unemployment rate, making your work visa very difficult to get. See Working in Spain, Being Autonomo for more about working in Spain; also see the super-comprehensive jobs in Spain list.

Note that the Ministry of Public Administration has recently created a new system for those who already have work visas to renew their visa online. This system can be found here.

The following is the best guide to the process of gaining a legal work visa for non-European passport holders that we’ve been able to put together. As with most information about the bureaucracies of Spain, it’s only a guide in your efforts toward a work visa. We wish you the best of luck with this.

Please note that there is no legal right nor any guarantee to a work visa /permit.
  1. Attend interviews with the desired company of employment, with the intention of being selected.

  2. Submit ALL the following documents to the Subdelegación del Gobierno in the city you are trying to move to and work in. (Note that this involves many hours in queues or, alternatively, contracting a Spanish Lawyer):
    • Official application form (EX-1), signed and stamped by EMPLOYER.
    • 3 passport photos (not high-gloss)
    • Photocopy and original of passport (must be valid for duration of work-term)
    • Official job offer form (EX-5), signed and stamped by EMPLOYER. The job offered must be full-time and 10 months or longer
    • Original official company fiscal identity document (CIF)
    • Original official company social security inscription document, as well as documents TC-1 and TC-2.
    • Certified originals from the Tesoreria General de la Seguridad Social and the Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria proving that the company is fully up to date in its tax and social security payments.
    • Official certification that the job on offer has already been advertised in the official Provincial Unemployment Office and that no suitable European candidate has applied.
    • Document describing the services offered by the company and why a non-European should be employed to work there.
    • Original and photocopies of degree transcripts/certifications and credentials, with the official seal of convalidatation of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture (Madrid)
  3. Make an appointment with the Spanish Consulate serving your official home address (in country of origin) in order to process all the documentation which they require for a work visa . This usually includes, amongst others, the official job offer document, stamped by the Subdelegación del Gobierno; official certificate of no criminal record in country of origin and local health certificate. This step can be undertaken by you or your legal representative, and can take up to 4 months to be processed.
  4. Once your home country’s Spanish Consulate has processed your work visa , you have to fetch it in person. It can not be handed to ayone other than you.
  5. As soon as you have your work visa you can return to Spain, finalise the application for a work/residence permit and start work. Please note that there is no legal right nor any guarantee to a work visa /permit. All applications are evalutated by the authorities in Spain.

Finally, appreciate that the legalisation procedure is difficult, lengthy, and expensive for everyone, making Spain an illogical choice for those who do not intend to be here for at least 2 to 3 years.

Last updated 31 05 2007

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04/Apr/2008:
eviebohan said:

Hi,
Regarding The Expatriator's comment on 15/Jun/2006:

"...according to your tourist visa you can stay your 90 days while you wait for your work visa. You'll still have to return to your home country to pick it up though."

This is regarding filing for your work visa which will potentially take up to 3 months to process, but staying in Spain.

My question is, how would I return to my home country without my passport (which I have to turn in with my visa application)?

Thanks,

Evelyn

12/Feb/2008:
lorraine said:

Hi tonaltek (tt)
You don't say what country you are a citizen of as that is where you would make your application from. If non-EU you need a job offer to get your residency and work permit (as I understand it).
Your application for residency includes needing a copy of any records held by the police department, but I presume of your country of citizenship(passport you have).
If you are an EU resident all this changes as you can get the residence visa straight off or not bother. To get a work permit I think you go through the normal process of having a job offer i.e. your future employer does most of the applications etc.
Goodluck
Lorraine
PS On the issue of lengthy times I now know I'm jinked as 4 months to renew my residency including the standard 45 day I'm now waiting for the actual card and with a total time of 12 hrs in queues (to date). On the bright side the renewal is as a permanent resident and for 10yrs!

06/Feb/2008:
tonaltek said:

Hello,
I am considering applying for a work visa in Spain. I was a resident in the U.S. for a while and had a run in with the law but don't live there now. Will this affect my chances of being accepted if i apply as a citizen of another country? Thanks for any advise.
tt

25/Apr/2007:
EricS said:

Hello, I'm very interested in Teaching English in Spain and I've only just started looking into the process - this website is very helpful - I'm serious about moving to Spain and teaching, is there any way you can provide me with a rough estimate of how long all the process of obtaining a work visa, etc will take me so I can plan accordingly? I know there are a several variables that affect the timeframe but all I am looking for is an estimate.

thanks
Eric

27/Feb/2007:
markfwarren said:

Hello, I'm an American teaching English in Prague. I currently have my work Visa here and was wondering if anybody knew if that would help at all in getting a Spanish work Visa.
thanks
Mark

25/Jun/2006:
mak said:

Hi cmanio,
My husband and I had set up a company before moving to spain and were going to work as self-employed.
Good luck with the interview !

25/Jun/2006:
cmanio said:

Hello Mak
What kind of residency visa did you apply for? Did you find a job who obtained a work permit for you? Or did you go on a student visa? Cuz I've got my interview soon and I want to know my avenues.
Thank you

23/Jun/2006:
mak said:

Dear Tano,
Check this website for the correct info, as it depends on the nationality of your fiancee and your personal circumstances.

http://www.conspalon.org/indexeng.html
Here is what I had to do:-
1)Checked the above website
2)Wrote to the Consulate
3)Received a application form for a RESIDENCY VISA & visa information
4)Wrote to make an appointment, with loads of copies of required documents(you will be rejected without an appointment)
5)Got appointment date
6)Went to consulate with original and copies of required documents
7)Got my residency visa on the same day
The word of warning,
1)As far as I know, your fiancee CANNOT apply for a work permit WHILE IN SPAIN !!
2)In my case, it took me 4 months to obtain a residency visa, though due to my nationality and financial circumstances, it should have been very straightforward. So allow PLENTY OF TIME !
Does't his employer obtain a visa for him ?
Good luck.

22/Jun/2006:
Tano said:

I would appreciate some help. I am an EU citizen planning to relocate with my fiancee to Spain.Unfortunately, my fiancee is not an EU citizen and will need a visa. He was offered a job in Spain -however, we are unsure as to how to proceed.
Should he apply for a tourist visa (for 3 months) and later apply for a work visa, while in Spain? or should he apply for a work visa before travelling to Spain? I heard that applying for a work visa can be very difficult.
Can you please give me suggestions?

15/Jun/2006:
The Expatriator said:

Missy: Sure you can, according to your tourist visa you can stay your 90 days while you wait for your work visa. You'll still have to return to your home country to pick it up though wink

Lorraine: Your residencia MAY be good enough to work without a specific work permit, but it's a good question! Since you're here, why not ask an employer friend.

15/Jun/2006:
missyvoncuteshoes said:

Does anyone know if I can be IN spain at the time that my visa is processing?

30/May/2006:
lorraine said:

I hope I haven't missed the answer to my question while reading what I can find on visas and work permits. I am a Kiwi married to a Spanaird and living in Spain. I have a five year residence visa, NIE(which incidently took close to a year to obtain, not difficult just tediously slow at every step. Reading Joanna's comment she must be in a very different part of the country to me as our Comisaría wouldn't manage anything in 'a month or so'!) Anyway does this visa allow me to work legally or do I have to have a work permit as well?

12/May/2006:
Joanna said:

As the UK is part of the European Union, all you need to do to get your N.I.E. (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is to present your passport, certificado de empadronamiento (a piece of paper the you get from your local disctrict that certifies where you are registered to live) & application form (you can download it from the legal/ID numbers page here) at your local comisaría. I think it´s usually processed within a month or so.

If you want to get a mortgage through a Spanish bank then you'll have to have an NIE, same as for working for taxation purposes.

08/May/2006:
Garfield said:

Hiya all smile

As an englishman, do i need a work visa for spain or can i go out there buy a house and get a job with little to no worry about then?

18/Apr/2006:
The Expatriator said:

Hey Kac,
Well, I believe so. People get a work visa for one job, but are then free to quit and work elsewhere for the extent of their visa, so I would suppose you can also hold two jobs having one work visa. I'd check it out further with the Spanish embassy/consulate when you pick up your visa.

18/Apr/2006:
kac2615 said:

Can I hold multiple jobs with one work visa?

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