How an employer sponsors a Spanish work permit

Terms used

• Oficina de Extranjería — The Oficina de Extranjería is the immigration office that receives and decides work and residence permit applications.
• Alta — The alta is your employer's registration of you with Social Security when you start work.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card, issued after you arrive in Spain.
• Arraigo — Arraigo is a route to legal residence for people who have lived in Spain without papers and have ties there.

Key rules

• Who applies: Your employer or its representative files the permit application electronically; you do not file it yourself.
• Decision time: The immigration office has 3 months from the date your file is accepted to decide, and silence means refusal.
• Visa deadline: After approval, apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate within one month of being notified.
• Where you apply from: You normally need to be outside Spain, with a few exceptions such as graduates.

The short version

Your employer starts the process, not you. The employer (or its representative) files the application with the foreigners' office. You supply your personal documents, and once the permit is approved you apply for the visa and then the residence card.

This route is for non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals hired by a Spanish employer. EU citizens and their family members use a different system.

Who does what

Your employer files the application electronically. It goes to the Oficina de Extranjería in the province where the employer is based or the work will be done. The employer attaches the contract or job offer and the company documents. Employers are normally required to file online with a digital certificate.

You gather your personal documents and apply for the visa after approval. The documents you need are in the documents list below.

Conditions the job must meet

• Labour-market check. The permit is tied to the national employment situation test. The test does not apply if the job is on the shortage-occupation list or another exemption applies. Ask your employer which case fits.
• Contract. It must be written and genuine, normally full-time and for at least one year, or for seasonal work. Part-time work is allowed only in limited cases, such as domestic work or at least 20 hours a week across several employers. It must follow the collective agreement.
• Salary. It must meet the legal minimum wage and the collective agreement for the job. It must also be comparable to what Spanish workers in the same role earn. The minimum wage changes every year, so check the current figure with the Ministry of Labour.
• You. You need the qualifications or experience the job requires. For a regulated profession, your qualification must be recognised in Spain. You need a clean criminal record and no entry ban.
• Where you are. You normally apply from outside Spain. Some people already in Spain can switch, such as graduates, holders of a job-search permit and some arraigo holders. Check the details for your case with the foreigners' office.

These rules come from the new immigration regulation, in force since 20 May 2025.

The steps and timing

1. Application. Your employer files. The immigration office has 3 months from the date your file is accepted to decide. If it does not, the application is treated as refused. In practice, a decision often takes 2 to 4 months and longer in busy provinces.
2. Visa. After approval, you apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence within one month of being notified. The consulate usually takes about a month to issue it.
3. Entry. Collect the visa and enter Spain while it is valid. The validity is up to 3 months.
4. Social Security. Your employer registers you (alta) once you have arrived. Do not leave this to chance: under the earlier rules the permit lapsed if you were not registered within a month of entry.
5. Card. Apply for the TIE within one month of entering Spain. You give fingerprints at the police station by appointment.

The timeline below shows the same order.

Fees

Two government fees normally apply. Your employer usually pays the authorisation fee. You pay the TIE card fee. The amounts change, so check current figures with the Ministry of Inclusion or the Policía Nacional before paying.

Before you start

Use the checklist below to confirm you qualify. The message template helps you ask a prospective employer whether it will sponsor you. The quick answers cover common doubts, such as whether the permit ties you to one employer.

Timeline and deadlines

• The consulate issues the visa: normally within about a month of your application

• Collect the visa and enter Spain: within the visa's validity, which is up to 3 months

• Your employer registers you with Social Security (alta): after you arrive in Spain

• Apply for the TIE card and give fingerprints at the police station by appointment: within 1 month of entering Spain

Documents you need

• A written employment contract or binding job offer from your employer. It is normally for a full-time job of at least one year, or for a seasonal activity, and follows the applicable collective agreement.

• The employer's company documents, which your employer or its representative files with the application.

• A full passport, plus the visa application form you complete for the consulate.

• A criminal record certificate from each country where you lived in the last five years. It must carry an apostille or consular legalisation, and it is usually valid for about 3 months after issue.

• A public-health medical certificate, usually valid for about 3 months after issue.

• Proof of your qualifications or experience for the job, legalised by apostille or consular legalisation.

• A sworn translation into Spanish, by a traductor jurado or by the consulate, of every foreign document that is not in Spanish.

• Proof of payment of the processing fee for the work and residence authorisation (modelo 790, code 062), which your employer typically pays.

• Proof of payment of the residence card (TIE) fee, which you pay through modelo 790 code 012 before the fingerprint appointment.

Checklist

• Confirm you are a non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss national, since EU citizens and their family members use a different route.

• Check whether the job is on the shortage-occupation list or meets the national employment situation test, which is the labour-market check the office applies.

• Make sure you are outside Spain, unless you are a graduate, hold a job-search permit or hold a qualifying arraigo status that lets you switch from inside Spain.

• Check that the contract is written, full-time and at least one year (or seasonal), and follows the collective agreement.

• Ask your employer to confirm the salary meets the minimum wage and the collective agreement, and matches what Spanish workers earn in the same role.

• Ask your employer to file the application electronically with the foreigners' office (Oficina de Extranjería) in the province where you will work.

• Gather your passport, criminal record certificate, medical certificate and proof of qualifications, with apostilles and sworn translations.

• Confirm who pays each fee: your employer usually pays the authorisation fee, and you pay the TIE card fee.

• Ask your employer to register you with Social Security once you arrive in Spain.

• Book your fingerprint appointment and apply for the TIE card within 1 month of entering Spain.

Message template for asking an employer about sponsorship

Send this to the person who hires at the company, by email or message. Fill in the blanks and delete any line that doesn't apply.

The route most likely to fit is an employer-sponsored work permit for a job on Spain's shortage-occupation catalogue. The message asks the employer to check that.

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Subject: Question about work permit sponsorship for the [job title] role

Hello [employer's name],

My name is [your name]. I am interested in the [job title] position at [company name], and I would like to work for you in Spain. I am currently living in [country] and my status there is [for example: citizen, resident, student, visitor].

I need a work permit to take the job in Spain. One route may be open to me if [job title] is on Spain's shortage-occupation catalogue. Could you tell me whether your company is able to sponsor me?

To help you decide, I can send you:

• a copy of my passport
• my CV
• my degrees, and whether they have been officially recognised in Spain ([yes / no / in progress])
• a clean criminal record certificate from [country]

I would also like to know:

1. Do you know whether this occupation is on the shortage catalogue?
2. Who in your company would handle the application, or would you use an adviser?
3. Who pays the application fees?
4. Could you send me the job contract terms, including salary under the collective agreement that applies, working hours and the planned start date?
5. Is your company up to date with its tax and social security obligations? The authorities check this for the application.
6. How long do you expect the process to take?
7. Can you give me a written job offer I can use for the application?

I can start as soon as [date or "the permit is approved"]. I am happy to talk by phone or video if that is easier.

Thank you for your time.

Best regards, [your name] [phone number] [email address]

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Keep the written offer and the contract terms the employer sends you. You will need them for the permit application.

Sponsored work permits in Spain, quick answers

Does my first work permit tie me to one employer?

Yes, your first employee permit is limited to one employer, one occupation and one territory, usually a province or autonomous community. After the first year, renewal can extend to any employer in the same sector and territory. With the second renewal the limit is generally lifted across Spain and across sectors. Changing employer in the first period needs a modification of your permit.

Can a part-time job qualify for a Spanish work permit?

Yes, but only in limited cases, because the job offer normally has to be full-time or pay at least the minimum wage (SMI) over a year. Part-time is accepted for the arraigo para la formación route and some shortage-occupation roles. Several part-time contracts with different employers can be added together if they reach the required hours and pay.

Can a startup sponsor my work permit?

Ask the Oficina de Extranjería or an immigration lawyer, because it depends on the permit route and on what the company can prove. Ask the startup who will file the application and whether it can offer a contract with a salary that meets the collective agreement.

Do I need a degree for the Spanish Blue Card?

Yes, the Blue Card normally requires a higher education qualification of at least three years, or level 6 of the international education classification. Experience can replace a degree only in limited cases: at least five years of relevant experience at a comparable level. For information and communication technology roles, three years of experience in the previous seven years can be enough.