Seasonal farm work and other special work routes

Key rules

• Return: Seasonal work ends with the campaign, and you must go back to your country of origin.
• Pay and conditions: Your contract must offer the pay set by the collective agreement, with suitable accommodation and travel arranged.
• Who applies: Your employer files the application, not you.
• Length: A seasonal stay can last up to nine months in a twelve-month period.

Seasonal rules, yearly places and the list of special routes change, so confirm current terms with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration before acting.

Who these routes suit

Seasonal work suits you if you want a time-limited job, such as a harvest, and plan to go home afterwards. Circular migration suits you if you expect to go home and come back in later seasons. Neither route is a way to settle in Spain. Both are built around returning to your country of origin.

If you want a long-term job in Spain, these routes are probably not for you. Look at the general employee route or the other options at the end of this page.

How seasonal work works

A seasonal authorisation is tied to a specific campaign. Since the reform that started on 20 May 2025, it allows a stay of up to nine months in any twelve-month period. Multi-year cycles of up to four years are possible, so you can come back for later seasons.

The job comes with conditions:

• Your employer offers a contract with the pay set by the collective agreement for that sector.
• Your employer arranges suitable accommodation.
• Your employer covers or organises your travel.
• You return to your country of origin when the campaign ends.

You do not apply on your own. Your employer files the application, and the Government delegation handles it.

Hiring in your home country (GECCO)

Many campaigns recruit workers in their home countries through GECCO. Each year the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration sets the provisional number of places by province and sector. Employers or their organisations apply, and Spanish authorities coordinate the selection with the origin country. Morocco, Colombia, Ecuador and Honduras are among the countries often used. Strawberry and berry picking in Huelva is a well-known example.

Places and countries change every year. To apply, ask the employment or migration authorities in your own country whether a campaign is running and where to sign up. Be careful with anyone who asks you for money to "guarantee" a place.

Circular migration and other special routes

Circular migration is for workers who go back to their home country regularly. The 2025 reform allows longer cycles.

Spain also has other special routes for people who do not fit the general employee route. These include:

• highly qualified workers
• the Blue Card
• intra-company transfers
• researchers
• training and cross-border work permits
• self-employed and entrepreneur routes
• the digital nomad visa for remote workers
• the list of hard-to-fill occupations

Each has its own conditions. Before you plan around any of them, check the current terms and list with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.

Where to go next

Use the decision below to pick the route that fits you. Then use the timeline and checklist to see the order of steps and what to confirm with an employer before you accept an offer.

Choosing between options

Which work route suits you: seasonal or circular, or another special route?

• Seasonal campaign work: You want farm or similar campaign work for up to nine months in a twelve-month period and are happy to go home at the end.

• Circular migration: You regularly go back to your home country and want to return in later seasons, with cycles of up to four years.

• Another special route: You are highly qualified, a researcher, transferred within a company, a cross-border worker, or a remote worker, so none of the campaign routes fit.

If you want to settle in Spain, seasonal work does not fit because you must return home after each campaign; choose another route.

Timeline and deadlines

• The reformed seasonal rules start to apply: from 20 May 2025

• Your employer files the campaign application and the authorities process it: before the campaign starts

• Return to your country of origin: when the campaign ends

• Come back for later seasons under a multi-year cycle: over up to four years

Checklist

• Confirm the job is tied to a specific campaign, such as a harvest.

• Ask the employer to confirm suitable accommodation and who organises your travel.

• Ask whether the campaign runs through collective hiring in your country, and where to apply there.

• Check the current list of work routes if seasonal work does not fit you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I stay in Spain after a seasonal campaign ends?

No, a seasonal authorisation requires you to return to your country of origin when the campaign ends. The stay is limited to nine months in a twelve-month period.

What is GECCO and who is it for?

GECCO is a system that recruits workers collectively in their home countries for seasonal campaigns, such as strawberries and berries in Huelva.

Do I find a seasonal job myself or go through my country's selection?

In collective campaigns like GECCO, selection is coordinated between Spain and your country of origin, so you do not apply to the farm directly.

Which work routes exist besides seasonal work?

Spain also has routes for highly qualified workers, Blue Card holders, intra-company transfers, researchers, cross-border workers and the digital nomad visa.