Work permit, Blue Card or intra-company transfer, which will your employer file?

Key rules

• Standard permit pay: There is no legal minimum salary, but pay must meet the collective agreement and the minimum wage.
• Blue Card salary: You need a gross annual salary of at least 1.5 times the average salary in Spain, with a lower figure for shortage occupations.
• EU mobility: Only the Blue Card lets you move within the EU.
• Family: Family can apply with you on the Blue Card, highly qualified, intra-company and researcher routes, but must wait on the standard route.
• Decision time: The immigration office has 3 months from the date your file is accepted to decide, and if it does not, the application is treated as refused.

Which route will your employer file?

Your role, your pay and the type of company usually point to one route. The decision tool below walks you through it. Here is what separates the routes.

The standard work permit

This is the default route for an employee hired from abroad. There is no legal minimum salary, but your pay must follow the collective agreement for the job and be at least the minimum wage.

The employer must show that the job cannot be filled from the Spanish labour market. The exception is a job on the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations, which the employment service updates every quarter. You generally need the qualification or experience the job asks for. Rules changed in May 2025, and the employment test varies by province and year, so ask your employer what applies to your province.

The Blue Card

This is the EU-wide route for highly qualified workers. You need one of these:

• a higher education degree of at least 3 years
• 5 years of professional experience

Your gross annual salary must also be above a threshold of 1.5 times the average salary in Spain. A lower figure applies to shortage occupations. The amount is revised every year, so ask the employer or the large-companies unit of the immigration office for the current number. The card lasts up to 3 years. It is the only route that gives you mobility within the EU.

The highly qualified professional permit

This is a Spain-only version of the same idea. It also needs a degree or experience, plus a salary and job role in a qualifying category. The employer's company must also qualify for it. It lasts up to 3 years but gives no EU mobility. Thresholds and criteria differ from the Blue Card, so the same job can fit one and not the other.

The intra-company transfer

This applies if you already work for a group and are being moved to its Spanish branch. The company files for the transfer, not for a new hire. Ask your employer whether your move is handled this way.

Which one fits you

• Moved within the same group: intra-company transfer.
• Degree or experience and a high salary: Blue Card, if you want EU mobility.
• Same profile, but you only need Spain and the company qualifies: highly qualified permit.
• Anything else: standard permit.

What this means for your family

On a Blue Card, highly qualified, intra-company or researcher permit, your family can apply with you or at any time afterwards. There is no waiting period. They get a permit of the same length as yours, and your spouse or partner may work.

On the standard route, family reunification comes later. You must have lived in Spain for a year and hold a permit for at least another year. You also need adequate means and housing.

Timing

Decision times are set out in the timeline below. For a permit applied for from abroad, expect the consular visa step after approval.

Choosing between options

Which route will your employer file for you?

• Blue Card: You have a degree of at least 3 years or 5 years of experience, your salary is above 1.5 times the average, and you want to move within the EU.

• Highly qualified professional permit: You have a degree or experience and a qualifying role and pay, your company has a positive profile, and you only need to work in Spain.

• Standard work permit: Your pay does not reach the higher thresholds, but the job follows the collective agreement and cannot be filled locally or is a hard-to-fill occupation.

If you meet the Blue Card salary and qualification, it is the route with EU mobility; if not, the highly qualified permit or the standard permit applies depending on your role, pay and company.

Timeline and deadlines

• The immigration office decides on the permit: within 3 months of your file being accepted

• Expect the decision in practice: usually 2 to 4 months, longer in busy provinces

• Wait for an express decision or appeal if there is no reply: after 3 months with no answer, the application counts as refused

• Complete the consular visa step: adds a few weeks after approval

Checklist

• Compare your gross annual salary with the Blue Card threshold of 1.5 times the average salary in Spain, or the lower shortage-occupation figure.

• Check that you have a higher education degree of at least 3 years or 5 years of professional experience for the Blue Card.

• Ask your employer if the company qualifies for the highly qualified professional route, which is valid in Spain only.

• Confirm your pay meets the collective agreement and the minimum wage if you are on the standard route.

• Ask whether your job appears in the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations.

• Decide if you want EU mobility, which only the Blue Card gives.

• Plan your family's applications: together with you on a Blue Card, highly qualified, intra-company or researcher route, or after a year of residence on the standard route.

Frequently asked questions

Does the standard work permit have a minimum salary?

No, the standard employee route has no legal minimum salary, but your pay must follow the applicable collective agreement and be at least the minimum wage. Your employer must also show the job cannot be filled locally or appears in the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations.

How much salary does the Blue Card need?

The Blue Card needs a gross annual salary of 1.5 times the average salary in Spain, with a lower figure for shortage occupations. The amount is revised each year, so ask your employer to check the current figure with the Ministry of Inclusion or the large-companies unit (UGE-CE).

Can my family come with me on a Blue Card?

Yes, your family can apply together with you or at any time afterwards, with no waiting period. Their permit lasts as long as yours, and your spouse or partner may work. Under the standard route, you must first live in Spain for a year and hold a permit for at least another year.

What is the difference between the Blue Card and the highly qualified professional permit?

The Blue Card allows you to move within the EU, while the highly qualified professional permit is valid in Spain only. Both last up to 3 years, but the Blue Card has stricter salary thresholds and different qualification criteria.