Spanish for work
You will know what Spanish your job market needs and how to communicate at work.
Work is one of the main reasons people learn Spanish, and the Spanish you need on the job is not the same as the Spanish you use to shop or chat. This section covers the level different jobs ask for, and how to cope with applications, emails, meetings, professional vocabulary and freelancing.
Pick the article that fits your situation
How much Spanish you need to get hired in Spain
Shows the Spanish level employers typically expect in each major job sector, from cleaning and kitchens to healthcare and offices. Use it to decide whether to start job-hunting now or learn more Spanish first.
English-speaking job or Spanish-speaking job: the career trade-off
Helps you decide whether to take a job where English is enough or to put time into Spanish first. It covers where English-only roles exist, what they cost your career later, and how much study Spanish takes. For anyone job-hunting in Spain.
Working in Spain before you are fluent: what to expect
What daily work is like in Spain if your Spanish is intermediate: how relationship-based workplaces run, what level employers expect, and practical ways to cope. For newcomers starting or looking for a job before they are fluent.
Writing work emails and WhatsApp messages in clear Spanish
Clear, polite, simple Spanish is enough for work messages in Spain. This page covers email openings and closings, when to use tú or usted, and WhatsApp habits, for newcomers who want to write well without sounding native.
Following and joining meetings in Spanish
Spanish meetings are fast and overlap a lot, but a few short phrases and some awareness of the norms are enough to follow along, ask for repeats, step in and check what was agreed. This page is for newcomers who are not yet fluent in Spanish.
Applying and interviewing in Spanish as a second language
How to describe your Spanish honestly on a CV, choose the language for your application, and answer the language questions that come up in interviews. For job seekers in Spain whose first language is not Spanish.
Learning the Spanish of your profession, from healthcare to trades
Where to find Spanish courses and vocabulary tools for your own field, and roughly what level of Spanish health and trades jobs expect. Written for newcomers who will work in Spain, from nurses and doctors to builders and the self-employed.
Spanish for freelancers (autónomos) dealing with clients and invoices
The Spanish a freelancer needs for work: talking to a gestor, writing quotes, issuing invoices that meet the rules, and chasing late payment in steps. It is for newcomers who have registered as autónomos and invoice Spanish clients.
About this topic
It is for anyone thinking about, planning or already making a move to Spain. After reading, you will know what Spanish your job market needs and how to communicate at work.
Start with "How much Spanish you need to get hired in Spain". It shows which sectors are open at your current level, and the other articles build on it. If you are weighing an English-speaking job against investing in Spanish, read "English-speaking job or Spanish-speaking job: the career trade-off" next.
Key rules
- Safety information: Employers must give safety information and training that workers can understand, which can mean translations or interpreters for those who do not understand Spanish.
- Right to disconnect: Employees have a legal right to switch off from work messages outside working hours, and employers must set a policy on how this works.
- Paid training time: Employees with at least one year of seniority have the right to 20 hours a year of paid job-related training.
- Lowest barrier: Cleaning, back-of-house hospitality, trades and English teaching can start at A1 to B1 Spanish.
- Customer-facing jobs: Front-of-house, shop-floor and customer service roles typically expect B1 to B2.
- Where English works: English-only jobs are mainly in Barcelona and Madrid, with fewer in a handful of other cities; elsewhere work is mostly in Spanish.
Spanish for work: the whole process, step by step
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Find out which Spanish level your sector expects (How much Spanish you need to get hired in Spain): before you start job hunting
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Plan your learning time (Learning the Spanish of your profession, from healthcare to trades): from zero, about 350 to 400 guided hours to reach B1 and about 500 to 650 hours to reach B2
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Weigh an English-language job against investing in Spanish (English-speaking job or Spanish-speaking job: the career trade-off): before you accept an offer
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Present your Spanish honestly in your CV and interviews (Applying and interviewing in Spanish as a second language): when you apply
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Use coping strategies, clear messages and meeting phrases at work (Working in Spain before you are fluent; Writing work emails and WhatsApp messages in clear Spanish; Following and joining meetings in Spanish): from your first week in the job
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Send a quote (presupuesto) valid for a set period, such as 30 days (Spanish for freelancers): before you start work for a client
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Issue an invoice (factura) with the required elements (Spanish for freelancers): when you deliver the work
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Expect payment within the legal maximum of 30 days, or up to 60 days if agreed (Spanish for freelancers): 30 days from delivery, 60 days at most
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Send a friendly reminder, then a firm one, then a formal burofax demand (Spanish for freelancers): after the due date passes, escalating if unpaid
Documents you may need
Payments and receipts
- Invoice — Spanish for freelancers (autónomos) dealing with clients and invoices
- Burofax with a payment demand — Spanish for freelancers (autónomos) dealing with clients and invoices
Other documents
- The official vocational certificate — How much Spanish you need to get hired in Spain
- A CV with an "Idiomas" section giving your Spanish level on the CEFR scale — Applying and interviewing in Spanish as a second language
- Regional qualifications for teaching in schools that follow the official — How much Spanish you need to get hired in Spain
- A DELE or SIELE certificate from a Spanish course — Working in Spain before you are fluent: what to expect
- Workplace safety information and training materials in a language you understand — Working in Spain before you are fluent: what to expect
- A Spanish language certificate such as DELE — Applying and interviewing in Spanish as a second language
Spanish for work: questions that cross several articles
Should I use tú or usted at work?
Yes, use tú by default with colleagues and managers, but use usted with older people, public officials and formal clients. Moving to tú is easiest once the senior or older person invites it. Read Writing work emails and WhatsApp messages in clear Spanish and Spanish for freelancers (autónomos) dealing with clients and invoices for the written tone.
What Spanish level do most jobs in Spain expect?
Most office roles expect B2 to C1, while trades usually need A2 to B1 and clinical healthcare roles need B2 to C1. International English-speaking firms may accept A2 to B1 for daily life. Read How much Spanish you need to get hired in Spain and Learning the Spanish of your profession, from healthcare to trades.
How long does it take to learn enough Spanish for work?
From zero it takes about 350 to 400 guided hours to reach B1 and about 500 to 650 hours to reach B2. Real time depends on your mother tongue and how much you use Spanish daily.
What can I do if my Spanish is not fluent yet at work?
Tell colleagues your level early, ask for key points to be confirmed in writing, and keep a personal glossary of job terms. A course and regular chats at coffee breaks speed things up. Read Working in Spain before you are fluent: what to expect and Following and joining meetings in Spanish.
Explore places
Where you live changes the details. See how Spanish regions and cities compare on rent, jobs, weather, safety and healthcare.
What to read next
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Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.