Timing your move around notice periods and a job start

Terms used

• Alta — The alta is your registration with Social Security, which your employer files before you start work.
• TIE — The TIE is the physical residence card for foreigners living in Spain.
• SEPE — The SEPE is Spain's public employment service, which your employer notifies of your contract.
• Pagas extra — The pagas extra are two extra salary payments, usually in summer and December, or spread across monthly pay.

Key rules

• Start date: Do not start work until your authorisation is valid and your alta is filed.
• Resigning: Wait for your approved visa or authorisation and a written start date before you resign.
• First pay: Keep cash for 4 to 8 weeks before your first full salary.
• TIE: Apply for your TIE within one month of entering Spain or of the authorisation taking effect.

Start with the work-start rule

You can only start working once your visa or work authorisation is valid and your employer has registered you with Social Security (the "alta"). Working before that is unlawful and penalises both you and your employer. So your Spanish start date cannot come before both are in place.

This section is for non-EU nationals who need a work permit. EU citizens and some exempt categories follow different rules.

Work backwards from the start date

Plan in this order:

1. Fix the Spanish start date with your employer, in writing.
2. Check your visa or authorisation dates. If your visa was issued abroad, you must enter Spain while it is valid. The authorisation takes effect when you are registered with Social Security, which generally has to happen within three months of entering Spain or of the visa starting.
3. Set your notice end date a few days before you travel, so you are not still tied to your old job when you arrive.
4. Leave a buffer for delays with the visa, flights and housing.

Check the exact deadline for your permit type with the office that issued it, because deadlines vary and the immigration rules were reformed in 2025.

Avoid a gap or a double commitment

• Do not resign until your visa or authorisation is approved and your start date is agreed in writing.
• Check your current contract for its notice period, and ask your old employer in writing to confirm your last working day.
• Employers can register you up to 60 days before you start, and no later than your first day. Ask yours to confirm the date.
• If your old job ends before the new one starts, plan for the gap. You may have no income during it.

Plan cash for the first weeks

Salaries are normally paid monthly, at the end of the month or in the first days of the next. Your first payslip covers only the days you worked in your starting month, so a mid-month start means a partial first payment. Some employers pay a few days after month end. Keep enough money to cover 4 to 8 weeks before your first full payment.

Extra payments (pagas extra) are paid in summer and December, or spread across the monthly pay. Check which applies in your contract.

Probation period

Your contract may include a probation period, which must be agreed in writing. The collective agreement for your sector usually sets its length. If there is none, the maximum is six months for qualified technicians and two months for other workers. In companies with fewer than 25 employees, it is three months for non-technicians. For fixed-term contracts of up to six months, the maximum is one month. Collective agreements may set different limits. Do not give up your old job's security without knowing which applies to you.

After you start

Your employer must send your contract to the public employment service (SEPE) within 10 working days of your start. Contracts must be in writing if they are fixed-term, part-time or training contracts. If yours is not written, your employer must give you written information on your essential conditions. Apply for your TIE residence card within one month of entering Spain or of the authorisation taking effect.

The timeline, documents, checklist and questions below cover these steps in more detail.

Timeline and deadlines

• Make sure your visa or work authorisation is valid and in force: before your first working day

• Enter Spain within the validity of your visa: before the visa expires

• Probation period runs, if your contract has one: one month for fixed-term contracts of up to six months; otherwise as your collective agreement says

• Receive your first, pro-rated salary: at the end of your starting month or in the first days of the next

• Receive your first full salary: 4 to 8 weeks after you start, so plan your cash until then

Documents you need

• Valid work authorisation or visa, issued by the Spanish authorities. It must be in force before your first working day. Required if you are a non-EU national.

• Confirmation of your Social Security registration (alta), which your employer files with the Social Security office (TGSS). It must be in place no later than your first day.

• Written employment contract, issued by your employer. It must be in writing for fixed-term, part-time and training contracts. For other contracts, your employer must give you written information on the essential conditions.

• Your first payslip, issued by your employer. It covers the days worked in your starting month, pro-rated.

Checklist

• Ask your employer to register you with Social Security (alta) no later than your first day.

• Check that your visa or work authorisation is valid on your first working day.

• Ask for your contract in writing before you start.

• Ask for written information on your essential working conditions if your contract is not in writing.

• Ask your employer for your workplace health and safety information before your first day.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start work before my work authorisation is valid?

No, you can only start once your work authorisation or visa is valid and your employer has registered you with Social Security. Working earlier is unlawful and penalises both you and your employer. If your start date is earlier than your authorisation, ask the employer to move it.

How early can my employer register me with Social Security?

Your employer can register you with Social Security up to 60 days before your start date, and no later than the day you start. This registration is called the alta. Ask for confirmation of it before your first day.

How long can a probation period last in Spain?

If no collective agreement sets it, probation lasts up to two months for most workers and up to six months for qualified technicians. In companies with fewer than 25 employees, it can be three months for non-technicians. For fixed-term contracts of up to six months it is one month, and it must always be agreed in writing.

When will I get my first salary after starting a job in Spain?

Your first salary usually arrives in the last working days of your starting month or the first days of the next. A mid-month start gives a partial first payment, because it is pro-rated for the days you worked. Plan cash for 4 to 8 weeks before your first full payment.