Licences for electricians, plumbers, gas fitters and installers

Key rules

• Who authorises you: The industry department of your region grants installer status, not the national government.
• Start of work: You can start work after filing the declaración responsable, but the authority checks it later.
• Foreign titles: A foreign title only counts once it is recognised in Spain.
• Working in other regions: A company registered in one region can work throughout Spain.

Do you need a licence?

If you install or maintain regulated systems professionally, you need to be an authorised installer or an installer company (empresa instaladora). You get that status from the industry department of the regional government where you are based.

The regulated trades are:

• low voltage electricity
• heating, air conditioning and hot water in buildings (thermal installations)
• gas installations
• refrigeration
• fire protection
• high voltage lines and installations
• telecommunications in buildings
• petroleum product storage and fuel installations for vehicles
• lifts
• pressure equipment

Photovoltaic (solar) installations are generally done under the low voltage rules, so you need an installer for them too. Each trade has its own technical rules and categories, so check which ones cover your work.

What you must show

Each trade sets its own requirements, but they follow a common pattern:

• Qualified people. You need technicians or installers with a qualification suited to your category. That can be a vocational training title, a university degree, a certificate of professionalism or, where the title is not enough, proven experience.
• Tools and test equipment required for your category.
• Civil liability insurance with a minimum cover that depends on the category.
• Tax and social security registration, with your employees registered in the right team.
• Records. You must keep a quality or maintenance record.

Some examples of categories:

• Low voltage has a basic category (EBT-B) and a special category (EBT-E). They need different qualifications and insurance.
• Thermal installations require the company to have a qualified technician.
• Gas has categories A, B and C. You need a certified installer card for your category.

The documents and checklist below list what to gather.

How to apply

Industrial safety is a regional matter, so you apply to the industry department of your region. You file a declaración responsable. This is a signed statement that you meet the requirements. Filing is normally online through the regional electronic office, or at a registry office. Procedure details differ by region.

You can start work once you have filed. The authority checks your file afterwards, so file only when you really meet every requirement.

You are then entered in the regional register of installer companies and receive a certificate or number. A company registered in one region can work across Spain.

Do foreign qualifications count?

Yes, but only once they are recognised in Spain.

• EU/EEA citizens and others covered by the EU professional qualifications rules can have their qualifications recognised. The competent authority decides. It is often the regional industry department or the ministry for the profession.
• Non-EU titles need homologation or equivalence through the Ministry of Education, or recognition for the profession.
• Foreign work experience can be accepted when it is documented. The regional authority decides whether it covers the requirement.
• Companies established in another EU state can work in Spain by sending a prior declaration.

Documents issued abroad normally need an apostille and a sworn translation into Spanish. Treatment can vary by trade and region, so ask the regional industry department before you start.

The quick answers below cover common questions on fees, expiry and working in another region.

Documents you need

Documents for installer authorisation

• Proof of qualified technicians for your trade and category: a vocational training title, a university degree, a certificate of professionalism, or documented experience where the title is not enough.

• Civil liability insurance policy with the minimum cover set for your category. The minimum amount varies by category.

• Proof of tax and social security registration, with your employees registered in the right team.

• The declaración responsable, a signed statement that your company meets the requirements. File it online through your region's electronic office or at a registry office. You can start work after filing, and the authority checks it later.

• For gas work, the certified installer card for your category (A, B or C). For thermal installations, a qualified technician on staff.

• A foreign title, which must be recognised in Spain before it counts. For non-EU titles, this means homologation or equivalence through the Ministry of Education, or recognition for the profession.

• Any document issued abroad, such as a foreign title or proof of foreign work experience, with an apostille and a sworn translation into Spanish.

• Sworn translation of each foreign document into Spanish.

• If you are established in another EU country and want to work in Spain, a prior declaration to use the freedom to provide services. The regional authority decides whether it covers the requirement.

Trade licence checklist

• Find the form for your specific trade and category on your region's industry department website.

• Prepare your identity document: the company tax ID (CIF), or your DNI or NIE if you are self-employed.

• Add the deed of incorporation if you are applying as a company.

• Gather proof of qualified technical staff: the title, certificate of professionalism or proof of experience of the person in charge.

• Add an apostille and a sworn translation to any foreign title, and make sure it is recognised.

• Attach employment contracts or social security registration for your technicians.

• Get a civil liability insurance policy with the cover your category requires, and attach the latest payment receipt.

• List the tools and test equipment your category requires.

• Attach proof of your tax registration (IAE) and, if you act through a representative, the power of representation.

• Complete every section of the declaración responsable (your signed statement that you meet the requirements).

• Pay the regional fee, if there is one, and attach the receipt.

• Watch for a request to correct defects (subsanación) and reply within 10 working days to avoid a refusal.

Quick answers for tradespeople

What fee do I pay to recognise a foreign vocational title?

You pay a fee (tasa) for the homologación procedure, using the official payment form called modelo 790. The amount is set by law and updated periodically, and it is modest for non-university titles. Ask the Ministry of Education for the current figure.

Does a homologación of a vocational title expire?

No, a homologación or equivalencia does not expire once granted. It has the same permanent effect as the Spanish title it matches. An employer or professional regulator may still ask for updated documents.

Can I show a foreign trade certificate on my Spanish CV before recognition is complete?

Yes, if you describe it truthfully as a foreign qualification, with the institution, country and year. Add 'homologación en trámite' (recognition pending), for example 'Técnico en X (título extranjero, country, year), homologación en trámite'. Never present it as an official Spanish title.

Does my installer authorisation work in another region of Spain?

Yes, an installer authorisation from one region is valid across Spain, and another region cannot demand a new one. Some regions ask for a notice to their industrial register before you start work. Confirm this with the industry department of the region where you will work.

Does accrediting work experience cost money?

In many regions it is free, but others charge a public fee for the assessment. Amounts differ by region and can change each year. Unemployed people and some other groups can be exempt.