Spain's job market and routes in

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or already carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you will know whether local employment can fund your life there, which entry jobs exist and what your status lets you do.

Start with "What the Spanish job market is really like for newcomers". It gives you the honest picture before you spend time on anything else. Then read "Which job routes are open to you by nationality and status" to see what you can legally do. After that, pick the pages that match your plans: regions, hospitality and seasonal work, tech, teaching, partners of residents, public-sector exams, domestic work, and the risks of working without a contract.

Work permit applications, qualification recognition, job search tactics and learning Spanish are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Asylum work wait: Asylum applicants may work six months after their application is formally admitted for processing.
• Dismissal claim window: If an employer skips you when calling back fijo discontinuo workers, you have 20 working days to claim dismissal at the labour court.
• Non-lucrative residence: A non-lucrative residence permit does not allow you to work, as an employee or self-employed.
• Income plan: Do not make a local job search your only source of income when you arrive.
• Who is hit hardest: Under-25s and non-EU foreigners face the highest unemployment.
• EU citizens: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no work permit, except for public posts that involve public authority.

Spain's job market and routes in: the whole process, step by step

From first check to settled work

• Check what your status allows (read: Which job routes are open to you by nationality and status): before you start looking

• If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, register in the Registro Central de Extranjeros and look for any job: if you stay more than 3 months

• If you are an international protection applicant, wait until you may work: six months after your application is formally admitted for processing

• If you hold a student authorisation, take work that fits your studies: once your study authorisation is in force

• Judge whether local work is a realistic income, then pick your region and sector (read: What the Spanish job market is really like for newcomers, and Which Spanish regions and cities have the jobs you want): before you commit to a move

• Start work once your authorisation takes effect and your employer registers you with Social Security, without waiting for the physical card (TIE): check your route first, as the TIE is often due within 1 month of authorisation or visa entry

• Take a seasonal or hospitality contract, or a household contract, with Social Security registration from day one (read: Seasonal and hospitality work, and Contracts and rights in domestic and care work): before the first day of work

• On a fijo discontinuo contract, wait for the written call-back each season: notice is set by your collective agreement, and 15 days is typical

• If you are skipped in a call-back, claim dismissal at the labour court: within 20 working days

• If you worked without a contract, complain to the Labour Inspectorate and claim unpaid wages (read: The real risks of undeclared work): within 1 year for wages and 20 working days for dismissal

Documents you may need

• A written or verbal employment contract plus proof of Social Security — The real risks of undeclared work (trabajo en negro)

• A Labour Inspectorate report recognising that you worked for the employer — The real risks of undeclared work (trabajo en negro)

• A court judgment or administrative resolution recognising your labour — The real risks of undeclared work (trabajo en negro)

Spain's job market and routes in: questions that cross several articles

Which regions have the lowest unemployment and the highest pay?

The Basque Country, Navarra and Cataluña combine low unemployment with some of the highest average pay, and Madrid pays well too. Andalucía, Canarias and Extremadura have the highest unemployment and lower pay. Read Which Spanish regions and cities have the jobs you want, and What the Spanish job market is really like for newcomers.

Where should I look for tech or multinational jobs?

Madrid and Barcelona are the main hubs for tech and multinational jobs, with Madrid strong in headquarters and Barcelona in startups. Valencia, Málaga, Sevilla, Bilbao and Zaragoza are smaller options. Read Getting hired in tech and multinationals in Spain, and Which Spanish regions and cities have the jobs you want.

When and where is seasonal work available?

Seasonal hospitality work runs about April to October in Baleares and on the Andalusian coast, and December to March in ski resorts. Harvests run through the year, such as Huelva berries from about January to June and Jaén olives from November to February. Read Seasonal and hospitality work, including permanent-seasonal contracts (fijo discontinuo).

How does the minimum wage compare with hospitality pay?

Entry-level hospitality pay usually sits near the minimum wage (SMI), which is set each year and paid in 14 payments. Tourist provinces such as Baleares, Málaga, Barcelona and Madrid usually pay slightly above it. Read Seasonal and hospitality work, and Contracts and rights in domestic and care work for household pay.

Rates, salary averages and the minimum wage change every year, so check current figures with the INE and the Ministry of Labour.