Hybrid work in Spain: planning office days and commutes

Terms used

• Convenio — The convenio is the collective agreement for your sector or company, which can add rules on pay, expenses and flexibility.
• Abono Único — The Abono Único is a national public transport pass that offers a cheap nationwide option.
• Cercanías — Cercanías is the commuter rail network serving Madrid and other Spanish cities.
• Rodalies — Rodalies is the commuter rail network serving Barcelona and Catalonia.

Key rules

• Office days: Expect two to three office days a week, and get the exact requirement in writing before you accept.
• 30% threshold: A written remote-work agreement is required once at least 30% of your time is remote, measured over three months.
• Voluntary: Neither you nor your employer can be forced into remote work, and refusing it is not grounds for dismissal.
• Equipment and expenses: Your employer must provide or compensate the equipment and expenses of remote work.
• Fully remote: Fully remote jobs with Spanish employers are uncommon, so plan your home around a commute.

What hybrid usually looks like

Expect two or three office days a week. Three in the office and two at home is the most common pattern at large firms. Smaller firms and tech companies sometimes ask for only one or two days. Fridays are often remote, and many teams fix "anchor days" when everyone is in.

Policies are set company by company and change often, so get the exact rule in writing in the job offer.

Hybrid is far more common in IT, finance and consulting, in large companies, and in Madrid and Catalonia. It is less common in services, retail and industry.

Fully remote is rare

Only around one in ten employed people in Spain regularly work from home. Fully remote jobs with Spanish employers are uncommon. Most are with tech, digital, startup or international firms, and some foreign employers hire people living in Spain. If a job is only fully remote, treat it as a special case and plan for hybrid as the normal option.

Your rights if you work remotely a lot

A specific remote-work law applies once you work remotely at least 30% of your time, measured over three months. It does not cover occasional remote days below that level, and it does not cover self-employed workers.

• Remote work is voluntary for you and for your employer. Refusing it cannot be a reason to dismiss you or change your conditions.
• You need a written remote-work agreement before it starts. It must cover equipment, expense compensation, schedule and flexibility, the percentage of remote work, your workplace and the duration.
• Your employer must provide or pay for equipment and expenses. Your collective agreement (convenio) usually sets how.
• You have the same rights as office staff, plus the right to digital disconnection.
• A return to on-site work can be agreed in advance. Ask for it.

Below 30%, nothing forces a written agreement. Ask for your remote days to be written into your contract or offer anyway. Day-to-day flexibility, such as which days are remote or flexible start and end times, is mostly company policy.

Plan your home around the commute

Plan around the office days you will actually do. A shorter commute matters more when you go in three days a week.

Typical one-way commutes:

• Madrid and Barcelona: about 35 to 45 minutes, including metro and commuter rail.
• Valencia, Seville, Malaga and Bilbao: about 25 to 30 minutes.

Each city has its own mix: metro, commuter rail (Cercanías in Madrid, Rodalies in Barcelona), buses and trams. Seville and Malaga rely more on buses. Cycling and walking are common in compact city centres.

Monthly and integrated passes are heavily subsidised. A national pass, the Abono Único, has been available since 2025 as a cheap nationwide option. Check your local transport authority for current passes and prices.

If you have a hybrid job, living a bit further out for a cheaper rent can work. Check the door-to-door trip at rush hour before you sign a lease.

The timeline, documents, checklist and FAQ below cover the questions to ask and the paperwork to request.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask how many office days the role requires and which days are fixed: before you accept the offer

• Check that the remote share is measured over three months: when you review the agreement

• Plan your home and commute around two or three office days a week: before you sign a lease

Documents you need

• Written remote-work agreement, drawn up with your employer before remote work starts. It applies when at least 30% of your working time is remote over three months, and it sets out the equipment and inventory, expense compensation, schedule and flexibility rules, the percentage of remote work, the workplace and the duration.

Checklist

• Ask how many office days a week the role requires; two to three is typical, with three the most common at large firms.

• Ask which days are fixed anchor days and whether start and end times are flexible.

• Ask for the written remote-work agreement if you will work remotely at least 30% of the time.

• Confirm the agreement covers equipment, expense compensation, schedule, workplace and duration.

• Ask whether a return to on-site work can be agreed and under what terms.

• Check your collective agreement (convenio) for extra rules on expenses and flexibility.

• Estimate your one-way commute to the office: about 35 to 45 minutes in Madrid and Barcelona, 25 to 30 in Valencia, Seville, Malaga and Bilbao.

• Look up the monthly transport pass offered by your local transport authority, including the national Abono Único.

• Confirm in the job offer whether the role is hybrid or fully remote before you choose where to live.

Frequently asked questions

Which days are usually remote in a Spanish hybrid job?

Fridays are the days most often remote in Spanish hybrid jobs. Many companies also set fixed anchor days when the whole team comes in, so you rarely pick every day freely. Ask which days are fixed before you choose where to live.

Can I get a fully remote job with a Spanish employer?

Yes, but fully remote jobs with Spanish employers are relatively uncommon, and mostly sit in tech, digital and startup firms. Roughly 8 to 10% of employed people telework regularly, and most of those roles are hybrid. Foreign employers hiring people in Spain are another route.

Does a short commute change which city I should choose?

Yes, because one-way commutes are about 35 to 45 minutes in Madrid and Barcelona but about 25 to 30 minutes in Valencia, Seville, Malaga and Bilbao. With three office days, that difference adds up over a week. Monthly transport passes are heavily subsidised, so the cost is usually small.

Can my employer force me to work remotely?

No, remote work is voluntary for both you and the employer, and refusing it is not grounds for dismissal or for changing your conditions. If you do agree, a written agreement must be in place before it starts.