Highly Qualified Work Permit Spain

When applying for your Highly Skilled Worker Visa, it is essential to note that your company will impact your eligibility. You will find a list below of the type of companies to be eligible for the highly skilled professional work permit:

• Large companies and strategic SME companies.
• Companies within a large group of companies.
• Companies developing projects of strategic interest to the Spanish economy.

Not all companies are eligible for the visa, and you should verify your company’s eligibility to apply for the visa. There may be special considerations for highly qualified graduates who have received graduate or post-graduate degrees from a prestigious business school.

You must also meet one of the skilled worker eligibility requirements, which are structured as follows:

• You must be a highly qualified worker, meeting one or more of the following criteria:
  • The worker must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or a PhD from a prestigious university or business school.
  • The worker must be a highly qualified professional or a manager or executive.

You can begin applying if you meet the above requirements and your company is approved under the visa program.

When you submit your application for a Highly Qualified Professional Work Permit, you are required to be reachable via your contact phone number or email so that the consulate can contact you if they require further documents.

The decision on your residence permit will be reached within 10 days of submission. However, if you are required to provide additional documents or visit the consulate for an interview, this period could be longer.

Once you have received approval for your residence permit application, collect your visa within 1 month of receiving the approval notification. You should deliver your visa in person, or your accredited representative must collect the visa. Upon your visit, one of the consulate officers will discuss the procedure for returning your passport and documents.

Once you have received approval to be a resident worker in Spain, the company you work for should register you with the social security system.

The salary requirements for highly qualified workers will differ depending on the nature of the job offer.

In the case of those receiving a job offer for a managerial or directorial position at the company, you need to earn 54 000€ per year or more.

If you receive a job offer for an academic or scientific position, you need to earn a salary of 40,000€ per year or more.

However, you will be granted an exception for some positions, allowing you to apply with a 25% reduction coefficient. Eligibility for the reduction is as follows:

• You must be working for an SME in the strategic sector.
• You must be under 30 years of age.

If your employer pays your salary in kind, this income can only account for 30% of your yearly salary figure towards the permit.

The Spanish consulate or embassy might refuse your highly qualified worker application for the following reasons:

• Insufficient information and documentation.
• Incomplete application forms.
• Lack of funds.
• Selecting the incorrect visa type.
• History of immigration violations.
• Criminal history.
• Invalid travel insurance.
• Intention of returning to home country is unclear.

Thanks to the appeal process, you could still have success. If the application for this visa is refused, you retain the right to appeal to the consulate and resubmit your documentation. If your appeal is successful, you can enter Spain with a residence permit and begin work activity. Follow these guidelines during the appeal process to be successful:

• Appeal within 1 month of receiving notice of the refusal.
• To submit your appeal, post it to the Visa Department of the consulate via mail or courier service.
• If you apply for judicial review, the appeal will be submitted to the High Court of Justice of Madrid within 2 months of your receipt of refusal. If you request judicial review following the dismissal of your appeal, you can expect it to be submitted within 2 months of receiving the notice of dismissal.

If you need assistance during the appeal process, you can contact our team here at IAS. We are experts in Spanish immigration law and can help you to strengthen your case.

The visa for qualified professionals is different from the EU-wide work permit. The highly qualified work visa is valid for 2 years, allowing you to work for the company sponsoring your visa and live in Spain. The EU card is valid for 2 years, and it also allows you to live and work anywhere in the European Union, migrating from outside the European Union.

Additionally, the blue card doesn’t just allow you to work in Spain as a highly qualified worker. It allows you to work anywhere in the European Union. You can only apply for either visa if registering from outside the European Union. Both visas also have requirements regarding your profession. To be able to apply for an EU card, you must be able to meet the requirements:

• Have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the same field as your job offer. You should be in active employment for these 5 years.
• Have at least 3 years’ worth of higher education qualifications. These qualifications must provide sufficient evidence that you have the knowledge necessary for research and high-level training positions.

If you meet these requirements, you could be eligible for the EU card work permit for the ability to work anywhere in the European Union.

At IAS, we offer services to help workers with different job profiles understand their work permit options. We can help you to apply for a work permit visa in Spain and recommend alternative options that might be better suited to your needs. If you’re unsure which visa option is right, reach out to our team today.

Professionals who have lived and worked in Spain for the duration of their contract with the company need to decide whether to reapply for the same work permit by the company or whether to pursue another option.

To renew your work permit in Spain, you should be working with the company still, and you plan to continue to work for the company.

Once your the highly qualified professional card expires, you need to submit the application for renewal within 90 days. You can apply for the renewal 60 days before the card’s expiry date.

To qualify for renewal of this residence authorization type, there are a number of requirements:

• Comply with the highly qualified professional requirements that the consulate set out in the application for the Spain work permit, just as you did when you applied the first time.
• Have received the required salary during your time working in Spain.
• Provide documents proving that your employment with the company is ongoing and that the company intends to continue your contract working in Spain.

The visa for highly qualified professionals reapplication will allow you to continue your work with the company in Spain under the same conditions as your first visa card.