Spain highly qualified
professionals permit

Unlike other EU-wide work permits such as the EU Blue Card which allows the holder to work across the EU, the Highly Qualified Worker permit is a national Spanish work permit, and it is linked or tied to the company you will be working for in Spain.

Therefore, if you hold immigration permission as a Highly Qualified Worker and you wish to stop working for your employer, you will lose your legal residency in Spain and will need to apply for another residence permit if you wish to remain in the country.

To be eligible for a Highly Qualified Professionals permit, the applicant must have the following:

• A University diploma or an experience letter of at least 3 yearsand a public document certifying work experience (Public employment record).
• A local contract in Spain with a gross annual salary of at least €41,000, or at least €56,000 for director-level positions.
• A form signed with AC Representación (FNMT).

Employers in Spain wishing to hire foreign workers under the Highly Qualified Professionals scheme must also meet certain requirements. The company must be:

• A large business or corporate group.
• An SME in a strategic sector.
• Developing a business project of strategic interest for the Spanish economy.

Applications for a Highly Qualified Professionals Spanish work permit can be made from inside or outside of Spain.

Under this category, the worker’s Spanish residence permit is linked to their employer in Spain. This means the company which intends to employ the worker, or a legal representative of the company, is responsible for initiating the application process.

The application process consists of the following basic steps:

• The employer extends a formal offer of employment to the worker.
• The employer applies for a residence permit at the Large Business and Strategic Groups Unit (Unidad Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos), submitting supporting document such as the prospective employee’s resume and job description.
• After the permit is approved, the prospective employee must apply for their visa in person at the Spanish consulate at their place of residence.
• Once this is granted, the employee will receive a visa allowing them to enter Spain where they must register her fingerprints and get the residence card.

When applying for a Highly Qualified Professionals permit, the following government fees may apply:

• Residence permit application fee – It costs €73.26 to apply for the residence permit.
• Consular fee – The cost of the fee depends on the applicant’s nationality and the consulate. Sometimes the fee may be waived, but it is usually around €80.
• Residence card fee – The residence card application fee is €16.08.

Please note, government fees are subject to change at short notice. Please speak to Smith Stone Walters for the latest information on Spanish immigration fees.

Applications for a Spanish Highly Qualified Professionals work permit are usually processed within 10 days from the date of submission, but it may take longer if an interview or additional documents are required. Please note, the actual processing time remains at the discretion of local authorities and may vary.

If your application is successful, a Highly Qualified Professionals residence permit will be granted. This residence permit allows the high qualified professional to stay and work in Spain for up to 2 years. The residence permit can be renewed for an additional 2-year period as long as the requirements have been fulfilled.