Work visa Spain
Highly qualified professional residence permit and EU Blue Card
Run by Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE-CE), Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration
Graduates or experienced professionals with a job offer in Spain for a managerial or highly qualified post. The Spanish employer applies online first. You then apply for the visa at the consulate where you live.
- Job offer
- Required. EU Blue Card: a contract or firm offer of highly qualified work for at least 6 months. The employer files the application.
- Language
- Not stated on the official page
- Education
- EU Blue Card: a higher education qualification of at least 3 years (EQF level 6), or 5 years of comparable professional experience. National permit: a qualification at least at level 1 of the Spanish higher education framework, or 3 years of comparable experience.
- Work experience
- EU Blue Card without a degree: 5 years of relevant experience, or 3 years within the last 7 years for ICT managers and professionals. National permit without a degree: 3 years.
- Government fee
- Fee form Model 790 code 038, heading 7.1, for the initial residence authorisation. The amount is not stated on the page read. A separate visa fee is paid at the consulate.
- Processing time
- The page says the authorisation is decided within 20 days of electronic submission, and the consulate decides the visa within 10 working days.
- Money you must show
- Sufficient resources for yourself and your family. The page says this can be shown through the work contract. Salary threshold for the EU Blue Card is set by a separate order and is not stated on the page read.
- When and to whom you pay
- The authorisation fee becomes due when the application is admitted for processing and must be paid within 10 working days. The visa fee is paid when you apply at the consulate.
Checked on 18 October 2026. What the page says
Read on inclusion.gob.es (Sheet 66) on 2026-10-18: "a minimum of five years of knowledge, skills and competences supported by professional experience";"Model 790 code 038, heading 7.1"; "twenty days from the electronic submission of the application". UGE page: "Profesionales extranjeros con una oferta de trabajo en España". Another official page. Another official page.