Working in Spain

The short answer

Main routes	Highly qualified professional permit (under the entrepreneurs' law), EU Blue Card, standard employee permit, intra-company transfer
EU Blue Card 2026	at least €39,269.92 gross a year; €31,415.94 in specific cases such as recent graduates
Language	Spanish needed for most roles; English common in tech hubs and multinationals
Who decides	The Unit for Large Companies (UGE) for highly qualified profiles; provincial immigration offices for standard permits; consulates for visas

Where the opportunities are

Tech hubs in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga attract software engineers, data specialists and product people. Spain also reports shortages in some engineering, healthcare and hospitality roles, although national unemployment remains higher than the EU average, so employers face more scrutiny for lower-skilled roles.

The main routes

Highly qualified professional and EU Blue Card

Spain offers two closely related routes for qualified professionals, both processed by the UGE, which is known for fast decisions. From 30 January 2026, the Blue Card salary floor is €39,269.92 gross a year, with a reduced threshold of €31,415.94 for cases such as people who obtained their qualification in the previous three years.

Standard employee permit

For other roles, the employer must usually show that no suitable candidate is available locally, unless the occupation is on Spain's catalogue of hard-to-fill jobs. Spain's new immigration regulation, in force since May 2025, updated several procedures; check the current rules on the ministry's portal.

Intra-company transfer

Indian IT and engineering firms with Spanish operations use the ICT route for managers and specialists.

Good to know

• Register with the municipality (empadronamiento) and obtain your foreigner identity number (NIE) and card (TIE) after arrival.
• Salaries are lower than in Northern Europe, but so are living costs outside Madrid and Barcelona.
• Spanish at B1 or above will transform both your career options and daily life.

Quick answers