# Spain's work and residence permit

> Page: https://www.usebooka.com/en/tramites/espana/trabajo-cuenta-ajena
> Last reviewed: 2026-09-14

The initial residence and employed-work authorisation (general regime, arts. 72-79 of the Immigration Regulation) is Spain's hire-from-abroad circuit: the employer in Spain applies, and the worker — in the ordinary route — then collects the visa at their home consulate and gets the TIE card on arrival. That is why this case has 7 stages and two protagonists.

The hire must fit the national employment situation — typically through the shortage occupation catalogue — and the contract must meet the applicable collective agreement. If you already live in Spain without authorisation, this is NOT your route: look at arraigo or the student-to-work modification.

- **Booka fee:** €440
- **Official fees:** 10,94 €. Fee 790-052: €10.94, paid by the worker. Fee 790-062, heading 3.2.1, is paid by the employer: €203.84 if the salary is below twice the minimum wage and €407.71 if it matches or exceeds it (Order PJC/617/2025, in force as of September 2026).
- **Where to apply:** Applied for at the consulate in your country of residence. Started by the employer in Spain; in the ordinary route the worker is abroad and collects the visa at their consulate.

## At a glance

| | |
| --- | --- |
| What it is | Spain's initial residence and employed-work authorisation under the general regime. |
| Who applies | The employer in Spain, not the worker. (Without a company to sign the contract and file its own documentation there is no case at all.) |
| Where you apply | The permit, at the immigration office in Spain; the visa, at the consulate in the worker's country of residence. |
| Where the worker is | In the ordinary route, outside Spain. (If you already live in Spain without a permit, this is not your route — arraigo or the student-to-work modification are.) |
| The gateway | The national employment situation must allow the hire, usually through the shortage occupation catalogue. |
| Can you work? | Yes, but only afterwards: once the permit is granted, the visa collected and Social Security registration done. |
| Stages | 7: the five standard ones plus the consular visa and the TIE card after arrival. |
| Government fees | 790-052 (worker) and 790-062 (employer, on a scale set by salary). (Paid separately to the administration; the amounts are detailed in your case file.) |

## Who it is for

**This is your procedure if:**

- A company in Spain wants to hire you and is willing to provide its own documentation.
- You live outside Spain and could attend the consulate in your country of residence to collect the visa.
- The role sits in an occupation listed in the shortage occupation catalogue, or the company can evidence another qualifying ground.
- You can evidence the professional qualification the role requires and have no criminal record.

**This is not your procedure if:**

- You already live in Spain without a residence permit: this circuit assumes the worker is abroad.
- There is no specific company behind it — without a contract signed by an employer this procedure does not exist.
- You are studying in Spain and have completed your degree: that is a modification, applied for without leaving the country.
- The role is highly qualified and well paid: the highly qualified professional route or the EU Blue Card may suit you better.

If you are already in Spain, look at arraigo: https://www.usebooka.com/en/tramites/espana/arraigo

## Requirements

- **A company driving the application.** The applicant is the employer, not you. The company provides its tax ID, incorporation deed, evidence of legal representation and a descriptive memo of the role. This is what stalls the case most often — not bad faith, but nobody handing the company the exact list on day one.
- **The national employment situation must allow the hire.** The usual route is for the occupation to appear in the shortage occupation catalogue for the province where the job is. The catalogue is updated periodically and differs by province, so it is checked before anything opens: finding out after the contract is signed costs months.
- **A contract meeting the collective agreement.** The contract must provide for continuous activity throughout the permit and meet at least the collective agreement applicable to the role and province. Pay below the agreement is not fixed with a letter of intent — it is fixed by rewriting the contract before filing.
- **Proven solvency of the employer.** Corporate tax, VAT returns, the company's employment history report and certificates of good standing with the tax authority and Social Security. The administration checks the company can sustain the role it offers; a recently incorporated company needs to prepare that evidence more carefully, not less.
- **Worker's qualification and criminal record.** You evidence the qualification the role requires — degree, professional registration or recognition if the profession is regulated — and provide criminal record certificates from your country or countries of prior residence. Foreign certificates need sworn translation and legalisation or apostille, and expire quickly: they are requested once the rest of the file is on track.
- **Collecting the visa in time.** Once the permit is granted, the worker has 1 month from notification to apply for the visa at the consulate in their country of residence. It is a short window on which everything else depends: have a valid passport and travel planned before the decision arrives.

## Documents

**Empresa (protagonista del expediente)**

- Contrato de trabajo
- CIF
- Escritura de constitución
- Documento acreditativo de la representación legal
- Documento de identidad del representante legal
- Memoria descriptiva del puesto de trabajo
- Impuesto sobre Sociedades
- Declaraciones de IVA
- Vida laboral de la empresa (VILE)
- Certificados de estar al corriente con AEAT y Seguridad Social
- Resultado de la gestión de la oferta de empleo

**Trabajador**

- Pasaporte completo
- Documentación acreditativa de la cualificación profesional

## Stages of the file

1. **Document collection.** You upload your documents to the portal. We tell you what is missing and what will not be accepted before any clock starts.
2. **Internal review.** The team reviews the complete file before filing. This is the step that prevents it from being returned.
3. **Official fees.** Government fees are paid directly to the administration, with the receipt stored in your case file.
4. **Filing.** The application is registered with the competent authority. You see the date and the receipt in your file.
5. **Decision.** The authority decides and notifies, with the next steps explained inside your case file.
6. **Consular visa.** Once approved, the visa is requested at the consulate in the worker's country of residence.
7. **TIE card.** After entering Spain: Social Security registration, appointment and issue of the foreigner identity card.

## Timelines

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Preparation with the company | 2 to 5 weeks | Set by the employer's tax and employment paperwork, usually the last to arrive. |
| Worker's documents in the home country | 2 to 6 weeks | Criminal records, sworn translations and legalisation depend on the country, not on us. |
| Review and filing | A few days | The file is not submitted until it is complete. |
| Decision by the immigration office | Legal period of 3 months | That is the legal period, not a forecast: each office moves at its own pace. |
| Visa application at the consulate | 1 month from notification of approval | That is the legal window to apply. Appointment dates and processing are set by each consulate. |
| Arrival, Social Security registration and TIE card | After entering Spain | Registration must happen before work starts; the TIE comes after, with its own appointment and fee. |

Two of the seven stages are outside anyone's control on this side: the immigration office's decision and the consulate's calendar, which varies by country. Promising dates there would be a lie. What is in our hands is the employer providing its part first time and the file going in complete.

## Common mistakes

- **Assuming the occupation is in the catalogue** — If the national employment situation does not allow the hire, the application fails however impeccable the contract is. It is checked first, against the catalogue for the specific province.
- **Pushing this route on someone already in Spain without a permit** — The ordinary circuit assumes the worker is abroad and collects the visa at their consulate. Filing from here opens an unviable case and burns the time another route — arraigo or a modification — actually had.
- **A contract below the collective agreement on hours or pay** — It triggers a correction request or a refusal. Redoing the contract afterwards means repeating signatures and sometimes the entire job-offer management.
- **The employer sends its documentation in instalments** — One missing certificate of good standing, one correction request, and the case sits for weeks with the role unfilled. Which is why the company gets the full list on day one, not mid-build.
- **Criminal records or qualifications without legalisation** — A foreign document without sworn translation and apostille counts as not submitted. It is the most common correction request in this case, and the most avoidable.
- **Letting the one-month visa window pass** — A granted permit can lapse if the visa is not applied for within the period from notification. All the earlier work is lost to a calendar date.

## Next

The initial permit is granted for a limited period and must be renewed before it expires; under the current regulation the renewed card runs for 4 years. Once you are living and working in Spain, family reunification also opens up if you meet the housing and income requirements.: https://www.usebooka.com/en/tramites/espana/renovacion-residencia-trabajo

## FAQ

**What does my employer need to hire me from abroad?**

Their company documentation (tax ID, deeds, taxes, certificates of good standing), a contract meeting at least the collective agreement, and the outcome of the job-offer management. The company is the protagonist: without an employer there is no procedure.

**What is the shortage occupation catalogue and does my job qualify?**

It is the usual gateway for the national employment situation to allow the hire: if your occupation is listed for the province where the job sits, the offer can proceed. The catalogue changes and differs by province, so we check it before opening the case, not after.

**Can I apply while already in Spain?**

This initial permit has its own rules on where the worker must be and is generally subject to the national employment situation. Tell us your case: if your real route is another one — arraigo, the student-to-work modification — we say so before opening anything.

**Why does this case have 7 stages?**

The five standard stages plus two after approval: the visa at the worker's home consulate and, after entering Spain, Social Security registration and the TIE card.

**My employer does not want paperwork hassle. What do I tell them?**

That they provide their documentation once, against a closed list. We build, file and follow up the case, and both the company and you see its status in the portal. The price is published before you commit, with no prior quote.

**Who pays the fees, the company or me?**

They are split by law: 790-052 falls on the worker and 790-062 on the employer, on a scale set by the salary of the role. Both are paid directly to the administration, and we tell you which applies and when inside your case file.

**How long do I have to apply for the visa once the permit is granted?**

One month from notification of approval, at the consulate in your country of residence. It is a short legal window: have your passport valid and the appointment planned before the decision arrives.

**Can my family come with me?**

Not in this case file. Family follows the reunification route, started from Spain once you live here, and it requires evidence of adequate housing and income. Two separate procedures, each with its own cost and calendar.

**My degree is foreign. Do I need it recognised?**

It depends on the profession. If it is regulated in Spain, you evidence your entitlement through recognition of the qualification, and that is a separate case before a different ministry. It can run in parallel with the immigration file.

**What happens if the application is refused?**

The decision rests with the administration and nobody can guarantee it. If a refusal arrives, we explain the specific reason and what options exist — appeal or a new application — which are separate procedures with their own cost.

**Can I pay in two instalments?**

Yes, with no interest or surcharge: the total is identical either way. The first half opens your case and starts the document review; the second is paid when we file your application — if we have not filed, you do not pay it. You request it from your case file and someone from the team confirms it within 24 working hours.

**Are official government fees included?**

No: Booka's fee covers review, preparation, filing and follow-up. Government fees are paid directly to the administration, and we tell you which ones apply and when inside your case file.

**How do I know this is not a scam?**

Three things you can check: the price is published before you pay, payment is online with an invoice, and the second half is only charged once your application has been filed, with the official registry receipt visible in your case file. No informal intermediary gives you those three proofs.

## Official source

Official source: information sheet 12, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, and articles 72-79 of RD 1155/2024.: https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099

## What the fee includes

Document review, case preparation, filing and follow-up until the decision.

## Notice

Booka's fees cover the professional handling of your application only and do not include official government fees, which are paid separately to the relevant authority. Approval of any permit rests solely with the competent administration and depends on the applicant meeting all legal requirements. The information on this page is for guidance only, may change as regulations evolve, and does not constitute individual legal advice.