SpainWork

Spain EU Blue Card

Highly qualified professional with EU Blue Card (Law 14/2013, art. 71)

In short

Spain grants the EU Blue Card as a residence authorisation for highly qualified professionals under Law 14/2013. You need a higher-education qualification of at least three years or five years of equivalent experience and a qualifying job; the UGE decides within 20 days and the consulate then issues the visa.

checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Validity
Visa: one year, or the authorisation's validity if shorter; the visa itself proves residence and the TIE is optional. Residence authorisations under Law 14/2013 are renewable for two years at a time.
Fee
Standard national (type D) visa fee EUR 90 under Order AUC/891/2024; some nationalities pay a different amount by reciprocity. The consulate states the currency (euros, US dollars or local currency at the official rate); an external service provider, where used, adds its own fee.
Processing time
The UGE must decide on the authorisation within 20 days (silence means approval); the consulate then decides on the visa within 10 days of submission.
Work
The highly qualified job.
Family
Spouse or partner, minor children, dependent adult children and dependent ascendants can apply together, each with their own documents and proof of the relationship.
Where to apply
Company or professional applies to the UGE online; visa at the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of residence.

Conditions

The job must require a qualification from higher education of at least three years (equivalent to EQF level 6) or at least five years of comparable professional experience. The application can be filed by the company or by the professional; the UGE informs the company if the professional files it.

Authorisation from the UGE first

Under Law 14/2013 the authorisation is filed electronically with the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE), which must decide within 20 days; if it does not, the authorisation is deemed granted. With the authorisation, you lodge the visa application at the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of residence; the consulate has 10 days to decide, extendable if it asks for documents or an interview, and you collect the visa within one month of notification.

  1. You or the Spanish company file the residence authorisation electronically with the UGE; it decides within 20 days.
  2. Read the consulate's page for the "highly qualified worker" visa and prepare the documents; foreign documents must be apostilled and translated into Spanish.
  3. Book an appointment with the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of residence, or with its external service provider where it uses one, and lodge the application in person.
  4. Pay the national visa fee (EUR 90 as standard, a reciprocity amount for some nationalities) in the currency the consulate indicates.
  5. Wait for the decision and collect the visa in person within one month of notification.
  6. Enter Spain while the visa is valid and, where required, apply for the TIE within one month.

After arrival: TIE card

Within one month of entering Spain, apply in person for the foreigner identity card (TIE) at the police station or immigration office of the province where the authorisation was processed. Your foreigner identification number (NIE) appears on it.

Family members

Your spouse or partner, minor children, adult children who depend on you and have not formed their own family, and dependent ascendants can apply with you. Each submits the same core documents plus civil registry certificates issued within the last three months, translated and apostilled.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • National visa application form, signed (minors: by a parent or legal representative)
  • Recent colour photo, light background
  • Passport valid at least one year, with two blank pages, issued less than 10 years ago (original and copies)
  • Proof of legal residence in the consular district (for non-nationals, a residence permit of that country)

Work

  • Residence authorisation issued by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE), original and copy

Other

  • Criminal record certificate from the countries of residence (last two years), apostilled and translated into Spanish
  • Sworn statement of no criminal record in the last five years

Frequently asked questions

How fast is the Blue Card authorisation?

The UGE must decide within 20 days; if it does not, the authorisation is deemed granted.

Can I qualify without a degree?

Yes, with at least five years of comparable professional experience.

Who files the application?

Either the Spanish company or the professional.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Spain

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Processing time: Apply at least two months before studies start; once the stay authorisation is favourable, the visa is decided within one month.
  • Researcher visa Validity: Visa: one year, or the authorisation's validity if shorter; the visa itself proves residence and the TIE is optional. Residence authorisations under Law 14/2013 are renewable for two years at a time.

Work

  • Work visa Validity: Up to 180 days for authorisations of up to six months, otherwise 365 days; seasonal contracts up to 270 days.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Validity: Visa: one year, or the authorisation's validity if shorter; the visa itself proves residence and the TIE is optional. Residence authorisations under Law 14/2013 are renewable for two years at a time.
  • Digital nomad visa Validity: Visa up to one year; then a residence authorisation of up to three years, renewable for two.

Family

Residence

  • Retirement visa Validity: Visa valid for 365 days; apply for the TIE within one month of arrival; renewals are filed in the two months before expiry.
  • Permanent residence Validity: The status is indefinite; the TIE card is first renewed after five years, then every five years until age 30 and every ten years after that.

Faster processing

  • Fast-track and priority visa services Validity: Visa: one year or the authorisation's length if shorter. Highly qualified, entrepreneur and teleworker authorisations: up to three years, renewable for two.

Protection

  • Asylum and international protection Processing time: Border: admission decision within four days; inside Spain: within one month; regular procedure: six months, after which silence counts as refusal.

Spain visa guide