SpainWork

Spain work visa (employed work)

Visa for employed work (trabajo por cuenta ajena)

In short

For ordinary employment the Spanish employer first obtains an initial residence and work authorisation. Within one month of the employer's notification you apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of residence; the consulate decides within one month, and after entry the employer registers you with Social Security within three days.

checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Validity
Up to 180 days for authorisations of up to six months, otherwise 365 days; seasonal contracts up to 270 days.
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
Apply within one month of the employer's notification; the consulate decides within one month.
Work
The authorised job.
Where to apply
Employer applies in Spain; you apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of residence.

Employer authorisation

The employer files the initial residence and work authorisation in Spain. Once it is granted and notified, you have one month to lodge the visa application with the signed authorisation, a criminal record certificate for the last five years and a medical certificate, both apostilled.

  1. Your Spanish employer applies for the initial residence and work authorisation in Spain.
  2. Read the consulate's page for the "employed work" 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.

Validity of the visa

Authorisations of up to six months lead to a visa valid up to 180 days; longer authorisations to a 365-day visa; seasonal contracts are covered for the whole authorised period up to 270 days.

After entry

You must be registered with Social Security before starting work; the employer has three days from your entry to do so. If the authorisation exceeds six months, apply for the TIE within one month of the Social Security registration.

Refusal

A visa refusal can be challenged by an optional appeal to the consulate within one month or before the High Court of Justice of Madrid within two months.

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

  • Initial residence and work authorisation signed by the employer (original and copy)

Other

  • Criminal record certificate from the countries of residence (last five years), apostilled and translated into Spanish
  • Medical certificate confirming no disease with serious public-health implications under the 2005 International Health Regulations

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to apply after the authorisation?

One month from the employer's notification of the favourable decision.

What does the visa cost?

The standard national visa fee is EUR 90; some nationalities pay a reciprocity amount. An external service provider, if the consulate uses one, adds its own fee.

When must I get the TIE?

Within one month of the Social Security registration if the authorisation exceeds six months.

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

  • EU Blue Card 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.
  • 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