Visa for Highly Qualified Workers
25 Julio, 2024
The visa for highly qualified workers is the work permit indicated for foreigners highly trained for a specific job who wish to come to our country.
What is the Visa for Highly Qualified Workers?
The visa for qualified professionals is a residence permit that allows citizens from outside the European Union to legally live and work in Spain, provided they will start working in a qualified or managerial position. But what exactly are the job profiles required to apply for this residence permit successfully?
- Executives and individuals who manage a relatively large team within a company.
- Workers who perform their duties in very technical and specialized positions.
- Citizens from outside the European Union who have completed their higher education at a prestigious university or business school.
It can be a labor or professional relationship. This means that the company can offer an employment contract (in which the person joins the company as a regular employee), or there can be a contractual relationship between the company and the professional, being a self-employed worker whose income from the company requesting the residence constitutes 75% of their income.
This residence permit, regulated by article 71 of the Entrepreneurs Law in Spain, provides the aforementioned individuals with a two-year residence authorization (with possible renewals up to 5 years).
But, in addition, there are more benefits besides being able to live and work legally with this visa. You can also move freely within the Schengen area and bring your family to Spain with you.
Things to Know Before Applying for this Highly Qualified Worker Visa in Spain
The most important thing to consider in this type of authorization is not only the higher education of the worker but also their experience related to that higher education:
- The salary amount in your job offer must be higher than €40,077/year; but if it is for directors or managers, this amount should be at least €54,142/year.
- Some degrees that are regulated professions, such as lawyers, clinical psychologists, architects, engineers who sign projects, among others, must be previously validated in Spain. This process takes some time (more than a year), so it is important to do it before applying for any job as a highly qualified worker. Some medical specialties take more than 3 years to be recognized as valid in Spain.
- When applying for the residence authorization for a highly qualified worker, you can also apply for the residence authorization for your family members.
- You can apply for a Highly Qualified Worker visa within 3 months of your arrival in Spain, or at the Spanish Consulate in your country of origin or residence.
Main Requirements to Apply for this Permit Successfully
As in most situations, presenting the required documentation is not enough to obtain the permits. There are certain requirements that you must also meet unavoidably, and they are as follows:
- You must be over 18 years old.
- This work permit is for non-European Union citizens, as EU citizens do not need to apply for a residence permit.
- You must present proof of having no criminal record, both in Spain and in any other country. It is also mandatory to have social security that offers full coverage in Spain (either public or private).
- Finally, you cannot reside in Spain in an irregular situation.
How to Apply for this Permit
Now you know what documentation you need to present, as well as the requirements you must meet if you want to obtain the highly qualified worker permit. Now let’s look at the procedure to follow.
First and foremost, and perhaps the most important, you must have a job offer from a company in Spain. Once a company in the country intends to hire you, you can start the application process.
Next, you will need to obtain a residence visa (a regular residence permit). There are mainly two options/situations:
- On the one hand, you can apply while residing in Spain, as long as you have a regular status in the country.
- On the other hand, you can also carry out the process while abroad (in your country of origin, for example). In this case, the application must be submitted to the Spanish consulate in your region. The application process can take up to 10 days.
Then, you will need to send your application form. Once obtained, you will be granted a one-year residence permit. What happens next? How can you continue working and living legally in Spain?
After this period ends, you can apply for a residence authorization. It takes about 20 days to process, and it will grant you residence for two years. You can find the document to apply here.
Afterward, you can renew this authorization, as long as the previously mentioned conditions continue to be met, up to 5 years.
Where to Apply and Submit the Necessary Documents
The Unit for Large Companies and Strategic Collectives will be the institution in charge of validating that you indeed have a highly qualified job position. This unit is part of the General Directorate of Migrations.
Therefore, you will need to send them your resume and the job description. If you meet the specific requirements demanded, you will obtain what is called a "residence authorization for highly qualified professionals."
This document is what you will need to send to the Immigration Office to finally obtain your residence in Spain.
