SpainTemporary residence permit and authorisation to work as an employee

Temporary residence and employed work in Spain

A state authorisation allowing an employer to bring in a foreign worker for a period of between three months and five years. The employer files the application through an electronic channel, giving details of the worker and the terms of the employment contract. The programme is open to nationals of every country except members of the European Union, the EEA and Switzerland, unless they hold a special status. The authorisation is tied to a specific employer and employment contract, although the worker may also carry on self-employed activity provided employed work remains the main occupation.

Source: Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones — Hoja informativa 12

Who can use this programme

Two parties are involved: the employer, who lodges the application, and the foreign worker for whom the authorisation is issued.

Requirements for the worker

Aged 16 or over
Not an EU, EEA or Swiss national
No criminal record in Spain or in countries of permanent residence
Not staying unlawfully on Spanish territory

Requirements for the employer

Registered with the social security system
Up to date with tax obligations
Has sufficient financial and material resources
Meets the requirements on financial solvency

Terms of the employment contract

The work lasts more than ninety days
The work lasts less than five years
The contract is concluded on the prescribed official form
It guarantees the worker continuous employment

When the programme will not suit

The worker is an EU, EEA or Swiss national, or a family member of one

Direct the worker to European Union internal labour market schemes

The work is planned for no more than ninety consecutive days

Consider a one-off permit or a short-stay visa

The employer is not registered with the social security system

Complete the employer's registration with the competent authorities first

The worker has a criminal record in Spain or in countries of residence over the past five years

Wait until the five-year period after the conviction was spent has elapsed

Documents to gather

The employer prepares the full set of documents and files them with the authorities through the electronic portal.

Application form EX-03 in electronic form
Full copy of the foreign worker's passport, certified by a notary
Documents on the worker's professional qualifications matching the job
Employment contract signed by employer and worker on the prescribed official form
Full copy of the company registration certificate (where applicable) and the employer's tax identification number (NIF)
The employer's tax returns for the preceding three calendar years
Documents evidencing the employer's financial solvency where tax returns are unavailable
Documents on the labour market situation showing the vacancy cannot be filled locally (where required)

How the process runs

The procedure is divided into several stages, each with a clearly defined time limit.

1
Employer prepares and files the documents
up to 10 working days to pay the fee
The employer prepares the full set of documents, including application form EX-03, and files them through the competent authority's electronic portal. The administrative fee under form 790 (code 052 for the worker, code 062 for the employer where the work lasts six months or more) must be paid within ten working days of lodging the application.
2
Examination by the immigration authorities
three months
The competent authority carries out an administrative examination of the file. The decision is due within three months of the complete set of documents entering the state register. Silence after that period counts as a negative decision.
3
Employer notified of a favourable decision
part of the overall examination period
Where the decision is favourable, the employer receives notification that the authorisation has been granted. From that point the worker may apply for a visa at the Spanish diplomatic mission in their country of residence.
4
Worker applies for the visa at the consulate
one month
The foreign worker approaches the Spanish embassy or consulate in their country to obtain an entry visa. Documents must be produced, including the notification of approval issued to the employer and a valid passport.
5
Consulate issues the visa
one month
The consular office examines the worker's application and issues the visa on the basis of the approved work authorisation. The visa is valid for entry for three months from the date of issue.
6
Entry into Spain and registration with social security
three months to enter, then one month to register
The worker must enter Spanish territory within the three-month validity of the visa. Immediately after entry they must register with the social security system of the relevant region.
7
Applying for the foreigner identity card
one month after registering with social security
Within one month of registering with the social security system the worker approaches the local National Police unit for the foreigner identity card (TIE). This card is the main document confirming residence status in Spain.

Timelines and rights

Work

The authorisation covers employed work. Self-employment is allowed alongside it, provided employed work remains the main occupation.

Who you can bring with you

The worker may have family members, but the financial requirements on the employer change with the number of dependants.

Worker with no dependent family members

After paying the worker's wage, the employer must retain a sum equal to fifty per cent of the interprofessional minimum wage.

Worker with one dependent family member

After paying the worker's wage, the employer must retain a sum equal to the full interprofessional minimum wage.

Worker with two dependent family members

The employer must retain a sum equal to one hundred per cent of the interprofessional minimum wage plus a further twenty-five per cent for each family member.

Worker with three or more dependent family members

The employer must retain a sum calculated by adding twenty-five per cent of the interprofessional minimum wage for each additional family member to the base amount.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Long-term resident status counts 5 years of continuous residence. An absence does not break the record if it lasted no more than 6 consecutive months, and all absences together came to no more than a year over those 5 years.

The authorisation may be renewed on the basis of a valid employment contract. Renewals are governed by the same regulation and may be granted where the worker and the employer continue to meet the applicable requirements. The renewal periods are set by the regulation and allow the worker to carry on working in Spain for as long as a valid employment contract is in place. The renewal procedure may be started before the current authorisation expires.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Temporary residence and employed work	Protección Subsidiaria	Humanitarian protection
Visa term	The authorisation is tied to the employment contract: longer than 90 days and shorter than 5 years	Residence and work permit (TIE) for about 5 years, renewable	Usually 1 year; annual renewal
Grounds	Initial authorisation for temporary residence and employed work; the application is lodged by the employer	Threat to life	Humanitarian grounds
Work	The authorisation covers employed work	Full right to work	Often includes a work permit
Residence	Long-term resident status counts 5 years of continuous residence	Live mainly in Spain	Live mainly in Spain

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Long-term resident status is granted after 5 consecutive years of temporary residence.

Route to citizenship

The general period is 10 years of lawful residence. For refugees — 5 years. For nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews — 2 years. For people born on Spanish territory and spouses of Spanish nationals — 1 year.

Frequently asked questions about Temporary residence and employed work

How long is the work authorisation valid?

The work authorisation is valid for the period stated in the employment contract, but for no less than ninety days and no more than five years. Once it expires, a renewal application may be filed provided the employment relationship with the employer continues.

May the worker carry on self-employed activity at the same time?

Yes, the law allows the worker to carry on independent professional activity provided the main occupation remains employed work for the employer that obtained the authorisation. That independent activity must not compete with the main job.

What administrative fees are payable on the application?

The administrative fees are governed by form 790 (code 052 paid by the worker, code 062 paid by the employer where the work lasts six months or more). The exact amounts in euros are published on the official portal of the Spanish tax administration. The fee must be paid within ten working days of lodging the application. It is worth checking the current amounts at the time of filing, as they may change annually.

May the worker stay in Spain after the authorisation expires?

The temporary residence and work authorisation has a fixed period of validity. Once it expires the worker must either apply for a renewal (if the employment contract continues) or move to another residence status. After five years of continuous residence the worker may claim long-term resident status, which opens up other ways of staying and working in the country.

What happens if the worker and employer end the employment relationship before the authorisation expires?

The work authorisation is tied to a specific employer and employment contract. If the employment relationship ends early, the worker may lose the right to continue working in Spain. The change of status must be reported to the competent authorities as soon as possible. The worker may seek a new authorisation with another employer if they meet the programme's requirements.

Is prior clearance needed for particular occupations?

The programme allows applications for occupations listed in the catalogue of hard-to-fill vacancies; otherwise the employer must show that the vacancy cannot be filled by local candidates. This requirement is designed to protect the national labour market. The employer must produce documents evidencing the labour market situation in the relevant sector.

Other ways to move to Spain

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Spain.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.