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Immigration

Residence and work permit for employees (cuenta ajena)

The initial temporary residence and work permit for employees allows a company or employer in Spain to hire a non-EU national who lives abroad. The employer applies and, once it is granted, the worker applies for the visa. We advise companies and workers throughout the procedure, from the job offer to the foreigner identity card (TIE).

By Aida Elias Soguero, ICAB member no. 44021 · Updated on 14 October 2026

In brief

Who it is for
Companies and employers who want to hire a non-EU national living abroad.
Where it is handled
The employer files it with the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería) for the province of the workplace; in Catalonia, with the Generalitat. The worker then applies for the visa at the consulate.
Decision deadline
Three months; if there is no answer within that period, the application is deemed refused.
Fees
We quote them in the first consultation (€40), with the option to pay in instalments.

Requirements

  • The national employment situation must allow it: the job is on the shortage occupation list (catálogo de ocupaciones de difícil cobertura) or the public employment service certifies a lack of suitable candidates.
  • An employment contract signed by both parties, providing continuous work while the permit is valid, on terms that comply with the law and the collective agreement.
  • If the contract is part-time, total pay may not be lower than the annual full-time national minimum wage (SMI).
  • The employer must be registered with Social Security, up to date with tax and Social Security, and have sufficient means for its business and to pay the salary.
  • The worker must have the training and, where applicable, the professional qualification required for the job.
  • The worker must have no criminal record in the countries where they have lived in the last five years and must not be listed as inadmissible in the Schengen area.
  • The employer must not have abolished those posts in the previous twelve months through unfair or void dismissal, collective redundancy, objective dismissal for business reasons or termination due to its own breach, except in cases of force majeure.

How we help you

  1. We study your case

    We check whether the job is on the shortage occupation list, whether a job offer should be advertised, or whether an exemption from the national employment situation test applies.

  2. We prepare your application

    We review the contract, the company's documents on its means and obligations, and the worker's documents (passport, qualifications), with translations and apostilles where needed.

  3. Filing the application

    We file the application on the employer's behalf with the competent authority, which in Catalonia is the Generalitat, and deal with any requests until a decision is issued.

  4. Visa and arrival

    Once the permit is granted, the worker applies for the visa within one month. In Spain, they must register with Social Security within three months and apply for the TIE within the following month.

Frequently asked questions

Who files the application, the company or the worker?

The company or employer, in person or through a representative. The worker steps in afterwards: they have one month from the date the employer is notified of the decision to apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate.

What if the job is not on the shortage occupation list?

The employer can register a job offer with the public employment service, which handles it for eight days; if there are no suitable candidates, it issues a certificate stating so. In addition, the law and some international agreements exempt certain cases from this requirement.

For how long and where can the worker work?

The initial permit lasts as long as the job, up to one year, and, with some exceptions, is limited to one autonomous community and one occupation. On renewal, it generally lasts four years and allows any work anywhere in Spain.

Legislation

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