Standard Work Visa

Your employer must initiate the process. They submit the authorization application (*solicitud de autorización de residencia y trabajo por cuenta ajena*) to the Aliens' Office in the province where you will work. As the applicant, you cannot start this process yourself from abroad.

SEPE (Spain's Public Employment Service) publishes a quarterly *Catálogo de Ocupaciones de Difícil Cobertura* — a province-by-province list of roles where Spanish/EU candidates are structurally unavailable. If your role is on the list for your target province, your employer is exempt from the labor market test, significantly accelerating approval.

Administrative fees (tasas) are approximately €203.84 for roles with a salary below 2× the SMI, or €407.71 for roles at or above 2× the SMI. Consular visa fees additionally range from €80–€150 depending on your nationality (reciprocity principle). Budget additional costs for apostilles, sworn translations, and document legalization.

Usually no. Senior executives and highly qualified professionals bypass this protectionist system and instead apply for the Highly Qualified Professional (PAC/HQP) visa, which offers much faster processing through the UGE-CE unit and no labor market test.

Your initial authorization is tied to a specific employer and line of work. To change employers within the first 2 years, you must obtain a new work authorization. After 5 years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence, which is not employer-tied.

Your initial Cuenta Ajena authorization is valid for **1 year**, employer- and province-specific. It can be renewed on a **2+2 year cycle**: first renewal for 2 years, second renewal for 2 years. After **5 years of continuous legal residence** in Spain you become eligible for long-term EU residence (*residencia de larga duración*), which is not tied to any employer or province and offers near-permanent status.

Yes. A shorter *autorización de trabajo de temporada* (seasonal work permit) is available for agriculture, hospitality, and tourism roles. It is valid for up to 9 months within any 12-month period and requires the employer to provide adequate accommodation and cover repatriation costs. The quota for seasonal permits is set annually by the Ministry.