Working in Spain: Guide to a successful start

If you, as a foreigner (EU citizen or non-EU citizen), are considering employment in Spain, it requires thorough preparation and a good understanding of the Spanish labour market.

This guide provides you with a comprehensive overview of the topic “Working in Spain.” From transferring your unemployment benefits to job searching and applying, to labour law and tax conditions.

It is important to know which professions are in high demand, what Spanish employment contracts exist, and what documents and requirements are necessary to be able to work in Spain.

Social security and health care are also of great importance.

After all, you will find all the important information you need to make a successful start to your career as an employee in Spain.

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Can I transfer my unemployment benefit to Spain?

EU citizens looking for work in Spain can continue to receive their unemployment benefits from the country where the became unemployed for three months under certain conditions (the period can be extended up to six months).

Before you leave, you must apply to your national employment services for a U2 form (authorisation to export your unemployment benefits).

After arriving in Spain, you must register as a jobseeker with the relevant employment services within 7 days and submit the U2 form.

When looking for work in Spain, EU citizens have the same rights as Spaniards in terms of

• access to work
• support from job centres
• financial support to help you find a job

Therefore, it is definitely an advantage to register as a jobseeker with the Spanish labour office.

What does the Spanish labour market look like?

The Spanish labour market is developing positively, but continues to face challenges such as an ageing population, high unemployment (particularly among young people and the over 55s) in certain regions, skills shortages and the high percentage of long-term unemployed.

Spain currently has the highest unemployment rate (over 10%) in the European Union, although it is falling steadily.

What jobs are available in Spain?

According to Eurostat data, Spain is one of the countries with the lowest rates of available employment in Europe. The vacancies that need to be filled are concentrated almost exclusively in the services sector.

In Spain, there is a shortage of both highly qualified specialists and medium-skilled staff, particularly in the fields of transport and healthcare.

Sectors with a need for labour are primarily

• Information technology (IT): skilled labour in information and communication technologies (ICT), especially STEM professionals
• Renewable energies: engineers with specialised skills
• Healthcare: nurses, health care assistants and technical specialists in health care
• Hospitality: waiters and cooks
• Construction: plumbers, bricklayers and carpenters
• Transport industry: lorry drivers
• Fishing and metal repairs

The demand for labour can vary from one Autonomous Community to another.

In some Spanish regions, there are difficulties in filling vacancies due to geographical and occupational mobility, unacceptable working conditions (pay, working hours) or a lack of infrastructure.

How do I find a job in Spain?

If you are looking for a job in Spain, you can use the following contact points and media:

Job centres / employment services:

• EURES (‘EURopean Employment Services’)
• Spanish State Employment Service (‘Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal’ – SEPE)
• ‘Empléate’: A virtual agency of the SEPE for job placement
• Employment offices of the Autonomous Communities in Spain
• Non-profit placement agencies and specialised companies for the recruitment of skilled workers
• Temporary employment agencies (‘Empresas de Trabajo Temporal’ – ETT), which are useful for finding temporary jobs

Media:

• Job vacancies in national, regional and provincial newspapers
• Television channels and radio stations, e.g. TV programme ‘Aquí hay trabajo’ on RTVE La 2

Internet and social networks:

Many companies publish job vacancies on their websites under ‘Recursos Humanos’, ‘Empleo’ (Vacancies) or ‘Trabaja con nosotros’ (Work for us). Apps and social networks are becoming increasingly important for job seeker.

Personal contacts:

Personal relationships can be very useful, as many jobs are filled through contacts.

Public sector:

If you want to work in public administration in Spain, you can find job advertisements in the Spanish Official Gazette and in the official gazettes (‘Boletín Oficial del Estado’) of the autonomous communities and provinces. The citizens’ portal (‘Portal del Ciudadano’) also provides information.

How do I apply for a job?

A good CV (Curriculum Vitae) and a cover letter in Spanish are standard. The European CV (Europass) is recommended. Sample CVs are available on the websites of the public employment centres.

Selection procedures often consist of interviews and psychometric and/or job-related tests. Assessment centres are also used.

What documents do I need to work in Spain?

Depending on whether you are an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen, you may need different documents to take up paid employment in Spain.

The following basic documents and steps are required for EU citizens:

• Valid identity card or passport

• NIE number (‘Número de Identificación de Extranjero’), which identifies foreigners in Spain and is essential for numerous formalities in Spain

• Social Security Number (‘Número de Seguridad Social’), which can be requested either by yourself or by your employer using an official form (see below)

• Spanish bank account for salary payments

• Employment contract stating your rights and obligations as an employee and, in particular, the working conditions, such as salary, working hours and notice of termination

• If applicable, CV, cover letter, diplomas and course certificates (officially translated into Spanish)

• If applicable, official recognition of professional qualifications and diplomas in Spain, especially if you want to work in a regulated profession in Spain on a permanent basis

• Spanish language skills: These are essential and will make your job search in Spain much easier

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You should also consider the following aspects:

At the latest after 3 months from the date of entry into Spain:

• Registering your address with the Spanish municipality (‘empadronamiento’)

• Registration in the Central Register of Foreigners (registration certificate) at the Foreigners’ Registration Office in Spain

Both formalities are a basic requirement for obtaining the Spanish health insurance card (‘Tarjeta Sanitaria’), which gives you access to public healthcare in Spain as an employee.

Important documents for non-EU citizens:

In addition to the documents mentioned above (with the exception of the registration certificate), you will need the following to take up employment in Spain as a non-EU citizen:

• Work permit (‘Autorización de trabajo’) in Spain: This authorisation is requested by the Spanish employer

• Work visa: There are different types of visas depending on employment and needs, e.g. for employees, self-employed persons/entrepreneurs, researchers or highly qualified workers. Applications for work visas are usually made at the Spanish embassy or consular mission in the home country.

• Foreigner’s identity card (‘Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjeros’), if you are staying in Spain for longer than 90 days and want to work there. This document proves the legal status of foreigners in Spain.
  • Family members of EU citizens, provided they are travelling with them or joining them, can apply for the residence card for family members (‘Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión Europea’).
• Have the training/education and, where applicable, the professional qualification required by law and duly recognised for the exercise of the profession.
• Signed employment contract that guarantees continuous work as an employee during the period of validity of the residency and work permit.
• Registration with the Spanish social security system (‘Seguridad Social’)

The exact requirements may vary depending on your nationality, the type of employment and the duration of your stay. Depending on the situation, further documents may be required.

Foreign documents:

Foreign public documents must be translated by a recognised sworn translator into Spanish or into the co-official language of the region in which the application is made, and often also certified.

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What types of employment contracts are there in Spain?

The employment contract in Spain may be concluded in written or verbal form.

Verbal contracts are only permitted in exceptional cases for contracts of a maximum duration of four weeks in the category of temporary work due to production circumstances. Otherwise, all contracts must be in writing.

In Spain, there are different types of employment contracts, which can mainly be divided into permanent and temporary contracts. There are also special training work contracts.

An employment contract may be agreed on a part-time or full-time basis.

A part-time employment contract (‘contrato a tiempo parcial’) is when the agreed working hours per day, per week, per month or per year are less than the working hours of a comparable full-time employee (‘trabajador de tiempo completo’).

The most important types of contract include

• Permanent employment contract (‘Contrato indefinido’) : Without any time limit

• Fixed-term employment contract (‘Contrato temporal con duración determinada’): These temporary contracts are linked to specific conditions. There are the following types:
  • Contract due to production-related circumstances
  • Contract for the substitution/replacement of an employee

• Discontinuous fixed-term employment contract (‘Contrato fijo-discontinuo’): For seasonal work or seasonal production activities and activities of temporary employment agencies. It is provided for fixed-term or open-ended periods.

In addition to these types of contract, there is also the casual labour contract, which is usually used in agriculture.

Types of training contracts (‘Contrato formativo’) in Spain:

• Dual learning contract (‘Contrato para la formación y el aprendizaje’): Combines the training process with the paid work activity. Minimum duration is three months, maximum two years.

• Traineeship contract (‘Contrato formativo para la obtención de la práctica profesional’): For holders of a university degree, master’s degree, certificate from the vocational training system or intermediate or higher degree. The duration is a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year.

Probationary period:

The contract may stipulate a probationary period (‘Período de prueba’).

The maximum duration is 6 months for qualified technicians (‘técnicos titulados’) and 2 months for all other workers.

During the probationary period, the employment relationship can be terminated by either party without giving reasons, without prior notice and without compensation.

However, the probationary period is added to the length of service and the employee has the same rights and obligations during this period as the other employees.

What are the labour law conditions in Spain?

Working conditions in Spain, such as working hours, overtime and holidays, are generally based on the agreements in collective bargaining agreement or employment contracts.

Here are some general guidelines according to Spanish law for employees (‘Ley del Estatuto de los Trabajadores’):

Minimum working age:

The minimum age to work in Spain is 16 years old. Young people (16-18 years) need the authorisation of their parents/guardians. Night shifts and overtime are not permitted.

Working time:

The maximum permitted normal working hours are 40 hours per week on an annual average.

As a rule, daily working hours may not exceed 9 hours. During this time, a rest period of at least 15 minutes must be provided (30 minutes for employees under the age of 18).

Employees are entitled to a minimum weekly rest period of one and a half days without interruption, usually Saturday afternoon or Monday morning and the whole of Sunday. For young people under the age of 18, the weekly rest period must be at least two days without interruption.

The law provides for longer or shorter working hours for certain groups of people, depending on the sector and the specific nature of the work.

There are also options to reduce working hours for family reasons, for victims of gender-based violence and for victims of terrorism.

Overtime:

In Spain, overtime is working hours that exceed the maximum permitted daily working hours.

In principle, overtime is voluntary and prohibited at night, unless it is agreed in the collective agreement or employment contract or is necessary to prevent or remedy exceptional and acute damage.

The maximum amount of overtime is 80 hours per year.

Overtime can either be paid out or compensated for with rest time.

Leave:

In Spain, there are various entitlements to time off work, which are set in employment contracts or collective agreements.

Annual leave must be at least 30 calendar days. Financial compensation is not permitted.

Special paid leave is also available for various reasons (e.g. marriage, death, moving house). In all these cases, the employee must inform the employer in advance and justify their absence.

Public holidays:

In addition, there are 14 public holidays per year in Spain, including two local public holidays. National holidays are Christmas, New Year, Labour Day (1 May) and the Spanish National Day (12 October). If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is work-free.

Wages/salary in Spain:

Remuneration (‘salario’) is defined as the total economic benefits received by the employee for the performance of work as an employee in cash or in kind, whether in return for actual work or for rest periods that can be counted as work.

Salary in Spain comprise:

• Basic wage (‘salario’)
• Allowances for arduousness, toxicity, danger, shift work, night work, company location, production or quality bonuses, profit sharing, etc.
• Additional payments (‘gratificaciones’): Employees are entitled to at least two additional payments per year.

The national minimum wage (‘salario mínimo interprofesional’ – SMI) is reviewed and adjusted annually by the government. It represents the minimum remuneration to which every employee is entitled for any job in agriculture, industry or the service sector, regardless of gender, age or type of employment. It is not permitted to employ workers for less than the legal minimum wage.

The national minimum wage in Spain for full-time employment for the year 2025 is € 1,184 gross per month in 14 payments.

The salary must be paid within one month and the employer must provide the employee with a payslip (‘recibo de salario’) that proves payment of the salary.

The employer is responsible for withholding and paying income tax and social security contributions.

What social security is there for employees in Spain?

Registration and obtaining a national insurance number:

Before starting work in Spain, you must register with the social security system (‘Seguridad Social’). Membership is compulsory.

The Spanish employer is obliged to apply for membership of the social security system (‘Afiliación’) and the national insurance number (‘Número de Seguridad Social’) for its employees. If the employer does not fulfil this obligation, the employee can complete the corresponding formalities.

The application is made using the form Modelo TA.1 ‘Solicitud de Afiliación/Número de Seguridad Social’ at the ‘Dirección Provincial de la Tesorería de la Seguridad Social’, where the company is based. If you have a digital certificate, you can complete the application online via Asignación de número de Seguridad Social.

Social security contributions:

When you take up employment in Spain, you are obliged to pay social security contributions (‘cuota’).

These contributions are levied as a percentage (‘tipo de cotización’) of a contribution assessment base (‘base de cotización’), which in the general insurance system corresponds approximately to the actual salary. However, there is a lower limit and an upper limit.

Social security contributions are paid partly by the employer and partly by the employee. The employee’s share is withheld from the remuneration and paid to the social insurance scheme by the employer together with the employer’s share.

The social security contribution rate payable by employees is approximately 6.48%.

The contribution rates and assessment bases are determined each year by the corresponding general state budget law (‘Ley de Presupuestos Generales del Estado’).

What benefits can I claim as an employee?

As an employee in Spain, your social security contributions entitle you to the following benefits in particular:

• Benefits for general and occupational illness and accidents
• old-age pension
• unemployment benefit
• vocational training
• maternity and paternity leave and risks during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Working in Spain: How am I covered by health insurance?

As an employee in Spain, you are generally covered by the Spanish social security system, provided you are a member of the ‘Seguridad Social’ and are in a situation of registration.

You can also take out private health insurance.

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You can find out which healthcare services you are entitled to in my specialist article Understanding healthcare in Spain: System, benefits and costs

What happens in the event of illness or accident?

In the event of illness, there is a certain level of protection in Spain. An employee who is temporarily incapable of work (‘incapacidad temporal’) and has to interrupt their employment due to illness or accident receives financial support, provided they are registered with the ‘Seguridad Social’.

In the case of a general illness (‘enfermedad común’), there is an entitlement to sickness cash benefit if contributions have been paid for a total of 180 days within the last five years.

Cash benefits:

Sickness cash benefit usually amounts to 60% of the calculation basis. It is paid from the 4th day after the
person stops work as certified by the physician up to and including the 20th day. From the 21st day, the benefits is 75% of the calculation basis.

The benefits are usually only paid out after a waiting period of three days. This means that if you are unable to work, the first three days are unpaid days.

The employer pays the sickness benefit between the 4th and 15th day of illness, after which the social security system takes over responsibility.

The maximum period for receiving benefits in the event of illness and accident is 365 days and can be extended for a further 180 days.

In the case of an accident at work (‘Accidente de trabajo’) or an occupational disease (‘enfermedad profesional’), the procedures are slightly different, as are the entitlements to cash benefits.

How do you receive sickness benefit?

Incapacity for work must be certified by a doctor from the public health system in Spain. After the medical examination, a sickness certificate must be issued. A copy of this certificate of incapacity for work (‘Parte médico de baja’) must be given to the employee.

If the employee is fit to work again, he or she must obtain a medical certificate from a public doctor (‘parte de alta’).

Maternity and parental leave in Spain:

In Spain, pregnant employees and the birth of a child enjoy special protection. Pregnant women can request the suspension of their employment contract if the pregnancy poses a risk and a change of job or activity is not possible.

In the event of the birth, adoption or taking in of a foster child, both parents are entitled to 16 weeks of parental leave.

The duration of maternity or paternity leave can be divided as follows:

• 6 weeks, compulsory and uninterrupted, immediately after childbirth on a full-time basis

• 10 weeks after the compulsory period, interrupted as desired, until the child reaches the twelfth month of life

The biological mother also has the option of bringing forward the start of the benefit by up to 4 weeks before the expected date of birth.

There is also paid special leave, e.g. for examinations and tests before the birth.

What should I know about tax as an employee?

Income from employment is subject to income tax in Spain (‘Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas’ – IRPF)

Important aspects of income tax for Spanish employees are

• Tax rate: The tax rate is progressive, i.e. the tax burden increases as the tax base increases, whereby the minimum subsistence level is not taxed. The tax rates are between 19 % and 47 %.

• Withholding: The employer is obliged to withhold and pay income tax. The amount of tax withheld depends on the amount of remuneration as well as personal and family circumstances.

• Tax return: An income tax return must generally be submitted from an annual income of € 22,000 if this comes from a single employer.

If you want to work self-employed in Spain, then my specialised article can certainly help you Self-employed in Spain: How do I become an ‘autónomo’?

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