Highly Skilled Worker Visa
Bring Your Career to Spain, Backed by an Employer
If you've received a job offer from a Spain-based company for a specialized role, this authorization gets you and your family a fast-tracked residency — no labor market test required, and family members can work too.
Bureaucracy is an independent private service, not affiliated with or acting on behalf of the Spanish Government.
The Facts
Who It's For
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss professionals with a job offer from a company established in Spain, for a role requiring specialized qualifications or experience
Duration
Up to 3 years initially, renewable while requirements are met
Key Benefit
Can apply from inside or outside Spain; family members can join and work from the start
Is This For You?
This visa is likely a fit if:
- You have a job offer from a company legally established in Spain, for a role requiring specialized qualifications, higher education, or relevant professional experience
- You're a non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss national
- You're 18 or older, with no criminal record and no irregular immigration status in Spain
| Highly Skilled Worker Visa | Digital Nomad Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | A company established in Spain | A company or clients based outside Spain |
| Who files | Your employer, with the UGE | You, as the applicant |
| Labor market test | Not required | Not applicable |
| Initial duration | Up to 3 years | Up to 3 years (if applied from within Spain) |
| Family can work | ✓ Yes | Spouse may work; check current rules |
| Check My Eligibility | View Digital Nomad Visa |
Minimum salary thresholds
| Directors and Managers | €54,142 |
| Technical, Scientific, and Professional roles | €40,077 |
Meeting the minimum salary alone doesn't guarantee approval — the UGE reviews the whole file, including whether the role, your qualifications, the company's activity, and the salary are all consistent with each other.
The Process
How It Works
This visa has two participants — you and your employer. Each step shows who's involved, and we coordinate both sides.
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01
We Review Your Offer and Your Employer's File Both
We check that the job offer, salary, and job description are consistent with what the UGE expects — this is where most applications run into trouble, so we catch it early.
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02
Documents Are Gathered, Translated, and Legalised Both
You provide your passport, criminal record certificate, CV, and qualifications; your employer provides the contract, job description, and company documentation. Anything issued outside Spain is apostilled and given a sworn translation where needed — all included in your flat service fee.
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03
Your Employer Files With the UGE Your employer
The application itself is submitted by your employer to the UGE-CE. We prepare the complete file and coordinate the filing; the employer is the one who submits it, since that's a legal requirement of this visa category.
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04
Visa or TIE, Depending on Where You Are You
If you're outside Spain when the authorization is approved, you'll need to apply for your visa in person at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence. If you're already legally in Spain, you can generally continue without a separate visa step. Either way, you'll need to complete your TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) appointment in person once it applies to you.
Why Bureaucracy Is Different
We combine expert case management with a digital dashboard to keep your relocation clear, structured, and stress-free — as an independent private service working on your behalf, not the government's.
Most requests for more information come down to a handful of recurring issues — salary mismatches, vague job descriptions, or a gap between the role and your qualifications. We check for all of them before your file goes in.
This visa needs cooperation from your company's HR or legal team. We coordinate directly with them for the employer-side documentation, so you're not stuck relaying paperwork requests back and forth.
Foreign documents need to be apostilled and translated correctly to avoid delays. We coordinate the full chain, included in your flat service fee.
Every document, message, and milestone lives in one place, so you always know what's done and what's still needed.
Manage Your Entire Visa Journey in One Place
Manage documents, track progress, communicate with your case manager, and stay organised throughout your application process.
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Application Progress Tracking
See exactly where you are in the process, what's been completed, and what actions may be required next.
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Secure Document Uploads
Upload and store your application documents securely in one central location.
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Personalised Task List
Receive a checklist tailored to your visa type and application stage.
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Direct Communication
Stay connected with your case manager and receive important updates through your dashboard.
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Everything in One Place
Keep your documents, messages, tasks, and application progress organised in a single platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This visa requires a genuine job offer from a company legally established in Spain, for a role that qualifies as highly skilled. Without an employer sponsor, this isn't the right pathway — the Digital Nomad Visa may be worth exploring instead if you work remotely for a company outside Spain.
No. Unlike some standard work permits, this category doesn't require a labor market test (Situación Nacional de Empleo). That's one of its main advantages.
Not on its own. The UGE reviews the whole application — your qualifications and experience, the job description, the company's activity, and the salary all need to line up consistently with each other. Meeting the salary threshold is necessary, but it isn't sufficient by itself.
Yes. Your spouse or registered partner, dependent children, and in some cases dependent parents can be included, either from the start or later on. Approved family members can both reside and work in Spain for the duration of the authorization.
The UGE generally has around 20 business days to issue a decision, though this is set by the UGE, not by Bureaucracy. Once approved, next steps depend on whether you're inside or outside Spain at the time.
You can generally continue the process without applying for a separate visa. If you're outside Spain, you'll need to apply for your visa in person at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence before travelling.
Typically a signed employment contract, a detailed job description, company registration documents (CIF, deed of incorporation), the legal representative's ID, and proof of tax and Social Security compliance. We coordinate directly with your employer's HR or legal team to gather these.
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Our service fee covers case management, document review, and included sworn translations only — any government or consular fees are separate and paid directly by the client to the relevant authority.
Carlos is an AI assistant. For critical decisions, always verify with an official source or speak to an advisor.