If you are not an EU citizen, a job offer from a Spanish company is only half of the move. The other half is the permit that lets you take it. Spain has several routes, and the right one depends on the job, the salary and the employer.
The short answer
- A skilled role with a good salary at an established company: the highly qualified professional route is usually the fastest.
- A skilled role and you want to move around the EU later: the EU Blue Card.
- You keep working for a company outside Spain: the international teleworker (digital nomad) route.
- A role on Spain's list of hard-to-fill occupations: the general work permit, without the labour market test.
Highly qualified professional
Created by Spain's law for entrepreneurs and their internationalisation, this route is processed by a dedicated unit and is known for quick decisions. It suits managers, specialists and graduates hired by companies that meet its requirements, with a salary above a minimum that is updated over time.
EU Blue Card
The Blue Card is the EU-wide permit for highly qualified workers. It asks for a degree or proven professional experience, a binding job offer and a salary above a threshold. Its main advantage is mobility: after a period in Spain, it makes moving to another EU country easier.
International teleworker
If your employer or your clients are outside Spain, this route lets you live in Spain while you keep that work. It is not a way to take a job with a Spanish company, so it rarely fits the roles Spainward applies to.
The general work permit
For other jobs, the employer usually has to show that no suitable candidate is available locally. That step is skipped when the occupation is on the quarterly list of hard-to-fill jobs, which is why that list matters so much.
Rules and thresholds change. Before you rely on any of them, check the official pages of Spain's Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, or ask an immigration lawyer.
Where Spainward fits
Spainward looks for roles that match one of these routes and applies to them for you. It can't grant a visa: the permit is decided by the Spanish authorities, after the offer.