Working in Spain

Below you find a short introduction about working in Spain including permits needed and general information about the Spanish employment market. This section is not a job portal but a short introduction to our clients about working in Spain.

Working Permits

If you are a foreign citizen wishing to work in Spain you will need a Work Permit (Permiso de Trabajo) and a residence permit (Permiso de Residencia). For none EU citizens who do not have a company registered in Spain who is willing to sponsor your application it is very difficult to receive a work permit. We recommend all none EU citizens to contact the Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country before you start making plans about moving to Spain.

For EU citizens the European laws guarantees freedom of movement and this makes the application process easier (but still not without hassles). Below you can find a short description of how and where you have to go to arrange all the paper work.

The Employment Market in Spain

Spain has, after entering the EU in 1984, improved its economy and infrastructure significantly. The country still has a high unemployment rate (about 11% of the active population) but the rate is still falling with many sectors in expansion and the need for qualified employment is increasing.

The strongest industries in Spain are the service sector and the tourist industry, but Spain also has an important agricultural sector.

The most important international Spanish companies are found within the bank and telephone sector as well as gas and power companies. Within these sectors you can find companies like Telefonica, the banks BBVA and BSCH and Repsol-YPF that have dominant positions in Europe and South America.

In big towns like Madrid and Barcelona you find the service sector and there you can also find a large number of international companies. The tourist industry is located throughout coastal Spain - principally in the Canary and Balearic islands, Valencia and in Costa del Sol in Andalucia.

For further info about Spain see our Buyers Guide or see this section if you are looking for Properties in Spain.