This is the general route to come and work in Spain with an employment contract. The application is filed by the employer with the Immigration Office of the province where the work will be carried out.
Once the authorisation is granted, the worker applies for the residence and work visa at the consulate in their country and, after entering Spain, for the TIE.
- Companies or employers who want to hire a non-EU foreign national who is neither present nor resident in Spain.
- It is also used to change other situations (for example, from a student stay to residence and work).
- That the national employment situation allows the hiring: an occupation on the shortage occupation list, or prior handling of the job offer through the public employment service, or an exempt case.
- A signed employment contract guaranteeing continuous activity throughout the authorisation, with pay in line with the collective agreement and no lower than the minimum wage.
- That the employer is registered with the social security system, up to date with its obligations and able to prove sufficient solvency.
- That the worker has the required training or qualifications and, where applicable, official recognition of their degree or professional registration.
- No criminal record and not being in Spain irregularly.
Official form EX-03, completed and signedIn duplicate (original and copy) if you file it on paper. Always download it from the Ministry website so you use the current version.Official link Proof of payment of fee form 790 code 052It is generated and filled in on the official fee website, paid at a bank or online, and submitted as the stamped copy.Official link Proof of payment of fee form 790 code 062It is generated and filled in on the official fee website, paid at a bank or online, and submitted as the stamped copy.Official link Copy of the worker's full passportValid and with at least 4 months of validity remaining. Employment contract signed by both partiesWith the conditions of the job: category, working hours, pay, duration and workplace. Company documentsTax ID, articles of incorporation registered with the Companies Register, power of attorney of the signatory, social security registration and workforce report, certificates of being up to date with the tax office and social security, latest tax returns (VAT, corporate tax, income tax withholdings). Evidence on the national employment situationCertificate from the public employment service on the handling of the job offer, or proof that the occupation is on the shortage occupation list, or of the exemption that applies. Qualification or professional accreditation if applicable Officially recognised or validated where the profession requires it, and professional registration where compulsory.
Application for a temporary residence and work authorisation as an employee
Always download the form from the Ministry website: the templates are updated and offices reject outdated versions.
| Form | What it covers | Who pays | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 790 código 052 | Temporary residence authorisation | The worker | Generate fee form |
| 790 código 062 | Work authorisation as an employee | The employer (if the worker pays it, the office may issue a request for correction) | Generate fee form |
Amounts are updated periodically: the one shown when you generate form 790 is the one in force.
Immigration Office of the province where the work will be carried out
The company files the application, preferably online.
Spanish consulate (visa)
The worker applies for the visa once the authorisation is granted.
- Decision on the authorisation: 3 months (silence means refusal).
- Visa: 1 month to apply from notification of the decision; the consulate normally decides within 1 month.
- Social security registration: within 3 months of entry, and you must be registered before starting work.
- TIE: 1 month from entry into Spain.
If the worker is already in Spain legally on another basis, what normally applies is a change of authorisation, not this initial procedure.
The authorisation is conditional on actually being registered with the social security system: if that does not happen, it lapses.