Working in Spain: three legal routes to a life in the sun
If your goal is to live and work in Spain with every year counting toward permanent status, you have three working routes. All of them lead to permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence, and further on to citizenship, generally available after 10. The difference is who you are: an employee with a job offer, a highly paid specialist, or a remote worker with foreign clients.
The standard work visa. The classic path built on an employment contract with a Spanish company. Since 20 May 2025 the new immigration regulation (RD 1155/2024) has been in force, and the procedure runs on a job offer: your employer files for your residence and work authorisation. You arrive with a contract in hand and a clear renewal path ahead.
The highly-qualified permit and EU Blue Card. A fast-track route for well-paid professionals. The 2026 Blue Card threshold starts at €41,356 a year, with a reduced threshold of €33,085 for certain cases. Applications move quickly, and the years count toward permanent residence like any other work route.
The Digital Nomad Visa. Already working remotely for companies abroad? Spain’s Startups Law (Ley 28/2022) lets you move to Spain while keeping your foreign clients or employer. You’ll need an income of roughly 200% of the Spanish minimum wage. And there’s a pleasant bonus: eligible holders can opt into the Beckham tax regime, a flat 24% on employment income.
What comes next. After 5 years of continuous legal residence, any of these routes opens the door to long-term residence — an indefinite status with the right to live and work on equal terms with Spaniards. Citizenship follows further down the road. Which path is shortest and most realistic for you depends on your profession, income and how you work.
Book a free consultation — we’ll match the route to your situation and walk you through the documents you’ll need.