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Working in Spain
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The Royal Palace, Madrid |
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All EEA nationals (nationals from the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are
entitled to work and live in Spain. However, the process of gaining entry to
work if you fall outside this category can be a very long one.
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Many documents need to be collected and submitted with the application for a work permit, which in
turn is processed by a highly bureaucratic system. This can take up to six months. Delays should be
expected, especially since Spain declared an amnesty on illegal immigrants, who can now legitimise
their status by registering with the authorities. The same authorities who process work permits and
resident visas.
As with most European countries Spain allows EEA based service providers to work on Spanish client
projects. The candidate must remain solely in the employment of the foreign company, with the work not
going beyond the normal business of the service provider - for example the installation of software
bought outside Spain.
Type A (assignment/contract permits)
When the service provided crosses the line of providing an external service and the work is in effect
being done for a Spanish company a work permit is needed. In this case a service contract will form
part of the application and a Spanish accountant is needed to oversee the employee's salary and ensure
tax is being paid in Spain. These visas can last for a maximum of 9 months, and candidates must have
6-12 months experience with the foreign service provider.
Service contracts must
- State that the employee's management stays with the foreign company.
- Cover the period for which the permit will be required.
- Include warranted deliverables.
- Be signed by client and service provider on the Spanish client's headed paper.
Preference will also be given to those who can demonstrate a link to Spain or Latin America.
Type B
When a candidate wishes to work directly for a Spanish company a 1 year permit is available that can
be extended for a further year.
As with all European countries the candidate will be asked to demonstrate that they are suitably
qualified and experienced to take on the job, and these are only suitable for skilled, professional
positions.
Applying
Applications can be submitted to different offices - generally the local labour office (Direccion
Provincial de Trabajo, Seguridad Social y Asuntos Sociales), but also the foreigners' office, the
General Directorate for Migration or even the post office. The Spanish Consulate will also accept
applicants from candidates working for foreign service providers who do not have offices in Spain.
Once the work permit application is approved, the candidate will need to make a residence visa
application (Type D) in their usual country of residence. The candidate will usually also need to
present a police clearance certificate and an original birth certificate to be granted this visa,
so it is worthwhile assembling these documents in advance.
What to expect once you're there
Most foreign workers in Spain work for large multinationals. At the moment Spain's unemployment is
high and wages are lower than in the rest of Europe. However, in the case of multinationals salaries
are competitive and executives receive what would be expected elsewhere in Europe.
Tax is high in Spain and is collected at both the local and national levels. National taxes are
collected on income whilst taxes on property and various license fees are collected locally - both at
the end of the calendar year. Tax is collected on an employee's worldwide income irrespective of what
kind of residence visa or world permit held, after residing for 6 months.
As with pay scales, most foreign employees working in Spain enjoy quite standard European working
conditions. Although life in Spain is very different to the rest of Europe, with long lunches for
siestas during the hottest time of day, late meals and a generally relaxed atmosphere, the large city
based companies now run to a European schedule.
The normal working week is 40 hours, with employees receiving 30 days annual leave and 12 public
holidays. Some firms still close during August, which is a popular time for the Spanish to close up
shop and head to the coast.
Photo: Central Audiovisual Library, European Commission
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