Work visas: a Spanish job or your own business
To work for a Spanish employer or run a business in Spain you need a work permit. The routes, the salary thresholds and how hard each one is for British applicants.
- Highly qualified
- €41,356 a year
- 2026 minimum salary
- Employee permit
- 1 + 4 years
- First year, then renewal
- Visa fee (UK)
- £719
- Consulate fee list, 2025
- Self-employed
- 1 year
- One region and sector
Updated 24 Oct 2026 · Figures checked 12 Oct 2026
In short
There are three main ways to work in Spain as a British citizen. A job with a Spanish employer: the employer applies for your permit in Spain, and must show the role is on the official shortage list or that nobody suitable was found locally. A highly qualified role (a manager or specialist on at least €41,356 a year in 2026): a faster route through the Large Companies Unit with no labour market test. Your own business: a self-employed permit, applied for at the consulate, where you prove the business plan and investment are viable. If you'll keep working remotely for a UK employer instead, the digital nomad visa is much simpler.
Is this route for you?
Who it suits
- People with a firm job offer from a Spanish company
- Senior managers, engineers and specialists recruited on a high salary
- People moving with an international employer (intra-company transfer)
- Entrepreneurs with a funded, credible business plan
Who it doesn't suit
- People who want to arrive first and look for work: you can't switch from visitor to employee in Spain
- Remote workers for UK companies: use the digital nomad visa
- Roles a Spanish employer could easily fill locally, unless they're on the shortage list
What you need
Employee (cuenta ajena):
- A job offer and contract from a Spanish employer that is up to date with tax and social security
- The role is on the public employment service's quarterly hard-to-fill list, or the employer advertised it and found no suitable local candidate
- Qualifications for the job
Highly qualified professional (Law 14/2013):
- A management or highly qualified role, usually with a degree
- Salary of at least €41,356.36 a year (2026 threshold)
Self-employed (cuenta propia):
- A business plan, the investment it needs, and any licences
- Evidence the investment is enough, for example a report from a self-employed workers' association
- Qualifications or experience for the activity
All routes: clean criminal record (ACRO), medical certificate, valid passport.
Money: income and costs
- Visa fee: £719 for British nationals on the London consulate's 2025 fee list
- Highly qualified salary: at least €41,356.36 a year in 2026 (the EU Blue Card uses the same figure, or €33,085.09 for shortage and recently graduated roles)
- Self-employed: enough investment to make the business viable and support you; there's no single figure
- TIE card fee once you're in Spain: €16.08
Documents
- Signed job offer or employment contract (employees)
- Employer's company and tax documents (provided by the employer)
- Degree or professional qualifications, apostilled and translated
- Business plan, investment proof and licences (self-employed)
- ACRO police certificate and medical certificate, apostilled and translated
- Passport and visa application form
How to apply, step by step
Employer applies in Spain
For employee permits the Spanish employer files the work and residence application. Highly qualified roles go to the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit (UGE), which is faster.
Apply for the visa in the UK
Once the permit is approved, you apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate for where you live, usually within a month of being notified.
Travel and start work
Enter Spain while the visa is valid. Your employer registers you with social security when you start.
Get your TIE
Book the fingerprint appointment within a month of arriving and register on the padrón.
After you arrive, and renewing
- Employee permits last one year, then renew for four years.
- Self-employed permits start at one year and are limited to one region and sector at first.
- After five years you can apply for long-term residence, which lets you work freely.
Tax
Employees and the self-employed pay Spanish income tax and social security. Workers moving for a Spanish job may qualify for the Beckham law regime (24% flat rate up to €600,000 for six tax years) if they weren't Spanish tax resident in the last five years.
Common mistakes
- Arriving as a visitor and expecting to find work and switch status
- Employers who've never sponsored before and underestimate the paperwork
- Self-employed plans without evidence the investment is enough
- Starting work before the permit and visa are in place
When to get professional advice
- Your employer has never sponsored a foreign worker
- You're setting up a business, especially one needing licences
- You're on the edge of the salary threshold
- You're moving with an international employer and need a transfer permit
Questions people ask
Can I move to Spain and then look for a job?
Not as a British citizen without a permit. Employee permits are applied for by the employer before you move. If you'll work remotely for a UK employer, use the digital nomad visa instead.
What salary counts as highly qualified in 2026?
At least €41,356.36 a year, according to the Large Companies Unit's 2026 threshold.
Can I be self-employed in Spain?
Yes, with a self-employed residence and work permit applied for at the consulate. You need a viable business plan, enough investment and any licences the activity needs. The first permit lasts a year and is limited to one region and sector.
Official sources
We check every figure on this page against these pages. Rules and amounts change, so check them again just before you apply.