Political System: Unitary parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy

Capital City: Madrid

Total Area: 504,782 km2

Population: 46 million

Currency: Euro

 

Introduction

 

Spain is one of the leading global economic powers: the 7th largest recipient of FDI worldwide(In FDI Stock, according to the “World Investment Report 2010” – 2009 figures). Spain´s appeal for foreign investors lies not only in its domestic market, boasting considerable purchasing power, but also in the possibility of operating in third-country markets using Spain as a base, courtesy of its privileged geostrategic position: it belongs to the European Union and is the gateway to North Africa and Latin America (due to its strong economic, historic and cultural ties in this latter case).

 

Furthermore, Spain is a modern knowledge-based economy with services accounting for 72%(Eurostat, until Q3 of 2010) of economic activity. The country has become a center of innovation supported by a young, highly-qualified work force and competitive costs.

 

We offer the following services in Spain

 

  • Residence Permits for Employment/Salaried Work
  • Residence Permits for Self-Employment

These permits are required for non-EU foreigners who are older than 16 years of age and are engaging in self-employed or salaried work in Catalonia.

The permits may be:
– for self-employed work (opening up a business)
– for salaried work (working for a company)

With a residence and work permit, foreigners are allowed to live and work in Spain and they have the right to work under the same conditions as Spanish nationals.  However, it must be taken into consideration that restrictions may apply in terms of territory and the sector of the activity during the first year of the residence and work permit validity.

There are many types of salaried and self-employed work permits, depending on the characteristics of the applicant and the scope of the permit.

 

Residence Permits for Salaried Work

Residence Permits for Self-Employment 

Residence Permits for Salaried Work

 

There are many different types of permits; the correct one will depend on the characteristics of the applicant and the scope of the permit.

 

  1. Initial salaried work permits for long-term residents from another EU member state
  2. Initial salaried work permits for people holding residency due to exceptional circumstances, for displacement or as a relative of a refugee
  3. Initial salaried work permits for cross-border employees.
  4. Extension of initial work permits as a salaried employee for cross-border workers
  5. Initial salaried work permits for study, research, training, unpaid internship or voluntary service purposes.
  6. Extension of initial work permit as a salaried worker for study, research, training, unpaid internship or voluntary service purposes
  7. Work permits for executive positions, artists and elite sportspersons.
  8. Work permits as a salaried employee for high-level directors, artists and elite sportspeople from other EU member states with long-term residence permits
  9. Extension of work permits as a salaried employee for high-level directors, artists and elite sportspeople
  10. Residence and work permits as a researcher
  11. Residence and work permits as a researcher for those with residence and work permits as a researcher in another EU Member State
  12. Residence and work permits as a highly qualified worker (EU Blue Card)
  13. Residence and work permits as a highly qualified worker (EU Blue Card) for those with EU Blue Cards for another EU Member State

 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR SALARIED WORK PERMITS

 

  • Completed and signed form
  • Original Passport and photocopy
  • Employment Contract
  • Companies documents
  • School/University Degree (related to the job position he is applying for)

 

NB For some salaried work permits some documents won´t be required or else, some additional documentation might be required. Each case is different.

 

You will usually obtain a salaried work permit if the following conditions have been met:

 

  • The occupation you wish to take up requires a vocational training qualification and you possess this qualification
  • You can show that you have a job offer
  • You work under equal conditions as Spanish citizens
  • No privileged person can fill your position
  • The granting of a residence permit for your occupational group is envisaged by legal regulations, and
  • The Federal Employment Agency approves of your employment (where this is required)
  • You will need the offer of a job, which must include job description and a draft employment contract.

 

 

Documentation

 

  • Completed and signed form
  • Original Passport and photocopy
  • Authorization and licenses (if required)
  • Stamped Census declaration by the Tax Administration.
  • Proof of ownership (or rental) of the premises the company is planning on using for its business.
  • Proof of availability of production and service materials (machinery, vehicles, etc…)
  • School/University Degree (related to the job position he is applying for)
    • Companies act and articles of association
    • CIF of the company
    • Companies Social Security Registration

 

Our Service (managed by our immigration lawyers)

  • Supplying a checklist for any and all documents to be submitted
  • Confirmation of the office where documents must be submitted
  • Streamlining supplementary documents
  • Handling legal questions received from the authorities
  • Supplementary letter to convince the authorities to grant your application
  • General advice/instruction during the application process
  • Client provided business plan will be proofread; translation will be invoiced separately.

Who may request an appointment for initial work permits or for contracts in origin?
 The “legitimized person”, or in other words, the person that is authorized to carry out the process (or a legal representative for processes in which this is possible).

In some cases, it is the foreign worker who wishes to obtain the permit, while in others it’s the company that wishes to hire a foreign worker.

Timescales

Please note that the time indicated below is estimated, and will depend on the individual.

 

For Residency Permits: This will take up to six months.

 

After successfully working as self-employed or running your business for four years, you will receive a permanent residency permit.