Foreign specialists in Spain can now obtain the EU Blue Card. The pan-European regulation on this came into force on May 29, 2023. In addition, the conditions for granting residence permits to highly qualified specialists in the country have changed. But first things first.

The EU Blue Card in Spain

The following people are eligible for an annual EU Blue Card in Spain:

  • People with higher education (must be obtained at least 3 years ago);
  • Professionals with at least second-level qualification (Nivel 2 MECES);
  • Professionals with at least five years of experience in their field (a three-year background will suffice for executives or programmers).

Applicant requirements for Blue Card include:

  • An employment contract for at least six months;
  • Salary before taxes must meet or exceed the average annual wage in the country (from €25,000)—this point is irrelevant if your profession is in high demand;

Changes in the conditions of granting residence permits to professionals in Spain

Now, getting a residence permit for highly qualified specialists is possible if you:

  • have lived in Spain for 5 years;
  • have higher education (in the Spanish system, it refers to the level of Nivel 1 MECES) or even 3 years of experience in their professional direction.

With such a residence permit, you can:

  • Reside in Spain until the employment contract expires (up to 3 years) and 3 months after it ends.
  • Relocate dependents and work in any area of the country.
  • Work and reside in another EU country for up to 90 days per semester.

What was it like before?

Recall that before these changes, a non-EU alien could get a visa quickly only if his profession was on the list of shortage specialists of the employment service SEPE. Otherwise, the employer was obliged to look for candidates among Spaniards and, only then, invite the foreigner to Spain.