Highly Qualified Professional permit for Spain: requirements and salary
Spain's residence permit for highly qualified professionals (profesionales altamente cualificados, under article 71 of Law 14/2013) is the usual route for tech roles. Applications go to the Large Companies Unit (UGE), which also handles the EU Blue Card.
Checked against the official sources below on 2026-10-22. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm on the official page before you apply.
- Handled by: Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE)
- Education: Higher education degree, or exceptionally 3 years of comparable experience
- Salary threshold: Set by ministerial order and updated during the year: see the UGE document
- Legal basis: Law 14/2013, article 71
Visa-sponsored jobs in Spain
70 visa-sponsored tech jobs in Spain on The Stack right now, from 17 companies, the latest posted on 2026-10-21. See all visa sponsorship jobs in Spain
Companies sponsoring
Who qualifies
- A job offer in Spain for a management position, or for work that needs a higher education qualification.
- Exceptionally, at least three years of professional experience that can be considered equivalent to that qualification, related to the job.
- A salary at or above the threshold the government sets. For the EU Blue Card it was set by Order PJC/44/2026 of 27 January and updated in June 2026: check the current figure in the UGE document before you negotiate.
How it works
- The employer applies electronically to the UGE, through the Ministry's electronic office (sede electrónica).
- Check the UGE pages for the current documents and criteria before applying.