Spain
Top Visa Pathways
Most popular and desirable options for skilled professionals
SpainDigital Nomad Visa
Spain residence permit for non-EU remote workers earning at least €2,442/month from a foreign employer, valid 1 year initially with a path to 5-year residency.
SpainHighly Qualified Professional Visa (PAC)
Work visa for highly qualified professionals, managers, or graduates from prestigious universities. Requires job offer meeting salary thresholds and UGECE authorization.
SpainEU Blue Card
Highly skilled employment with a recognized degree and salary above the member state threshold. Portable across EU after 12 months.
All Visa Pathways(34 visas)
Spain052 — Exceptional Circumstances Authorization (Autorización de Residencia por Circunstancias Excepcionales)
Exceptional-circumstances regularization pathway for undocumented residents in Spain with at least two years of continuous presence and demonstrated social, family, or labor ties.
Spain994235 — Residence Card for Family Member of EU Citizen (Tarjeta de Residencia de Familiar de Ciudadano de la Unión)
Five-year residence card for non-EU spouses, registered partners, and dependent children or parents of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens living in Spain, granting unrestricted work rights.
SpainAirport Transit Visa (Type A)
Visa for transit through Schengen airport international zone without entering the territory.
SpainArraigo Socioformativo
A residence permit for individuals in an irregular situation in Spain who commit to completing specific professional training.
SpainAu Pair Visa
Visa for young adults (17-30) participating in au pair cultural exchange programs. Participants provide childcare for host family while learning Spanish and Spanish culture.
SpainDigital Nomad Visa
Spain residence permit for non-EU remote workers earning at least €2,442/month from a foreign employer, valid 1 year initially with a path to 5-year residency.
SpainDiplomatic/Official Visa (Visado Diplomático/Oficial)
Free-of-charge entry category for accredited diplomats, consular officers, and international organization staff on official assignment in Spain.
SpainEU Blue Card
Highly skilled employment with a recognized degree and salary above the member state threshold. Portable across EU after 12 months.
SpainEU Long-Term Residence Permit
Permanent residence for non-EU nationals who have resided legally and continuously in Spain for 5 years.
SpainEmployee Work Visa (Visado de trabajo por cuenta ajena)
Employer-tied work permit for third-country nationals filling a Spanish company role that cannot be filled locally, renewable toward long-term residency.
SpainEntrepreneur Visa
Fast-track visa for business founders establishing innovative Spanish companies.
SpainFamily Roots Residence Permit (Arraigo Familiar)
Temporary residence permit for foreign nationals with direct family ties to a Spanish citizen, granting full work rights without a minimum stay or financial threshold.
SpainGECCO — Seasonal Worker Visa
Short-term work visa for seasonal employment in agriculture, tourism, and other sectors.
SpainHighly Qualified Professional Visa (PAC)
Work visa for highly qualified professionals, managers, or graduates from prestigious universities. Requires job offer meeting salary thresholds and UGECE authorization.
SpainInternational Protection (Asylum/Subsidiary Protection)
Protection for individuals fleeing persecution or serious harm.
SpainInternship/Trainee Visa (Prácticas)
Visa for students or recent graduates (within 2 years) participating in formal internship programs or trainee contracts in Spain.
SpainIntra-Company Transfer Visa (Visado de traslado intraempresarial)
Intra-corporate relocation permit for non-EU managers, specialists, and trainees moving to a Spanish entity within the same multinational group.
SpainIntra-Corporate Transfer Directive
Transfer within a multinational company to an EU establishment. Managers, specialists, or trainee employees.
SpainJob Seeker Visa
Visa for non-EU citizens seeking employment or preparing to launch a business in Spain. Allows up to 12 months to find work or establish business without prior job offer.
SpainNon-Lucrative Visa
Renewable residence permit for non-EU nationals with €28,800+/year passive income who don't work in Spain.
SpainResearcher Visa
Visa for researchers and scientific staff conducting research at Spanish public or private research institutions, universities, or R&D centers.
SpainResidence and Work Authorization for Victims of Gender-Based Violence
Residence and work permit for foreign women who are victims of gender-based or sexual violence.
SpainResidence and Work Authorization for Victims of Human Trafficking
Protection and regularization for victims of human trafficking.
SpainResidency for Humanitarian Reasons (Residencia por Razones Humanitarias)
One-year renewable residence status for non-EU nationals in irregular status in Spain facing documented hardship such as crime victimization or serious illness.
SpainSelf-Employed Work Visa (Visado de trabajo por cuenta propia)
Renewable one-year permit for non-EU entrepreneurs and freelancers running their own business in Spain, based on an approved business plan and minimum annual income of €7,200.
SpainSelf-Employment Visa (Autónomo)
Visa for self-employed professionals and entrepreneurs. For freelancers, contractors, and business owners establishing self-employment in Spain.
SpainSocial Roots Residence Permit (Arraigo Social)
One-year residence-and-work permit for non-EU nationals living irregularly in Spain for at least two years who show social integration or family ties.
SpainSocio-educational Roots Residence Permit (Arraigo Socioformativo)
Exceptional-circumstances residence permit for undocumented foreigners with two years of continuous presence in Spain who commit to accredited vocational training.
SpainSpain Student Visa
For non-EU students enrolling in authorized Spanish educational institutions.
SpainTRE — Religious Activities Visa (Visado de Actividades Religiosas)
Renewable one-year residence permit for foreign clergy and professed religious order members serving a Spain-registered faith organization, exempt from standard work permit rules.
SpainType D — Family Reunification Visa (Type D)
Long-stay national visa for family members joining a resident of a Schengen country.
SpainType D — National Long-Stay Visa (Type D)
Long-stay visa for work, investment, family reunification, or other purposes in a specific EU member state.
SpainType D — Student Visa (Type D)
Full-time study at a recognized institution in an EU member state. National visa with residence permit.
SpainWorking Holiday Visa
One-year non-renewable stay for young adults aged 18-30 (18-35 for Canadians) from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and South Korea to travel in Spain while working casually.
Latest News
Spain in the News
Recent coverage on visas, policy changes and life in Spain
Which Countries Offer Digital Nomad Visas in 2026? Income Requirements, Tax Rules and the Best Options Compared
Digital nomad visas now span Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean, with income bars from about US$1,500 a month in Brazil to over €3,600 in Croatia and Portugal. Here is how to pick between them, and why tax, not income, is where most plans go wrong.
What Is the EU Blue Card? 25 Countries, Salary Thresholds and Permanent Residency, Explained (2026)
The EU Blue Card is a work and residence permit for skilled non-EU workers, issued by 25 EU countries under a shared EU directive.
What Is a Transit Visa? Rules by Country
A transit visa lets you pass through a country on your way to another one — it is not a tourist visa and does not let you stay. Here is what it actually covers, when you need one, and how the rules differ across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, the Schengen Area, Japan and Singapore.