Getting a Spanish work visa as an American: Step-by-step guide

Want to work in Spain as an American? You'll need a work visa first. Spain offers shorter work weeks and a culture that prioritizes life outside the office, but it can be tricky to secure a work permit if you don't do your research first.

There are different Spain work visa requirements to fulfil, depending on what type of visa you're applying for—a long-term work visa, an EU Blue Card, or even a newer opportunity like the Digital Nomad Visa.

Here's everything you need to know about how to get a work visa in Spain as an American.

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Table of contents

Spanish work visa overview: who is it for? What types of work visas can Americans apply for in Spain? Long-term work visa Seasonal work visa² Au pair work visa² EU Blue Card visa² Self-employment visa² Digital nomad visa⁴ Spain work visa requirements in 2025 What’s the best way to send money to Spain? Steps for getting work visa in Spain as an American How much does getting a Spanish work visa cost?

Spanish work visa overview: who is it for?

Americans planning to work and live in Spain must obtain a Spanish work visa before arrival. Spain offers a few different work visa categories, each with specific requirements and application processes.

The country recently introduced a Digital Nomad Visa, too. It's for remote workers who want to live in Spain while working for employers outside the country or freelancing.

💡 Spain has a great work-life balance, but you'll likely make less money than you would in the US. The average Spanish salary is 2,710 EUR per month or 32,520 EUR per year, which often translates to lower pay than what many Americans would earn domestically or even in other EU countries.¹

Spanish income taxes will further reduce your earnings. However, many Americans find the trade-off worth it for the experience of working abroad and living in a new culture.

Most Spanish work visas target highly skilled professionals in fields like technology, healthcare, engineering, and finance. That said, Spain also offers special visas for seasonal workers, au pairs, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads working remotely for foreign companies.

What types of work visas can Americans apply for in Spain?

Spain has different work visas for different types of foreign employees and jobs. Here are the main ones you can apply for as an American.

Long-term work visa

This is the main Spanish work visa for US citizens for most jobs. You get it for 1 year at first, and then you can keep renewing it for as long as you have the job.²

To get this visa, you need a job offer from a Spanish company. Your employer has to show that your job is on Spain's "shortage list" or prove they couldn't find anyone from Europe to do the job.

Naturally, this makes the Spain work visa quite competitive and reserved for highly skilled professionals.

You also need to earn enough money—55,142 EUR per year for director-level jobs, and 40,077 EUR per year for other professional-level positions, to qualify for the Spain work visa minimum salaries.³

Seasonal work visa²

This visa lets you work in Spain for a few months on temporary jobs. It's good for work in farming, hotels, or restaurants during busy seasons.

Depending on the job, you'll likely face the same basic requirements as the long-term visa, plus you'll have to show that:

• You'll have a place to live while in Spain
• Your employer pays for your travel to and from Spain
• You promise the Spanish Immigration Office to go back to the US when your job ends

This visa is only temporary, and you can't use it to stay in Spain permanently.

Au pair work visa²

This visa is for young Americans who want to live with a Spanish family and help take care of their children. You can stay for 1 year and extend it for 1 more year (2 years total).

To qualify, you need to:

• Be between 17 and 30 years old
• Speak English, French, or German well
• Know some basic Spanish
• Not have any children
• Find a Spanish family to live with before you apply

The au pair visa can be a good option for college graduates who want to experience Spanish culture while still making some money. Since au pair jobs typically provide accommodations, it can be a good way to save some money, too.

EU Blue Card visa²

The EU Blue Card is a special visa for highly skilled workers that works across many European countries, including Spain. It's designed for professionals with advanced degrees and lots of experience.

You get the card for 1 year at first, and then you can keep renewing it. One big advantage is that your spouse can come with you and work in Spain too. Most Spain work visas allow you to bring dependents, but they don't give them the right to work.

To qualify, you need:

• A college degree (3+ years) OR at least 5 years of professional experience
• A job offer from a Spanish company that pays at least 1.5 times the average Spanish salary (or 1.2 times for jobs with shortage occupations)

Naturally, the EU Blue Card visa is very competitive and is only reserved for highly qualified non-EU citizens. But it's a long-stay visa that gives you access to not just Spain, but continuous legal residence in other EU countries, too, so the benefits are well worth it.

Self-employment visa²

This visa lets you work for yourself in Spain as a freelancer (called autónomo in Spanish). You can start your own business or work as an independent contractor.

The visa lasts for 1 year, then you can renew it for up to 4 more years. If you change your mind later, you can switch to working for a company without getting a new visa.

You need to:

• Be over 18 years old
• Have a clean criminal record
• Show you have the right skills or experience for your work
• Prove you have sufficient financial resources to run your business

However, becoming a freelancer in Spain isn't as straightforward as just saying that you'll freelance and finding your first client.

You'll need to create a detailed business plan as part of your Spain work visa application, register with the tax office, get health insurance, and go through a few other steps.

Digital nomad visa⁴

Spain's Digital Nomad Visa started in January 2023. It's for Americans who want to live in Spain while working remotely for companies outside of Spain. You can be self-employed, too.

This remote work visa in Spain gives you 1 year at first, but you can extend it for up to 5 years total. After 5 years, you might be able to get a residence permit or even Spanish citizenship.

To qualify, you'll need to earn at least 2,762.66 EUR per month (that's double Spain's minimum wage). If you're bringing dependents with you, like your spouse or children, the income requirements increase.

You'll have to pay a 24% tax on income up to 600,000 EUR per year, which is lower than Spain's regular tax rates.

Since the US has a tax treaty with Spain, you'll only pay taxes in Spain or the US, not both, but it's best to talk to a tax professional to figure out what works best for your situation.

💡 Learn more about expat taxes in Spain.

Spain work visa requirements in 2025

What you need to apply for a Spain work visa depends on which type of visa you're getting. However, most Spanish work visas ask for similar basic documents.

Here's what you'll usually need:²

• Employment contract: A signed offer/work contract from a Spanish company with your salary and job details (not needed for self-employed visas, but you'll need other documentation)
• Valid passport: Must be less than 10 years old with at least 2 blank pages, plus copies of pages with biometric data
• Recent photo: Passport-style color photo
• Work permit: Your legal employer gets this work authorization for you (called Autorización de Residencia y Trabajo por Cuenta Ajena in Spanish)
• Clean criminal record: Background checks from every country you've lived in during the past 5 years (must be less than 3 months old)
• Medical certificate: A doctor's note saying you don't have diseases that could harm public health
• Housing proof: A lease or other document showing where you'll live in Spain
• Job qualifications: Diplomas, certificates, or work experience that prove you're qualified for the job, especially if you must prove that you're more qualified than a local or EU candidate

Different visas have additional rules. For example, for the seasonal work visa, your employer needs to pay for your travel to and from Spain. With the self-employment visa, you'll have to submit a detailed business plan for approval.

Once you're in Spain, you have 30 days to get 2 important documents:⁵

• Residence card (Tarjeta de Residencia, TIE)
• Foreigner ID number (Número de Identificación de Extranjero, NIE)

You can get these at your local Foreigners' Office (Oficina de Extranjeros) or police station.

The NIE number is especially important because you'll need it for everything financial in Spain, like opening a bank account, getting paid, or signing up for social security.

What’s the best way to send money to Spain?

Banks are certainly one option for sending money internationally, as are services like PayPal. But the problem with banks is they can often be slow, expensive and inconvenient. Luckily, there’s a better alternative out there.

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Steps for getting work visa in Spain as an American

The exact steps change based on which visa you're applying for, but the basic process is similar for most work visas. Here's how it works:

1. Your employer gets work authorization

Your Spanish employer has to get permission from Spain's Ministry of Labor before you can apply for your visa. This isn't something you do yourself. Your employer handles this part.

Your employer sends documents like a copy of your passport, proof of your job skills, and their company papers. They also pay a fee. This step takes up to 3 months, and the Spain work visa processing time can be long.²

2. Apply for your visa

Once your employer gets the work authorization, you can apply for a Spanish work visa. You'll need to make an appointment at a Spanish embassy or consulate in the US and gather all of the required documents. You'll also give your fingerprints and pay the visa fee.

3. Wait for approval

Processing your visa can take up to 3 months. When it's approved, you have 1 month to go back to the embassy or Spanish consulate and get your passport with the visa.²

4. Organize your life in Spain

Once you have your visa, you can fly to Spain and start your new life there.

Your employer has to sign you up for Spanish social security before you start working. You'll also need to get your TIE and NIE. Plus, take the time to understand how you'll pay taxes and what your other legal obligations are while in Spain.

You'll also want to get familiar with your employee benefits in Spain.

How much does getting a Spanish work visa cost?

You'll need to pay several fees before you get your visa approval. How much you pay depends on which type of visa you're applying for, and these costs can also change over time, so always check the current rates before applying.

Here’s what to expect:

Visa type	Cost²⁴
Digital Nomad Visa	80 EUR
Long-term work visa	167 EUR
Seasonal work visa	73 to 550 EUR, depending on how long your visa is
Au pair work visa	141 EUR
EU Blue Card visa	418 EUR
Self-employment visa	238 EUR

In addition to the visa fees, there are a few other costs that you'll need to budget for.

You'll likely need to translate several documents into Spanish and get them apostilled, which costs 70 USD per certified translation and 25 USD to 75 USD per apostilled document on average.⁴

You'll also probably need to do an FBI background check, which costs around 18 USD. NIE and TIE registration, which you'll need to do once you arrive in Spain, will cost you an additional 20 EUR or so.⁴

Overall, getting a work visa for Spain isn't the easiest or cheapest process, especially for traditional work visas. You typically need to be a skilled professional in a field for which Spain needs workers. However, there are other options available.

For example, the Digital Nomad Visa can be a great choice if you can work remotely and earn enough money to meet the income requirements.

An important thing to keep in mind is that transferring money between the US and Spain can get expensive because of transfer fees and poor currency exchange rates.

With the Wise account, you can top up your USD Wise balance with a domestic transfer that you will be able to convert at the mid-market rate with an upfront conversion fee.

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Sources

1. Housing Anywhere - The Complete Guide to the Average Salary in Spain
2. Velocity Global - How to get a Spain work visa
3. Horizons - Work Visa, in Spain
4. Get Golden Visa - Spain Digital Nomad Visa
5. Expatica - How to get a work visa in Spain

Sources checked 07/31/2025