- Spain requires non-EU workers to obtain both a work permit and a residence visa before starting any job in the country
- Employers must first secure work authorisation from Spanish authorities before a foreign worker can apply for a visa
- Workers who stay beyond six months must register for an Aliens Identification Card at the local police department
Spain has laid out the full set of requirements that non-European Union citizens, including Nigerians, must meet before taking up employment in the country, with failure to comply risking deportation or denial of entry.
According to guidance published by the Spanish government in April 2025, any non-EU citizen seeking to work as an employed person in Spain must secure two key documents:
Photo credits: JAIME REINA/AFP, JORGE GUERRERO/AFP
Source: Getty Images
1) a work and residence permit
2) a work and residence visa.
The national employment situation is factored into the decision on whether to grant the initial permit.
How the Permit Process Works
The process begins not with the worker but with the employer, who must first obtain work authorisation from the Provincial Aliens Affairs Office before a visa application can even begin.
Work authorisation is granted automatically when the role appears on Spain’s official Shortage Occupations List. For jobs outside that list, the employer must advertise the vacancy through public employment services. If no suitable local candidate with the required qualifications is found, the employer can proceed with the foreign worker’s application.
Once the work authorisation is issued, the residence permit and work permit are granted together by the same provincial office.
The worker must then apply for a work and residence visa at the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in their home country. This visa allows them to enter Spain and begin working legally.
Documents and Additional Requirements
To obtain the visa, applicants must present a medical certificate issued by a doctor recognised by Spanish diplomatic missions. They must also have a clean criminal record, both in Spain and in any country where they previously lived, covering offences specified under relevant Spanish law.
The initial work permit is valid for one year and can be renewed. However, it is tied to a specific employment sector and subject to geographical restrictions. Any job change during the first year must fall within those limits.
Workers who plan to stay in Spain for more than six months must obtain an Aliens Identification Card, known as a TIE, from the police department in the area where they live. Employers are also required to register workers with Spain’s Social Security System.
Who Is Exempt From Work Authorisation?
Certain categories of non-EU citizens do not need to obtain work authorisation, though they still require a visa or residence permit. These include scientists and technicians contracted by Spanish public bodies, professors invited by Spanish universities, accredited foreign journalists working in Spain, members of international scientific missions, and clergy whose work is limited strictly to religious duties, among others.
Long-term residence in Spain is generally available after five years of continuous and legal stay, after which the holder can reside and work in the country indefinitely.
Photo: Adri Salido
Source: Getty Images
Spain, Morocco Tighten Border
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Spain and Morocco reinforced security along the border of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after an unprecedented mass crossing saw about 49,000 migrants enter the territory by land and sea within a single day.
Authorities also confirmed that at least 19 bodies had been recovered from the surrounding waters following the surge, making it one of the deadliest migration incidents recorded along the route. Migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco during an unprecedented surge that overwhelmed border authorities.
Ceuta, together with Melilla, is one of Spain’s two autonomous cities in North Africa and shares the European Union’s only land border with the African continent. The enclave has long served as a gateway for migrants hoping to reach Europe.
Source: Legit.ng