EU Blue Card Spain (Tarjeta Azul UE)

An EU Blue Card is a temporary residence and work permit applicable at present in 25 of the 27 EU countries, excluding Denmark and Ireland. The EU Blue Card essentially is a merit-based system and is often termed as the EU’s answer to the US’ Green Card. The EU Blue Card programme has a two-fold goal:

• To boost competitiveness in the European job market through attracting migrant talent, ultimately leading to the region’s economic growth
• To mitigate demographic risks resulting from an ageing population in Europe

The European Council adopted the EU Blue Card directive and the single permit directive in May 2009 and December 2011, respectively. While the goal of the former was to attract highly qualified and educated foreign workers to Europe, the latter was to establish a single application procedure to simplify the talent migration process.

Although it is an EU-wide programme, an EU country will issue Blue Cards depending on their particular economic needs and after taking into consideration the interests of their respective domestic workforce. For example, if a Spanish company wants to hire a foreign qualified professional through the EU Blue Card programme, it will first need to prove that there is a lack of required skills and qualification for the said role within Spain.

Page Contents

• What Is an EU Blue Card?
• Main Advantages of the EU Blue Card
• Who Can Apply for an EU Blue Card?
• How to Apply for an EU Blue Card in Spain?
• Required Documents for an EU Blue Card Application
• EU Blue Card Application Processing Time and Fees
• EU Blue Card Validity and Renewal in Spain
• How Is the EU Blue Card Different From the Long-Term EU Card?
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

An EU Blue Card comes with many advantages for both the Spanish employers as well as the foreign employees. While for the employer such a programme opens the doors to a wider labour market, ruling out any compromise with employees’ skills and/or educational qualification, for the overseas workers an EU Blue Card offers:

• A secure job offer in Spain with an equal salary as well as workplace rights and benefits to those enjoyed by Spanish nationals
• Access to public healthcare and education facilities as well as social security benefits in the Spain
• Freedom of movement through the EU
• Opportunity to bring eligible family members to Spain
• Opportunity to apply for permanent residency in Spain after completing a specific time of residence
• Flexibility to reside outside Spain, in another EU state or the applicant’s home country, for a maximum of 12 months

EU, EEA or Swiss citizens as well as citizens of overseas countries and territories (OCTs) that have constitutional ties with EU Member States (e.g. Greenland) are not eligible to apply for an EU Blue Card. In addition, an EU Blue Card is meant for employees. Foreign entrepreneurs or self-employed professionals cannot apply for an EU Blue Card.

Third-country nationals may be eligible to apply for an EU Blue Card in Spain provided they:

• Have a higher educational degree or similar professional qualification (e.g. a three-year bachelor’s degree from a recognised educational institution) or at least five years of professional experience in a relevant field
• Have an employment contract or binding job offer from a Spain-based employer, which is valid for at least a year and offers an average gross annual salary that is at least 1.5 times the average national salary in Spain (or 1.2 times the average if the concerned sector faces a scarcity of workers in the domestic market)
• Have their occupation listed in Spain’s National Classification of Occupations or CNO-11 (e.g., directors, managers, scientific and intellectual technicians and professionals, etc.)
• Meet legal requirements for regulated professions in Spain, where applicable
• Must not pose a threat to Spain’s public policy
• Have no criminal record
• Are not subject to entry restrictions in Spain

If you hold an EU Blue Card issued by another EU Member State for at least 18 months, you are also eligible to move to Spain and apply for an EU blue card in the country.

The application process for an EU Blue Card in Spain consists of two stages. First, the Spanish employer wishing to hire highly-qualified foreign employees will need to apply for an EU Blue Card to either the Foreign Office or the UGE (i.e. the large companies unit). In case the company employs more than 500 workers domestically and has work locations in multiple provinces in Spain, they must submit their application to the General Directorate of Immigration. An integrity check of the employer will be carried out as part of processing their application.

Once their application is granted by the authorities, the employer will notify the foreign employees accordingly. This is where the second stage of an EU Blue Card application starts, with the concerned foreign national initiating a visa application process in person at the Spanish embassy/consulate in their country of residence. You may also apply online if you are already residing lawfully in Spain on any other visa/permit.

You must apply for a Spain visa within one month of your employer receiving notice from the Spanish authorities that a work permit has been granted. All successful applicants will be issued with an EU Blue Card that is usually valid for a period of one year, and renewable thereafter provided you continue meeting the initial conditions.

You need to travel to Spain within 90 days of receiving your visa. Upon arrival in Spain, please enrol yourself in the Spanish social security system within the stipulated deadline. If not registered with the social security system within the deadline, your stay will be considered illegal in the country and as a result, you may be deported from Spain.

You will also have to apply for a Foreigner Identity Card (Tarjeta de Identificación de Extranjeros or a TIE card) at your local police station or immigration office in person.

Both the sponsoring employer and the foreign national employee will need to submit specific supporting documents along with their respective applications for an EU Blue Card. The concerned Spanish authorities may also ask for additional supporting documents depending on your situation.

Documents to Be Submitted by the Employer

• Completed EU Blue Card application form
• Tax ID number (NIF) if the employer is an incorporated business (individual employers may consent to have their relevant details checked instead)
• Employment contract
• Role description of the job offered
• Documents proving that the employer is duly paying taxes and social security in Spain
• Documents proving that the employer has no outstanding debts and payments to third parties
• Updated resume of the foreign employee
• Documents from Spain’s Public Employment Service certifying the lack of qualified candidates in the domestic labour market for the offered position
• Salary details for the offered job (must meet the specified threshold)
• Application fee payment receipt

Documents to Be Submitted by the Employee

• Spain National visa application form, duly completed and signed
• Current valid passport issued in the last 10 years, valid for at least four months, and with at least two blank pages
• Two passport photos in compliance with ICAO guidelines
• Updated resume
• Employment contract signed by the employer
• Recognised educational and/or professional qualifications from an educational institution (or experience letter in the relevant field)
• Health insurance
• Medical certificate showing that the applicant does not suffer from any disease that could cause serious repercussions for public health in Spain as per the 2005 International Health Regulations
• Criminal record check certificate from the applicant’s home country
• Additional criminal record check certificate(s) if the applicant lived outside their home country in the last five years, issued by the concerned country(s)
• Visa fee payment receipt

Spanish authorities can legally take up to 45 days to process an EU Blue Card application. The waiting period may increase to 90 days if additional supporting documents are needed depending on your circumstances.

The application fee for an EU Blue Card is €418. To renew or replace a stolen card, you will need to pay a fee of €112.

An EU Blue Card is usually valid for one year in Spain. You may renew your card provided you continue meeting the initial conditions.

It is recommended to initiate the renewal process two months prior to the expiry date of your current EU Blue Card. However, you will be eligible to renew your card within 90 days from the date of its expiry. In the latter case, you may have to pay a fine for failing to renew your card on time. After receiving your new EU Blue Card, please reach out to your local police station in Spain to apply for a new ID card.

Please note that the Spanish authorities may refuse to renew your EU Blue Card in case you no longer meet the relevant requirements, or it has been found out at a later stage that your original application was based on false information or documents, or if you present a threat to public policy, public security or public health in Spain.

Both an EU Blue Card and a long-term EU card allow foreign nationals to live and work in the EU Member States. However, there are certain differences between the two.

To start with, obtaining a long-term EU card requires a foreign national to reside in an EU Member State (for example, Spain in this context) lawfully for at least five years. For an EU Blue Card, no such residency period is required prior to submitting your application.

Moreover, an EU Blue Card application is an employer-led process, where a Spanish employer first needs to apply for a work permit on behalf of the foreign employee. On the other hand, it is the sole responsibility of the applicant to initiate the long-term EU card application process.