Highly Qualified Professional and EU Blue Card

A residence authorisation that allows foreign professionals to join a highly qualified employment or professional relationship in Spain, valid across the entire national territory.

3 years max.

Duration of the authorisation, renewable for 2-year periods

20 days

Maximum decision period, deemed approved if exceeded

€40,077 / €54,142

Reference annual gross salary: technical staff / executives

Who is it for?

Highly qualified technical, scientific or managerial positions

National Highly Qualified Professional

Professionals hired by companies in Spain for roles requiring higher education qualifications or comparable experience.

EU Blue Card

A specific modality with its own qualification, employment and salary requirements, including mobility within the European Union.

Requirements — Highly Qualified Professional

Conditions for the application

EU Blue Card

Specific requirements and EU mobility

Step-by-step procedure

From application to residence

STEP 1

Preparation and submission

Application submitted exclusively online to the UGE-CE, by the company or the professional.

1
2
STEP 2

Decision

The application is deemed approved by administrative silence if no decision is issued within the statutory period.

20 days
STEP 3

Visa (if applicable)

To be applied for at the relevant Consulate if the professional is outside Spain.

Within 1 month of notification
3
4
STEP 4

Entry, Social Security registration and TIE

Entry within the visa validity period; TIE required when the residence authorization exceeds 6 months.

Within 1 month of Social Security registration
STEP 5

Renewal

For 2-year periods, provided the conditions that gave rise to the entitlement continue to be met.

60 days before / up to 90 days after
5
1
STEP 1

Preparation and submission

Application submitted exclusively online to the UGE-CE, by the company or the professional.

2
STEP 2

Decision

The application is deemed approved by administrative silence if no decision is issued within the statutory period.

20 days
3
STEP 3

Visa (if applicable)

To be applied for at the relevant Consulate if the professional is outside Spain.

Within 1 month of notification
4
STEP 4

Entry, Social Security registration and TIE

Entry within the visa validity period; TIE required when the residence authorization exceeds 6 months.

Within 1 month of Social Security registration
5
STEP 5

Renewal

For 2-year periods, provided the conditions that gave rise to the entitlement continue to be met.

60 days before / up to 90 days after

Family reunification

No minimum prior residence period

Family members may apply jointly with the main applicant or afterwards, with no minimum prior residence period required from the latter. They are entitled to reside and work in Spain from the moment their authorisation is granted, generally for the same duration as the main applicant’s.

Why Seegman

One case file, one single team

Choosing between the national Highly Qualified Professional route and the EU Blue Card, and fitting that choice to the company’s salary and tax structure, requires a joint analysis. We coordinate all of it from the same place.

360° view — Mobility + tax

We coordinate the immigration file with tax planning, including the special inbound-expatriate regime (“Beckham Law”) where applicable.

End to end

We support the company and the professional from submission to the UGE-CE through to obtaining the TIE in Spain.

Shall we discuss your case?

Agende una consulta.