A Spanish employer obtains the work and residence authorisation before the Indian hire applies for the EUR 80 national visa at BLS International. Graduates and experienced professionals use the highly qualified professional (HQP) authorisation under Law 14/2013, decided by the Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE) in 20 working days with a salary at or above the average for the occupational group (about EUR 40,000 for managers and graduates, EUR 30,000 for technicians), or the EU Blue Card at 1.5 times the average gross salary (about EUR 41,000). Everyone else goes through the general regime at the provincial immigration office, where the job must be on the shortage list or pass a labour-market test.
The short version with the price card and checklist is on the Spain work visa route page. This article is the long version: which of the routes fits an Indian hire, the salary thresholds, who pays what, the timeline and the reasons authorisations and visas fail.
Which Spain work visa route applies to an Indian hire?
| Route | Who | Requirements | Validity | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly qualified professional (Law 14/2013) | Managers, graduates, 3-year professionals hired by Spanish companies | Degree or 3 years' experience; salary at the group average (about EUR 40,000 groups 1 and 2, EUR 30,000 group 3); company tax and social security compliant | Up to 3 years, renewable for 2; family included | UGE, 20 working days; positive silence |
| EU Blue Card | Graduates and 5-year professionals (3 for ICT) | Salary at least 1.5 times the average gross (about EUR 41,000; 1.2 times for shortage roles); contract of 6 months or more | Up to 3 years; mobility to another EU state after 12 months | UGE, 20 working days |
| Intra-company transfer (ICT) | Managers, specialists and trainees moving within a group | 3 months' employment in the group; assignment letter | Up to 3 years (1 for trainees) | UGE, 20 working days |
| General regime (cuenta ajena) | Any role on the shortage catalogue or passing the labour-market test | Employer applies at the Oficina de Extranjería; company solvent; contract at the collective agreement rate | 1 year, renewed for 4 | Up to 3 months |
Managers and graduates (or professionals with three years' comparable experience) earning the average salary for their group use the HQP authorisation, which also handles intra-company transfers, researchers and start-up staff. Degree holders or five-year professionals (three for ICT) at 1.5 times the average gross salary can take the EU Blue Card for intra-EU mobility. Roles outside those thresholds, from skilled trades to hospitality, use the general regime, where the occupation must appear on the quarterly Catálogo de Ocupaciones de Difícil Cobertura or the employer must prove that no suitable candidate is available in Spain or the EU.
How does the UGE highly qualified route work?
Law 14/2013 created the UGE route to bypass the labour-market test for companies hiring talent. The employer registers with the UGE, uploads the contract, the applicant's degree (with an apostilled sworn translation or the Spanish equivalence) or experience letters, and the company's tax and social security compliance certificates. The authorisation is granted, or deemed granted by positive silence, in 20 working days. Salary must reach the average gross salary of the occupational group under the national statistics, which the UGE updates and currently sets at roughly EUR 40,000 for groups 1 and 2 and EUR 30,000 for group 3. Family members apply at the same time and receive work rights, which is why most Indian IT, finance and engineering hires come through this route rather than the Blue Card; the Blue Card's advantage is mobility to another EU state after 12 months, as described in the Germany work visa and Blue Card guide.
What is the general regime, and when does it apply?
The general regime still matters for Indian cooks, hospitality staff, truck drivers, welders and care workers. The employer applies to the provincial Oficina de Extranjería for an initial work and residence authorisation, granted if the role is on the quarterly shortage catalogue or after the public employment service certifies that no suitable candidate is available. The 2025 regulation (RD 1155/2024, in force 20 May 2025) gives a one-year initial permit renewed for four years, allows a change of employer after the first year and lets students switch to work without leaving Spain. Decisions take up to three months, and the labour-market step adds weeks before that.
How much does a Spain work visa cost, and who pays?
| Item | Fee | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Residence and work authorisation (tasa 062) | EUR 10 to 200 by route and salary | Employer |
| National work visa (Indian nationals) | EUR 80 | Worker or employer |
| BLS International service fee | About INR 1,700 | Worker or employer |
| TIE card (tasa 790-012) | About EUR 16 | Worker |
| Degree legalisation and sworn translation | EUR 100 to 300 | Worker |
| Social security | About 6.5 per cent employee; 30 per cent employer | Both |
Spain charges no levy or surcharge for hiring foreign professionals. Income tax runs from 19 to 47 per cent, and the Beckham regime lets qualifying new residents pay a flat 24 per cent on Spanish employment income up to EUR 600,000 for six years. Vistolane charges the EUR 80 visa fee at the official rate and shows the employer's authorisation fee and the TIE separately on the Spain destination page.
How does the application run?
- The employer chooses the route and files: HQP, Blue Card or ICT through the UGE portal (20 working days), or the general regime at the Oficina de Extranjería (up to three months) with the shortage-list or labour-market certificate.
- The authorisation is notified to the employer and the consulate; the worker has one month to apply for the visa.
- The worker applies for the national visa at BLS International with the form, photo, passport, authorisation, apostilled PCC, medical certificate and degree; pays EUR 80; two to four weeks (10 days for UGE routes).
- The worker enters Spain within three months, registers with social security within the first month and completes the empadronamiento at the town hall.
- The worker applies for the TIE within 30 days: police appointment, tasa 790-012, fingerprints; the card arrives in 30 to 45 days.
How long does it take from India?
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Employer file | 1 to 3 weeks | UGE registration, contract, degree equivalence |
| UGE decision (HQP, Blue Card, ICT) | 20 working days | Positive silence applies |
| General regime decision | Up to 3 months | Shortage list or labour-market test first |
| Visa at BLS | 2 to 4 weeks | Within 1 month of the authorisation |
| TIE card | Apply within 30 days; card in 30 to 45 days | Receipt allows work |
HQP hires can plan two to three months from offer to first day; general-regime hires four to six, longer when the occupation is not on the shortage catalogue. The processing times page tracks the current turnaround.
What happens after arrival?
HQP and Blue Card holders can change employer by notifying the UGE with the new contract at the required salary; general-regime workers may change employer and sector after the first year. Spouses and children of HQP, Blue Card and ICT holders arrive with the worker and may work; general-regime workers apply for family reunification once the initial permit is renewed, with income of 150 per cent of the IPREM (EUR 900 a month in 2026) for the first relative, as explained in the Spain family reunification guide. After five years of legal residence workers obtain long-term residence and the EU long-term permit. Citizenship requires ten years of residence (two for nationals of Ibero-American countries, which does not include India) and renunciation of Indian citizenship.
Why do Spain work visas fail, and what fixes each reason?
Salary below the threshold. An offer under the group average (HQP) or under 1.5 times the average (Blue Card). Raise the contract to the threshold or use the general regime with the shortage list.
Degree not recognised. No apostille, translation or equivalence for the degree. Apostille through the MEA, use a sworn translator and request the equivalence early; rely on experience where the route allows.
Occupation not on the shortage list. A general-regime role without a labour-market certificate. Obtain the public employment service certificate or restructure the role under the UGE.
Company non-compliant. Tax or social security arrears, or no registration with the UGE. Clear arrears and register before filing.
Visa applied for late. More than one month after the authorisation. Book BLS as soon as the authorisation is notified.
How Vistolane files it
Vistolane's licence-checked partner prepares the UGE or Oficina de Extranjería file with the employer, legalises the degree, files the EUR 80 visa at BLS at the official rate and books the TIE appointment after arrival. Start with the free eligibility check or the Spain work visa route page. Professionals comparing European routes can read the Italy work visa guide and the France work visa and Talent card guide.
