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Entrepreneurship law
Highly Qualified Professional
Highly qualified professional residence and work permits are temporary authorizations granted to a foreign highly qualified professional engaged in roles requiring a higher education qualification or, exceptionally, at least five years of relevant experience.
This permit can be requested whether the professional is outside or legally residing in Spain. The application for a highly qualified professional must be submitted to the Large Companies and Collectives Unit via the Ministry’s electronic headquarters. If the professional is abroad, they must apply for a visa after the residence permit is approved.
Executives and highly qualified personnel of companiesor groups of companies that alternatively meet any of the following requirements:
- Average headcount of more than 250 employees in Spain in the three months preceding the application.
- Annual net turnover in Spain of more than 50 million euros.
- Shareholders’ equity or net worth in Spain of more than 43 million euros.
- Average annual gross investment from abroad of not less than 1 million euros in the three years prior to the application.
- Value of the investment stock or position in Spain of more than 3 million euros according to the latest data from the Foreign Investment Register of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade.
Executives and highly qualified personnel of SMEs accredited as strategic sector, by means of a report from the Directorate General for Trade and Investment.
The accreditation of compliance with the above requirements will be made once before the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit and will be valid for three years, renewable, if the requirements are maintained.
Managers and highly qualified personnel who are part of a business project accredited as being of general interest by means of a report from the Directorate General for Trade and Investment, in accordance with any of the following conditions:
- Significant increase in the creation of direct jobs by the company requesting the hiring.
- Maintenance of employment.
- Significant increase in the creation of jobs in the sector or geographical area where the work activity is to be carried out.
- Extraordinary investment with socioeconomic impact in the geographical area of activity.
- Reasons of general interest for commercial and investment policies.
- Relevant contribution to scientific and/or technological innovation.
