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Highly Qualified Professional
This is a temporary residence and work authorization that may be obtained by a foreign worker to perform a work activity for which a higher education qualification is required or, exceptionally, a minimum of five years of professional experience that can be considered comparable to that qualification.
At the time of the application, the professional can be outside or legally residing in Spain. The procedure will be carried out before the Large Companies and Collectives Unit. The application must be made telematically through the electronic headquarters of the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Social Security; if the worker is abroad, once the company has obtained the residence authorization, he/she must apply for the corresponding visa at the Spanish Consulate in his/her country of residence.
Executives and highly qualified personnel of companies or 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.
Graduates or postgraduates from universities and business schools of recognized prestige, whose salary level reaches €41.070 per year.
