Spain · ES-HQP · Work visa

Highly Qualified Professional Visa

Valid for 3 years, or the contract length plus 3 months if the contract is shorter.

6 official facts · checked 5 Nov 2026

Cost
to confirm
Time
20 days
Stay
36 months
Spain ES-HQP

Highly Qualified Professional Visa

6 verified facts

Cost
To be confirmed with the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion or consulate before applying.
Time
Legal deadline: 20 days from electronic submission; if there is no decision by then, the permit is deemed granted. The consulate then has 10 working days to decide the visa.
Stay
Valid for 3 years, or the contract length plus 3 months if the contract is shorter.
Leads to
To be confirmed with the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion or consulate before applying.
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The details

What the official rules say

Each line links to its official source and the date we checked it. Anything we could not check is marked.

Cost

To be confirmed with the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion or consulate before applying.

How long it takes

Legal deadline: 20 days from electronic submission; if there is no decision by then, the permit is deemed granted. The consulate then has 10 working days to decide the visa.

Legal maximum, not the usual time

inclusion.gob.es ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

How long you can stay

Valid for 3 years, or the contract length plus 3 months if the contract is shorter.

inclusion.gob.es ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

Can it lead to living there permanently?

To be confirmed with the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion or consulate before applying.

Rules

From June 2026: at least €41,356.36 a year; no reduced threshold applies to the national permit.

inclusion.gob.es ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026 · in force from 1 Jun 2026

A qualification at least at level 1 of the Spanish higher-education framework (higher vocational level), or at least 3 years of comparable professional experience.

inclusion.gob.es ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

You need an employment contract with an employer in Spain, signed by both sides.

inclusion.gob.es ↗ · checked 5 Nov 2026

These are the official rules we have so far. There may be more. Read the official page before you apply.

Official page

Hoja 66 – Initial residence and work permit for highly qualified professionals (covers the EU Blue Card and the national permit) — Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration

inclusion.gob.es ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

What can come next
  1. This visa Highly Qualified Professional Visa
  2. Next step Next step: permanent residence — details coming soon

A possible next step. Times come from each visa's official rules. See what long-term visas need.

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