All Ley 14/2013 statuses
Highly qualified professional

Highly qualified professional in Spain: EU Blue Card or national route

Got a job offer from a Spanish company and the right qualifications? The law sets out two different routes, each with its own entry bar.

3 yearsinitial permit (or contract length plus 3 months, if the contract is shorter than 3 years)
2 yearsrenewal, if conditions still hold
5 yearsuntil eligible for long-term residence

Two entry routes — art. 71 and 71 bis, Ley 14/2013

Both statuses grant residence for highly qualified employment or professional activity. The difference is in the qualification requirements and the legal basis.

Art. 71 bis

EU Blue Card

  • Qualification: higher education degree of at least 3 years, or at least 5 years of professional experience of comparable level.
  • Basis: a dedicated EU scheme (the EU Blue Card Directive), built into the mobility section of Ley 14/2013.
  • Who applies: usually the employer, though the law also allows the professional to apply directly.
Art. 71

National PAC

  • Qualification: a lower bar — a qualification at least at MECES level 1 (level 5A) or at least 3 years of comparable experience (art. 71.2.b).
  • Basis: a standalone Ley 14/2013 rule, not tied to the EU directive.
  • Who applies: the employer or the professional themselves (art. 71.1, para. 2).
💡
On top of the qualification requirement, both routes also require a minimum salary level. We're not publishing the exact 2026 threshold here until we've verified it — it'll get its own article.

Why the procedure is faster than an ordinary work permit

The "International mobility" section of Ley 14/2013 (DA 5ª) expressly exempts the employer from proving there's no suitable candidate on the Spanish labour market (situación nacional de empleo) — unlike an ordinary work permit. The application goes through the single Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE) and is valid across all of Spain.

Renewing the permit

The first permit is issued for 3 years. If the contract is shorter than three years, the permit is valid for the contract length plus 3 months, up to a maximum of three years. After that, it can be renewed for 2-year periods as long as the conditions it was granted on still hold (arts. 71.3 and 76.3, Ley 14/2013).

Timing

When and how to apply

  • Application window: during the 60 days before the permit expires (art. 71.3).
  • While you wait for the decision: the permit stays valid from the moment you file until the decision is issued (art. 76.3).
  • If you are late: an application filed within 90 days after the permit ended also extends its validity until the decision, but disciplinary proceedings (expediente sancionador) may be opened (art. 76.3).
  • Counting the days: the law does not say whether they are calendar or business days, so it is safer to count calendar days.
  • Filing method: renewals are filed electronically (art. 76.3).
Conditions

What is checked

  • Conditions still met: the authorities check that the conditions the permit was granted on still hold. For this, the General Directorate of Migration (Dirección General de Migraciones) may request the necessary reports (art. 76.3).
  • Changes: any change that affects the conditions of admission must be reported to the UGE within 30 days. If the conditions stop being met, the permit can be terminated by a reasoned decision after you have had the chance to be heard (DA 7ª).
  • Security: the permit may not be renewed if a police report, or a report from the National Intelligence Centre or the Department of National Security, shows that you may pose a threat to public order, public security, public health or national security (art. 62.7).
  • Documents: the law has no list of documents for renewal: what is checked is that the conditions still hold. What the UGE asks for depends on the case, and we confirm it before filing.
💡
EU Blue Card. The card is revoked or not renewed, after assessing the specific circumstances and in line with the principle of proportionality, if you no longer have a valid contract for a highly qualified job and your unemployment exceeds three months (card held for less than two years) or six months (card held for at least two years). You get three months to look for a new job, or six months if you have held the card for at least two years (art. 71 bis.3).

Family: who can move with you

A spouse, children and dependent parents can get a permit together with you or later. This is the general rule for all statuses in the "International mobility" section, including the highly qualified professional routes (art. 62.4, Ley 14/2013).

Who

Who counts as family

  • Spouse or partner in an analogous relationship (persona con análoga relación de afectividad).
  • Children: minors, and also adult children who depend on you financially and have not formed a family unit of their own.
  • Parents and other relatives in the ascending line who are dependent on you.
Filing

How to apply

  • Together or one after the other: the family's permit (and visa, if needed) can be requested at the same time as yours or later (art. 62.4).
  • At the same time: if the family's applications are filed together with yours, they are decided together (art. 62.4).
  • What to prove: each family member must meet the general requirements of art. 62.3, including sufficient financial resources for you and your family for the whole period of residence in Spain (art. 62.3.f).
💡
If you move to Spain with an EU Blue Card issued by another EU Member State, family applications that are not filed at the same time as yours must be filed within one month of the family's arrival in Spain (art. 71 bis.5).

Ready to take the next step?

Message us on WhatsApp: a short question is free. Or start now with AUTO — the self-service toolkit for €29.