Standard residency · RD 1155/2024
The standard route for anyone who has, or has secured, a Spanish employer willing to formalise a contract. Here is what the law actually requires, without simplified summaries.
It is a single residence-and-work document: it grants the right to live in Spain and, at the same time, to work for a specific employer.
The initial authorisation is valid for a maximum of one year and is usually limited to one autonomous community and one occupation or activity. After the first renewal those limits disappear: the authorisation becomes valid for 4 years and allows work anywhere in the country, as an employee or self-employed.
Legal basis: art. 72-73 and 81 RD 1155/2024If you already reside in Spain under another authorisation and want to switch to employed work without leaving the country, that is a different procedure — a change of authorisation type (art. 191), with its own conditions and timeline. We cover that route separately.
The authorisation is processed for a specific worker-employer pair, and most of the legal requirements are addressed to the employer.
National employment situation check
Basic condition: there must have been an unsuccessful attempt to fill the position with national candidates or people already legally resident in Spain. This check follows art. 75, or, where hiring takes place through collective recruitment from the worker's country of origin, the relevant ministerial order. There are exceptions for certain occupations and situations — the current list must be checked against the order in force at the time of the application.
Signed employment contract
The employer and worker sign a contract covering the full validity of the initial authorisation (i.e. up to one year), with a start date tied to the moment the authorisation takes effect.
Terms in line with the law and the collective agreement
Salary and conditions must match the collective agreement (convenio) in force for that activity, category and location. For part-time work, the total amount, prorated to a full annual working day, cannot be lower than the annual minimum wage (SMI) for full-time work.
Employer must be solvent and up to date
No outstanding debts with the tax authorities or social security at the time of the application. The employer must also show sufficient economic, material or staffing resources for the stated project and to meet the contract's obligations.
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Social security registration after lawful entry into Spain | 3 months |
| Personal application for the TIE card after registration (if the authorisation exceeds 6 months) | 1 month |
The initial authorisation is valid for as long as the declared activity lasts, but never more than one year. It is limited to one autonomous community and one occupation, unless a law or international treaty removes that restriction. Where an autonomous community holds transferred powers over initial work authorisations, it may set the geographic scope itself.
Legal basis: art. 73.1, 73.3, 73.4 RD 1155/2024While the employed-work authorisation is valid, it automatically also authorises self-employed activity, as long as employed work remains the main activity. Exception: if the employed work ends for reasons beyond the worker's control, this must be reported to the immigration office within three days.
Legal basis: art. 72.5 RD 1155/2024| Item | Who pays | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Application for initial residence and work authorisation (code 2.1.3) | the applicant | €10.94 |
| Work permit | the employer | from €81.54 to €407.71 depending on salary and type |
| TIE card after approval | the applicant | €16.08 |
The work-permit fee is paid by the employer and cannot legally be passed on to the worker — this is a direct rule of law.
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Legal sources: RD 1155/2024 (art. 72, 73, 74, 75, 81); Orden PJC/617/2025.