Key Points of the Highly Qualified Professional Permit

If you are a highly qualified professional or executive and have a job offer in Spain, you can benefit from the regime provided by the work permit for Highly Qualified Personnel (PAC).

Next, we explain the main key points you should consider to successfully process this work permit:

1. This permit allows you to apply both from your country of origin and directly from Spain (provided that the worker is legally present in Spanish territory, for example, as a tourist).
2. The company is responsible for requesting this work permit.
3. The processing is handled by the Unit for Large Companies and Strategic Groups (UGE), not by the local immigration offices. The application is submitted electronically.
4. Another fundamental aspect is the job position the worker will perform. When submitting the application, it is advisable to clearly specify the responsibilities and tasks of the new position. In short, it is essential to prepare a detailed list that clearly reflects the particularities of the job the company needs to fill. This helps justify that the worker is a highly qualified professional.
5. The academic/training profile of the applicant is also key. Although generally a university degree, master’s, or doctorate is required to obtain this permit, there is an exception: it is still possible to apply if the academic titles have not been completed, by proving a minimum prior work experience in the sector performing similar tasks to those in the new hiring company.
6. There is no need to pass the national employment situation test. Usually, when a company wants to hire a worker from outside Spain, it must verify the so-called national employment situation: publishing the job offer with the Public Employment Service to ensure no unemployed (Spanish or legally resident foreigners) can fill the position. Currently, obtaining a certificate from the National Employment Service stating that there are no available unemployed workers with an appropriate profile is very difficult. For the highly qualified professionals’ permit, the company can request it without presenting such a negative certificate.
7. When managing the permit as a highly qualified professional, the salary must also be considered. Generally, if the position is executive or managerial, the salary should be around €50,000 annually, and if it is a technical professional, around €40,000 annually.
8. The authorization is initially granted for 2 years or for the duration indicated in the job offer. The highly qualified professional may be accompanied by family members.
9. The authorization can be renewed for a new period of 2 years as long as the conditions are maintained.
10. The work permit for a highly qualified professional is fully related and linked to the hiring company, since it is the company that initiates the request, prepares the corresponding documents, and sends them to the competent authorities at the time of the application. This “link” means the authorization only allows work for the requesting company. If the worker leaves the company during the validity period, the work permit becomes invalid.

Considering these 10 key points is essential to successfully obtain the work permit for highly qualified professionals in Spain. However, most cases require personalized studies and analyses of both the worker and the company.

The team of professionals at Adlanter can handle the procedures related to obtaining this permit and resolve all your doubts.