Spain’s Highly Qualified Worker Visa vs. EU Blue Card

Both the highly qualified worker visa and the EU blue card are for experienced and skilled non-EU professionals who get job offers in Spain, but how do they differ and what do you need for each?

While the highly qualified professionals visa and the EU blue card may not be the most common ways for non-EU citizens to move to Spain, they are options for those wiht a high level of qualifications and skills who manage to secure a job offer from a Spanish company.

Thes days the most common visas for third country nationals to come and live in Spain are the non-lucrative visa, which doesn’t allow you to work or the digital nomad visa, which means you must already have a remote job or be self-employed and already work with clients abroad.

There is, however, a bit of confusion between the highly qualified professionals visa and the EU blue card because essentially, they both require high level skill levels and job offers from companies in Spain.

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The visa for highly qualified professionals is a residence permit granted to non-EU citizens to carry out a job as an employee in Spain in a high-skill position such as that of a member of a senior management team. Spanish law doesn’t specify exactly what a highly qualified worker is,however,so it may depend on the discretion of the person in charge of granting the visa,and also the company offering you the position.

the EU Blue card on the other hand is a residence and work permit that allows you to live and work legally throughout the European Union. Nevertheless, it will be tied to a job offer you receive in Spain. It’s ideal for those who may want to spend extended amounts of time in other EU countries.

With this card you can take trips of up to 3 months to other EU states for professional activities or long-term trips, after 12 months of residence in a Member State.

It is not to be confused with the EU long-term residence permit, which is slightly different again.

READ ALSO: The best work visas and tips for Brits moving to Spain post-Brexit

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The general requirements for both are:

• Having no criminal record in Spain and in the countries were you have resided during the last five years.