Highly Qualified Professionals · Recruiting International Talent
International talentdeserves more than a permit.
Bringing a director, a specialist or an international professional to Spain involves far more than filing an application. Each permit must fit the company, the position, the strategy and the personal project that lies behind it. That is what we analyse before we begin.
Analyse my recruitment
The framework
The permit for highly qualified professionals forms part of the international mobility regime established by Ley 14/2013. But the statute is only the starting point.
Every recruitment raises different questions.
- Can the company justify that hire?
- Does the position meet the requirements?
- Is the experience sufficient?
- Is a national permit or an EU Blue Card the better option?
Before preparing documents, we structure the operation.
Subject to fulfilment of the applicable legal requirements.
The profile
When a company needs to bring in international talent.
This permit is designed for organisations that need to bring in professionals whose experience or qualifications are essential to their activity.
It may apply, among others, to:
- Chief executives and senior management
- Technical specialists
- Engineers
- ICT professionals
- Researchers
- Strategic profiles
- International directors
- Expansion managers
The route
Choosing the right route changes the entire file.
Not every international recruitment follows the same procedure. The legislation provides for different permits depending on the professional’s profile, the company and the project.
Our job is to choose the one that best protects the operation. Only then do we begin the documentation.
Highly Qualified Professional · National Permit
The national permit for highly qualified professionals. In general terms, it requires a qualification equivalent to at least level 1 of the Marco Español de Cualificaciones para la Educación Superior (MECES, the Spanish qualifications framework for higher education), or at least three years’ professional experience that may be regarded as equivalent, on the terms laid down by law.
EU Blue Card · European Route
A specific European route for certain highly qualified professionals. Among other requirements, it calls for a higher education qualification of at least three years’ duration, equivalent to the level required by European and Spanish legislation, or, in certain cases, comparable professional experience. Specific rules on experience apply to ICT professionals and managers.
There must also be a valid employment contract or a firm offer of highly qualified employment of at least six months, and the applicable salary requirements must be met.
Requirements
What the authorities really examine.
The position
It must justify the need to bring in a highly qualified professional.
The qualification
The experience or training must be capable of being evidenced by documents.
The company
It must demonstrate the capacity to sustain the hire.
The employment relationship
Contract, duties, salary and duration must be consistent.
The professional
Personal situation and compliance with the legal requirements.
The threshold
Salary is only one part.
Remuneration must meet the thresholds set by the legislation. But a sound permit never depends on a figure alone.
We analyse the operation as a whole.
The fit
Three pieces.A single file.
Track record.
Experience.
Specialisation.
Duties.
Responsibility.
Need.
Activity.
Structure.
Capacity.
When these three pieces fit together, so does the file.
The family
Professional decisions are rarely taken alone.
An international recruitment usually involves an entire family. That is why, from the outset, we analyse the permits that may be available to the spouse, partner, children and other family members covered by the legislation.
The strategy begins with everyone. Not afterwards. See Family & Dependants →
The method
How we work.
- 01AnalysisWe analyse the operation.
- 02RouteWe choose the appropriate legal route.
- 03StructureWe structure all the documentation.
- 04FilingWe submit the file.
- 05IssuesWe deal with any issues that arise.
- 06StartWe support the start of employment.
The advantage
A permit never travels alone.
Many files simultaneously involve employment, corporate, tax, wealth or family matters.
When that happens, we work from a single strategy. Not from isolated departments.
The experience
Before · during · after.
- 01BeforeUnderstand the operation.
- 02DuringPrepare the file.
- 03AfterSupport the start of employment.
Applications are filed online with the UGE-CE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos), with a statutory decision period of 20 days from electronic filing; once that period has passed without a decision, positive silencio administrativo applies (the application is deemed granted) on the terms laid down by law.
The permit process ends.The employment begins.
Residence
Tax
Social Security
Family
Wealth
Company
That is why many decisions must be taken before the permit is decided.
The Garzalex view
Talent can cross a border. The whole structure that accompanies it must be able to cross it too.
A properly designed international recruitment does not begin with an application. It begins much earlier.
Every international recruitment tells a different story.
Ours is to understand it before we prepare the file.
Analyse my caseGeneral information reviewed against the legislation and official sources available as at August 2026. Requirements, salary thresholds, documentation and procedures may vary depending on the category, the professional profile and the legislation in force at the time of the application. This information does not constitute individual legal advice.