€45K - €60K🇬🇧
NewHighly Qualified Professional Jobs
Roles whose advertised salary clears the threshold for Spain’s Highly Qualified Professional permit and the EU Blue Card — a faster work-permit route with no labour-market test. The employer still has to apply.
435 highly qualified roles117 companies~85k avg salary
Indicative, not a promise: these adverts fit the shape of the route. Nothing here means the employer will sponsor a visa — confirm with them before you commit.
What it is
- Spain’s Highly Qualified Professional permit (Ley 14/2013) and the EU Blue Card are work permits for degree-level or experienced professionals with a job offer above a salary threshold. They skip the labour-market test, are processed centrally by the Large Companies Unit in about 20 working days, and can be applied for from inside Spain.
- For 2026 the reference threshold is €41,356 gross per year — 1.4 times the average Spanish salary. A reduced threshold applies to shortage occupations and to graduates within three years of their degree.
- Every job listed here advertises a salary at or above the reference threshold. That establishes that the route exists for the role — not that this employer intends to use it.
Who it’s for
- Non-EU professionals with a university degree, or at least three years’ relevant experience for some roles.
- Anyone with an offer above the threshold whose employer is willing to apply — many are once they learn the route is fast and skips the labour-market test.
- Blue Card holders who want mobility: after 18 months you can move to another EU country under its Blue Card rules.
What it isn’t
- It is not sponsorship. The salary makes the route possible; the employer has to agree to apply. Ask before you accept an offer.
- It is not counted as a visa-sponsor job anywhere on this site — the sponsorship page lists only employers who state it.
Key numbers
- Salary threshold
- €41,356 / year (reference)
- Processing
- ~20 working days (Large Companies Unit)
- Labour-market test
- None
- Initial permit
- Up to 3 years
Highly qualified roles by category
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will these employers sponsor my visa?
- Unknown — that is exactly what this list does not claim. The advertised salary clears the threshold for the Highly Qualified Professional permit, so the route is available. Whether the employer will apply is a conversation to have at offer stage; many will, because the process is fast and central.
- What is the salary threshold in 2026?
- €41,356 gross per year for the standard EU Blue Card variant, set at 1.4 times the average Spanish salary. Shortage occupations and recent graduates qualify at a reduced level. The figure updates when the national statistics office publishes a new salary survey.
- Do I need a degree?
- Usually a university degree. For some roles — notably ICT — three years of comparable professional experience within the last seven can substitute. The employer’s application has to document it.
- How does this differ from the ordinary work permit?
- No labour-market test, central processing in about 20 working days instead of months at a provincial office, an initial permit of up to three years, and you can apply while legally in Spain on another status.