EU Blue Card in Spain: requirements, salary and duration

What is the EU Blue Card in Spain and who is it for?

The Tarjeta azul-UE (EU Blue Card) in Spain is one of the two forms of permit for highly qualified professionals under Ley 14/2013. It is requested by the company that needs a foreign specialist, or by the specialist; the application is handled by the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE) and the permit is issued by the Dirección General de Migraciones [1]. It suits someone who will work in Spain under a contract with a local company, not remotely for a foreign one: for that there is another permit, the DNV.

The law sets out two ways of proving qualifications [1]:

• higher education of at least three years, corresponding to level 2 of the Spanish qualifications framework (MECES), that is, EQF level 6;
• or at least five years of professional experience that is recognised as equivalent to such a qualification and relates to the occupation in the contract.

For IT specialists and managers in information and communication technologies, three years of experience within the last seven years before applying is enough [1]. Regulated professions also require homologación of the degree under the sector rules [1]. If your degree is from Russia, Belarus or Kazakhstan, check the apostille, translation and recognition in advance: apostille and legalisation of documents.

What salary do you need for the Blue Card in 2026?

The contract or firm job offer for at least six months must give the worker continuous activity for the period of the card and comply with the law and the collective agreement [1]. The annual gross salary must not be below the threshold set by Orden PJC/44/2026 of 27 January 2026: 1.4 times the average annual gross salary per worker according to the Encuesta Anual de Estructura Salarial of the National Statistics Institute (INE) [2].

The amounts come from the UGE notice of June 2026: on 28 May 2026 the INE published average earnings for 2024, €29,540.26, and the threshold was recalculated from that figure [3]. This is the value on the date we checked: under Article 3 of the order, the new threshold applies to applications filed from the month after the new statistics are published, and it can be changed by a separate decision [2]. Check the figure on the UGE website before applying.

How do you apply and how long is the wait?

The application is filed with the UGE electronically. The maximum time for a decision is 20 days from electronic filing. If there is no decision, the permit is deemed granted by silencio positivo; decisions must state reasons and can be appealed by recurso de alzada [1]. Filing extends the applicant’s current status until a decision is made [1]. More on timeframes and silence: how long the UGE takes to examine an application, what silencio positivo is.

If the specialist is abroad, the consulate issues the visa without requiring anything beyond the law and the visa rules [1]. The law sets a decision period of 10 working days for the visa, but where prior consultation under the Visa Code applies, its timeframe applies instead [1]. Once a permit for more than six months has been granted, you need to obtain a TIE [1]. For the company itself the law provides for a one-off verification of requirements and registration with the UGE for 3 years with renewal; changes must be reported within 30 days [1]. About the authority: what the UGE is.

How long is the Blue Card issued for and what if you lose your job?

The permit is valid for three years, or for the length of the contract plus three months if the contract is shorter than three years, but no longer than three years. Renewal is requested within the 60 days before expiry, for two years, provided the conditions are still met. The right to long-term residence arises after five years if the requirements are met [1].

Losing your job does not mean automatic withdrawal. The card is withdrawn or not renewed, taking into account the circumstances and proportionality, if there is no valid contract for highly qualified work and unemployment has exceeded three months for those who have held the card for less than two years, or six months for those who have held it for at least two years. You have three months to find a new job, or six if you have held the card for two years [1]. The card is also withdrawn if you have moved to another EU country and obtained a Blue Card there [1]. How to check a change of employer on other grounds: can you change employer on the DNV.

Blue Card or other permits: which to choose?

The comparison shows how the procedure differs. Data on timeframes and conditions come from Ley 14/2013 and the Reglamento [1][4].

If you have a contract with a Spanish company and a suitable degree and salary, the Blue Card is usually more convenient than the standard employment authorisation: it is valid throughout Spain and the UGE decides faster. But if the salary is below the threshold or you have no degree, the standard authorisation or another route remains. Read residence permit for highly qualified professionals and residence permit with an employment contract.

If you already hold a Blue Card from another EU country

A holder of a Blue Card from another EU state can work in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a separate permit. If you have lived in another EU state with a Blue Card for at least 12 months (or six months if you lived with a Blue Card in several EU states), you are entitled to enter, live and work in Spain by applying for a Blue Card here.

The application is filed by the employer or the worker while you still live in the first country; if you are already in Spain, the deadline is one month from the day you entered. You can work from the day the complete application is filed, whatever the decision [1]. The application must include the Blue Card from the first country, a travel document, a contract or firm job offer for six months or more, proof that the salary is not below the threshold and, for a regulated profession, recognition of the qualification [1].

The Blue Card holder's family

A spouse or partner, minor children and dependent adult children and parents can apply for a permit at the same time as the holder’s application or later [1]. If the family’s applications are filed together with the holder’s, they are decided at the same time. If the family did not apply at the same time, in a mobility case their applications must be filed no later than one month after entry to Spain [1]. Family members reunited with a Blue Card holder obtain an independent permit after living in the EU for five years, at least the last two of them in Spain [4]. Rules for family members in general: family reunification in Spain.

Common mistakes when preparing a Blue Card application

• Taking the threshold from an old article: it is updated after each new set of INE statistics [2][3].
• Assuming that a degree of any length will do: you need at least three years of study and EQF level 6 [1].
• Ignoring homologación for a regulated profession [1].
• Relying on salary “including bonuses” instead of the amount in the contract: the law refers to the annual gross amount stated in the contract [1].
• Applying for the DNV even though the contract is with a Spanish company: the DNV works on a different logic, work for a foreign company [1].
• Not checking the reduced threshold: it depends on the occupation being in the difícil cobertura catalogue and belonging to groups 1 and 2 of CNO-2011 [2].
• Not planning for the fact that, if you lose your job, you have three months to find a new one [1].

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona helps the specialist and the employer determine whether the Blue Card fits, check the degree, salary and threshold, and prepare the document package and the UGE application. First consultation: 15 minutes free, full consultation: €121 for 45 minutes. Book a consultation. Service: work permit; the steps and timeframes for work-based grounds are collected in the work route card, and an overview of the options is on the page Residence permit in Barcelona. For employers: how to hire a foreign national in Spain.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.