This page is for people who are looking for work in Spain or already work there and want to check that everything has been done correctly. You will not find job listings or salaries by occupation here: we explain the rules and do not advertise employers.
Do I have the right to work in Spain?
Yes, if your status allows it: with temporary protection you do not need a separate work permit, while some other grounds do not allow you to work. Check yours:
| Your status | Can you work? |
|---|---|
| Temporary protection (decision already made) | Yes, from age 16, as an employee and self-employed, with any type of contract |
| Applicant for international protection (asylum) | After 6 months from the application date, if the application has been admitted for processing and the decision is delayed through no fault of the applicant |
| Arraigo | Yes, with no restrictions by occupation or region; education arraigo only as an employee, up to 30 hours a week |
| University student | Yes, up to 30 hours a week if the work is compatible with your studies, and only in the autonomous community where the permit was issued; other students file a separate application |
| Family reunification (husband, wife, partner, children) | Yes, as an employee and self-employed, with no separate procedure |
| Residence without the right to work (no lucrativa) | No |
| Visa-free stay of up to 90 days | No: working without a permit is a violation for both the worker and the employer |
The right to work comes from the temporary protection decision itself. Under Orden PCM/169/2022, the receipt for your application only allows you to stay in Spain and receive social assistance; it does not give you the right to work before the decision.
Where can you look for work officially?
The main official channel is the regional employment services (Servicios Públicos de Empleo autonómicos). They register you as a job seeker (demandante de empleo), offer vacancies and give advice on looking for work. To register, you need an identity document and, as a foreign national, also a residence or work permit; if you have already worked in Spain, you also need your Social Security document.
Other official sources:
- job portals of the regional employment services: a list with links is on the website of the national service SEPE;
- EURES: the network of employment services of the European Economic Area;
- the CREADE reception center in Málaga: advises holders of temporary protection on looking for work and registers them as job seekers together with the Andalusian Employment Service.
The 2023 Employment Law lists migrants and people under international protection among the priority groups for employment services.
What do you need to arrange before your first working day?
You need a Social Security number and registration with the Social Security system, which your employer does.
- Social Security number (NUSS, also called the affiliation number). The General Treasury of Social Security (TGSS) issues it once for life. You can apply at any time through the Import@ss service: you need your foreigner’s identity number (NIE), contact details and an address. Without the Cl@ve state electronic ID or an electronic certificate, you add a copy of both sides of your NIE and a selfie. The paper application form is TA.1.
- Registration by the employer (alta). Your employer must register you with Social Security before you start work, but no earlier than 60 days before. If the employer has not done so, you can contact the TGSS yourself, and the Treasury will notify the Labor Inspectorate.
- Notification of the contract. The employer notifies the employment service of the contract within 10 days of signing it.
What should an employment contract look like?
An employment contract is presumed to be permanent; a fixed-term contract is allowed in only two cases, and the reason must be stated precisely in the contract (training contracts are a separate category):
- due to a temporary increase in workload (circunstancias de la producción): up to six months (up to a year under a sector agreement), or for short, foreseeable situations up to 90 days a year (up to 120 in agriculture and the food sector);
- to replace a worker.
If, within 24 months, a person works for more than 18 months at the same company or group of companies, in the same or a different position, under two or more contracts for a temporary increase in workload, they become a permanent employee. Contracts to replace a worker are not counted here.
A written contract is mandatory, in particular, for part-time contracts and for fixed-term contracts longer than four weeks. Without a written contract, the contract is presumed to be permanent and full-time unless proven otherwise. Either party can demand a written contract at any time.
The probationary period is agreed in writing. Unless the collective agreement sets a different rule, it may not exceed six months for qualified staff with a degree and two months for other workers (and no more than three months in companies with fewer than 25 employees). For a fixed-term contract of up to six months, the probationary period is no more than one month unless the collective agreement provides otherwise.
How much must you be paid, and how long do you work?
In 2026 the minimum wage is €1,221 a month, or €40.70 a day, plus two extra payments a year: at least €17,094 a year in total. If a fixed-term or seasonal contract with one employer lasts no more than 120 days, the minimum is €57.82 a day; for domestic workers paid by the hour, it is €9.55 an hour.
Other key rules:
- the working week is no longer than 40 hours on average over the year, and as a rule no more than 9 hours a day;
- there are at least 12 hours of rest between shifts, and if continuous work lasts more than 6 hours, a break of 15 minutes;
- the employer keeps a daily record of working hours and stores it for 4 years;
- paid vacation is at least 30 calendar days a year, and it cannot be replaced with money;
- there are up to 14 paid public holidays a year, two of them local;
- wages are paid at least once a month, with a payslip (nómina).
How can you spot a fake job offer?
A fake job offer most often gives itself away by asking for bank details or copies of documents before a contract is signed. The public employment service SEPE, which scammers often impersonate, lists these signs:
- you are asked for bank details or copies of your NIE, passport or driver’s license before the contract is signed;
- the message has mistakes or odd language, or did not come from an @sepe.es address;
- calls come from 800, 807 and similar numbers (SEPE’s official numbers are 060, and 91 926 79 70 for appointments);
- you are rushed, promised a “refund” or asked to open an attachment or a link.
SEPE does not ask for personal data until an employment contract has been signed. The free cybersecurity helpline is 017. The ministry’s answers for people under temporary protection list helplines for victims of human trafficking: +34 667 626 213, +34 607 542 515, +34 609 589 479. Gender violence helpline: 016; emergency services: 112.
Where can you report violations?
Work without a contract, off-the-books pay, and breaches of working hours or vacation rules are reported to the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate (Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social) through its online mailbox; reports there are anonymous. You can also file an official complaint (denuncia): the inspectorate treats its source as confidential and does not disclose who filed it.
How do you get a Ukrainian degree recognized?
A university degree is recognized through homologation (homologación) or a declaration of equivalence (equivalencia) by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. People under temporary protection have a fast-track procedure: apply on the ministry’s website (universidades.sede.gob.es), then write to [email protected] with your situation, your name and your case number.
For professions that are regulated in Spain (for example, medical ones), the right to work depends on a recognized degree and, where required, membership in a professional association. School and vocational qualifications below university level are recognized by the Ministry of Education.
What happens if you lose your job?
If you worked and lost your job involuntarily, you can get unemployment benefit or an unemployment subsidy on the same terms as Spanish citizens. Conditions and amounts are described on the page Unemployment benefit in Spain.