Highly Qualified Professional Permit (PAC) for Spain

The EU Blue Card is only available under the university-degree case (art. 71.2.a) and gives the holder an additional right to simplified movement between EU member states under intra-EU Blue Card mobility rules. The standard national PAC is available under all three categories of article 71, including the case built on 3 years of equivalent experience instead of a degree, but does not carry this intra-EU mobility right. The choice between the two usually comes down to which requirements the applicant actually meets and whether EU mobility matters to them.

1. The employer prepares an employment contract or firm job offer stating a salary that meets the applicable threshold.
2. Qualification documents are gathered: a degree (legalised and translated if needed) or evidence of 3 years of equivalent experience.
3. The file is submitted to the UGE-CE online: form MI-T, the applicant’s passport, the employment contract, qualification documents, a criminal record certificate, and health insurance.
4. UGE-CE decision within 20 business days, with positive administrative silence if no response is issued.
5. If filed from the home country: an entry visa is issued; if filed from within Spain: a police appointment and TIE follow.

UGE-CE review: 20 business days. Under UGE’s official criteria (Criterio de gestión DGGM 2/2025 of 16 July 2025, art. 71.3 of Law 14/2013), the initial permit is issued for 3 years if the employment contract runs for 3 years or more; if the contract is shorter than 3 years, the permit matches the contract length plus 3 months, capped at 3 years total. It renews for 2 years provided the employment relationship continues or a comparable job offer is in place. Renewal applications are filed 60 days before the card expires (or within 90 days after, at the risk of a penalty procedure). The government fee follows the international mobility tariff (Modelo 790, código 038); check the current amount on the UGE-CE website. Long-term residency opens up after 5 years of legal residence.

Spending more than 183 days a year in Spain makes you a tax resident, taxed on worldwide income under IRPF on a progressive scale. The alternative is the special impatriate regime (the “Beckham law”, art. 93 of the IRPF law), which after the 2022 Startups Law reform now extends to highly qualified professionals as well, provided the role is tied to an employment contract with an employer in Spain and the applicant was not a Spanish tax resident in the preceding 5 years. The regime offers a flat 24% rate on employment income up to EUR 600,000 a year, exemption from reporting foreign assets, and taxation mostly limited to Spanish-source income. It is elected via Modelo 149 within 6 months of registering with Social Security. I advise on choosing between the general regime and the Beckham regime and file the relevant returns.

1. Salary below the threshold for the chosen route. The national threshold (by occupational group) is often confused with the EU Blue Card threshold (1.4x average salary) — these are different figures built on different logic.

2. Degree not legalised or translated. A foreign degree for a role requiring higher education needs to be legalised (apostille or consular legalisation) and covered by a sworn translation.

3. Weak evidence for the 3-year equivalent-experience route. Where there is no degree and the applicant relies on experience, the UGE-CE expects detailed proof: references, employment records, a description of duties performed.

4. Confusing the three categories under article 71. The applicant files under the wrong category (for example “b” instead of “a”), forcing the file to be rebuilt around the correct set of evidence.

5. Underestimating the lead time needed to set the contract salary against the threshold. The employer sets the salary without checking the current INE threshold at filing time, and the application is returned for correction.