Work Employment Visa

If you are over 16 years of age and wish to move over to Fuerteventura and work as an employee, then you will require a ‘work employment visa’, or ‘Visado de trabajo por cuenta ajena’.

Since 1st January 2021 it is no longer possible just to up sticks and come over to work, either casually, seasonally, temporarily or permanently, and you need to apply for a work visa first.

Before hiring a person from a third country (including the UK), employers in Spain must first prove to the Spanish government that any available position could not be fulfilled by either a local person or a person from an EU country, and must, by law, advertise any job offers locally for at least fifteen days. Therefore, bearing in mind that positions for bar work, cleaners, builders, etc or within the tourism trade, are usually easily fulfilled by local people, it would be nigh impossible to obtain such employment. Plus of course the paperwork and procedures required from the employer does not make it easy, and most employers simply would back away from it.

The only real way to obtain employment is to apply for a position that is on Spain’s Shortage Occupation List. Unfortunately, there are extremely few such occupations available in Fuerteventura.

Should you have a required skill, the first step is to apply and receive an offer of work. Your prospective employer must then start the application process by obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Immigration. This must then be sent to you, along with an employment contract, both of which will be required to go with your visa application.

Unless an occupation offered is a national position, the authorisation will be limited to a provincial geographical area and occupation and type of employment.

1Necessary Documents

  1. National visa application form.  Each applicant must complete all sections of the form and sign a visa application. 
  2. Photograph. A recent passport-size photograph, in colour, with a light background, taken from the front. Your eyes must be seen clearly, if you wear glasses ensure they are not tinted, clear and with no reflections. Clothing must not hide any part of your face.
  3. Valid and current passport. The original and a photograph of the page(s) with biometric data. The passport must have a minimum validity of 1 year and two blank pages, and must have been issued less than 10 years ago.
  4. Initial residence and employment authorisation . Original and a copy of the initial residence and employment authorization signed by the employer.
  5. Employment contract . A copy of the employment contract sealed by the Foreigners Office.
  6. Criminal record certificate. Applicants who are of legal age must present the original and a copy of the criminal record certificate issued by the country, or countries, of residence in the past 5 years. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where appropriate, must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish.
  7. Medical certificate. The original plus a copy of a medical certificate certifying that the applicant does not suffer from diseases that may have serious repercussions for public health in accordance with the International Health Regulations. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where appropriate, accompanied by an official translation into Spanish.
  8. Proof of residence in the consular demarcation. To do this you must prove your UK address; this can be by any means, utility bills, bank statements, etc.
  9. Prove the identity and capacity of the representative. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where appropriate, must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish.

When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also call the applicant for a personal interview.

What Next?

Once you have your visa you will be allowed to travel on the date permitted. From your date of arrival you then have one month in order to apply for your TIE (permission to reside). The first step in this is to register on the Empadonmiento (Padron) of the local Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) of where you will be living. Once you have your certificate you can then go to the Immigration offices to apply for TIE.

2Renewing your Work Visa

Towards the end of your first year you must renew your working visa. This must be done at the Immigration Office during the 60 calendar days prior to the expiration date of your TIE and within a 90 day period after the expiration date.

Renewal will rely upon continuity of the employment that allowed the visa to be issued. If that employment was interrupted for reasons beyond your control, you must show that you have new employment or prove you have actively sought employment.

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