If you are planning to move to Spain and work, you must apply for the appropriate visa. Application processing times vary and you should only make travel arrangements once your visa has been issued.
Read the Spanish government’s guidance on:
working in Spain as a foreign national
immigration routes open to foreign national workers (in Spanish)
Read the guidance on visas and applying for a visa at the:
Spanish consulate in Manchester
Spanish consulate in Edinburgh
To apply for a job, you may need to provide a:
UK criminal records certificate
Spanish criminal records certificate (Certificado de Antecedentes Penales)
certificate from the Spanish sex offenders registry (Certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual) to work with children
record of your employment history in Spain from Seguridad Social (a Vida Laboral certificate)
Read:
working or providing services in Spain
EU guidance on working in an EU country
guidance on how to get your UK academic or professional qualifications recognised in Spain
the Spanish government’s guidance on the right of UK nationals to work in the public sector
If you plan to work in Spain, even if you work for a UK-based company, this may affect where you pay National Insurance-type contributions. Read the National insurance and social security contributions section for more information.
If you were living in Spain before 1 January 2021
You have the right to work without a visa, under the Withdrawal Agreement. You can use your TIE or green A4 certificate or credit-sized piece of paper as proof of your right to work.
If you live in Spain and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or EFTA country before 1 January 2021, read our guidance for frontier workers.