Highly Qualified Professional: Residence and Work Permit in Spain (PAC)

The residence permit for Highly Qualified Professionals is a legal instrument under Spanish immigration law (Law 14/2013) that allows Spanish companies to attract and hire highly qualified talent from outside the European Union quickly and efficiently, making their integration into the company much easier.

Understanding how the residence permit for Highly Qualified Professionals works is key to speeding up processes and avoiding mistakes that could delay recruitment or international assignments. This article is a complete and updated guide to applying for this residence authorization—whether you need to bring a highly qualified employee into your workforce or are preparing your own application as a Highly Qualified Professional.

Here you’ll find everything you need to correctly apply for the Highly Qualified Professional permit: requirements, documentation, the process before the UGE-CE, as well as practical aspects such as the Highly Qualified visa, minimum salary thresholds, how to change employers, and how to extend the residence permit to dependent family members.

Table of Contents

What is a Highly Qualified Professional in Spain?
What requirements must a Highly Qualified Professional meet?
List of eligible professions for the Highly Qualified Professional residence permit
How to apply for the Highly Qualified Professional residence permit.
What rights does the initial Highly Qualified Professional residence permit grant?
What is the minimum salary required for a Highly Qualified Professional?
What documentation is needed to obtain the visa for a Highly Qualified Professional?
Can family members accompany the Highly Qualified Professional?
What happens if a Highly Qualified Professional changes employers?
Advantages and benefits of the Highly Qualified Professional residence permit.

What is a Highly Qualified Professional in Spain?

Under Spanish immigration law, a Highly Qualified Professional (PAC) is a non-EU national with a high level of academic qualifications and/or professional experience, hired to perform a technical, managerial, or highly specialized role within a company established in Spain.

Companies hiring workers considered “highly qualified” by the immigration authorities can access a fast-track migration process. This bypasses Spain’s national employment situation test and allows them to bring in talent quickly and legally through the preferred channel of the Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE-CE).

What requirements must a Highly Qualified Professional meet?

To apply for a Highly Qualified Professional residence and work permit, both the employee and the hiring company must meet certain requirements.

Employee requirements:

University degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD).
And/or at least three years of professional experience in positions of responsibility, technical, or specialized functions equivalent to the academic level required for the role.
No criminal record.
Not residing illegally in Spain or banned from entering the Schengen area.
A valid job offer from a Spanish company aligned with their education or experience.

Employer requirements:

Meet the minimum salary thresholds for Highly Qualified Professionals.See minimum salary below.
Provide a detailed job description, outlining the highly qualified functions required and explaining why the candidate is suitable for the role.

List of eligible professions for the Highly Qualified Professional residence permit

In Spain, for a non-EU worker to qualify as a Highly Qualified Professional (PAC), their occupation generally needs to fall under one of these categories:

Senior executives and managers

Managers of specialized organizations, such as NGOs or associations.
Directors and senior managers in areas like finance, marketing, operations, or production.

Technical and scientific professionals

Scientists and engineers in fields such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, or IT.
Technology development professionals: analysts, programmers, and developers.
Experts in biological and health sciences.

Other specialized profiles: lawyers, economists, archivists, artists, professors, etc.

Each application is reviewed individually to determine whether the job role and candidate’s qualifications are suitable for a Highly Qualified Professional permit.

How to apply for the Highly Qualified Professional residence permit

Applications for Highly Qualified Professional residence permits are processed centrally by the Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE-CE), the administrative body responsible for handling special-category work permits for non-EU nationals.

To apply for the permit, you must:

Prepare the required documentation from both the employee and the hiring company.
Submit the application online.
Wait for a resolution within 20 working days.
If documents are missing or incorrect, the UGE may request corrections within a set timeframe.
If no decision is issued within 20 working days, the permit is granted automatically by “administrative silence.” Even so, it is necessary to wait for the official confirmation.

What rights does the initial Highly Qualified Professional residence permit grant?

The initial permit for Highly Qualified Professionals allows the professional to live and work in Spain for up to three years if the contract is indefinite, and it can be renewed in two-year increments. The validity of the permit depends on the duration of the employment contract.

One of its main advantages is that it allows the professional to work anywhere in Spain, without geographical restriction. However, the permit is tied to a specific company and role. If either the employer or the professional terminates the contract, the residence and work permit also expires.

What is the minimum salary required for a Highly Qualified Professional?

A key requirement for obtaining the residence permit for Highly Qualified Professionals is that the employment contract meets the minimum salary threshold set by the Spanish authorities.

You can check the current minimum salary for Highly Qualified Professionals here.

This requirement ensures that the permit is reserved for genuinely high-level and specialized positions.

What documentation is needed to obtain the visa?

Once the residence and work permit for Highly Qualified Professionals is approved, if the applicant is still outside Spain, they must apply for a Highly Qualified Professional visa at the Spanish consulate in their country of residence. The following documents are required:

The residence authorization for Highly Qualified Professionals.
Valid passport.
Legalized criminal record certificate.
National visa application form and recent photographs.

Highly Qualifieed Professional work and reesidence permit - Anywr Spain

Can family members accompany the Highly Qualified Professional?

Yes. One of the most valued benefits for both professionals and HR mobility teams is that direct family members (spouse, minor or dependent children) can apply for residence permits as dependents either simultaneously or later. In most cases, they are also authorized to work in Spain without needing a separate work permit.

What happens if a Highly Qualified Professional changes employers?

If your company hires an employee who already holds a Highly Qualified Professional authorization with another employer, you must request a change of employer through the UGE-CE.

Advantages and benefits of the Highly Qualified Professional residence permit

Companies hiring or transferring international talent can benefit in many ways from the Highly Qualified Professional permit:

As mentioned, Highly Qualified Professional permits are processed through the UGE-CE, with a maximum resolution period of 20 working days. This makes the process faster compared to standard work permit applications.
Unlike other types of work permits, the Highly Qualified Professional permit is not subject to the national employment situation. In other words, companies do not need to prove that no suitable candidates exist in Spain—they can directly hire the professional they need, as long as requirements are met.
The permit allows companies to bring in highly qualified professionals with specialized knowledge and experience, especially in sectors facing talent shortages.

Las empresas que contratan o trasladan talento internacional pueden encontrar numerosas ventajas en la autorización de residencia para profesionales altamente cualificados.