This guide is what worked for us and the people we've helped — it is not immigration advice, and we are not immigration professionals. Rules change, every situation is different, and the cost of getting it wrong (denied visas, double taxation, fines, missed deadlines) is real.
Before you act on anything here, speak with a qualified immigration professional — an immigration lawyer (abogado de extranjería), a cross-border tax accountant, or a licensed gestor — who can review your specific facts. Use this guide to know what questions to ask, not as a substitute for paid advice.
You have a job offer from a Spanish company: the standard employee work visa (trabajo por cuenta ajena), or a faster route if the job is highly paid or skilled.
Your US employer is sending you to Spain: an intra-company transfer filed by the company.
You'll work remotely for clients or an employer outside Spain: the Digital Nomad Visa, not a work visa.
You want to open your own business or freelance for Spanish clients: a self-employed visa (cuenta propia) — see Autónomo vs SL.
You won't work at all: the Non-Lucrative Visa. Compare them all in our visa comparison.
The employer applies first. Your Spanish employer asks the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) in its province for a residence and work authorisation for you, using form EX-03.
The job market test. Normally the employer must show that no suitable worker in Spain or the EU was available. This step is skipped if the job is on the official shortage-occupation list (Catálogo de Ocupaciones de Difícil Cobertura), published each quarter by the public employment service (SEPE).
Then you apply at the consulate. Once the authorisation is approved, you have one month to apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate that covers your US state. Bring your passport, the approval, an apostilled FBI background check, a medical certificate, and the visa fee.
Timing: two to four months in total is typical, sometimes longer in busy provinces.