Autorización inicial de residencia temporal y trabajo por cuenta ajena
Get an initial employed-work residence authorization
Get an employer-sponsored initial residence and employed-work authorization under the general immigration regime.
- Who it is for
- Non-EU citizens
- Legal deadline
- employer and visa timelines apply
- How long it takes
- official route and subsequent visa/entry steps determine end-to-end time
- Cost
- current residence/work fees
- Where
- Online or in person · Oficina de Extranjería / employer / Spanish consulate
Steps
- Confirm the job/employer fits the initial cuenta-ajena route and identify how the national-employment-situation requirement is satisfied or excepted.inclusion.gob.es
- The employer prepares and submits the authorization with the contract and employer/worker evidence required by the official procedure.inclusion.gob.es
- After approval, complete the visa, entry and Social Security effectiveness steps required for the worker's case.inclusion.gob.es
That is the whole procedure
If you would rather go through yours with someone, describe it to NEXO first. You will find out what applies to you, and whether you need a person.
What to bring
- EX-03 and worker identity/qualification documents required for the job.inclusion.gob.es
- Signed employment contract meeting labour-law and salary requirements.inclusion.gob.es
- Employer solvency, registration and labour-market/exception evidence applicable to the case.inclusion.gob.es
What the official sources say
The employer is the applicant for the initial general-regime employed-work authorization.inclusion.gob.es
The national-employment-situation test is not one universal 30-day advertising rule; shortage occupations, recruitment processes and statutory exceptions can apply.inclusion.gob.es
The current initial authorization can permit secondary self-employed activity where employed work remains the principal activity, subject to the regulation.inclusion.gob.es
What we see in practice
NEXO's own observations. They are not official information and carry no source.
- Do not describe job loss as “permit immediately cancelled” or promise a universal 90-day cure period; use the actual renewal/modification rules.
Questions people ask
Who files the application?
The employer/business files the initial authorization.inclusion.gob.es
Is there always a labour-market test?
The national-employment-situation requirement has multiple mechanisms and exceptions; it is not one universal advertisement period.inclusion.gob.es
Is EX-04 the manager version of EX-03?
No. Do not use the old guide's EX-04 manager mapping.inclusion.gob.es
What gets it refused or delayed
- Employer, contract or national-employment-situation conditions are not met.inclusion.gob.es
- Worker qualification or other route-specific requirements are not established.inclusion.gob.es
Does any of this sound like you?
- The employer needs an exception from the labour-market requirement, solvency is borderline, or the worker has a prior-status/refusal issue.
Cases like these need an immigration lawyer. Describe yours to NEXO first, so you know what to ask and what to bring.