How to find a job in Spain

Many Russian citizens are not satisfied with the climate, the level of wages and the standard of living in general, so they decide to take drastic steps - to move to another country and work there. Many go to work from Russia to Spain. This is confirmed by the fact that in 2021, 70 thousand of our compatriots (Russians with the right to work in Spain) were registered in the southern European country.

The state, like a magnet, attracts with its Mediterranean climate, an abundance of architectural and natural attractions, as well as a high level of security. In addition to the obvious advantages, there are also negative aspects, the main drawback is the high unemployment rate, which is 16.1%, a more difficult situation on the labor exchange only in Greece. However, it is still possible to arrange life in this southern European country, but for this you need to know how to look for work in Spain. Compared to Russia, employment in this country has a number of significant differences.

Work permit in Spain

Russians may get the impression that only a citizen of Spain or another EU country can apply for a vacancy in this country, but this is not entirely true. Non-residents can also work on the territory of this state, but for this it is necessary to obtain a permit. Without it, it is impossible to get even a low-paid position in tomato fields - the employer will refuse the applicant without documents, otherwise he himself will have to answer before the law.

According to the norms of this country, a foreigner can earn money in Spain only if he has received a residence permit with the right to work. The right to employment is also granted to foreigners who are family members of a Spaniard or European. If you do not have this type of visa in Spain, you will not be able to register with the social security service, and this is a prerequisite for employment.

To obtain a permit, the applicant's candidacy must be approved by the migration department and the employment service of Spain. After that, a contract is signed between the employee and the employer, then the employer issues a work permit for the foreigner at the local office of the Ministry of Labor.

Depending on the validity period and employment options in the state structures of this country, several types of permits are issued. For simplicity, they are marked with letters of the Latin alphabet:

• "A" - gives the right to short-term or seasonal employment in the country, the validity period is 12 months, there is a variation of this document of type "T", then a foreigner can stay in the country for up to 9 months.
• "B" - admission is intended for foreigners of certain professions, the document is valid for 1 year, but the law provides for the possibility of extending the permit up to 2 years.
• "C" - unlike the previous type, such a document gives the right to employment anywhere in Spain. The validity period is 2 years, but such a document can be obtained only after the expiration of the type "B" permit.
• "G" - admission of this category is intended for people who come to Spain on a business trip from a company that is registered in a country that is not a member of the European Union. The document is valid for 12 months, the possibility of its extension is not provided.

In order to obtain admission of one of the above types, you will have to spend about 90 days, then another 30 days are needed to apply for a work visa through the Spanish consulate.

Requirements for the applicant

To apply for a vacancy in this country, it is necessary to meet certain criteria, especially important in this sense knowledge of the language, the applicant must speak at least spoken Spanish. The level of knowledge varies depending on the nature of the work. If work duties involve communication with Spanish-speaking citizens, then the applicant must be fluent in Spanish.

In addition to the specifics of the job, the requirements for language skills also depend on the place of employment. For example, if you plan to work in Catalonia or Valencia, you will also need to know the local dialect - the Basque language. A great advantage for the applicant will be knowledge of English, first of all, it is important when applying for a job in an IT company.

If a foreigner plans to get a job in the civil service, then Spanish citizenship is a mandatory requirement for the spouse of the applicant. To get into the civil service, the applicant must also pass exams. It is worth noting that the civil service in Spain includes a wide range of professions:

• teachers of schools and universities;
• Postmen;
• Librarians;
• museum workers.

There are no special requirements for a device in the service sector, in this case, only a work visa is required from the applicant.

The level of salaries in Spain

The financial component is of great importance, in order to decide where to find a job in Spain, you need to navigate the level of salaries. You need to understand that in this country, the rights of even foreign workers are protected in the same way as citizens of the country (no one receives less than the minimum wage). Its level is periodically indexed - for example, in 2018 the minimum wage was 764 euros, which by European standards is not so much. Qualified specialists with education can expect to receive higher remuneration. However, applicants need to take into account that it will not be possible to get a job in another country with a Russian diploma, they will have to confirm their qualifications, for this you need to pass local exams. A list of the most popular vacancies will help you navigate the salaries of various specialists:

• truck drivers – up to 2000 euros;
• generalists – up to 3500 euros;
• engineers – up to 3000 euros.

About the same as engineers, IT specialists receive. If you choose a job for Russians in Spain in 2023, then do not forget that you will not receive your entire salary, since you will still have to pay fiscal deductions from it - income tax. In this country, a progressive scale of taxation is used (the more a foreigner earns, the more he pays to the state treasury), so even in a highly paid position, you can get less than a foreigner with a lower level of qualification. The income tax rate is 19-45%. The highest tax is levied on persons whose annual income is 60,000 euros. In addition, the employee or employer will have to transfer 4-8% of the salary to the social insurance fund.

Where to look for a job in Spain

Insufficient language skills, lack of friends and acquaintances create certain problems with finding a suitable vacancy, but they can be overcome. If you have a computer or smartphone connected to the Internet, then the question of where to look for work in Spain will not arise. There are many resources on the global web that are useful for job seekers. First of all, you should pay attention to the following Internet resources:

• Numerous labor exchanges - such sites contain a large array of job offers, the applicant can also create his resume to speed up the search.
• The portal of the public employment service of Spain - in addition to vacancies, this resource offers training options for in-demand specialties, there are also articles with legal features of employment.
• Learn4Good is a specialized Internet resource for searching for vacancies around the world, and the site also contains information on the specifics of obtaining visas, permits and other documents that are necessary for the employment of a foreigner.

There are many sites on the Internet that search for job offers in Spain in Russian and Spanish.

How to find a job in Spain if you do not have a device to access the Internet? In this case, printing publications will come to the rescue. The most authoritative local publications include El Pais, El Mundo. These newspapers publish information on employment. As an alternative, you can offer specialized agencies, social networks and other resources. With the help of these them, you can find a job in a highly paid and interesting position.

Full-time work

When choosing the most interesting offer, it is extremely important to take into account the duration of work. If you come to the country for a long time (for study or permanent residence), then you need to know how to get a job in Spain for a long time. For such employment, the applicant must obtain a residence permit, since permanent work does not imply the possibility of registration according to "gray" schemes Men most often get a permanent position as loaders or drivers. This preference is explained by several factors - a large number of vacancies and fairly high salaries.

Women can also find a permanent job, the fair sex is in demand in the beauty industry, they can work in beauty salons as hairdressers, manicure specialists.

Seasonal work

If you do not plan to live in the country for a long time and obtain citizenship of this country in the future, then seasonal work is best suited for earnings, the choice of which is truly limitless. The fact is that Spain is an agricultural country, which predetermined a large selection of seasonal work. First of all, it consists in picking fruits - oranges and strawberries. The requirements for the applicant depend on the type of agricultural products. For example, agricultural companies prefer to hire women to pick strawberries, and both sexes can handle picking oranges.

Seasonal jobs also include jobs offered by the tourism industry, including animators and hotel maids.

Your business

How to find a job in Spain for a Russian, if a person is used to working for himself? In this case, you can open your own business. The kingdom has created greenhouse conditions for startups, so it is a pleasure to engage in entrepreneurial activities in this country. An additional bonus for entrepreneurs is the possibility of obtaining a residence permit in a simplified manner, and in the future - and EU citizenship.

The most common type of business activity for foreigners is the purchase of a ready-made business, in Spanish - "traspaso", since in this case registration is not required "from scratch". The buyer does not need to deal with the registration of permits, search and lease of premises, while he has the right to change the charter, the composition of the founders and the scope of the organization. However, the future entrepreneur needs to take into account that a ready-made business may have debts and other encumbrances, so when buying, you need to conduct a comprehensive check.

Probation

It makes no sense to think about how to find a job for an illegal immigrant in Spain, since there are practically no vacancies for people without documents and education. And if there are offers, then the salary for such specialists is extremely low. To qualify for a high salary, you need to study and undergo an internship in Spain, thanks to which a young specialist will be able to practice language skills. In addition, an internship abroad increases the chances of successful employment, helps to acquire useful acquaintances.

Applying for a work visa

To start working in Spain, you need a work visa. To obtain it, you will need:

• application form;
• passport-size color photograph;
• civil passport;
• employment contract with the seal of the Office of Registration of Foreigners;
• certificate of absence of criminal prosecution;
• residence permit;
• medical certificate.

All of the above is provided to the consulate, when applying for a visa on your own, you can make mistakes that will lead to delays. To avoid them, you need to contact specialized companies that provide a comprehensive service. In this case, the employee can only get a ready-made visa and purchase plane tickets.