Working in Spain
For Pakistan passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15
Spain can hire you from Pakistan only after your Spanish employer wins a residence-and-work authorisation in Spain, which normally requires the job to be on Spain's shortage-occupation list or proof that nobody already in Spain could fill it.
What the employer must have
- The Spanish employer (not the worker) files the application for the initial temporary residence and work authorisation ('por cuenta ajena') with the immigration office in Spain — the worker cannot start the process alone.
- The employer must clear the 'national employment situation' gate: either the occupation appears in SEPE's quarterly shortage-occupation catalogue for that province, or the employer proves to the Aliens Office that the vacancy could not be filled from the local labour market.
- The employer must offer a genuine contract guaranteeing continuous activity for the whole authorisation period, paying at least Spain's statutory minimum wage (SMI) calculated on a full-time basis.
What you must do before you leave
- Only after the employer's authorisation is approved in Spain do you act: you have 1 month from the notification to apply in person for the work visa at the Embassy of Spain in Islamabad, with a valid passport, police clearance certificate and medical certificate.
- Before departure, complete Pakistan's legally required Protector of Emigrants registration with the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (online 'e-Protector' since January 2024); without this clearance FIA immigration can stop you at the airport.
- If a recruiter is involved, use only a BEOE-licensed Overseas Employment Promoter; if hired directly by the Spanish employer, register with BEOE as a direct emigrant.
Things to watch
- Spain's immigration rulebook was replaced by Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025 — procedures and form names are changing, so re-check the ministry page before filing.
- The shortage catalogue is per-province, updated quarterly, and currently dominated by maritime, construction and sports occupations — road-transport jobs such as truck drivers are notably absent — so most ordinary jobs are not on it, which forces the slower labour-market-test path.
- The chain runs Spain-side approval first, then the consular visa; it routinely takes months, and there is no points or job-seeker route for Pakistani citizens on this corridor.
What you may lawfully be charged
THE MOST A LICENSED AGENT MAY LAWFULLY CHARGE YOU as a service charge is PKR 15,000 (PKR 6,000 if you found the job yourself and only need the paperwork done). You do not hand it over — you deposit it in a bank and the agent is paid only after the Protector of Emigrants confirms you reached the job. Anything he spends on your ticket, medical or visa must come with a signed, stamped receipt.
Rule 15 and 15A, Emigration Rules 1979 (SRO 1058(I)/2023). Charging more is punishable by up to 14 years — Section 22(a), Emigration Ordinance 1979.
⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.
Official sources
This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.