Find out everything you need to know about the EU Blue Card and all the requirements you will need to meet for a successful application, including the main differences from other similar residencies that also allow you to work in the EU, and other relevant legal information.
Everything in this post!
The Blue Card is a residence and work permit that allows you to live and work legally throughout the European Union.
In Spain, this authorization is regulated in Article 71 bis of Law 14/2013, of September 27, on support for entrepreneurs and their internationalization, after its modification by Law 11/2023, which transposed Directive (EU). 2021/1883 on highly qualified employment.
It is very similar to the highly qualified work permit, in that it was created to attract international talent and is designed for workers with advanced training and studies who will perform technical tasks at a company.
However, there are several differences, as we will now see.
This European card can be applied for either if you hold a residence card in Spain, or if you are in your country of origin and you are hired by a company in the EU (which constitutes the most common scenario).
This is an ideal option if the foreigner intends to work in another EU country other than Spain, since the other alternatives (the regular work permit as an employee, the highly qualified visa, the community card, or the long-term residence) do not allow you to directly carry out a professional activity abroad (without no extra procedure).
It is important to mention that the issuance of these cards is limited to an amount fixed by each country, something that varies each year.
Validity and length of this residence card
The legal validity of this residence card depends on the country where the foreigner is going to start living (and thus working).
Each EU member state has the power to define for how long the blue cards granted in its territory will be valid.
However, this duration will always be between 1 and 4 years.
For example, in the case of Spain, this validity is 3 years, while in countries such as France or Germany it rises to 48 months.
What is the difference with the long-term EU card?
Many foreigners have doubts about the differences between the Blue Card and the EU long-term card.
While it is true that they are similar in their purpose (to allow the foreigner to work in any country within the European Union), there are important differences.
The main difference stems from the path prior to obtaining the card.
In the case of the long-duration EU card, it can only be obtained by those foreigners who have been living in Spain for 5 years, who will then be able to start the application.
In the case of the Blue Card, the procedure is simpler, since it is not necessary to demonstrate any previous year of residency in Spain (as we have mentioned before, it must be requested from the country of origin).
In addition, in order to obtain EU long-term residency, the foreigner himself will be the one to carry out the whole legal procedure, while for the Blue Card it is the employer or businessman who initiates the application.
Mobility within the European Union
The Blue Card-EU incorporates a mobility regime between Member States. Spanish legislation (art. 71 bis.4 Law 14/2013) specifically regulates the mobility to Spain of those who already hold an EU Blue Card issued by another EU country:
- Short-term mobility: if you have a valid EU Blue Card issued by another Member State, you can travel to Spain to work for up to 90 days within any 180 days without needing to process additional authorization.
- Long-term mobility: if you have resided for at least 12 months in a single Member State (or 6 months if you have resided in more than one) as a holder of an EU Blue Card, you have the right to apply for the Blue Card -Spanish EU to enter, reside and work in Spain. You can start working from the moment you submit the complete application, without waiting for the resolution.
If you are the holder of a Blue Card-EU Spanish and want to move to work in another country of the Union, the equivalent right exists by the same European directive, but the specific procedure is established by the legislation of that other country, not the Spanish one. It is advisable to refer to sources in that country or to specific advice instead of detailing it here as if it were a Spanish procedure.
Who can apply for the EU blue card?
Let’s see what are the requirements to be met in order to apply for this card.
The foreign worker who wants to obtain the EU Blue Card, must make sure to:
- Be a non-EU citizen
- Have no criminal record and not have the entry prohibited to Spain
- Have an employment contract in a highly qualified position
- Fulfill the same requirements to obtain the initial residence and work as an employee (which you can find here).
- Proof of higher education or training for a minimum of 3 years (which must be related to the tasks to be performed in the company), and of a sufficient level to be able to perform them successfully)
- If the prior requirement can’t be met, you can also demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of professional experience related to the activity for which the residence is granted.
- There is also a specific route for information technology professionals: they can opt for the Blue Card by proving a minimum of 3 years of professional experience in ICT within the 7 years prior to applying, without the need for a university degree.
EU Blue card in Spain requirements & documents
At the time of application, the employer must provide:
- Application form on the official MI-T (International Mobility – Holder) form, duly completed and signed by the company or foreign professional
- Employment contract with the applicant or a firm offer of highly qualified employment of at least 6 months’ duration, with a gross annual salary equal to or greater than 1.4 times the average gross annual profit published by the INE. This threshold is reduced to 80% in professions that are difficult to cover or for those who have obtained their degree in the three years prior to applying.
- The Company’s Tax Identification Number (NIF)
- The certificate demonstrating that the company is up to date with payments to the Social Security and Tax Agency
- Description of the job profile to be developed in the company
- Passport and complete copy of the employee’s passport
- Full CV of the foreigner
- Accreditation of the qualifications and training required for the position
- Public or private health insurance arranged with an entity authorized to operate in Spain, unless you already have insured status in the National Health System.
- Accreditation of sufficient financial resources for you and your family during the period of residence (can be justified with the employment contract itself).
- Certificate of criminal record of the country or countries in which you have resided in the last two years, plus a responsible declaration of absence of record in the last five years.
- Payment of the corresponding fee
Application:Where and how
The application must be submitted electronically through the electronic headquarters of the UGE-CE, the Large Companies Unit.
It is important to keep in mind that it will be the employer or an authorized legal representative who initiates the application, although the worker himself can also submit it in cases of mobility from another Member State.
Once this application is approved, the worker in her country of origin will receive the visa stamped in her passport and with that, she will be able to travel and enter the country of destination, where she will finally get the physical card.
Blue card resolution time
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a resolution within a period of 20 days starting from the day following receipt of the application by the competent body.
If during this period you do not receive notification, the request will be deemed upheld due to positive administrative silence.
Renewal and change of employer
The Blue Card-EU is renewable if the conditions that gave rise to its granting are maintained, especially professional activity and salary level.
The renewal request can be submitted during the 60 calendar days before expiration, or within 90 calendar days after the end of the previous validity period (with possible opening of a sanctioning file in this second case).
If you change employers during the validity of the card, you must submit a new application, except in the cases of company succession provided for in article 44 of the Workers’ Statute.
Main advantages of EU Blue card
There are several advantages associated with this residency card.
- First of all, it allows you to work legally for the company with which you are applying
- Also, it allows direct family members to be included in the application (mainly your spouse and children), who will be allowed to reside in the EU for the same period of time as the main applicant
- In addition, it also offers the possibility of free movement within the member states of the European Union
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