The EU Blue Card (Tarjeta azul-UE) is a combined residence-and-work permit under Article 71 bis of Ley 14/2013 that lets companies in Spain hire highly qualified non-EU professionals without a labour market test. Since Order PJC/44/2026, the applicant's employment contract must specify a gross annual salary of at least EUR 39,269.92, 1.4 times the INE national average wage, reduced to EUR 31,415.94 for shortage-occupation roles or recent graduates. The card is valid for three years, renewable for two, and lets holders move to other EU countries after 12 months of legal residence. Applications go through the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE), which does not apply the standard labour-market test used for ordinary work permits.
What Is the EU Blue Card in Spain?
The EU Blue Card is Spain's residence-and-work permit for highly qualified non-EU professionals, created under Article 71 bis of Ley 14/2013. It sits alongside, but separate from, the national Highly Qualified Professional (PAC) route, and the two are easy to conflate because they share the same legal article.
EU Blue Card vs. the national PAC route
Article 71 of Ley 14/2013 actually creates two distinct authorisations under one procedural roof: the EU Blue Card (Article 71 bis) and the national Profesional Altamente Cualificado, or PAC, permit. Both are filed the same way, through the UGE-CE, and both skip the labour market test. The difference that matters for an employer is portability. A Blue Card holder can move to work in a second EU country after 12 months of legal residence, using a simplified procedure. A PAC permit is Spain-only. For the wider landscape of Spain residence routes built for founders and specialists, see our guide to the Startup Visa.
| Feature | EU Blue Card (Art. 71 bis) | National PAC (Art. 71) |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification path | Degree (3+ years) or 5 years' experience | Degree or equivalent experience |
| Salary threshold | 1.4x INE average wage (Orden PJC/44/2026) | 1.4x INE average wage (Orden PJC/44/2026) |
| EU mobility | Yes, after 12 months | No, Spain-only |
| Labour market test | None | None |
Why the 2024 Reglamento de Extranjería does not govern this permit
Most Spanish residence categories sit inside the Reglamento de Extranjería, currently Real Decreto 1155/2024. The Blue Card is the exception. When the new Reglamento replaced Real Decreto 557/2011 in May 2025, its own preamble removed the Blue Card chapter and stated that the regime is regulated in Ley 14/2013 instead. In practice this means the Blue Card's rules, salary thresholds and procedure all live in one law, not split across a law and a regulation.
Salary and Eligibility Requirements
Three things decide whether a hire qualifies: the salary on the contract, the candidate's qualifications, and the shape of the employment offer itself.
The salary threshold, standard and reduced
Order PJC/44/2026, published in the BOE on 30 January 2026, set the current reference threshold at 1.4 times the INE's average gross annual wage. That works out to EUR 39,269.92 for most roles.
2026 Blue Card salary floor: EUR 39,269.92 standard, EUR 31,415.94 reduced. Base salary only, bonuses do not count.
Source: Orden PJC/44/2026, Art. 2
Last verified: Jul 2026
A reduced threshold of EUR 31,415.94, 80 percent of the standard figure, applies in two cases: roles classified under Groups 1 and 2 of the National Classification of Occupations that also appear on Spain's shortage-occupations catalogue, and candidates who obtained their qualifying degree within the three years before applying. Only the guaranteed fixed salary in the contract counts toward the threshold; bonuses, stock options and variable pay are excluded.
Qualifications and contract terms
Candidates need either a university degree of at least three years, equivalent to MECES level 2, or five years of professional experience relevant to the role. For ICT professionals, three years of experience within the last seven can substitute for the degree. Where the role is a regulated profession, the candidate also needs Spanish recognition of the qualification.
Degree route: 3+ years, MECES level 2. Experience route: 5 years, or 3 years in the last 7 for ICT roles.
Source: Ley 14/2013, Art. 71.2.a
The job offer itself has to be a valid employment contract or a binding offer for at least six months of high-skilled work, on terms that match the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
How Companies Apply for the EU Blue Card
The process is built around the employer, not the individual, which is part of why larger companies favour this route over the standard work-permit track.
Filing through the UGE-CE
Applications for the EU Blue Card go to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estrategicos, a specialised unit set up precisely to handle high-value, high-skill cases without the standard labour market test. Either the company or the professional can file, and the application can be submitted from outside Spain through the corresponding consulate, or from within Spain if the candidate already holds a valid residence status.
No labour market test applies to the EU Blue Card route, unlike Spain's standard work-and-residence permits.
Source: Ley 14/2013, Art. 71 bis
What the process looks like end to end
EU Blue Card application steps
Secure the qualifying job offer
The company issues a valid employment contract or binding job offer of at least six months, structured to meet the current salary threshold.
Assemble the documentation
Passport, proof of qualification or experience, criminal record certificate, and evidence the salary meets Order PJC/44/2026.
File with the UGE-CE
Submit electronically, or via the relevant consulate if the candidate is applying from outside Spain.
Collect the card and register
Once approved, the candidate collects the Tarjeta azul-UE and completes the standard foreign-national registration steps in Spain.
If your company does not yet have a Spanish entity, this specific route requires one, since the sponsoring employer has to hold the contract directly. Companies still setting up in Spain sometimes compare this timeline against hiring through an Employer of Record instead, though whether an EOR can act as the qualifying sponsor for this particular permit is not settled and needs case-by-case confirmation, not something to assume either way.
How ApexTax Helps Companies Hire Blue Card Talent
ApexTax works as a Cross-Border Relocation Strategist and Single Point of Contact for companies bringing highly qualified non-EU hires into Spain. For a Blue Card case, that means mapping the salary threshold against the offer you are structuring, checking whether the role and candidate profile fit the standard or reduced threshold, and coordinating the UGE-CE filing with an independent immigration lawyer selected for the case. Where a company does not yet have a Spanish entity, ApexTax can also help you compare that route against hiring through an independent Employer of Record.
Implementation of the UGE-CE filing and residence permit application is delivered by independent qualified immigration lawyers selected and coordinated by ApexTax. ApexTax does not file Blue Card applications itself, represent applicants before Extranjeria, or provide formal immigration legal advice.