European Blue Card: Attracting International Talent
Spain has recently issued a significant modification of its Special Immigration Law, aimed to change the migration system for highly qualified individuals and enhance the attraction of talent through the European Blue Card via.
What is the European Blue Card?
Blue Card is a mechanism designed to attract highly qualified professionals from non-European countries. However, certain requirements must be met to apply for this card, which we will outline in this article.
In essence, the European Blue Card simplifies the process of international transfers for highly qualified workers, thus facilitating talent attraction for companies.
What are the main benefits?
The EU Blue Card offers a range of advantages for highly qualified professionals seeking to work and reside in the European Union. Let’s explore the main benefits:
- Fast and Efficient Procedure: The new Spanish Blue Card process is significantly faster compared to the previous one, allowing applicants to obtain their card more quickly.
- Broad Eligibility Criteria: Applicants with a high education diploma or relevant work experience are eligible for the European Blue Card, making it accessible to a wide range of qualified individuals.
- Attraction of International Talent: The EU Blue Card is highly attractive to foreigners as it enables them to move to another European country more easily, opening up exciting opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Smooth Transition for Card Holders: Foreigners who hold an EU Blue Card issued by another EU country can work in Spain as soon as they submit their application to the Spanish authorities, eliminating the need to wait for a resolution.
- Automatic Work Authorization: Similarly, EU Blue Card holders from other EU countries can work in Spain for 90 days within a 180-day period without the need to request additional work authorization.
- Entrepreneurship Opportunities: EU Blue Card holders can now explore self-employment options alongside their primary profession, expanding their scope for entrepreneurship and independent business ventures.
- Streamlined Labor Contract Duration: The duration of the labor contract or job offer required for the European Blue Card has been reduced from 12 to 6 months, allowing for more flexibility and quicker placement in employment.
- Decreased Residence Requirement: The period that individuals must spend in the first EU State before being eligible to reside in Spain has been decreased from 18 to 12 months, facilitating easier mobility within the EU.
- Concurrent Family Reunification: The reform ensures that family reunification processes are streamlined, allowing getting relatives permits at the same time than main applicant.
What about the requirements?
To qualify for the European Blue Card, certain requirements must be met:
- Holding a university degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree or having 5 years of previous work experience related to the job. An exception applies to IT professionals who may present a higher degree or 3 years of previous work experience related to the job position.
- Labor contract with a minimum duration of 6 months or a job offer.
- Meeting the salary criteria, which are set between 100% and 160% of the minimum salary defined by the annual Spanish regulations (to be determined)
If you require any assistance or support throughout this process, please do not hesitate to contact us. The dedicated BLC team is committed to provide you with the best service possible.