If your company is looking to hire skilled professional foreign talent for your branch in Spain, you’ve probably come across two main options: the PAC/HQP Permit (Highly Qualified Professional Permit) and the EU Blue Card. Both allow Spanish companies to recruit foreign skilled workers through a relatively fast process – with a 20-working-day solving time and positive silence approval if no response after the deadline – but they have significant differences. So, which one should you choose? What sets them apart? Let’s break it down. 🧐👇
🔍Key Differences Between PAC/HQP and EU Blue Card
PAC/HQP (Highly Qualified Professional Permit)
🔹 Regulated by the Entrepreneurs’ Law 14/2013.
🔹 Allows Spanish companies to hire highly qualified foreign professionals.
🔹 Minimum salary depends on the candidate’s age:
- Under 30: €30,500 gross/year
- Over 30: €40,500 gross/year
🔹 Limited EU mobility: If the employee wants to move to another EU country, they will need a new permit.
🔹 Initial validity: 3 years, renewable for 2 more years.
EU Blue Card
🔹 Since 2023, also regulated by the Entrepreneurs’ Law 14/2013.
🔹 Recognised across the EU, making mobility easier for professionals.
🔹 Minimum salary required: according to the regulation in force as of 2025, between 1.0 and 1.6 times the average annual salary in Spain (typically €40,500 gross/year).
🔹 Initial validity: 3 years, renewable for 2 more years.
💼 Which Permit is Best for Your Company and Your Candidate?
If your company only operates in Spain and you need a quick hiring process → PAC Permit is the best choice ✅
If your company has a presence in multiple EU countries and values international flexibility → EU Blue Card is the ideal option 🌍
🚀 So, Which One Should You Choose?
If you need a faster and simpler process, HQP/PAC is the way to go.
If you value international flexibility, EU Blue Card is your best bet.
Just in case there is any doubt, find a comparative table of the main aspects to take into account when choosing the type of permit to apply for when hiring new foreign talent as follows:
| PAC/HQP (National) 🏢 | EU Blue Card 🌍 | |
| By diploma application | (Higher) vocational training diploma | University degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, etc.) |
| By experience application | Minimum 3 years | Minimum 5 years (or 3 years for IT professionals in the last 7 years) |
| Salary | – SPECIALISTS: from 40,500 EUR/ gross per year – DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVES, MANAGERS, ETC: from 55,000 EUR/ gross per year | |
| Salary reduction factor | 75% of the required salary to be met for under 30 years candidates: 30,500 EUR/ gross per year | 80% of the required salary to be met if the latest diploma was obtained within the last 3 years prior to application 33.000 EUR/ gross per year |
| Application process | From the country of origin or within 90 days of arrival in Spain | |
| Duration | 3 years, renewable for 2 more | |
| Renewal timeframe | 60 days before expiry or up to 90 days after | |
| EU Long-Term Residence | After 5 years of legal and continuous residence | Years spent on a Blue Card in other countries count, provided the last 2 years were in Spain |
| Mobility within the EU | Limited to Spain | Allows short-term relocation to another EU country (up to 90 days) if the employer has an entity there |
We always advise you to consult experts in global mobility and immigration law when recruiting international talent and applying for their work permits. With this post we want to shed some light on one of the most frequent questions in this field, but these are complex processes and each candidate and their application should be carefully studied to ensure success in obtaining their residence and work permit.