Spain: Romanian Local Hires Entitled to Full EU Work Rights After One Year
Locally-hired Romanian nationals are no longer required to renew their work permits after they have worked in Spain for at least one full year under a work contract valid for the same period of time. In addition, Romanian nationals who meet the criteria for Spain’s version of the EU Blue Card will not need a work permit.
After one year of employment in Spain, locally-hired Romanian nationals will be afforded the same work rights as other EU nationals, the Spanish government has announced effective immediately. In practice, this means Romanian nationals with work contracts valid for a year or more will not be required to renew their work permits after they have worked in Spain for at least one full year.
Through December 31, 2013, Romanians are required obtain a work permit if they will be working in Spain under a local employment contract; intracompany transferees are exempt.
The announcement resolves an open question concerning the status of Romanian workers in Spain. When the Spanish government announced in December 2012 that work restrictions for Romanians would be extended one more year, it was not yet known how Romanian nationals with valid work permits would be treated.
The Spanish immigration authorities have clarified that highly-skilled Romanian nationals who meet the criteria for Spain’s version of the EU Blue Card will be exempt from the work permit requirement.
Source: Fragomen