Canary Islands (IC)

The Canary Islands are Spain's Atlantic autonomous community: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa.

Capital: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Region: Europe

Language: Spanish

Currency: EUR (€)

Cost of living: Affordable (index 52)

Emergency: 112

Jobs & Work Permits

Everything you need to find work and get authorised to work in Canary Islands.

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal

SEPE

Register as a job-seeker (demandante de empleo) at your regional office (SEPE is federal but operated by each Comunidad Autónoma). In Madrid: Oficina de Empleo de la Comunidad de Madrid. In Catalonia: SOC. Bring DNI/NIE/TIE, número de Seguridad Social, CV. Registration is free.

Services offered:

✓Ofertas de empleo (job listings) via each Autonomous Community’s portal
✓Orientación laboral (career guidance, 1:1 advisor)
✓Subsidised training courses (Programa Acredítate, certificados de profesionalidad)
✓CV and interview workshops
✓Prestación por desempleo (contributory unemployment benefit) — 50–70% of base reguladora for 4–24 months
✓Subsidio por desempleo (non-contributory subsidy, €480/month in 2026) for those who exhaust contributory
✓Ingreso Mínimo Vital (national minimum income, €658/month single adult 2026)

Expat eligibility: EU/EEA citizens have full access. Non-EU citizens need a valid residence permit with work authorisation (autorización de residencia y trabajo). To claim paro (unemployment benefit) you need at least 360 days of contributions in the past 6 years.

Visit Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal

💼 Work Permits

EU Citizens

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens work freely. Apply for the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión (green A4 paper or small green card) within 90 days of arrival at any Oficina de Extranjería. You will need proof of empadronamiento, health insurance (public via working contract or private), and financial means.

Non-EU Citizens

Non-EU citizens need a work visa + autorización de residencia y trabajo. Spain’s Ley de Extranjería reform of 20 May 2025 introduced new pathways and simplified processes. Main routes: cuenta ajena (employee), cuenta propia (self-employed), arraigo laboral / social / sociolaboral / para la formación (rooting categories after 2+ years in Spain), highly qualified worker / ICT.

EU Blue Card

EU Blue Card (Tarjeta Azul UE): for university graduates with a binding job offer and annual salary ≥ 1.4x Spanish average (€39,270/year in 2026, per Order PJC/44/2026 effective January 30). Reduced threshold of €31,416 for shortage occupations (IT, STEM, some healthcare) and recent graduates. Apply from abroad at consulate, or in Spain if already legally resident.

Freelancer Visa

Visado de trabajo por cuenta propia (self-employment visa) — requires a detailed business plan, investment figures, experience. The much better alternative for remote workers is the Visado para Teletrabajo de Carácter Internacional (Digital Nomad Visa, Ley 28/2022) with favourable Beckham-style taxation (fixed 24% up to €600k) for up to 6 years.

⏱️ Work Culture

Typical hours 40 hours/week by law (Estatuto de los Trabajadores). In practice: 9:00–18:00 or 9:00–14:00 + 16:00–19:00 (split shift / jornada partida). Summer hours (jornada intensiva) 8:00–15:00 is common June–September.

Annual leave 22 working days/year minimum by law, plus 14 public holidays (9 national + 4 regional + 2 local). Banking/large employer conventions often give 25–31 days.

Sick leave Baja por enfermedad común: Days 1–3 unpaid (unless convenio says otherwise). Day 4–20: 60% of base reguladora (employer advances). Day 21+: 75%. Paid by Seguridad Social / mutua after day 16 for common illness. Accidents at work: 75% from day 1.

Trial period Período de prueba: up to 6 months for qualified technicians, 2 months for other workers (1 month in companies <25 employees). Written in contract to be valid.

Notice period Voluntary resignation: minimum 15 days notice (usually). Convenio can extend. Employer dismissal: 15–30 days notice for objective dismissal (despido objetivo). Disciplinary (despido disciplinario): no notice but high risk of challenge.

Salary range SMI (minimum wage) 2026: €1,221×14 pagas = €17,094/year. Average gross salary: €28,000–35,000/year. IT: €30,000–65,000. Senior engineer: €45,000–80,000. Doctor (MIR): €45,000–85,000. Tax+SS reduces gross by ~20–32%.

Pay frequency Monthly. Spain uniquely uses 14 pagas — 12 regular monthly + 2 extra pagas (pagas extraordinarias) in July and December. Alternative "prorrateado" setup spreads them across 12 monthly payments. Always check your contract.

Contract types

·Indefinido (permanent — now the default after 2022 reform)
·Temporal por circunstancias de la producción (max 6 months within a 12-month window)
·Temporal por sustitución (to replace an absent worker)
·Formativo (dual training / internship)
·Fijo-discontinuo (seasonal but permanent)

🔍 Job Boards

InfoJobs

Spain’s biggest job board. Strong for all professional levels — essential for any Spanish job search.

Dominant for international companies, multinationals and tech. Often faster than InfoJobs for English-speaking roles.

Indeed España

Strong aggregator, good for entry-level and broad searches.

Tecnoempleo

Specialist IT / tech job board, very active in Spain.

Glassdoor España

Company reviews + salary data + job listings. Check salary benchmarks here.

Empleate.gob.es

Official government job aggregator (all regional SEPE offices). Required listing point for quota non-EU work permit applications.

Turijobs

Hospitality and tourism specialist — hotels, restaurants, tour operators.

Cornerjob

Mobile-first platform focused on shift work (retail, restaurants, logistics).

🌍 Expat-Friendly Resources

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Expatica Jobs Spain

English-language jobs for expats in Spain, especially Madrid and Barcelona.

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BarcelonaYellow / SpainGuru

Expat community sites with job boards and visa guidance.

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Remote OK / We Work Remotely

Critical for Digital Nomad Visa holders who need remote-friendly roles.

📝 Application Tips

CV format: Spanish CV (curriculum vitae) — photo is still common (unlike UK/US), date of birth and DNI/NIE often included. 1–2 pages. Reverse chronological. Europass format widely accepted. List Spanish language level (A2/B1/B2/C1/C2) prominently if non-native.

Cover letter: Expected

Language: Most roles outside international companies and tech require B2+ Spanish. Madrid and Barcelona have sizable English-only markets (especially tech, finance, pharma, startups). Catalonia increasingly requires Catalan for public-sector and many private roles.

Interviews: Conversational, less formal than Germany. Small talk at the start is welcome. Bring a printed CV. Dress smartly. Questions about personal circumstances (family, plans to stay in Spain) are still legal and common — you can decline to answer.

🤝 Networking Tips

→LinkedIn is by far the most important platform — keep it updated in Spanish and English.
→Join InterNations and Internations Spain for expat networking events.
→Meetup.com has very active tech, AI and startup communities in Madrid and Barcelona.
→Colegios Profesionales (professional chambers) organise networking for regulated professions.
→Cámara de Comercio (Chambers of Commerce) are strong for business networking — British, American, German and French chambers very active.

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