Visa for highly qualified workers: Visa to carry out a work activity as an employee in Spain as a highly qualified professional, member of senior management personnel meeting certain criteria set forth in prevailing legislation, or as a graduate or post-graduate of a prestigious university and/or business school.
Visa for intra-company transfers: Visa to carry out a work activity as an employee in Spain as a member of senior management personnel, a specialist or a trainee, to perform a contract, or in respect of a professional relationship, when the transfer is made within the same company or group of companies.
The following family members of the worker may also obtain the visa:
- The spouse or unmarried partner.
- Children and adult children who are financially dependent on the worker and who have not created a family unit of their own.
- Relatives in the ascending line in the worker's care.
All applications must be submitted unfolded and must include photocopies of the following original documents (if required in your application): Passport, RCMP Criminal records check with fingerprints and photo, medical certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate and notarized documents). Please note that if you do not send the photocopies, the Consulate will keep the original copies.
Required documents for the worker
- National visa application form
. Each applicant, or their representative, must complete and sign a visa application form, filling in each of its sections. - Photography. A recent, passport-size, colour photograph, taken against a light background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face. It must conform to ICAO standards, stamped with date and place where the photo was taken.
- Valid, unexpired passport. Original and a photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must have a minimum validity period of 1 year and contain two blank pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.
- Residence permit. Original and a copy of the permit issued by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit.
- Criminal Record Certificate no more than five months before the application date (Legalized with the Hague Apostille Certification issued by Global Affairs Canada only and translated into Spanish). Documents issued by the Government of Canada. This includes federal agencies and bodies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will be apostilled by Global Affairs Canada only. Criminal Record Certificates issued by the RCMP headquarters in Ottawa do not need to be notarized as long as they are signed by the Director General of the Canadian Criminal Real Time/Identification Services, and they contain the official RCMP dry seal. Applicants of legal age who apply for a visa for a stay of more than 180 days must submit the original and a copy of the criminal record check certificate(s) issued by their country or countries of residence for the past 5 years. It must be a negative criminal record issued by the RCMP containing fingerprints and photo of visa applicant. If in the last five years, you have resided in another country, a criminal record from the authorities of that country.
- Proof of residence in the consular district.
- Proof of the representative's identity and capacity. If the visa application is submitted through a representative, a copy of the identity document or passport of the representative and of the power of attorney or document accrediting representation must be submitted. The originals must be shown when submitting the application. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.
- Payment of the visa fee. CHECK THE VISA FEE HERE. For nationals of Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, the United States of America and the United Kingdom different rates are applied for reasons of reciprocity. If you are applying together with your family, all the fees can be paid in the same cheque.
NOTE FOR APPLICANT TRAVELLING WITH MINORS:
In this case, the parent who is not travelling to Spain will have to sign a letter of consent in front of a Notary, after that the letter has to be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada and after it has to be legalized by our Consulate.
If the parent who travels with the minor has share custody of the child, they will have to submit a legal document in which the parent not travelling states to be aware that the child is going to Spain with the other parent and gives the permission for this. This needs to be a court sentence and has to be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada and then legalized by the Consulate.
If the custody is not shared custody, that document needs to be a court sentence and has to be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada and then legalized by the Consulate. For more information about the legalization process, check this LINK.
Required documents for family members
For each family member accompanying the worker, the following must be submitted:
- All the required documents specified in sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8. Where applicable, those specified in 7 also. In the case of minors, the visa application must be signed by one of their parents or by a duly accredited representative.
- Documents constituting proof of family relationship with the applicant accrediting financial means: birth or marriage certificates issued by the civil registry, certificate of registration as an unmarried couple or any other document substantiating an unmarried partnership with the applicant. Only documents from outside of Canada must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into English or Spanish. If the applicant travels with the family, each member of the family must submit an independent visa application, the documents to be enclosed and a document proving the relationship (marriage or birth certificate, as the case may be). All family applications can be sent in the same envelope.
In the case of adult children, documents proving their financial dependence and civil status. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.
- In the case of relatives in the ascending line, documents that prove they are in the worker's care. Foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, where applicable, must be submitted together with an official translation into Spanish.
- Medical insurance certificate.
When necessary to assess the application, the Consular Office may request additional documents or data and may also ask the applicant to come in for a personal interview.
Procedure
This Consular Office is competent to accept visa applications from individuals residing in the consular district.
- Who can apply for a visa: Visa applications must be submitted in person by the applicant. Appointment must be requested in advance by sending an email to cog.toronto.citasvis@maec.es.
- Collecting the visa: The visa must be collected personally by the applicant without the need for a prior appointment, within a maximum period of 1 month, counting from the day following the date on which the favorable resolution is notified. The Consular Office will inform the applicant regarding the procedure for the return of the passport and any other original documentation.
- Visa refusal: Visa refusals will always be notified in writing, setting forth the grounds on which the decision adopted was based.
- Appeals: If a visa is refused, the applicant may submit an appeal for reconsideration to this Consular Office within 1 month of the day following the date on which notification of the refusal is received. An application for judicial review may also be filed with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within the 2-month period beginning the day after the date on which the applicant receives notification of the visa refusal or of the dismissal of the reconsideration appeal.
Validity period of the visa: The visa is valid for 1 year, or for the same period as the residence permit granted, provided that this is for less than 1 year.
The visa accredits residence in Spain during its validity period, making it unnecessary for the worker to obtain a Foreigner Identity Card. However, the worker may apply for this card at the Foreign Nationals' Office or the corresponding Police Station.