Residence for Highly Qualified Professionals (Ley 14/2013)

What you need to have to hand

1. Certificado digital or Cl@ve of the company representative.
2. Contract/proposal with clear salary and duties.
3. Degrees and proven experience (and official translations if not in Spanish).
4. Powers and company escrituras. AEAT/TGSS certificates up to date.
5. Valid passport and health insurance (if you won’t have Seguridad Social coverage yet).

Documentation

• Pasaporte completo escaneado en buena calidad.
• Contrato o precontrato con firma y fecha, salario bruto y duración.
• Memoria del puesto: funciones, categoría, por qué es de alta cualificación.
• Títulos universitarios o acreditación de experiencia equivalente.
• CV firmado y certificados de empleo anteriores.
• NIF, escrituras, poderes del firmante y estar al corriente con AEAT/TGSS.
• Justificante de pago de la tasa Ley 14/2013.
• Para huellas: modelo 790-012 pagado, foto carnet, empadronamiento, resolución y alta en Seguridad Social.

Step by step

1. The company goes to https://sede.inclusion.gob.es/procedimientos/ and selects the "Profesionales Altamente Cualificados" procedure. Submit the solicitud with certificado digital and pay the fee.
2. Check Notificaciones: if they ask to subsanar, you have 10 días hábiles. Upload what’s missing in the same expediente.
3. Concession in 20 días hábiles (silencio positivo). If you’re outside, apply for a visa at your Consulate via https://www.exteriores.gob.es/es/EmbajadasConsulados/Paginas/index.aspx.
4. Enter Spain (if coming from abroad) and the company registers you with Seguridad Social from day 1.
5. Book a fingerprint appointment at https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html → POLICÍA – TOMA DE HUELLAS (TIE).
6. Pay the 790-012 at https://sede.policia.gob.es/Tasa790_012/ and attend the appointment with everything. They’ll give a resguardo and, a few weeks later, you collect the TIE.

Time-savers

• Upload PDFs as single files per document with clear names. Fewer requirements, fewer headaches.
• Book the huellas appointment as soon as you have a favourable resolution; don’t wait until you’re physically in Spain if you already know your province.
• If 20 días hábiles pass, request a certificado de silencio positivo and push it with the Consulate.
• Have a simple signed poder for the representative who files the solicitud; it avoids silly subsanaciones.

Common mistakes that will mess up your trámite

• Contract without detailed duties or ambiguous salary: almost certain denial.
• Not replying to a subsanación in time: expediente archived.
• Missing the month deadline to give fingerprints: possible sanction and having to restart with explanations.
• Trying to travel abroad with only the fingerprint resguardo: you’ll be stopped at the border.
• Not paying the 790-012 or going without the NRC/receipt: they send you home and you lose the appointment.