Puntos clave​​ 

España es un destino turístico destacado y un atractivo centro de negocios. El país ofrece conexiones comerciales a los principales mercados de Oriente Medio, el norte de África y América Latina. España también cuenta con zonas horarias favorables, costos de contratación asequibles y leyes favorables para profesionales no comunitarios.​​  

Antes de expandirte a España, necesitarás un estable conocimiento de los requisitos contractuales, impuestos, salarios, beneficios y otras consideraciones laborales. Nuestra guía te contará todo lo que necesitas saber sobre contratar en España.​​ 

Lo que debe saber antes de contratar en España​​ 

Know before hiring in Spain​​ 

If you’re expanding your business into Spain for the first time, there are important legal requirements to be aware of. These norms and laws influence everyday practices when hiring employees in Spain and many aspects of the employer-employee relationship.​​ 

If you’re unsure where to begin, G-P Gia™, our AI-powered global HR agent, can answer your toughest compliance questions across 50 countries — including Spain — and all 50 U.S. states. Reduce your reliance on outside counsel and cut the time and cost of compliance by up to 95% with Gia.​​ 

Let’s take a look at seven things to know about hiring in Spain.​​  

1. Contratos de empleo en España​​ 

The first thing to know about hiring employees in Spain is that there are specific laws that govern notice periods and termination requirements. You’ve to draft and sign a written contract for every employee and include:​​ 

Spanish law allows a two-month probationary period for general employees and a six-month probationary period for qualified technicians. During these probationary periods, you can terminate an employee if their performance doesn’t meet your standards.​​ 

Hay ciertas normas que limitan la forma en que puedes rescindir contratos indefinidos que no tienen periodo de prueba. Generalmente puedes rescindir un contrato bajo las siguientes circunstancias:​​ 

Companies generally come to a mutual agreement with the underperforming employee to dissolve the contract. You can terminate during probation without cause or notice but not for discriminatory or protected reasons, such as pregnancy, maternity/paternity-related protections, illness-related discrimination, or other protected grounds. Severance pay for wrongful termination is 33 days' salary per year of service, capped at 24 months. There's also a penalty for not giving employees the required notice (typically 15 calendar days). Employers must pay the employee for these days in lieu of notice.​​ 

G-P EOR has an Employment Contract Generator to help you draft compliant employment contracts that meet all legal requirements and best practices when looking to hire in Spain.​​ 

Employers have to:​​ 

 2. Types of employment contracts in Spain​​ 

Spain’s main employment contracts are:​​ 

Indefinite employment is the default. Fixed-term contracts are only allowed for specific justified reasons, mainly temporary production needs or the substitution of another worker.​​ 

Training contracts in Spain include alternating work-study contracts and professional practice contracts for recent graduates or qualified workers. Fixed-discontinuous contracts are indefinite contracts used for recurring seasonal or intermittent work. This covers tourism, agriculture, or education. Part-time arrangements are available but have to be documented, including working hours and distribution.​​ 

3. Nómina e impuestos​​ 

In Spain, companies have to pay employer social security contributions for each worker. These generally equal 30.57% of the employee’s salary, up to EUR 5,101.20 per month. A separate solidarity contribution also applies progressively to pay above EUR 5,101.20 per month. This is shared between employer and employee.

Businesses operating in Spain must also pay local and national taxes, including:​​ 

The VAT rate is 21%, and the corporate tax rate is 25%.​​ 

España tiene un sistema progresivo de impuesto sobre los ingresos, que aumenta con el salario del trabajador. Los no residentes también están sujetos a requisitos de retención fiscal que van desde el 19% en dividendos e intereses hasta el 24% en regalías.​​ 

Eligible inbound workers in Spain can benefit from the Beckham Law. This gives a special 24% tax rate on employment income up to EUR 600,000 for up to six tax years.​​  

4. Sueldos y horas de trabajo​​ 

The standard workweek in Spain is 40 hours, averaged annually. Many companies shorten it to 37 or 38 hours through CBAs or company policy. Without an agreement, employers can irregularly schedule up to 10% of annual hours with five days' notice, while following rest rules. Some weeks can exceed 40 hours and others can be lower. Paid overtime is generally limited to 80 hours per year. This limit doesn’t include overtime hours that are compensated with equivalent paid rest within four months.​​ 

A fecha de 2026, el salario mínimo es de 1EUR221 al mes. Los CBA pueden exigir salarios mínimos más altos en sectores específicos.​​ 

España no exige bonificaciones anuales o 13específicas de quince mes, aunque muchos contratos de venta incluyen bonificaciones y comisiones.​​  

5. Tiempo libre​​ 

Spain has 14 paid public holidays, including national, regional, and two local holidays. Each of Spain's 17 autonomous communities can establish up to four regional holidays, and municipalities typically declare two local holidays annually. Provincial holidays are also important. Be sure to research your region and find out what extra days are celebrated.​​ 

Employers in Spain have to give at least 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year. This is often expressed as about 22 working days in CBAs. This is established in each applicable CBA. These days can’t be paid out as extra compensation, so employees have an extra incentive to take their full paid time off.​​ 

In Spain, if an employee can’t work due to illness or injury, they can get a temporary incapacity benefit rather than a separate sick-leave entitlement. For common illness or non-work-related injury, the first three days are unpaid unless of a CBA or company policy. From days 4–15, the employer pays 60% of the employee’s regulatory base directly. From day 16 onward, social security or the relevant mutual insurance entity is responsible for the benefit. Employers can continue paying the employee through delegated payment and offset the amount through social security contributions. From days 16–20, the benefit is generally 60% of the regulatory base, increasing to 75% from day 21. CBAs can improve these amounts. Temporary incapacity can last up to 365 days, with a possible 180-day extension.​​ 

Las personas empleadas en España también pueden tomarse tiempo libre remunerado por diversas circunstancias familiares:​​ 

Spain gives a unified birth and childcare leave framework for both parents. Each parent gets 19 weeks of paid leave, including six mandatory weeks immediately after birth, adoption, or foster placement. The remaining weeks are available for flexible use.​​  

Unpaid childcare leave, known as excedencia por cuidado de hijo, is available for up to three years per child. This is available to either parent. During the first year of leave, the employee has the right to return to the same position. After the first year, the employee keeps the right to return to a role in the same professional group or an equivalent category. This is separate from Spain’s 8-week unpaid parental leave, which can be used until the child turns eight.​​ 

Spain also has breastfeeding or nursing leave. Employees are entitled to daily one-hour breaks until the child is nine months. Mothers can take this hour continuously, split it into two half-hour periods, or reduce the working day at the start or end of the shift. Since May 2024, employees have the right to accumulate breastfeeding leave hours into full working days without needing CBA or employer approval.​​ 

You can easily administer benefits plans with G-P EOR. Our in-house experts continuously monitor employment laws to meet country-specific regulations and norms. Build and manage benefits plans through our platform to provide a smooth employee experience.​​  

6. Leyes y restricciones antidiscriminatorias​​ 

La ley española prohíbe la discriminación en la contratación y el empleo. No puedes discriminar a las personas candidatas por ninguna de las siguientes razones:​​ 

Parte de los esfuerzos de España contra la discriminación incluyen restringir a las empresas la realización de comprobaciones de antecedentes penales a las personas candidatas a un puesto de trabajo. El acceso al Registro Central de Condenas está limitado a sectores y roles específicos que estén legalmente justificados. Estos puestos implican trabajo con menores, administración pública, fuerzas del orden y roles financieros específicos. No puedes acceder a este registro sin una autorización legal explícita. Las personas candidatas pueden revelar voluntariamente su información de antecedentes penales si así lo desean.​​ 

7. Employer obligations for workplace safety​​  

Employers have a broad duty under Prevención de Riesgos Laborales to protect workers’ health and safety. This means they’ve to:​​ 

 Employers have to organize appropriate prevention resources, such as:​​ 

Non-compliance can lead to labor inspection action, administrative fines, civil liability, social security benefit surcharges, and criminal liability.​​ 

Hiring models for global companies looking to hire in Spain​​ 

The best model for hiring in Spain depends on your business goals.​​  

Modelo​​ 

Mejor para​​ 

Key points​​ 

Principales riesgos​​ 

Direct entidad empleadora registration​​ 

Hiring in Spain without creating a Spanish entity, where feasible.​​ 

Register as employer with TGSS and get CCC. Report contract to SEPE. Register with AEAT for IRPF withholding.​​ 

Administrative burden; payroll, tax, social security, PRL, and local labor compliance remain with the employer.​​ 

Plataforma global de empleo (Employer of Record)​​ 

Fast hiring, pilots, or limited market entry.​​ 

EOR isn’t a distinct statutory category in Spain. It’s structured carefully so local employers handle payroll, contracts, social security, and compliance.​​ 

Risk of illegal labor leasing if the client directs workers like the real employer or arrangement lacks lawful structure.​​ 

Subsidiary or branch​​ 

Long-term operations, local presence, local contracting, and scalable teams.​​ 

Register with mercantile registry; get tax registrations and employer/social security setup.​​  

Higher setup cost and ongoing corporate, tax, accounting, labor, and governance obligations.​​ 

Contratistas independientes​​ 

Project-based autonomous work by self-employed contractors.​​ 

Contractors operate outside employment law and handle their own tax/social security.​​  

Dependency indicators can trigger misclassification, employment reclassification, and fines.​​ 

Principales centros de contratación en España​​ 

Algunas ciudades españolas son conocidas por sus industrias particulares. Conocer lo que cada ciudad tiene para ofrecer puede ayudarte a canalizar tus esfuerzos de contratación hacia el lugar adecuado y cubrir puestos más rápido.​​  

Los principales polos de talento en España son:​​ 

Industrias clave en España​​ 

Comprender las principales industrias de España te ayuda a establecer un punto de referencia para salarios y beneficios. Puedes emplear esta información para tomar decisiones inteligentes sobre dónde invertir y hacer crecer tu fuerza de trabajo. Las principales industrias en España incluyen:​​ 

Costo de contratar una persona empleada en España​​ Cost of hiring in Spain​​ 

Tanto si contratas a un solo empleado como a todo un equipo en España, los gastos son inevitables. Presupuesto para lo siguiente:​​ 

La mayoría de los empleados en España obtienen su seguro médico básico a través del programa nacional de seguro de salud. Las entidades empleadoras suelen ofrecer seguro médico complementario. La mayoría del personal ejecutivo, por ejemplo, recibe seguro de salud y vida complementario de sus entidades empleadoras.​​  

The costs to hire employees in Spain vary by industry because of the various CBA requirements in different sectors. According to Gia, the total annual employer burden rate in Spain, which includes costs triggered on top of salaries, is around 30%.​​  

¿Qué necesita contratar una empresa en España?​​ Steps to hiring in Spain​​ 

La contratación en España puede ser similar a tu proceso de contratación, pero existen ciertas prácticas únicas de cada país:​​ 

Cerciórate de cubrir estos aspectos esenciales antes de ampliar tu equipo en España:​​  

Use G-P EOR to hire full-time employees in Spain without setting up your own entity. Build your team in Spain at a lower cost and with peace of mind that you’re doing so compliantly.​​  

Contratación de contratistas en España​​ 

Trabajar con contratistas independientes en España puede ser una forma rentable de probar el mercado y consolidar presencia sin el compromiso de empleados de tiempo completo. Los contratistas con sede en España comprenden el comportamiento local del consumidor, las normas y las prácticas empresariales. Estarán listos para empezar a trabajar rápidamente con su propio equipo y procesos de trabajo establecido.​​  

Contratar contratistas te permite ajustar fácilmente tu fuerza de trabajo según las necesidades de tu compañía, sin las complejidades ni los costos de empleo.​​  

Antes de firmar un acuerdo con un contratista en España, considera lo siguiente:​​ 

1. Empleados vs. contratistas independientes​​ 

En España, los empleados trabajan bajo la dirección y supervisión de la entidad empleadora, siguen horarios establecido y reciben beneficios. Están integrados en las operaciones y la cultura principales de la empresa. Los contratistas no están sujetos al mismo control. Operan de forma independiente y tienen autonomía sobre cómo, cuándo y dónde realizan su trabajo. Los empleados tienen derecho a prestaciones de ley como licencias remuneradas, cobertura médica y prestaciones por desempleo. Los contratistas deben organizar sus propios seguros y planes de jubilación.​​ 

2. Penalidades por clasificación errónea​​ 

Classifying someone as a contractor when they’re not can lead to severe penalties. If misclassification occurs, you may need to:​​ 

3. Cómo pagar a los contratistas en España​​ 

G-P Contractor™ takes away the messy, time-consuming process of hiring and paying international contractors. You can create and issue contracts and pay contractors with just a few clicks, all while ensuring a compliant process.​​ 

Contrata empleados y contratistas en España con G-P​​ 

Our SaaS and AI-powered products – EOR, Contractor, and Gia – help companies of all sizes build and manage global teams.​​  

With more than a decade of experience, the largest team of HR, legal, and compliance experts, and a global proprietary knowledge base, G-P is the recognized leader in global employment.​​ 

Make your expansion to Spain easier with G-P. Contact us or book a demo today.​​  

Contratar con G-P​​