During a business-climate event in London, Spain’s Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla, revealed that Madrid has formally proposed a mutual short-stay work-visa exemption to the United Kingdom. The scheme would allow qualified professionals to deliver services for up to 90 days without needing a sponsor-based visa, aligning with the Mode 4 service-deliverer exemption recently embedded in Spain’s revised Immigration Regulations.
López said UK officials are “studying” the idea, which aims to ease post-Brexit frictions for Spanish companies that struggle to send technicians, consultants and executives for brief assignments. Under current UK rules, most visitors providing paid services require a sponsored Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker (Service Supplier) visa, triggering cost and lead-time burdens for employers.
Until any new exemption materializes, companies can simplify existing visa procedures through VisaHQ, an online platform that manages UK and Spanish travel and work documentation end-to-end. Their experts handle paperwork, appointment scheduling and compliance checks, freeing HR teams to focus on core business. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/spain/.
![Spain Seeks Short-Stay Work-Visa Waiver With UK for Skilled Service Providers]()
If adopted, the bilateral waiver would operate outside both the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Schengen acquis, requiring separate UK legislation. Observers note that London has shown willingness to create bespoke mobility corridors—most recently with Singapore—but a Spain-specific deal would be unprecedented within Europe and could serve as a template for other member states.
For multinationals, the change would cut red tape for troubleshooting trips, installations and client meetings. Spanish corporates with UK subsidiaries could avoid the £715 visa fee, healthcare surcharge and Certificate of Sponsorship requirements for short assignments, while British firms would gain reciprocal access to Spain, enhancing project agility in sectors such as aerospace, fintech and renewable energy.
Although timelines remain unclear, mobility managers should prepare scenario plans: track income-tax and social-security thresholds (Spain automatically extends social-security coverage for stays under 183 days) and update posted-worker notifications. Stakeholders also expect clarity on whether accompanying dependants will qualify for visa-free entry and whether the waiver will interact with the EU’s new Entry/Exit System from April 2026.
López said UK officials are “studying” the idea, which aims to ease post-Brexit frictions for Spanish companies that struggle to send technicians, consultants and executives for brief assignments. Under current UK rules, most visitors providing paid services require a sponsored Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker (Service Supplier) visa, triggering cost and lead-time burdens for employers.
Until any new exemption materializes, companies can simplify existing visa procedures through VisaHQ, an online platform that manages UK and Spanish travel and work documentation end-to-end. Their experts handle paperwork, appointment scheduling and compliance checks, freeing HR teams to focus on core business. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/spain/.
If adopted, the bilateral waiver would operate outside both the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Schengen acquis, requiring separate UK legislation. Observers note that London has shown willingness to create bespoke mobility corridors—most recently with Singapore—but a Spain-specific deal would be unprecedented within Europe and could serve as a template for other member states.
For multinationals, the change would cut red tape for troubleshooting trips, installations and client meetings. Spanish corporates with UK subsidiaries could avoid the £715 visa fee, healthcare surcharge and Certificate of Sponsorship requirements for short assignments, while British firms would gain reciprocal access to Spain, enhancing project agility in sectors such as aerospace, fintech and renewable energy.
Although timelines remain unclear, mobility managers should prepare scenario plans: track income-tax and social-security thresholds (Spain automatically extends social-security coverage for stays under 183 days) and update posted-worker notifications. Stakeholders also expect clarity on whether accompanying dependants will qualify for visa-free entry and whether the waiver will interact with the EU’s new Entry/Exit System from April 2026.
