Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion took an active role in the European Commission’s second "Implementation Dialogue on Talent Attraction and Retention," held in Brussels on 11 December and published online on 12 December. Director Ainara Dorremochea outlined Madrid’s priorities: cutting permit processing times for highly-qualified workers to ten days, harmonising recognition of third-country qualifications across the bloc and creating an EU-wide family-reunification fast-track.
The dialogue gathered 27 public- and private-sector stakeholders, including BusinessEurope, the OECD and law firm Fragomen. Consensus emerged that fragmented rules and lengthy procedures are pushing international talent toward Canada and Australia. Spain argued that its own "One-Stop Shop" for Start-Up permits—launched in 2023—could serve as a model for other member states.
Companies and individuals who need to act before any EU-level reforms take effect can leverage VisaHQ’s digital visa and permit services. Through its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), VisaHQ simplifies application preparation, offers real-time status tracking and coordinates document couriering, helping employers meet tight onboarding timelines while the bloc works on harmonising rules.
![Spain Joins EU Dialogue on Attracting Global Talent, Calls for Faster Permit Processing]()
Participants flagged risks of unfair recruitment and poor working conditions. Spain proposed a joint EU inspection pilot to police labour-law breaches in high-mobility sectors such as IT contracting and healthcare.
For mobility managers the meeting signals a potential loosening of EU-level red tape in 2026. If the Commission adopts Spain’s ten-day target, assignee lead-times could drop dramatically. However, social partners insist that speed must not come at the expense of integration support and equal treatment.
A detailed set of recommendations will be published in Q1 2026 and fed into upcoming revisions of the Single Permit Directive and the Long-Term Residents Directive.
The dialogue gathered 27 public- and private-sector stakeholders, including BusinessEurope, the OECD and law firm Fragomen. Consensus emerged that fragmented rules and lengthy procedures are pushing international talent toward Canada and Australia. Spain argued that its own "One-Stop Shop" for Start-Up permits—launched in 2023—could serve as a model for other member states.
Companies and individuals who need to act before any EU-level reforms take effect can leverage VisaHQ’s digital visa and permit services. Through its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), VisaHQ simplifies application preparation, offers real-time status tracking and coordinates document couriering, helping employers meet tight onboarding timelines while the bloc works on harmonising rules.
Participants flagged risks of unfair recruitment and poor working conditions. Spain proposed a joint EU inspection pilot to police labour-law breaches in high-mobility sectors such as IT contracting and healthcare.
For mobility managers the meeting signals a potential loosening of EU-level red tape in 2026. If the Commission adopts Spain’s ten-day target, assignee lead-times could drop dramatically. However, social partners insist that speed must not come at the expense of integration support and equal treatment.
A detailed set of recommendations will be published in Q1 2026 and fed into upcoming revisions of the Single Permit Directive and the Long-Term Residents Directive.
