Iconic Spanish singer Julio Iglesias faces fresh scrutiny after media reports on 23 January alleged that he brought several household employees from the Dominican Republic to his Marbella estate on short-stay tourist visas, kept them off payroll and paid as little as €340 per month for 12-hour shifts.
According to Cadena SER and elDiario.es, visa records from the Spanish consulate in Miami show multiple Schengen visa applications for domestic staff between 2021 and 2022. Labour lawyers say the case illustrates a loophole through which affluent employers invite non-EU workers as ‘guests’ rather than formal employees, bypassing Spain’s work-authorisation regime and social-security obligations.
For individuals and employers uncertain about the appropriate visa route, specialist platforms like VisaHQ can step in. The company’s Spain-dedicated page (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) walks applicants through the latest work-permit categories, required documentation and processing times, helping to avoid exactly the kind of irregularities now under investigation.
![Julio Iglesias visa scandal sparks debate on tourist-visa abuse and domestic labour rights]()
Iglesias denies any wrongdoing and published WhatsApp exchanges in which former staff praise him, arguing the messages prove the accusations are false. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Labour confirmed it is reviewing the allegations; if irregular employment is proven, fines of up to €100,000 and multi-year bans on sponsoring visas could follow.
For global-mobility managers, the episode is a timely warning: Spanish authorities are increasing enforcement against the misuse of C-type tourist visas for work purposes – a practice sometimes seen in executive households and short-term project assignments. Companies should ensure that all foreign domestic or support staff entering Spain hold the correct work permits and social-security registrations, even for short-duration postings, and should audit third-party suppliers that arrange household help for senior assignees.
The scandal also feeds into a wider public debate on fair pay and protection for migrant domestic workers, a sector the government has pledged to formalise further in 2026.
According to Cadena SER and elDiario.es, visa records from the Spanish consulate in Miami show multiple Schengen visa applications for domestic staff between 2021 and 2022. Labour lawyers say the case illustrates a loophole through which affluent employers invite non-EU workers as ‘guests’ rather than formal employees, bypassing Spain’s work-authorisation regime and social-security obligations.
For individuals and employers uncertain about the appropriate visa route, specialist platforms like VisaHQ can step in. The company’s Spain-dedicated page (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) walks applicants through the latest work-permit categories, required documentation and processing times, helping to avoid exactly the kind of irregularities now under investigation.
Iglesias denies any wrongdoing and published WhatsApp exchanges in which former staff praise him, arguing the messages prove the accusations are false. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Labour confirmed it is reviewing the allegations; if irregular employment is proven, fines of up to €100,000 and multi-year bans on sponsoring visas could follow.
For global-mobility managers, the episode is a timely warning: Spanish authorities are increasing enforcement against the misuse of C-type tourist visas for work purposes – a practice sometimes seen in executive households and short-term project assignments. Companies should ensure that all foreign domestic or support staff entering Spain hold the correct work permits and social-security registrations, even for short-duration postings, and should audit third-party suppliers that arrange household help for senior assignees.
The scandal also feeds into a wider public debate on fair pay and protection for migrant domestic workers, a sector the government has pledged to formalise further in 2026.
