Employer of Record in Spain

Spain is a dynamic and attractive market for many companies looking to expand their activities in Europe. However, setting up a local presence can often be hampered by complex legal and administrative requirements. Foreign companies wishing to employ staff in Spain are often faced with the need to set up a local legal structure, which can be a complex process. In this context, wage portage in Spain is emerging as a promising alternative solution.

On this page, we present the basic principles of wage portage in Spain, its advantages and implications for companies looking to set up or expand their business in the Spanish market.

What is wage portage ?

Wage portage is based on a three-way collaboration between the portage company, the client company and the candidate being considered for the position. In this process, Salveo Spain acts as an intermediary between the employer and the employee, managing legal and regulatory aspects such as immigration, employment and remuneration. However, it is important to note that this company assumes a shared management role, particularly at administrative level, concerning the employee’s position. At the same time, the client company retains responsibility for the major decisions relating to the content of the job, its development and remuneration, which it then shares with the staffing company.

What are the advantages of wage portage in Spain?

There are 5 main advantages to wage portage in Spain:

Flexibility: wage portage offers professionals the opportunity to work independently while enjoying the social benefits and security of an employment contract.
Administrative simplicity: wage portage companies handle the administrative aspects, such as invoicing clients and processing payments and taxes, allowing professionals to concentrate fully on their core business.
Access to the labour market: for foreign professionals wishing to work in Spain, wage portage offers a practical solution for accessing the Spanish labour market without having to set up a local company.
Social protection: wage portage professionals benefit from social protection, including health insurance and unemployment insurance, giving them financial security in times of need.
Professional support: wage portage administration companies offer professional support and advice to self-employed workers, which is invaluable for their career development.

Why choose Salveo to support you?

As a member of the ADIT Group, Salveo has been supporting your development in Spain for over 30 years by providing you with a team of local French-speaking experts.

Our main wage portage services include :

Drawing up employment contracts in compliance with Spanish legislation,
Assistance in obtaining work and residence permits for foreign workers,
Payroll management (processing salaries, issuing pay slips),
Social security management,
Management of holiday pay and reimbursement of business expenses,
Processing contract terminations,
Support for questions relating to employment law and employee contracts.

In addition to these core services, we also offer a range of optional services such as recruitment, office space in our business centres and international mobility management solutions (flat search, school placement, car hire, etc.).

Essential information you need to know

Types of contract

There are several types of employment contract: open-ended contracts (CDI), fixed-term contracts (CDD), temporary employment contracts, full-time employment contracts, part-time employment contracts and distance work contracts.

Working hours

There are a number of features that define working hours in Spain, including the long lunch break and variations in working hours depending on the region.

However, the legal working week is generally 40 hours, based on five days.

Paid holidays

In Spain, workers are entitled to a minimum of 30 days’ paid holiday per year. Pregnant women are entitled to up to 16 weeks’ paid maternity leave, while fathers are entitled to up to 12 weeks’ paternity leave.

Public holidays in 2024

1^st January	New Year’s Day
6th January	Epiphany
28th February	Andalusia Day
1^st March	Balearic Islands Day
19th March	San José
28th March	Holy Thursday
29th March	Good Friday
1^st April	Easter Monday
23rd April	Day of the Autonomous Community of Castile and Saint Jordi
1^st May	Labour Day
2nd May	Madrid Community Day
15th May	Saint Isidore
17th May	Galician Letters Day
30th May	Canary Islands Day
31st May	Day in the Castilla-La Mancha region
9th June	La Rioja day and Murcia day
24th June	Saint John’s night
25th July	Saint James and Galicia Day
28th July	Day of the institutions of Cantabria
15th August	Assumption
2nd September	Ceuta Day
8th September	Asturias Day and Extremadura Day
11th September	Catalonia Day
15th September	Festivity of La Bien Aparecida
17th September	Melilla Day
09th October	Valencia Community Day
12th October	Spanish National Day
25th October	Basque Country Day
1^st November	Toussaint
09th November	Virgin of Almudena
3rd December	Day of Navarre
6th December	Constitution Day
8th December	Day of the Immaculate Conception
25th December	Christmas
26th December	Saint Etienne

Minimum wage

In Spain, as elsewhere, pay varies according to a number of factors (such as sector of activity, level of experience, geographical region and company size).
However, the minimum wage is currently estimated at €1,080.

Salaries are often negotiated between employer and employee, along with benefits such as insurance, tax advantages, holiday pay, performance bonuses and so on.

Termination of employment contract by employer

In Spain, the contract can be terminated by the employer for a variety of reasons: economic, personal or linked to the employee’s behaviour or performance. Employers are generally required to give notice of termination, the duration of which is defined by collective bargaining agreements. The employee may receive severance pay if he or she has worked for the company for many years or has been dismissed for economic reasons.