{"id":914,"date":"2026-03-04T10:02:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T08:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/?p=914"},"modified":"2026-03-04T10:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T08:02:28","slug":"arbeiten-in-spanien-mit-deutschem-arbeitsvertrag-oder-wenn-die-sonne-scheint-aber-das-arbeitsrecht-friert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/2026\/03\/04\/arbeiten-in-spanien-mit-deutschem-arbeitsvertrag-oder-wenn-die-sonne-scheint-aber-das-arbeitsrecht-friert\/","title":{"rendered":"Working in Spain with a foreign employment contract \u2013 or: When the sun is shining, but labour law is freezing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Working in Spain with a foreign employment contract \u2013 or: When the sun is shining, but labour law is freezing<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Home<\/a> > Blog<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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The idea sounds wonderful: a caf\u00e9 con leche in M\u00e1laga (or Valencia, or wherever) in the morning, a short walk on the beach at lunchtime, tapas with Spaniards in the evening \u2013 and all that with a solid foreign employment contract (and the corresponding salary) in your pocket. What could possibly go wrong?<\/p>

Well, quite a lot.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. The problem with \u2018I'm only working remotely\u2019<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Many people think: \u2018I'm still employed by my German or French or Dutch or UK company, I'm just based in Spain. No one will notice!\u2019<\/p>

Spoiler: They will. Especially the tax office. And social security. And sooner or later, the Spanish authorities too.<\/p>

Because: Anyone who lives and works in Spain permanently is \u2013 as a rule \u2013 considered a tax resident there. This means that Spain would like a piece of the salary pie \u2013 even if the contract was signed abroad and the employer and, if applicable, customers are based abroad.<\/p>

However, if the employer is based abroad \u2013 and, in case of doubt, knows nothing about the employee's new place of work \u2013 then the employer pays the taxes in Germany or France or The Netherlands or UK, and Spain doesn't like that in the long run.<\/p>

And yes, there is a double taxation agreement, but if you are permanently resident in Spain and perform your work here, Spain has the right of first taxation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Social security <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Within the EU (keyword: European Union), the following applies in principle: you are covered by social security where you work.<\/p>

So if you work permanently from Spain, social security contributions must be paid here in Spain to the Seguridad Social \u2013 even if the employment contract is signed in Germany or The Netherlands or France. Again, if the foreign employer is not aware of this, they cannot take care of it.<\/p>

For short-term assignments, there is the famous A1 form.<\/p>

This works wonderfully for a few months of project work (up to a maximum of two years) \u2013 but of course it must also be initiated by the employer. But anyone who thinks they can use it to work under the Spanish sun for five years is mistaken.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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3. Labour law \u2013 when two countries want to have a say at the same time<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A foreign employment contract is usually subject to foreign labour law. However, if you are actually working in Spain, mandatory Spanish regulations may still apply \u2013 for example, regarding working hours, public holiday regulations, minimum wage or protection against dismissal.<\/p>

Or to give a simple example: where can you quickly obtain a certificate leave of absence for work in Spain if you are ill? This is because private doctors here do not usually issue these certificates for work \u2013 in Spain, this is the responsibility of the Centro de Salud. And when it comes to renewal, at the latest, the employer will become suspicious.<\/p>

The result?<\/p>

A legal patchwork quilt that makes even experienced HR departments nervously reach for their coffee.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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4. The employer sweats too<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It's not just the employee who breaks out in a sweat. The foreign employers could also face problems:<\/p>

Issues such as<\/p>

  • Permanent establishment of the company in Spain?<\/li>
  • Data protection regulations when dealing with customer or company data, for example?<\/li>
  • Registration requirements?<\/li>
  • Spanish payroll accounting?<\/li><\/ul>

    quickly come to mind for an employer.<\/p>

    If an employee works permanently in Spain, the company may be considered a \u2018resident\u2019 for tax purposes there \u2013 at least in part. For many companies, this is about as attractive as an unannounced audit on a Monday morning.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    What are the solutions?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Fortunately, the story does not end tragically, but rather pragmatically.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    1. Official secondment (temporary)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    For a few months or up to a clearly defined maximum period of two years, a clean secondment with an A1 certificate can work. Formally correct, but limited in time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    2. Local employment contract in Spain<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The employee receives a Spanish contract \u2013 either with a subsidiary of the employer or the employer registers with the tax office and the Seguridad Social, and a Spanish payslip is created by a (good) gestor\u00eda and taxes and social security contributions are paid in Spain. More bureaucratically complex, but legally much cleaner.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    3. Employer of Record (EOR)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    A service provider in Spain officially hires the employee and \u2018loans\u2019 them to the German company.<\/p>

    The employee lives legally in Spain, the German company does not have to set up its own branch \u2013 everyone is reasonably happy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    4. Self-employment <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Some switch to freelancing (keyword: aut\u00f3nomo) and, for example, conclude a service contract with their former employer. This works well, but you are then no longer an employee with the corresponding rights, but self-employed, and the issue of possible bogus self-employment must be regulated.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Conclusion: Sun yes, grey area no<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The idea is tempting: a foreign salary, Spanish quality of life.<\/p>

    But simply packing up your laptop and saying \u2018Hola home office\u2019 does not work legally in the long term.<\/p>

    If you want to do it right, you need planning, tax advice and an employer who is on board. Then you can actually have both: Foreign contract security and Spanish sunsets.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Home > Blog Die Vorstellung klingt herrlich: Morgens ein Caf\u00e9 con leche in M\u00e1laga (oder Valencia oder oder oder), mittags ein kurzer Spaziergang am Strand, abends Tapas mit Spaniern\u2013 und das alles mit einem soliden deutschen Arbeitsvertrag (und dem entsprechenden Gehalt) in der Tasche. Was soll da schon schiefgehen? Nun ja. Eine ganze Menge. 1. […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-auswandern","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=914"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":918,"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914\/revisions\/918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hbk-beratung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}