Spanish employment law (Estatuto de los Trabajadores, the Workers' Statute) is strongly protective of employees. Before an employee starts work, the employer must register them with the General Social Security Treasury (TGSS). Contracts can be verbal, but must be in writing for part-time, fixed-discontinuous, pre-retirement substitution roles, or postings abroad exceeding 4 weeks. Indefinite (permanent) contracts are the statutory default and offer the strongest job protection; temporary contracts are only permitted for justified, defined circumstances. The 2026 gross minimum wage (SMI) is €16,576/year for a full-time role. Dismissal is tightly regulated and only valid for legally recognized reasons (disciplinary, objective/economic, or collective), with unlawful dismissal exposing employers to reinstatement or severance liability.
Employers must register new hires with the TGSS (Social Security) before their start date.
Written contracts are mandatory for part-time, fixed-discontinuous, pre-retirement substitution, or 4+ week foreign-posting roles; otherwise verbal contracts are legally valid.
Indefinite contracts are the statutory default; temporary contracts require a justified, defined business need.
2026 gross minimum wage (SMI): €16,576/year for full-time work.
Dismissal is only valid for legally recognized reasons; unlawful dismissal can trigger reinstatement or severance liability.
Required Documents
Written contract (where required)
TGSS registration
Common Mistakes
Defaulting to temporary contracts without a legally justified basis, exposing the employer to reclassification as indefinite.
Failing to register the employee with TGSS before their actual start date.