26
Dec 2025
Spain has formally proposed a 90-day work visa waiver with the UK, aiming to let skilled professionals work short-term without a traditional visa.
The move seeks to simplify cross-border business and could open new options for digital nomads.
Visa-free work for 90 days
Spain formally presented the proposal during a high-level business forum in London on December 11.
Amparo López Senovilla, Spain’s Secretary of State for Trade, announced the plan aimed at allowing highly skilled professionals to perform paid work in the other country for up to 90 days without securing a traditional work visa.
Under current rules, a British professional taking a short-term contract in Spain must secure a local work authorization, while a Spaniard working in the UK needs a Skilled Worker visa sponsored by a company.
López Senovilla called the existing system an obstacle. “Bringing workers in to provide services is difficult,” she said at the forum. “It’s an obstacle we want to remove.”
The proposed waiver is modeled on what immigration specialists call a “Mode 4” exemption. Spain recently integrated a similar short-stay provision into its own updated immigration regulations.
Post-Brexit business hurdles
Since Brexit, companies operating between the UK and Spain have repeatedly cited rigid visa rules as a barrier to flexible, project-based work.
The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in London’s latest investment barometer highlighted short-term mobility as a frequent complaint.
Spanish investment in the UK has dipped recently, with flows falling to €331 million in the first half of 2025 from €4.88 billion a year earlier. Officials call that drop temporary. The UK remains Spain’s second-largest investment destination globally.
(Image courtesy of Freepik)
Not a nomad visa
The proposal has sparked interest among digital nomads and remote workers, but experts clarified that it is not designed for them.
For UK nationals, standard Schengen rules allow only 90 days in Spain within any 180-day period without permission to work. This waiver would permit work during a similar 90-day window.
Spain already offers a dedicated Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers wanting to live in the country for a year or more. That visa requires proof of steady income, health insurance, and a clean criminal record.
New EU border digital rules
The proposed visa waiver arrives as the EU rolls out two major automated border systems: the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
The EES, which began a phased launch in October 2025, digitally records the entries and exits of non-EU nationals, replacing passport stamps. ETIAS, expected in late 2026, will require visa-exempt travelers to obtain a pre-screening authorization online before departure.
A British professional using the new 90-day work waiver would still be subject to these systems. Their entry would be logged in the EES, counting against the 90-in-180-day rule. Their travel would also require a valid ETIAS authorization.
For long-term visitors or migrants, such as those on Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa, the waiver is irrelevant. They operate under different residency rules.
However, the EU’s broader shift toward digital tracking highlights a tightening environment for short-stay mobility. Overstaying a 90-day waiver period would be automatically flagged by the EES.
(Image courtesy of creativeart via Freepik)
A test for EU-UK relations
Spain’s proposal tests how EU member states can craft bilateral mobility solutions after Brexit. The UK is now a “third country,” and its citizens are subject to the full suite of EU border systems like EES and ETIAS.
If successful, it could encourage other EU countries with strong economic ties to the UK to seek similar arrangements. It signals a potential shift where exceptions are made for high-value professional movement even as the bloc tightens general border security.
The proposal does not challenge the core Schengen visa policy for tourists or long-term migrants. Instead, it operates in a narrow lane designed for business.
A final agreement would require the UK to pass implementing legislation and both sides to resolve details on taxation and social security.
A visa step in a post-Brexit world
Spain’s proposal for a 90-day UK work visa waiver represents a clear attempt to simplify post-Brexit professional travel. Its potential success or failure will signal how flexible the UK-Spain economic relationship can become.
The plan directly affects businesses needing short-term skilled staff and remote workers eyeing easier international projects. If implemented, it could serve as a model for future mobility deals, shaping how professionals move between the UK and Europe.