Speaking at the annual Spanish-British business forum in London on 11 December, Spain’s Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla, unveiled a proposal for a reciprocal 90-day visa-free corridor that would allow technicians, consultants and executives to carry out short-term assignments without the need for sponsorship in either country. The scheme would cover so-called ‘Mode 4’ service providers—staff who travel to install equipment, troubleshoot software or advise clients on site.
Since Brexit, most paid activity in the UK requires a costly Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker (Service Supplier) visa, while British professionals posted to Spain must apply for a local work authorisation if the trip exceeds the narrow ‘business-visitor’ carve-outs in EU law. Multinationals complain that processing fees, healthcare surcharges and the administrative lead time can derail tight project timelines and add thousands of euros to budgets.
![Madrid Tables 90-Day Work-Visa Waiver Proposal With UK for Highly-Skilled Service Providers]()
Under the Spanish proposal, suitably qualified workers could spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the host country performing billable tasks, provided their employer remains liable for salary and social-security contributions at home. Tax coordination and the status of accompanying dependants still need to be negotiated; Madrid suggests mirroring existing rules used for short-term postings inside the EU.
Business groups on both sides of the Channel welcomed the announcement, calling it a ‘template’ for sector-specific mobility deals between the UK and individual EU members. However, the UK Home Office would need primary legislation to create a new exemption category, and analysts say implementation before late-2026 is optimistic.
In the meantime, HR and mobility teams are advised to map talent-deployment pipelines, monitor UK government consultations and keep contingency budgets for existing visa routes. If enacted, the waiver could slash compliance costs, accelerate project delivery and serve as a lifeline for SMEs that lack the resources to manage full visa sponsorship.
Since Brexit, most paid activity in the UK requires a costly Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker (Service Supplier) visa, while British professionals posted to Spain must apply for a local work authorisation if the trip exceeds the narrow ‘business-visitor’ carve-outs in EU law. Multinationals complain that processing fees, healthcare surcharges and the administrative lead time can derail tight project timelines and add thousands of euros to budgets.
Under the Spanish proposal, suitably qualified workers could spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the host country performing billable tasks, provided their employer remains liable for salary and social-security contributions at home. Tax coordination and the status of accompanying dependants still need to be negotiated; Madrid suggests mirroring existing rules used for short-term postings inside the EU.
Business groups on both sides of the Channel welcomed the announcement, calling it a ‘template’ for sector-specific mobility deals between the UK and individual EU members. However, the UK Home Office would need primary legislation to create a new exemption category, and analysts say implementation before late-2026 is optimistic.
In the meantime, HR and mobility teams are advised to map talent-deployment pipelines, monitor UK government consultations and keep contingency budgets for existing visa routes. If enacted, the waiver could slash compliance costs, accelerate project delivery and serve as a lifeline for SMEs that lack the resources to manage full visa sponsorship.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
