Overys Audiovisual
Work in Spain,
without the legal headaches
You are a director, technician or creator, and Spain is on your professional horizon.
We make sure the legal side never slows your career down: residence and work authorisation under Spain’s Law 14/2013, family included, on timelines that respect your projects.
Talent should never get lost in paperwork
An opportunity in Spain has landed — a shoot, a studio, a project of your own — and suddenly it is all questions: which visa do I need? How long does it take? Can my family come? What if I switch productions?
The information out there is scattered and contradictory, and most law firms process papers without understanding how your industry works: shooting schedules, project-based contracts, crews moving between countries.
Every week of uncertainty is a professional opportunity going cold.
A fast track, with a specialist guide
Spain’s Law 14/2013 provides a residence and work authorisation specifically for audiovisual-sector professionals. You can obtain it two ways: as an authorisation from within Spain —if you are here legally— or as a visa at the Spanish consulate in your home country. Whenever possible we recommend the route from within Spain, processed by the Large Companies Unit (UGE) with a twenty-day resolution and positive administrative silence.
At Overys we specialise in international mobility for the audiovisual industry. We assess your situation, choose the right route and run the entire file — yours and your family’s — while you focus on your work.
We work with you in English, Spanish and French, with the precision of a legal firm and the closeness of a team that knows what is at stake for you.
Your plan in four steps
01
Tell us your case
Take our migration test or book a free orientation call.
02
Get your tailored plan
We tell you which route applies, which documents you need and the real timelines you will be working with.
03
We execute together
We prepare and file your application with the UGE and track every milestone until resolution.
04
Work with peace of mind
You settle in Spain with your legal status resolved and a team that stays at your side for renewals and changes.
What you get with Overys
- Residence and work authorisation through the fastest route available for your profile
- Your family included in the same process
- Timelines compatible with production schedules
- A single point of contact, in your language (EN · ES · FR)
- Ongoing support: renewals, employer changes, long-term residence
Looking for a different entry route?
Every profile has its own door. If this one isn’t yours, here are the others:
High qualification or experience; a fast national permit or European mobility.
Move someone from your group to the Spanish entity, with dates under control.
Live in Spain while working remotely for a company abroad.
Bring your foreign crew to a shoot on schedule, with a single contact.
Frequently asked questions
Working on a project in Spain, legal from day one and without losing your start date.
How many days will you work in Spain?
It all hinges on that answer. Up to 90 days (within any 180-day period) you’re exempt from a work permit: you only need an entry visa if your nationality requires it, plus the NIE and Social Security registration. Between 90 and 180 days, a stay visa that on its own lets you work. More than 180 days, a residence authorisation to live and work.
Source: Order PCM/1238/2021 (audiovisual sector)
Will they ask me for a university degree?
No. This route requires no qualification —one of its big differences from the highly qualified professional route—. What’s evidenced is your link to the production.
Source: Order PCM/1238/2021
Is there a minimum salary?
This route has no salary threshold. What the law asks is that you show sufficient means for you and your family; in practice what’s assessed is your pay under the sector’s collective agreement.
Source: Order PCM/1238/2021 · art. 62.3.f, Law 14/2013
How long does the authorisation last?
It has the same validity as your contract or transfer, with a maximum of two years, and is renewable for two-year periods. Watch this: it’s tied to the project that justifies it. If the production ends earlier, the right move is to link a new project or amend the authorisation, not assume the card lives on until its date.
Source: Order PCM/1238/2021
How long does it take?
20 days maximum, and if there’s no reply it’s deemed granted. No proof that there are no Spaniards for your role.
Source: art. 76.1, Law 14/2013
Which papers are the ones that get stuck?
The criminal record certificates from every country you’ve lived in over the last 2 years, plus a sworn statement covering the last 5. They’re valid for 3 months from issue, and must be apostilled and translated by an authorised sworn translator. In the United States the apostille takes 4 to 8 weeks: that’s the piece that sets the timeline for everything else. And beware of jumping the gun: requesting them too early is as bad as too late, because they expire after 3 months.
Source: art. 62.3.c, Law 14/2013
How much is the fee?
€73.26 for the initial application and €78.67 for renewal —the same as any residence authorisation under this law—.
Source: UGE Audiovisual Sector Guide · rev. 2026-07-16
Can my family come?
Yes: spouse or partner, children (minors or dependent adults) and dependent parents, at the same time as you or later. If filed together, it’s decided together —which is what avoids months of the family apart—.
Source: art. 62.4, Law 14/2013
Do I apply from my country or from Spain?
Both routes exist: a visa at your country’s consulate or an authorisation from within Spain if you’re already here with legal status. When possible, we usually recommend the second because it saves the consular appointment; the decisive thing is to file before your legal stay expires.
Source: Order PCM/1238/2021 · Law 14/2013
What if your dates might still move? It’s the decision to make before you buy the ticket: stepping down a bracket is easy, stepping up with the shoot on top of you isn’t. Twenty minutes, free, and you leave with your bracket and your timeline.
Spain could be your next set
Message us on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you which route applies to you and how soon you could be working legally in Spain. Prefer to talk it through? Book a free call.