Working in Madrid: the job market, offices and first steps

According to the official population figures for 1 January 2025, Madrid is Spain's largest city, and under article 5 of the Constitution it is the capital. The government and the ministries are based here. For newcomers that means a job market without a seasonal break – and a city where Spanish is the only official language.

The job market: all year round

Unlike on the islands, little in Madrid depends on a single season. Even in tourism: in January 2026 the Community of Madrid was Spain's third destination for international tourists after the Canary Islands and Catalonia, with 14.9% (INE, FRONTUR). Hotels and restaurants hire in winter too. Add offices and administration, retail, healthcare, education and logistics.

For your applications, that means there is no fixed hiring window like spring on Mallorca. What matters more is whether you speak the language the job needs and whether you already have an address in the region – a lot of the paperwork depends on it.

Language

Spanish is the only official language in Madrid. Authorities, contracts and payslips are in Spanish, and daily life without Spanish is harder than on the coast. There are jobs where English or German is the working language, though – in international companies or in customer service for other countries, for example. On Vokaro, employers explicitly mark roles where Spanish is not required.

The offices in Madrid

1. 01Padrón: registration on the city's population register. In Madrid it matters even more than elsewhere, because the health card and the job centre both require it.
2. 02Registration and NIE: EU citizens staying longer than three months register within three months of arrival with the immigration office or police in the province of Madrid; the NIE is on the certificate.
3. 03Health card: you need to be on the padrón in the Community of Madrid and entitled to healthcare through social security (INSS) – which your employer's registration gives you. Apply at the health centre for your registered address.
4. 04Job centre: register as a job seeker with the Community of Madrid's Oficinas de Empleo – in person with an appointment (through the Oficina Virtual or by calling 012) or online with a digital certificate. You renew the registration (DARDE) every three months.
5. 05Agencia para el Empleo: Madrid city council runs its own employment service with free advice, courses and vacancies; its platform is called SALTA.

Contract and collective agreement

The national rules apply: at most 40 hours a week averaged over the year, at least 30 calendar days of holiday, probation only if agreed in writing. Pay and allowances are in your sector's collective agreement. Hospitality is covered by the Community of Madrid's agreement for hotels and tourism; the regional government publishes the region's agreements, and all texts are in the national REGCON register.

Before you sign, ask for the annual figure – salaries are often quoted in 14 payments – and which job category you will be placed in.