Working in Málaga and on the Costa del Sol

The province of Málaga has two job markets with little in common. On the Costa del Sol – Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Estepona – much of the work depends on tourism. Málaga city adds a technology park that has nothing to do with the beach. If you are looking here, decide which of the two markets you want to work in.

The coast: tourism

In August 2025 Andalusia was Spain's third destination for international tourists, after the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, with 15.3% (INE, FRONTUR). On the Costa del Sol, hotels, restaurants, beach businesses, leisure venues and holiday-rental managers hire. With guests from many countries, other languages can be an advantage; the listing says which ones are required.

Seasonal jobs usually come as a fijo discontinuo – an open-ended contract that pauses in the low season, with the employer obliged to call you back. Ask whether the job is year-round and how many months you work in the season. It decides whether you get unemployment benefit during the break: you need at least 360 contribution days, added up across all your jobs.

The city: tech and services

According to the park itself, more than 29,000 people worked at Málaga TechPark, the city's technology park, at the end of 2025. There and in the city there are year-round jobs in IT, engineering, administration and services that do not depend on the season. Whether Spanish is required is up to the employer – the listing will say.

The offices

1. 01Padrón: registration on the population register of your municipality – Málaga, Marbella or whichever coastal town you live in.
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 Málaga; the NIE is on the certificate.
3. 03Health card: issued by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS). Your first application is made in person at the health centre, with ID and proof of residence in Andalusia (padrón).
4. 04SAE job centre: register as a job seeker with the Servicio Andaluz de Empleo – via the website or app, without going to an office. Unemployment benefit is paid by the national SEPE.

Collective agreement

Hospitality is covered by the province of Málaga's collective agreement, published in the provincial gazette (BOP). It sets pay by job category and establishment class, allowances and hours – a top-category hotel pays on different scales from a small one. Ask about your category and the establishment class; the text is in the national REGCON register. The national rules apply on top: at most 40 hours a week averaged over the year, at least 30 calendar days of holiday.