Summer jobs in Spain 2027: a timeline for applying

If you want to spend summer 2027 working in Spain, autumn 2026 is when the groundwork is done. This guide is a timeline: who can take a summer job without a permit, what last summer's figures say about the regions, what is already known about 2027 and what you should have sorted before your first shift. Contracts, minimum pay and your rights during the season are covered in our guide to seasonal work in Spain.

First: can you work in Spain without a permit?

Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland – Irish citizens included – can take a job in Spain without a work permit. UK citizens who were not living in Spain before 2021, and US, Canadian or Australian citizens, need residence and work authorisation before they start. There is a specific seasonal permit under Royal Decree 1155/2024, but the employer has to apply for it, so raise it in your first conversation, not after the offer. Our guide to working in Spain after Brexit sets out the routes.

What summer 2026 showed

There is no official hiring calendar. What Spain's statistics office INE does publish every month is which regions receive the largest share of international tourists – and staff have to be in place before the guests arrive. In 2026:

• April: Catalonia led with 20.8%, followed by Andalusia (16.5%) and the Balearic Islands (15.2%).
• May: Catalonia 21.1%, the Balearics close behind at 20.6%, Andalusia 15.9%.
• June: the Balearic Islands moved to first place with 23.3%, ahead of Catalonia (20.8%) and Andalusia (15.7%).
• August: the Balearics still first (21.2%), then Catalonia (19.4%) and Andalusia (16.8%).

These are shares of visitors, not job numbers, but they show the rhythm: the Balearic share grows most between April and June, so for a May or June start there you want an offer well before then. The Canary Islands run the other way round – in January 2026 they were Spain's top destination with 27.8% – which makes them an option for a winter job after the summer.

2027: what is settled and what is not

• Easter is early: Maundy Thursday is 25 March, Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027, according to the Balearic Islands' 2027 working calendar. In 2026 Easter fell in early April. Ask whether your employer opens for Easter.
• Minimum wage: not yet set for 2027. In 2026 it is €1,221 gross a month in 14 payments; the decree was adopted on 18 February 2026 and backdated to 1 January, so the 2027 figure may also arrive after the year has started.
• National holidays: Spain's official list is published in the BOE – for 2026 on 28 October 2025. The 2027 list had not been published when this guide was checked.
• Collective agreement: pay above the minimum is usually set by a provincial hospitality agreement. Your contract must say which one applies; the texts are in the REGCON register.

Your timeline

1. 01October to December: check that your passport or ID card is valid for the whole season, update your CV in English (and Spanish if you can) and gather references.
2. 02January to March: apply. For a May or June start, aim to have an offer before Easter. If you need a room, filter for jobs with accommodation – it is a separate field on Vokaro listings.
3. 03Once you have an offer: get the contract type, hours, gross pay, the applicable collective agreement and the cost of any room in writing.
4. 04Before day one: apply for your Spanish social security number if you do not have one. Your employer must register you with social security before you start. EU citizens staying longer than three months – a May-to-October season is longer – register within three months of arrival.

Certificates seasonal employers ask for

Working with children – kids' clubs, children's entertainment, childcare – requires a certificate showing you have no convictions for sexual offences (article 13.5 of Organic Law 1/1996), issued by Spain's Ministry of Justice. For citizens of other EU countries the ministry checks with the home country, which takes time, so apply as soon as you go for such roles.

Many kitchen and bar listings still mention a «food handler card». The Spanish rules behind it (Royal Decree 202/2000) were repealed in 2010: food hygiene training is now the employer's responsibility, and training providers no longer need official approval (AESAN). A course certificate can help your application, but there is no official card you have to obtain first.