{"id":6720,"date":"2026-09-12T21:42:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T19:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senvalos.org\/immigration-and-asylum\/catalogue-of-hard-to-fill-occupations-2026-what-it-means-and-which-jobs-it-includes-in-galicia\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T22:45:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T20:45:05","slug":"catalogue-of-hard-to-fill-occupations-2026-what-it-means-and-which-jobs-it-includes-in-galicia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senvalos.org\/en\/immigration-and-asylum\/catalogue-of-hard-to-fill-occupations-2026-what-it-means-and-which-jobs-it-includes-in-galicia\/","title":{"rendered":"Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations 2026: what it means and which jobs it includes in Galicia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

If you are a foreign national who wants to work in Spain, or a company that wants to hire someone who lives outside Spain, you may have heard of the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name may sound complicated, but the idea is quite simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations is an official list of professions for which it is difficult to find available workers. It is published periodically by the State Public Employment Service (SEPE) and can be very important in certain immigration procedures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, if the job offered by a company is included in this list, it is easier to demonstrate to the immigration authorities that a foreign national can be hired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is something very important that we must clarify from the outset:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appearing in the catalogue does not mean that a person automatically obtains a residence and work permit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue helps fulfil one of the requirements of certain procedures. All the other requirements of the authorization must also be met. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What exactly is a hard-to-fill occupation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let us imagine that a company needs to hire someone for a particular job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company looks for workers who can fill the position, but has great difficulty finding them. When this situation occurs in certain professions, those occupations may be included in the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Immigration Regulations currently establish that the SEPE will prepare this catalogue every quarter. In addition, when an occupation is considered hard to fill, it becomes easier to prove that the so-called national employment situation allows a foreign national to be hired. This is established by Article 75 of the Immigration Regulations approved by Royal Decree 1155\/2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put even more simply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spain recognizes that it is difficult to find workers for that position, so a company may have an easier time hiring a foreign national to fill it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which immigration procedures is it important for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue does not apply to every residence permit. Its importance depends on the procedure being carried out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Hiring foreign workers who do not reside in Spain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is one of its main uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To grant an initial temporary residence and employment authorization for an employed position, one of the requirements may be that the national employment situation allows the hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the specific job is included in the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations applicable to the territory where the work will be carried out, this requirement may be considered fulfilled, without prejudice to the other conditions that the company, the contract and the worker must meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a company in Galicia may want to hire someone living in Colombia to work as an electrical installer. If that occupation is included in the applicable catalogue and the other requirements are met, including the profession makes this part of the procedure easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Some changes from residence permits to residence and employment permits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue may also be important in certain cases involving people who already hold a residence permit in Spain and want to switch to a residence and employment permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when a person has held a residence permit for less than one year and wants to obtain certain initial employed-work authorizations, the regulations require compliance with the requirements of Article 74, including the requirement relating to the national employment situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not apply to every change of status. That is why each previous authorization must be examined before deciding whether the catalogue is necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Socio-educational roots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue also has a different role within the socio-educational roots procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the options for accessing this procedure is to commit to completing training promoted by the Public Employment Services and specifically aimed at working in occupations included in the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is only one of the possible training routes for socio-educational roots. Other valid training options do not depend on the catalogue, such as certain post-compulsory secondary education studies, professional certificates or compulsory education for adults. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bfEl Cat\u00e1logo de Ocupaciones de Dif\u00edcil Cobertura es necesario para un arraigo sociolaboral?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No, it has not.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a very common misunderstanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the socio-labour roots procedure, one or more contracts must be submitted that meet the conditions established by the regulations, but the job is not required to be included in the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The socio-labour roots regulations expressly exclude the requirement in Article 74.1.a), which is precisely the requirement relating to the national employment situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, a person could apply for socio-labour roots with a job that does not appear in this catalogue, provided that they meet the other requirements for the procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens if my job does not appear in the catalogue?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The fact that a profession does not appear in the catalogue does not necessarily mean that hiring a foreign national is impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The regulations also allow the employer to prove that there is a genuine difficulty in filling a particular position with workers who are already part of the Spanish labour market. In such cases, the employer must follow the relevant procedure before the Public Employment Services and Immigration authorities. There are also certain legal situations in which the national employment situation does not apply in the same way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why the right question is not only:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes my job appear in the catalogue?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must also ask ourselves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat type of authorization am I applying for, and do I really need to prove the national employment situation?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What professions usually appear?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For many years, professions linked to the merchant navy and professional sport have had a very significant presence in this catalogue. Recent catalogues have also included certain technical trades related to electrical work, metal carpentry and crane operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the BOE for the third quarter of 2026 clearly distinguishes these groups: sportspeople and coaches; numerous merchant-navy professions; and technical occupations such as aluminium installers and metal carpenters, electricians and crane operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This should not be confused with a general list of the professions for which Spain needs the most workers. There may be staff shortages in sectors such as hospitality, healthcare or construction without all their positions automatically appearing in this catalogue. The SEPE itself currently identifies staffing difficulties in construction, industry, transport, hospitality and healthcare activities, but that is a labour-market analysis different from the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 trabajos aparecen en Galicia en el tercer trimestre de 2026?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here we find a very interesting difference between the Galician provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the catalogue for the third quarter of 2026<\/a>, A Coru\u00f1a, Lugo and Pontevedra include many professions related to the sea and the merchant navy, whereas Ourense, not being a coastal province, has a much shorter list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jobs appearing in all four Galician provinces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In A Coru\u00f1a, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra, these main groups appear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sector<\/th>Occupations highlighted<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Sport<\/td>Sportspeople and sports coaches<\/td><\/tr>
Metal carpentry<\/td>Aluminium, metal and PVC carpenters; metal-carpentry, aluminium and PVC installers<\/td><\/tr>
Electricity<\/td>Building and housing electrical installers; general electrical installers<\/td><\/tr>
Cranes<\/td>Crane operator-drivers in trucks, fixed cranes and mobile cranes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Ourense, these are precisely the nine occupations that appear in the catalogue for the quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Coru\u00f1a: a strong presence of the maritime sector<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are 27 occupations in the province of A Coru\u00f1a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to jobs in sport, electricity, metal carpentry and crane operation, we find numerous maritime professions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

naval refrigeration technicians, merchant-ship chief engineers, naval engineers, coastal mechanics, naval mechanics, merchant-ship pilots, ship pursers, merchant-marine radio officers, ship cooks, passenger-ship assistants, ship stewards, ship butlers, boilermakers, ship-engine greasers, specialized ship firefighters, boatswains, deck sailors and deck boys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Por tanto, en A Coru\u00f1a existe una presencia especialmente importante de empleos vinculados al sector naval y a la marina mercante<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pontevedra: maritime professions also stand out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The situation in Pontevedra is very similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue includes occupations in sport, electricity, metal carpentry and crane operation, together with the same large group of merchant-navy jobs and services on board ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deck sailors and deck boys are also expressly included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may be particularly relevant in a province with significant maritime, port and industrial activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lugo: merchant-navy occupations also appear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although people sometimes think only of A Coru\u00f1a or Pontevedra when discussing Galicia\u2019s maritime sector, Lugo is also a coastal province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, the catalogue for the third quarter of 2026 also includes a large number of merchant-navy professions, as well as electricians, metal carpenters, crane operators, sportspeople and coaches. In total, the document also lists 27 occupations for Lugo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ourense: technical trades predominate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ourense has a different situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue lists only nine occupations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sportspeople; sports coaches; aluminium, metal and PVC carpenters; metal-carpentry installers; building and housing electrical installers; general electrical installers; and the three types of crane operator-drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The merchant-navy professions found in A Coru\u00f1a, Lugo and Pontevedra do not appear here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attention: \u201cship steward\u201d does not mean \u201cgeneral waiter\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This point is particularly important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue uses specific occupations and specific codes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in Galicia \u201cship stewards\u201d appear, but this does not mean that every offer to work as a waiter in a caf\u00e9, restaurant or hotel is included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same applies to other professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must check that the specific occupation in the contract actually matches the occupation included in the catalogue. It is not enough for the names to look similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does having an offer for one of these jobs automatically allow someone to regularize their status?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No, it has not.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who is in Spain with irregular administrative status does not automatically obtain residence simply because they receive a job offer for an electrician, metal carpenter or any other occupation on the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The catalogue applies only to certain procedures and certain requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the person is already in Spain, their situation and the route they can use must be studied: socio-labour roots, socio-educational roots, family roots, a change to a previous authorization or another procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frequently asked questions about the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Who publishes the catalogue?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is prepared by the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), taking into account information from the public employment services and the regulations on the national employment situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does an included profession guarantee a residence permit?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No. It helps meet the requirement relating to the national employment situation when that requirement applies, but all the other requirements of the requested authorization must also be met. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it apply to the socio-labour roots procedure?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The job used for the socio-labour roots procedure does not need to appear in this catalogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it apply to the socio-educational roots procedure?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It may be important. One route for socio-educational roots allows applicants to commit to completing training promoted by the Public Employment Services and aimed at occupations included in the catalogue. However, other valid training options do not depend on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens if my profession does not appear?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It does not automatically mean that hiring is impossible. Depending on the procedure, the company may have other ways to prove that the position is difficult to fill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should I always consult the latest catalogue?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes. The catalogue is updated periodically and an occupation may appear or disappear. Before submitting an immigration application, you must check which version is in force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you need to know whether a job offer could be useful for your immigration procedure?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations can be a very useful tool, but it should not be analysed in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to know which permit the person currently holds, whether they are inside or outside Spain, how long they have been living in Spain, what type of authorization they want to apply for, where the job is located and what the contract conditions are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At SenValos, we can study each situation individually and determine which immigration route may be the most appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important thing now is not to assume that a profession included in the catalogue guarantees residence: first, we must identify the immigration procedure applicable to each person.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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If you are a foreign national who wants to work in Spain, or a company that wants to hire someone who lives outside Spain, you may have heard of the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations. The name may sound complicated, but the idea is quite simple. The Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations is an official list of … <\/p>\n

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