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Why more people than ever in Spain are overqualified for their jobs 

Spain has beaten its record of workers with higher education qualifications - 9 million - a bittersweet milestone which highlights the degree of overqualification in a work market that’s dominated by low-paying service-based jobs. 

Published: 31 August 2021 11:39 CEST
spain overqualification jobs
Photo: Jaime Reina/AFP

It’s a well known fact that Spain isn’t the destination of choice for most foreigners who want to further their careers.

For tens of thousands of Spaniards every year, it’s also the country they have to leave if they want to move up the career ladder or get their foot in the door.

Seventy-six percent of Spain’s work market is made up of service-based jobs mainly in tourism, hospitality and sales, all of which are professions that do not necessarily require a university qualification.

But 9.08 million of the 19.7 million people who currently work in Spain have a higher education qualification, the latest figures published in Spain’s Working Population Survey (EPA) in July report, reflecting how around 46 percent of Spain’s workforce is forced to accept a job that’s not in their field and probably not meeting their salary expectations.

Spain is one of the countries in the EU with most university graduates but it’s on top of the leaderboard when it comes to wasted talent. 

According to Eurostat data from January 2021, 37 percent of Spain’s workforce is overqualified, 17 percent more than the EU average. 

Since 2011, it’s had the highest overqualification rates among workers in the bloc, which highlights how Spain’s economy has long been focused on tourism and services, with no clear change in sight. And the figures suggest the balance has been worsening over the last decade. 

Foreigners in Spain are among those who end up in a job they’re overqualified for most often. 

Among EU migrants in Spain, around half of those working are overqualified, but when it comes to non-EU workers the trend is even more pronounced: two in every three are doing jobs they haven’t studied and trained for. 

Eurostat data showing overqualification rates in the EU across the EU for Spanish nationals, EU citizens and non-EU citizens.

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One of the problems behind this alarming situation for third country nationals is the two-year wait for qualifications to be recognised by Spain’s Ministry of Education, essential in particular for people in regulated professions such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, law and more. 

Tens of thousands of workers who could offer their expert skills to Spain, in particular health workers during this ongoing pandemic, are being held back by painstaking and outdated bureaucratic practices that force them to choose any job just to make ends meet. 

Having a qualification means less than ever in Spain, but the latest data by EPA reflects how the country has 500,000 more workers with higher qualifications than in 2020.

For foreigners in Spain faced with these dire work prospects, it’s often a case of weighing up the pros of a country with a high quality of life and accepting the cons of a limited job market, setting up their own businesses or having their main source of income abroad. 

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PADRON

When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón document you get when registering at your local town hall in Spain must be renewed periodically. Find out when and the steps on how to do it.

Published: 22 April 2024 13:09 CEST
Updated: 27 April 2024 10:18 CEST
When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón certificate is used to show proof of where you live. Your town hall – or ayuntamiento – uses it to find how many people are living in the area and what their ages are.

The number of people living in each area will depend on how much money they will receive from the government. They use this money for local services such as schools, health centres, parks and police officers.

If you are a non-EU citizen with temporary residence (less than 5 years) in Spain, then you will need to renew your padrón certificate every two years.

You will also need to renew your padrón each time you move house, as it should have your current address. 

For some bureaucratic processes in Spain, you will also need to be able to show you have a padrón certificate that’s no older than three months. 

Depending on where you live, there are different ways you can renew it. This could be in person, online or by post.

READ ALSO – Padrón: 16 things you should know about Spain’s town hall registration

Generally, in order to renew your certificate, you will need:

  • A recent gas, water or electricity bill in your name
  • Your rental contract and receipt of your last rental payment
  • If you own your own property, you will need to show evidence that you own it, such as the property deeds

You will also need to show:

  • A valid residence card such as TIE
  • A valid passport
  • In addition, it is also advisable to bring your previous padrón certificate

For children you will also need the following:

  • Records of your digitised family book (libro de família)
  • A valid passport or residence permit of the minor
  • A passport of one of the parents which also contains the identification data of the minor
  • Birth certificate of your child

If you do not live in the same household as your child, you will also need:

  • A delegation for registration form, signed by the parent who lives with the minor.
  • Photocopy of the valid identification document of the parent who lives with the child.
  • In the case of minors under 14 years of age, it will not be mandatory for them to have an NIE, passport or identification document from their country of origin.

Remember that all your documents should be officially translated into Spanish or another local language such as Catalan, if they aren’t already.

READ ALSO: Can I get my padrón online in Spain?

In person

If you are applying in person, you will need to make an appointment at your local Ayuntamiento or town hall.

When the date for your appointment arrives you will need to complete the renewal form, which will most like look something like this, but may change depending on where you live. 

You will also need to bring originals and photocopies of all the documents above.

Online

If you have a digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN you are able to renew your padrón online. You will need to do this via your local government website.

First, you’ll need to identify yourself digitally with your digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN.

Next you will have to complete the renewal form and then attach digital copies of all the above documentation that’s required.

Then you’ll need to submit and sign it digitally.

By post

Although this is not the most common way to renew your certificate, some town halls may let you apply by post and will have details of the relevant address to send your documents and forms to online. 

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