The Basque Government takes over the management of foreign work permits

From 1 July, the Basque Government will manage a number ofissues relating to work permits for foreigners residing or working in the Basque Country , a new transfer of powers agreed with the Spanish Government, which will enable the Government to process such permits, including seasonal recruitment.

In addition to the individual efforts, theBasque Government will also assume the coordination of collective recruitment at source  in all matters relating to labour procedures, inter alia, by verifying whether the contracts meet the requirements for social and labour roots and whether the training received by migrants serves to demand social and training.

The regulations governing such authorisations shall remain the competence of the State, which shall continue to establish general criteria and manage relations with the countries of origin in the case of collective procurement.

The transfer will also involve the transfer to the Basque Country of four vacant posts in the State administration: two in Bizkaia, one in Gipuzkoa and one in Álava.

According to Eustat data, in 2024 there were 217,489 foreigners living in the Basque Country, or 9.9% of the total population, 14.7% of whom were unemployed. Although more than 5,000 people have been trained through Lanbide, many of them have not been able to enter the labour market due to lack of documentation.

The Basque Government stresses that this new competence will makeit possible to complete reception routes, facilitate the social and employment integration of migrants and speed up residence permits.