Hotels, restaurants and cleaning companies hire many workers without a degree. In Spain you can find work as a room attendant, kitchen helper, cook or cleaner. Many people start here because the work is easy to learn. This guide shows the jobs, the pay in Spain, the papers you need and the safe way to apply.
Read this first: you cannot ask for a Spanish work visa alone. An employer in Spain must get a work permit for you first, and the rules are strict. This guide shows the real ways.
| Legal minimum pay | €1,221 a month before tax, 14 payments (2026) |
|---|---|
| Education | No degree for helpers; training for cooks |
| Visa | A work permit asked for by the employer |
| Language | Spanish, and English for work with guests |
| Hours | Shifts, weekends and holidays |
The main jobs
- Room attendant or housekeeper. You clean hotel rooms, change the beds, clean the bathroom and bring fresh towels. You work fast, because each room has a time limit.
- Kitchen helper or dishwasher. You wash dishes and pots, clean the kitchen and help the cooks to prepare food.
- Cook. You prepare meals. This job needs kitchen experience and often training, and it pays more.
- Cleaner. You clean offices, shops, hospitals, schools or buildings. The work is often early in the morning or in the evening.
- Waiter or service staff. You serve guests. For this you must speak the local language or English well.
The work is on your feet all day. Hotels and restaurants are busiest on weekends, in the evening and on holidays, so that is when you work.
Who can do this job
- You are fit, quick and careful with details.
- You are polite with guests and work well in a team.
- You accept shifts, weekends and holidays.
- You can speak and understand basic words in the local language or in English.
Past work in a hotel, a restaurant, a hospital or a private home helps. For cooks, proof of training and letters from past kitchens are very important. Men and women both do these jobs.
How much you can earn in Spain
In 2026 the minimum wage in Spain is €1,221 a month before tax, paid 14 times a year. That is €17,094 a year. If the employer pays 12 times, it is about €1,424 a month. For work paid by the day it is €40.70 a day. Room attendants, kitchen helpers and cleaners often earn the minimum wage or a little more. Hotels follow the agreement for hotels and restaurants of their province, which sets the pay for each job.
The coast and the islands need many workers from spring to autumn. Some hotels offer a staff room.
The visa reality: for these jobs the normal work permit is hard to get, because the employer must show that nobody in Spain was found. Hotels mostly hire people who already have the right to work in Spain.
Hours and extras
Full-time work is about 40 hours a week, but the days change from week to week. Some hotels give staff a meal on each shift. Some resorts and hotels far from the city offer a room for staff. Always ask what the room and the meals cost, and get the answer in writing. Tips are possible in service jobs, but do not count on them.
What you need before you can work in Spain
Spain has high unemployment, so the law protects workers who are already in the country. For people from outside Europe there are two real ways:
- The normal work permit. An employer in Spain asks for a residence and work permit for you. The office says yes only if the job is on the official list of jobs that are hard to fill, or if the employer shows through the public job service that nobody in Spain was found. The list is published every three months and it is short.
- Group hiring in your country. Each year a government order lets Spanish companies hire groups of workers in their home countries, mostly for seasonal farm work. In 2025 about 25,700 workers from 17 countries came this way. It works with countries that have an agreement with Spain, and the selection is done together with the authorities of that country. Seasonal workers must go home when the season ends.
In both cases the employer starts the process while you are still in your country. When the permit is approved, you ask for the visa at the Spanish consulate. You cannot work on a tourist visa. Nobody can promise you a permit.
Costs to plan for
Rent is the biggest cost. It is highest in Madrid, Barcelona and on the islands, and lower in small towns and in the south. From your pay, about 6.5% goes to social security. Income tax depends on your salary, and workers on the minimum wage pay little or none. In seasonal farm work, the employer must offer housing that meets the rules, and the travel is organised for the group. Ask what is taken from your pay for it. Spanish is needed for almost every job.
These are guides, not live vacancies. We are not an employer.
How to apply safely
- Read the work permit pages of the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
- Ask the labour ministry of your own country if it has a seasonal work programme with Spain.
- Search for jobs on Empléate and EURES, and tell employers from the start that you need a work permit.
- If an employer wants you, the employer asks for the permit in Spain. You wait in your country.
- When the permit is approved, ask for the visa at the Spanish consulate yourself.
Mistakes to avoid
- Accepting a job where the room and food are taken from your pay, without knowing the amount.
- Working extra hours without a record. Write down your hours every day.
- Believing an advert that promises a hotel job with “no interview”. Real hotels always speak to you first.
- Paying for a uniform, a “training” or a job offer in advance.
Your rights as a worker in Spain
- You must get a written contract and at least the minimum wage.
- The employer must register you with social security before your first day of work.
- The normal working week is 40 hours on average. Extra hours must be paid or given back as free time.
- You have 30 calendar days of paid holiday a year.
- You are covered by the public health system while you work. Unions and the labour inspection help workers for free.
Protect yourself from fake job offers
- Never pay for a contract or a work permit. The employer asks for the permit and pays the fee for it.
- Seasonal group hiring goes through official offices in your country. Agents who sell “places” in it are not part of the programme.
- Be careful with offers that tell you to enter as a tourist and “fix the papers later”. Working without a permit puts you at risk.
- Check that the company exists and has a real address and tax number in Spain.
Questions people ask
Can I get a hotel or cleaning job in Spain without experience?
For starting jobs such as dishwasher, kitchen helper, room attendant or cleaner, often yes. Experience helps you get hired and is needed for cook jobs.
Do hotels give a room to staff?
Some do, mostly resorts and hotels in remote places. It is not a rule. Ask about the price and the conditions before you accept.
Can I enter Spain as a tourist and then get a work permit?
As a rule, no. The normal work permit is asked for while you are still in your own country, and you travel only when you have the visa.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
Yes, for almost every job. Teams, safety rules and contracts are in Spanish. Start learning before you apply.
More guides for Spain
- Factory jobs in Spain
- Driver jobs in Spain
- Construction jobs in Spain
- All jobs in Spain for foreign workers
- How to apply for jobs in Spain
- Spain work visa guide
Last checked: November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and pay change, so always confirm on the official websites before you decide. We are not a recruiter and we never ask for money.
These are guides, not live vacancies. We are not an employer.