Key Takeaways
- Hiring in Spain requires navigating complex labor laws and collective bargaining agreements, affecting salaries and termination processes.
- Given the complexity of Spanish employment laws, many companies choose to work with an Employer of Record (EOR). An EOR can help ensure compliance by taking on the legal responsibility for your employees and handling critical HR requirements.
- EOR providers differ significantly in terms of cost, level of support, and how they deliver their services, so it’s important to evaluate them based on your budget and operational needs.
Spain is fast becoming a hotspot for global talent. With a strong education system and initiatives like the digital nomad visa, the country is drawing remote workers, startups, and international companies looking to build distributed teams.
For employers, Spain is increasingly an appealing location to find skilled professionals. But hiring in Spain isn’t as simple as signing a contract and running payroll.
Spanish labor law is detailed, highly protective of employees, and often shaped by industry-specific collective bargaining agreements known as “convenios colectivos.” These frameworks can dictate everything from minimum salary levels to working hours and termination requirements.
One way to ensure compliance with employment laws in Spain is by establishing a Spanish legal entity. However, it can be time-consuming and costly to get up and running. For most companies, the easiest way to hire remote workers in Spain is to partner with an Employer of Record (EOR).
An EOR becomes the legal employer for your team in Spain and manages essential employment functions. This includes drafting compliant employment contracts, handling payroll and tax filings, administering benefits, and ensuring compliance with all legal obligations to Spanish authorities. Partnering with an EOR helps employers reduce risk, avoid administrative burden, and confidently hire in Spain.
In this guide, we’ll walk through some of the best EOR providers for hiring in Spain, plus tips on how to find the right one for your business needs.
1. RemoFirst
RemoFirst partners with trusted local partners in Spain to help companies hire Spanish employees compliantly. Working with experienced, in-country experts, RemoFirst ensures that every employment contract and HR process aligns with Spanish labor law and collective agreements.
RemoFirst’s platform enables companies to onboard employees, manage contractors, process payroll, and track compliance in a single dashboard. Employees are paid in euros, and invoices are consolidated into a single payment.
One thing that sets RemoFirst apart is the balance between cost and support. You get hands-on guidance — without enterprise-level prices.
Additionally, RemoFirst offers:
- Benefits management, including personalized international private medical insurance via RemoHealth, equity plans, bonuses, commissions, and time-off management
- Equipment provisioning for employees in Spain — including laptops, monitors, and other office equipment
- Support applying for visas and work permits so your employees can legally work in Spain
- Streamlined onboarding and compliant background checks
- 24/7 chat support, plus a dedicated account manager
RemoFirst offers competitive pricing, starting at USD 199 per employee per month. While HRIS integrations are fewer than those of some premium providers, new integrations are being added, including BambooHR and ADP Workforce Now.
2. Deel
Deel provides a platform for managing global employees and contractors in Spain, with a focus on flexible contract structuring.
Companies can customize employment agreements with stipends, bonuses, and equity, making Deel well-suited to teams with complex compensation models.
The platform emphasizes integrations and workflow automation, enabling easy connections with existing HR tools.
Deel’s pricing starts at USD 599 per employee per month, which may be higher compared to more cost-efficient alternatives, especially for growing teams.
Deel offers:
- Payroll management and expense tracking
- Clients can fund their accounts in 23 currencies
- Benefits management, including health insurance, equity, and equipment provisioning
- 20+ integrations and Slack plugins
- Immigration and visa sponsorship services in Spain
- Compliant background checks
- 24/7 live chat support
To learn more, read our RemoFirst vs. Deel comparison or browse Deel’s latest G2 reviews.
3. Remote
Remote operates its own legal entity in Spain, allowing for direct oversight of employment, compliance, and intellectual property protection.
This approach benefits companies seeking consistency in legal frameworks and stronger control over IP rights across markets.
Remote provides clear breakdowns of employment costs to assist forecasting and budgeting.
Pricing is USD 699 per employee per month, a higher rate that may not be a good fit for the budgets of smaller or scaling teams.
Remote provides:
- Payroll processing and expense management for employees and contractors
- Clients can fund their accounts in 12 different currencies
- Intellectual property and invention rights protection
- Employee benefits, including bonuses, healthcare, pensions, PTO and sick leave, life insurance, stock options, and time off management
- Integrations with multiple HR tools and software
- Employee relocation services for team members who want to move to Spain
- 24/7 live chat, a help center, email support, and a dedicated account manager for enterprise clients
Take a look at how RemoFirst and Remote compare, or visit their G2 profile to see customer reviews.
4. Oyster
Oyster offers EOR services with added support for building and managing distributed teams, making it suitable for companies new to global hiring.
The platform is designed to be straightforward, with onboarding often completed within one to two days. It also includes resources to help companies think through global compensation and hiring practices.
Support is predominantly self-service, relying on documentation and email, rather than hands-on guidance.
Pricing is USD 699 per employee per month, making it one of the more expensive options on the market.
Oyster provides:
- Payroll management, including currency conversions and expense reimbursements
- Oyster Academy, a free educational resource for their clients’ employees
- Clients can fund their accounts in 23 currencies
- Benefits management, including health benefits, equity, and time off
- Compliance assurance with a dedicated legal team
- Integrations with multiple HR and accounting tools
- Email support, a help center, and FAQs
For a deeper look at how Oyster compares to RemoFirst, dive into our RemoFirst vs. Oyster guide or browse verified customer feedback on G2.
5. Papaya Global
Papaya Global centers on payroll automation, advanced reporting, and workforce analytics with EOR services.
Its platform is built for companies that require visibility into global payroll operations across multiple countries, including Spain. This makes it particularly useful for finance teams managing complex international structures.
Papaya supports EOR, contractor management, and direct payroll in one system. Pricing starts at USD 499 per employee per month.
The platform’s complexity and cost make it better suited to mid-sized or enterprise organizations with larger budgets.
Papaya Global offers:
- Automated global payroll processing
- Advanced reporting and analytics tools
- Compliance support across jurisdictions
- Workforce and benefits management features
- Integrations with enterprise HR systems
- Scalable support for larger teams
Learn more about how RemoFirst compares to Papaya Global or check out Papaya Global’s G2 reviews.
6. Rippling
Rippling combines HR, IT, and finance tools into a single platform, with EOR services as part of a broader system.
This enables companies to manage not just payroll and compliance, but also employee devices, app access, and onboarding workflows for Spain in one place.
Thanks to Rippling’s streamlined processes, onboarding a new hire can unify payroll setup, laptop provisioning, and software access into a single workflow.
Rippling does not provide pricing information on its website; you’ll need to contact them for a custom quote.
As Rippling’s EOR services are one component of a broader platform, companies seeking specialized, hands-on EOR support may prefer providers that focus primarily on their EOR offerings.
Rippling offers:
- Unified HR, payroll, and IT management
- Device and software provisioning
- Global payroll and compliance support
- Workflow automation across the employee lifecycle
- Integrations with business tools
- Scalable infrastructure for growing teams
Check out Rippling’s G2 reviews for more insight and customer reviews.
Compliant and Cost-Effective Hiring in Spain
Hiring in Spain comes with incredible opportunities, but also real complexity. Between strict labor laws, collective agreements, and evolving regulations, compliance isn’t something you want to manage on your own, especially if you’ve never hired Spanish employees before.
Partnering with an EOR takes compliance worries off your plate. Instead of managing complex legal and tax regulations in another country (and language!), you can rely on the EOR to ensure your team in Spain is fully compliant — handling everything from employment contracts and payroll to required benefits and ongoing legal obligations. This allows you to hire confidently, knowing experts are managing these responsibilities.
The key is choosing a provider that matches your priorities. If you have complex hiring needs or want your EOR to integrate with a large HR stack, one of the larger (but pricier) EORs is likely a good option for your business.
However, if you’re looking for a balance of affordability, speed, and hands-on support, RemoFirst stands out as a strong option. You get local expertise, fast onboarding, and transparent pricing — without the enterprise-level cost.
If you’re planning to expand into Spain or scale your global team, RemoFirst can help you do it smoothly and compliantly.
Book a demo with our team of global hiring experts to find out more.
