• The majority of work opportunities tend to be in the tourist sector. You can work in Tenerife without resident/work permit for a period of 3 months on a temporary contract. You are permitted to extend this once, for a further 3 months. After this period you are obliged to apply for a full Residencia &Work Permits. Jobs - Are advertised in local English & Spanish newspapers but most are found by a little effort, for example by approaching, bars cafeteria's and shops directly. It is quite common to find multi-lingual people in Tenerife. Because many people here speak several languages it means wages for multi-lingual people are not particularly high. It is normal for an employer to ask for two or more languages. Spanish/English and Spanish/German being the most common. Jobs especially in the busiest periods are available. Contracts of work are sometimes lacking, as employers do not want to get into the paperwork and cost this involves, however, contracts are sometimes offered.
   
  

• Businesses can be bought as going concerns or formed from scratch. Normally, you obtain a Residencia and work permit. These are not required if you own a business in Tenerife, but do not actively work in the business or permanently reside in Tenerife, You will then need the appropriate licence to run your chosen business, trade or profession. 
  
  

• Your statutory obligations for foreigners living and working in Tenerife, are simple, specific and quite fair.  Although the Canary Islands are Spanish Sovereignty, they are fairly autonomous, having their own government and political system. Though many of the rules are common to mainland Spain, there are many exceptions and differences - you may often have to follow particular procedures in Tenerife that would not be required in Spain. Currently, the traditional 'Work Permit' no longer exists in its original form. However, you cannot Live or Work in Tenerife for any reasonable length of time without a Residencia. Many people are given the impression that an NIE Number or Contract of Work is sufficient to make them 'legal'. This is absolutely incorrect - having possession of such things does not imply that the statutory obligations, such as Social Security payments, etc, are being met. Obtaining a 'Residencia' takes a little time, but is perfectly straightforward. There are 3 basic type of Residential/Working Status - 
  

• Residencia.
  The Canarian Authorities allow you apply for a Residencia to live here. Your application must include evidence of Income or Pension from abroad on a regular basis, by means of a letter from your Tenerife Bankers, and  Documents for Private Medical Insurance or some other arrangements for health cover. Initially, Residencias are usually issued with a validity of between 3 and 5 years.
   

• Work Permit.
  Your application must include a copy of your contract of work from your employer. Normally, the Residencia will be valid for the same period specified in the Contract, up to a maximum of five years. When your Residencia expires, there is no provision to 'extend' the Residencia. You must re-apply in full for a new Residencia, repeating the original procedure. A long term Contract will help in avoiding this.
   

• Work Permit / Self Employed.
  This is the status you require to run your own business. Your Social Security payments will be about 34,000 pts. per month and this will entitle you to full National Health Medical Cover.  Note that most activities will require you to have a proper business address at a commercial unit (called a local). Some activities can be operated from your home address. You must also buy the appropriate annual licence that covers your particular activity (i.e., Bar, Mechanic, Shopkeeper). Your accountant will then submit your accounts every 3 months, with a further annual submission.

Copyright � 2000, J. Lee. All rights reserved. Text, graphics, and HTML code are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission.