Spanish
The Spanish Government has proposed to the British to agree on an exemption from the visa requirement for certain qualified workers on short visits to provide services, Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla, indicated this Wednesday.
López addressed the press after participating in the presentation in London of the VII Barometer on the Climate and Perspectives of Spanish Investment in the United Kingdom, prepared by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in London.
"Bringing in workers for service provision is difficult, it's an obstacle we want to remove and we are working bilaterally with the British Government to allow qualified workers to provide services in the United Kingdom," López declared.
You can also read: Puerto Rico will receive over $5 million to strengthen maternal and child health services
"They (the British) have a sponsorship system, which we consider may be burdensome for our companies. We have agreed to work and look for certain similarities with a formula that the Spanish Government has just approved: a visa waiver for stays of less than 90 days for the provision of services in mode four, which will positively affect the United Kingdom and other countries," he explained. "We have proposed this formula as something the British Government can offer in a similar way, and they are studying it," he said. The migration issue is one of the main concerns of Spanish companies in British territory, and some complain that there are no ways to bring their executives for short stays without a visa. The Secretary of State also considered something "specific", framed within "a general trend", the fall in Spanish investment flows to the United Kingdom in the first half of 2025, which were estimated at 331 million euros, compared to 4,880 million the previous year. "It is true that there is a fall, which is fundamentally due to a situation of uncertainty and volatility. Uncertainty is never a good friend of business, but it must also be recognized that last year there was some very important specific investment operation. We hope that the pace of investment will be maintained," he maintained. Despite this setback, the United Kingdom remains the second-largest global destination for Spanish investment, behind the United States, with a cumulative volume of 83 billion euros in 2023, equivalent to 13.1% of the total invested by Spanish companies abroad, according to the Barometer. By sector, in 2024 telecommunications concentrated 60.5% of the flows (2.95 billion euros), followed by cosmetics and perfumery (12.5%). In the first half of 2025, it dominated the energy supply, which represented 73.7% of the flows (244 million), according to the Chamber report. Other strategic sectors in the United Kingdom include air transport, which concentrates 96.2% of Spanish investment in that activity (2,590 million), as well as financial services and wholesale trade, which record the largest accumulated volumes. Regarding the business climate, companies gave a score of 2.9 out of 5 this year, stable compared to 2024. Seven out of ten consider it "acceptable" or better, although 47% perceive a deterioration in the last year. Respondents value a favorable ecosystem for the development and implementation of digital processes and commitment to sustainability at an economic and business level, both with 3.6 points, while the worst considered is research, development and innovation, with 2.7 points, which reflects the perception of limited support from the public sector. Looking ahead to 2026, more than 60% of companies expect to increase revenue, 45% plan to increase investments, and 89% anticipate maintaining or expanding their workforce. Among the short-term risks, companies point to inflation, the possible increase in operating costs, and changes in fiscal policy as the factors that could most affect their businesses. The Barometer was presented three months after the signing of the Bilateral Strategic Framework between the United Kingdom and Spain by the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, which reinforces economic cooperation between both countries.
