Executive summary
Bringing a driver from Kazakhstan (KZ) or Moldova (MD) into a Spanish transport company requires 3 to 4 months of administrative processing at the Foreigners' Office (Oficina de Extranjería). The process is governed by Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January (LOEx, BOE.es) and its Regulations under Royal Decree 557/2011, of 20 April (BOE.es). The process covers: job offer registration, SEPE work authorisation file, apostilled documentation from the candidate, and parallel management of DGT licence exchange and CAP certification. Total employer-side costs typically range from €600 to €1,200 per driver in fees and documentation services. Unlike Ukrainian drivers — who hold temporary protection under Royal Decree-Law 6/2022, of 29 March (BOE.es) and can be onboarded in 1–2 weeks — Kazakh and Moldovan drivers have no fast-track option: the standard work authorisation procedure is mandatory for both nationalities.
What work authorisation do Kazakh and Moldovan drivers need to work in Spain?
Drivers from Kazakhstan and Moldova who have no prior legal residence in Spain must obtain an initial authorisation of residence and work as an employee before starting work. This authorisation is governed by Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the Rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain and their Social Integration (LOEx, BOE.es), and is further developed in Articles 63 to 76 of the Foreigners Regulations approved by Royal Decree 557/2011, of 20 April (BOE.es).
The employer (or their legal representative) submits the application to the Foreigners' Office in the province where the driver will work. The worker does not participate directly in the process until the consular notification phase.
Key difference from the Ukrainian regime: Ukrainian drivers benefit from the temporary protection established by Royal Decree-Law 6/2022, of 29 March (BOE.es) and Council Implementing Decision 2022/382/EU, which grants them residence and work authorisation without an individualised file and with an onboarding window of 1–2 weeks. Kazakhstan and Moldova are not covered by this regime. Each KZ or MD driver requires a separate file and a processing time of 3–4 months.
For a direct comparison of timelines and requirements between Ukrainian and non-EU drivers from other countries, see our guide on Ukrainian drivers in Spain.
What is the step-by-step process for obtaining work authorisation for KZ and MD drivers?
Phase 1 — Job offer registration and file initiation (week 1)
The employer registers a job offer with the Public Employment Service (SEPE), documenting the existence of the position, employment conditions, and the impossibility of filling the role with candidates from the EU labour market — the management of the national employment situation as required by Article 65.2 of Royal Decree 557/2011 (BOE.es). For CE drivers in the context of the current sector shortage, this requirement is resolved quickly since demand consistently exceeds the supply available in the Spanish market.
Employer documentation: Social Security registration, NIF/CIF, pre-signed employment contract (required before authorisation can be issued), carrier licence or transport operator authorisation.
Phase 2 — Candidate documentation collection (weeks 1–4)
The candidate prepares and apostilles their personal file from the country of origin. This is typically the main bottleneck, especially for KZ candidates, where consular processes are slower than in Moldova.
Required candidate documentation: valid passport (minimum 1 year residual validity); criminal record certificate from country of origin with Hague Apostille and certified Spanish translation; original CE driving licence (certified translation if issued in Cyrillic); official medical certificate; valid CAP or equivalent training (if no EU CAP, DriversHub coordinates training in Spain).
Note on apostilles: both Kazakhstan and Moldova are contracting states to the 1961 Hague Convention — documents can be apostilled directly at each country's Ministry of Justice. Certified translations into Spanish must be provided by a sworn translator authorised in Spain.
Phase 3 — Submission to the Foreigners' Office (weeks 4–5)
DriversHub submits the complete file to the relevant Foreigners' Office (Alicante province for drivers in our network, or another province depending on the work location). The file includes all employer and worker documents together with the official initial authorisation application form under LOEx 4/2000.
From submission, the administrative resolution has a statutory deadline of 3 months per Article 67.4 of Royal Decree 557/2011 (BOE.es). In practice, Foreigners' Offices in provinces with high port and logistics activity (Valencia, Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid) may take between 2 and 4 months from submission to resolution.
Phase 4 — Notification and consular processing (months 3–4)
Once the authorisation is granted, the applicant (employer) is notified and the information is communicated to the Spanish consulate in the driver's country of origin. The driver must apply for a residence and work visa at the Spanish Consulate in Astana (KZ) or Chișinău (MD) within 1 month of notification.
The visa is typically issued within 1–3 weeks of the consular application. Upon entering Spain with the visa, the driver has 3 months to apply for the Foreigners' Identity Card (TIE) at the National Police Commissioner's office — the document formally certifying residence and work authorisation under LOEx 4/2000, Article 17 (BOE.es).
Phase 5 — DGT licence exchange and CAP (manageable in parallel from month 2)
Once the driver is in Spain with the TIE, the DGT licence exchange process begins under Royal Decree 818/2009, of 8 May (BOE.es). For KZ and MD drivers, timelines and conditions differ:
Moldova: Moldova appears in Annex I of Royal Decree 818/2009 (BOE.es) as a country with a bilateral driving licence recognition agreement with Spain. Exchange is direct, typically without a theory examination. Standard timeline: 6–8 months from application. The driver may operate with their Moldovan licence plus the DGT provisional receipt (resguardo) during processing under Article 21 of RD 818/2009.
Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan is not listed in Annex I of Royal Decree 818/2009. No consolidated bilateral agreement exists. The exchange may require prior verification by the DGT and, in some cases, a theory examination in Spanish. Standard timeline: 8–12 months from application. DriversHub verifies the current bilateral situation before proposing KZ candidates for roles requiring immediate driving.
For the complete step-by-step DGT licence exchange process, see our guide to non-EU licence exchange at the DGT.
The CAP (Certificate of Professional Competence) is mandatory under Royal Decree 1032/2007, of 20 July (BOE.es), implementing Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and Council on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles. KZ and MD drivers without a European CAP must complete it in Spain at an approved centre: 280 hours for the initial CAP (2–4 weeks) or 140 hours for the accelerated CAP if they already hold a lower-category licence. DriversHub coordinates enrolment. For full details, see the guide to CAP for foreign professional drivers.
How much does it cost an employer to hire a KZ or MD driver in Spain in 2026?
The company initiating the authorisation process under RD 557/2011 (BOE.es) incurs the following direct costs per driver:
| Item | Cost range |
|---|---|
| Form 790 fee (initial authorisation) | €80–€120 |
| Apostille + documents (country of origin) | €100–€250 |
| Certified Spanish translations | €150–€350 |
| Medical examination (if not providing a valid one) | €60–€120 |
| Initial CAP training (if required, per RD 1032/2007) | €800–€1,500 |
| Total without CAP | €390–€840 |
| Total with initial CAP | €1,190–€2,340 |
The €600–€1,200 figure cited in the summary applies when the driver already holds a CAP from their home country or equivalent recognisable training. For drivers without any prior CAP, the total process cost can reach €2,000–€2,500.
These costs are one-time per driver. Ongoing labour costs (salary, Social Security) are managed according to the service model — see our direct hire vs staff-leasing comparison for the full breakdown.
For comprehensive coverage of the non-EU driver hiring process including all documents and steps from the start, see the complete guide to hiring a foreign driver in Spain.
Our document management service covers the full SEPE, DGT and CAP file. You can also review service terms via our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can a Kazakhstani driver work in Spain while waiting for their work authorisation to be processed?
A: No. A Kazakhstani driver who does not hold a valid work or residence authorisation cannot work in Spain during the administrative process. Unlike the Ukrainian regime — automatic temporary protection under Royal Decree-Law 6/2022 (BOE.es) — KZ drivers must wait for the initial authorisation to be resolved under Organic Law 4/2000 (LOEx, BOE.es), obtain the consular visa and enter Spain before they can begin working. Starting employment before authorisation exposes the employer to serious sanctions under Article 54 of LOEx 4/2000 and Article 37.1.b of the Ley de Infracciones y Sanciones en el Orden Social (LISOS, Real Decreto Legislativo 5/2000, BOE.es) — fines ranging from €10,001 to €100,000 in the most serious cases.
Q: How long does the complete process take from the point a KZ candidate is proposed to the day they are driving on a route in Spain?
A: The realistic total timeline is 4 to 6 months: weeks 1–4 (document preparation in the country of origin), months 1–3 (Foreigners' Office resolution under Article 67.4 of RD 557/2011), months 3–4 (consular visa + entry into Spain + TIE). From the TIE, the driver can begin working — the parallel DGT exchange under RD 818/2009 and CAP process under RD 1032/2007 do not block the start of employment if the home-country licence is valid and the driver can demonstrate training equivalent to the CAP. DriversHub initiates the DGT and CAP file from the driver's arrival to minimise time without full driving eligibility.
Q: Moldova has a bilateral driving licence agreement with Spain — does that speed up the overall work process?
A: The bilateral driving licence recognition agreement applies exclusively to the DGT procedure under Royal Decree 818/2009, Annex I (BOE.es) — not to the work authorisation process at the Foreigners' Office under LOEx 4/2000 and RD 557/2011. The SEPE procedure for a Moldovan driver is identical to that for a Kazakhstani driver in terms of timelines (3–4 months) and documentation required. The advantage for Moldovan drivers is that the DGT exchange is direct (no theory exam, 6–8 months) versus Kazakhstan's case-by-case verification (8–12 months), which facilitates full incorporation into professional driving once the TIE is obtained.
Q: What is the "management of the national employment situation" requirement and does it apply to CE truck drivers?
A: Under Article 65.2 of Royal Decree 557/2011 (BOE.es), employers must demonstrate to SEPE that no suitable national or EU/EEA candidate is available before obtaining work authorisation for a non-EU worker. In practice, for CE-licensed truck drivers — where Spain faces a structural deficit of approximately 12,000 drivers per year — SEPE typically resolves this requirement quickly. DriversHub documents the sector shortage at the job offer registration stage to minimise delays.
Q: Can the employer hire a KZ/MD driver through an ETT (temporary employment agency) instead of directly?
A: Yes. Under Ley 14/1994, of 1 June, on Temporary Employment Agencies (BOE.es), an ETT becomes the formal employer and assumes all employment obligations — payroll, Social Security (~29–30% employer contribution), sick leave, and permit renewals. The work authorisation file under LOEx 4/2000 must still be processed, and the timelines (3–4 months) remain the same. The advantage of the ETT model is that the client company avoids direct employment risk and payroll management. Contact DriversHub to discuss Model D (staff-leasing) availability.
Conclusion
Drivers from Kazakhstan and Moldova represent an available and experienced profile in the non-EU market. The authorisation process under Organic Law 4/2000 (LOEx) and Royal Decree 557/2011 is manageable within 3–4 months with the correct documentation from day one. The main delay factor is typically the apostille and translation phase in the country of origin — DriversHub initiates this phase simultaneously with the employer file preparation to save time.
If you have a CE driver requirement with a horizon of 6+ months, the KZ/MD onboarding timeline is workable. Discuss your case with our team or explore the comprehensive document management options DriversHub offers for non-EU drivers.
Suggested CTA
- Primary button: "Start KZ/MD file"
- Internal link 1: /en/services/document-management/
- Internal link 2: /en/for-companies/onboarding/
- Internal link 3 (cross-article): /en/blog/ukrainian-drivers-spain-rights-hiring/