[Spain] Julio Iglesias visa scandal prompts domestic labour rights debate

The Spanish pop star Julio Iglesias is under new scrutiny following media reports alleging that he brought several household employees from the Dominican Republic to his Marbella estate on short-stay tourist visas, kept them off the payroll, and paid as little as €340 per month for 12-hour shifts, VisaHQ reports.

Reporting from Cadena SER and elDiario.es says visa records from the Spanish consulate in Miami show multiple Schengen visa applications for domestic staff between 2021 and 2022. According to labour lawyers, the case illustrates a loophole affluent employers exploit to invite non-EU workers as ‘guests’ rather than formal employees, bypassing Spain’s work authorisation rules and social security obligations.

Mr Iglesias reportedly denies any wrongdoing and published WhatsApp exchanges showing praise from former staff. He stated that the messages prove the accusations are false. The Ministry of Labour, however, confirmed that it is reviewing the allegations. If irregular employment is proven, he could incur fines of up to €100,000 and multi-year bans on sponsoring visas.

The scandal comes against the backdrop of a wider public debate on fair pay and protection for migrant domestic workers, a sector the government has reportedly pledged to formalise further in 2026.

Source: VisaHQ 

The Spanish pop star Julio Iglesias is under new scrutiny following media reports alleging that he brought several household employees from the Dominican Republic to his Marbella estate on short-stay tourist visas, kept them off the payroll, and paid as little as €340 per month for 12-hour shifts, VisaHQ reports.

Reporting from Cadena SER and elDiario.es says visa records from the Spanish consulate in Miami show multiple Schengen visa applications for domestic staff between 2021 and 2022. According to labour lawyers, the case illustrates a loophole affluent employers exploit to invite non-EU workers as ‘guests’ rather than formal employees, bypassing Spain’s work authorisation rules and social security obligations.

Mr Iglesias reportedly denies any wrongdoing and published WhatsApp exchanges showing praise from former staff. He stated that the messages prove the accusations are false. The Ministry of Labour, however, confirmed that it is reviewing the allegations. If irregular employment is proven, he could incur fines of up to €100,000 and multi-year bans on sponsoring visas.

The scandal comes against the backdrop of a wider public debate on fair pay and protection for migrant domestic workers, a sector the government has reportedly pledged to formalise further in 2026.

Source: VisaHQ