Working While Studying in Spain: Rules for Students
Checked against official sources on 10 October 2026
Working while studying in Spain is allowed for foreign students with a study stay permit, up to 30 hours a week and only if the job is compatible with the studies. Since the immigration regulation approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024 came into force on 20 May 2025, students in higher education may work without any extra procedure. Other students need a work authorisation first. This guide sets out what article 57 of the regulation allows, and what comes after graduation.
Who can work without an extra permit
The study permit for higher education authorises work as an employee and as a self-employed person, automatically and with no further procedure, as long as the work is compatible with the studies. Higher education here means a full-time programme at a recognised institution: university degrees, universities' own degrees and higher vocational training. The list of higher education centres in Spain shows the kind of institution meant.
When a work authorisation is needed
Holders of the other study permits may be authorised to work, but it is not automatic. This applies to upper secondary education and intermediate vocational training, student mobility, volunteering and training activities such as Spanish language courses.
- Employed work: the employer or the student applies for the work authorisation. The requirements for a first work permit apply, but the national employment situation is not taken into account. The contract must respect the law and the collective agreement for the job.
- Self-employment: the student applies and must meet the requirements for a self-employed permit, such as the professional qualification and enough investment for the project.
| Type of study permit | Work as employee or self-employed |
|---|---|
| Higher education (university, own degrees, higher vocational training) | Included in the permit, no extra procedure |
| Upper secondary education and intermediate vocational training | With a work authorisation |
| Language courses and other training activities | With a work authorisation |
| Family members of a student | Not allowed to work |
Work on a student visa in Spain: the limits
- Hours: as a general rule, no more than 30 hours a week. Going over the limit is a reason to end the study permit. Intensive (dual) vocational training follows its own rules.
- Compatibility: the job must fit around the studies, which remain the main activity.
- Place: the authorisation is limited to the autonomous community where the study permit was granted. Work in a neighbouring town of another community is allowed, and an exception is possible when the workplace does not mean constant travel.
- Duration: the right to work lasts as long as the study permit. If the permit is lost or its extension refused, the right to work ends too.
- Social security: a student who works is registered with the social security system, and this registration counts as the health insurance the permit requires.
Internships
No separate authorisation is needed for curricular internships. These are placements that form part of the study plan, take place under an agreement between the company or body and the institution, and are not an employment relationship. External academic placements and the in-company phase of vocational training are covered by the study permit itself. The permit also covers in-company training within vocational training of the general or intensive type, in intermediate and higher cycles and in training that leads to professional certificates. Vocational schools in Spain can confirm how their in-company phase is organised.
After graduation
Residence permit to look for work
Law 14/2013 has a residence permit for graduates (additional provision 17). A student who finishes higher education at level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework or above, the level of a bachelor's degree, can stay in Spain for up to 24 months to look for a suitable job or to start a business. The period cannot be extended. The application is made online, from 60 days before the study permit expires to 90 days after. The office checks only three things: the degree or certificate, health insurance and enough financial resources, shown through a signed declaration. The decision takes 20 days; without an answer in that time, the permit is taken as granted. Once a job is found or a business started, the graduate applies for the matching residence and work permit.
Change to a residence and work permit
Article 190 of the regulation lets students change to a residence and work permit without leaving Spain and without a visa. It applies to holders of a permit for higher education, upper secondary education or certain professional training who have obtained the degree or certificate. Students whose studies were funded by a development cooperation or humanitarian programme are excluded. Language course students are not in the list.
- The application can be made in the two months before or the three months after the study permit ends or the degree is obtained.
- For an employee, either the employer or the student applies, and the employer pays the fee.
- Once the application is accepted for processing, the study permit works as a provisional residence and work permit, full time, until the decision.
- The permit granted lasts one year.
Does a student visa count towards residency in Spain
A study permit is a stay (estancia), not residence. The regulation does count it in part for long-term residence-EU. Article 176 asks for five years of legal and continuous residence, and periods on a study stay count at 50 per cent of their length. This applies only if the person holds a residence permit when applying. The article on national long-term residence asks for five years of legal residence and does not mention study stays. The regulation does not deal with nationality, which has its own rules.
What to check before taking a job
- The type of study permit: higher education or another category.
- That the weekly hours in the contract are 30 or fewer and the timetable leaves room for classes.
- That the workplace is in the autonomous community of the permit.
- For internships, that there is an agreement between the company and the school or university.
- The expiry date of the study permit, which is also the end of the right to work. Other ways to fund studies are listed under scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can a student work in Spain?
Up to 30 hours a week as a general rule, in work that is compatible with the studies.
Do language students have the right to work?
Not automatically. They may work only after a work authorisation is granted, within the same limit of hours.
Can a student be self-employed?
Yes. For higher education students it is included in the permit. Others must apply and meet the requirements for self-employed work.
Can the spouse of a student work?
No. Family members who hold a stay permit as relatives of a student are not authorised to work.
Does income from work count as financial means?
The regulation lists a valid work contract or a firm job offer among the resources taken into account, when the permit allows work.