Study and Work in Spain: What Your Permit Allows Before and After Graduation
Work hours, where you can work, the 24-month job search permit and the switch to a work permit, based on Spain's current immigration rules.
Yes, you can study and work in Spain: a university student can work up to 30 hours a week without a separate work permit. After graduation, you can switch to a work permit without leaving Spain or take a job search permit for up to 24 months.
These rules come from Spain's immigration regulation, Real Decreto 1155/2024, in force since May 20, 2025. A 2026 amendment (RD 316/2026) did not change the student rules. It only adjusted the deadline for switching to work status after graduation.
The key detail is the type of program. A university degree gives you work rights during and after your studies. A language course gives you neither by default.
Study and work in Spain: 30 hours a week during your degree
If you study at a Spanish university, you can work for an employer or be self-employed automatically. You do not need a separate authorization, as long as the job does not interfere with your studies.
The limit is 30 hours a week. Exceeding it is not a minor issue: your study stay authorization (estancia por estudios) can be revoked. Keep your contracts and schedules clearly within the limit.
This right covers official degrees and university-own degrees (títulos propios) at recognized institutions. Both count as higher education under the regulation. You must be enrolled full-time, which means at least 90% of the program's credits.
Two more useful points:
- Mandatory internships that are part of your study plan (prácticas curriculares) need no separate work permit.
- If you work legally and are registered with Spanish Social Security, that registration replaces the private health insurance required for your stay.
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Where you can work: your autonomous community
Your work right is tied to the autonomous community (comunidad autónoma) that issued your authorization, not only to your city or province. You can also work in border towns of neighboring communities, and the regulation lists some exceptions.
If you study in Madrid, look for work in the Community of Madrid. If an offer comes from another region, check the rules with us before you sign.
Family members who join a university student (spouse or partner, minor children) cannot work in Spain. Plan your family budget on your own income and savings.
| Status | Work rights | How long it lasts | Can switch to a work permit from Spain |
|---|---|---|---|
University student (degree or master's) | Automatic, up to 30 hours a week, in your autonomous community | The full official length of the program | Yes, after graduation |
Language course student | No automatic right; only through a separate application | The length of the course, up to 1 year, plus one extension | No |
Graduate with a job search permit | Check your case with us (see the next section) | Up to 24 months, no extension | Next step is a work or business authorization |
Language course students can still get a work permit if an employer or the student applies under the general rules (article 74), and Spain does not run a labor market test for them. It is a separate procedure, not an automatic right.
After graduation: the Spain job seeker visa, explained
What people search for as the "Spain job seeker visa" is, for graduates, a residence permit you request from inside Spain. Its official name is autorización de residencia para búsqueda de empleo o emprender. It exists for people who want to look for a job or start a business after their studies.
The main rules:
- Your qualification must be at least level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework, which is a bachelor's (grado) level.
- The permit lasts up to 24 months and cannot be extended.
- You apply online, within 60 days before or 90 days after your study stay ends.
Switching from student to worker without leaving Spain
If you already have a job offer, you do not need the job search permit. You can change your status directly to a residence and work permit, as an employee or self-employed, without going home for a new visa.
This route is open to graduates of university programs, upper secondary education, professional certification courses and vocational (FP) certificates. It is not open to language course students. It is also closed to students who studied on development-aid or humanitarian scholarships, such as MAEC-AECID, whether Spanish or from their home country.
The conditions are more realistic than many students expect:
- No labor market test (situación nacional de empleo).
- The contract must follow the relevant sector agreement (convenio).
How to switch from study stay to a work permit
Plan in your final year — decide between a direct switch (you have an offer) and the job search permit (you are still looking).
Secure a contract — it must follow the sector agreement; for part-time work, check that the yearly salary reaches the full-time SMI.
Apply on time — within 2 months before or 3 months after your study stay ends or you receive your degree.
Start working full-time — once the application is accepted for processing (admisión a trámite), you get a temporary right to work full-time.
Receive the new permit — it is issued for 1 year.
Work deadlines during and after your degree
What you can do and when, under RD 1155/2024
During your degree
Up to 30 hours a week
University students work without a separate permit, within the autonomous community that issued it.
2 months before – 3 months after studies end
Switch to a work permit
With a contract under the sector agreement, apply for a work permit; it is issued for 1 year.
60 days before – 90 days after stay ends
Apply for the job search permit
Graduates at EQF level 6 or higher apply online to look for work or start a business.
Within 20 days
Decision on the application
The answer is due within 20 days; no answer means approval.
Up to 24 months
Job search or business
The permit lasts up to 24 months and cannot be extended; once you find a job, you move to a work permit.
Not available to language course students or to students on development-aid scholarships such as MAEC-AECID.
Spanish language courses in Spain: what they give and what they do not
Spanish language courses in Spain can lead to a study stay, but with narrow limits. The course must be in Spanish (or another official language of Spain), taught in person, at an Escuela Oficial de Idiomas or a school accredited by Instituto Cervantes. The language cannot be your native language or an official language of your country, and you must be 18 or older.
The authorization covers the course, up to 1 year. You can extend it only once, and only if you pass an EOI course, get a DELE diploma or register for the exam, or get a SIELE diploma. In total, a language course gives you a status of about 2 years at most.
What a language course does not give you:
- No automatic right to work.
- No switch to a work permit after the course.
What to know before you apply
These points affect your study and work plans most.
Entering as a tourist. You can apply for a study stay from inside Spain only for a university program, and only if you are an adult, in Spain legally and at least 2 months before classes start. You must also apply at least 2 months before your current legal stay ends. With a 90-day visa-free stay or a short-stay visa, that means within about the first 30 days after arrival. For language courses, this route does not exist for tourists. We usually recommend the consulate route: see our guide to the Spain student visa.
Language of teaching. Most programs at public universities are taught in Spanish, and universities usually ask for B1–B2 level. Each program sets its own requirement. In Catalonia, public universities follow plans to increase teaching in Catalan: the target is 80% of teaching hours and 90% of subjects available in Catalan. If you are looking at the University of Barcelona, check the language of each course.
Official vs university-own degrees. A título propio from a recognized university gives you the same 30-hour work right during your studies. Its eligibility for the job search permit is less clear, so check it with us before you enroll if staying in Spain is your goal. An official master's is the safer choice for that plan: see master's in Spain.
The IPREM minimum. For a study stay you must show at least 100% of IPREM for each month: €600 a month, or €7,200 for a year. Tuition is not included in this amount. With one family member the yearly minimum is €12,600, with two it is €16,200.
Housing in Madrid and Barcelona. A room in a shared flat costs about €550 a month in Madrid and €600 in Barcelona. A student with such a room needs roughly €1,100–1,450 a month in total in these cities. Do not build your budget on part-time income: 30 hours a week is a limit, not a guarantee of work.
Scholarships and work rights: one trap
Nationals of Egypt, Nigeria and other African and Middle Eastern countries could apply for the MAEC-AECID África-Med Máster scholarship in its latest call: 30 awards for an official full-time master's in Spain.
Students on development-aid scholarships like MAEC-AECID cannot switch to a work permit from inside Spain after graduation. If you want to stay and work, compare this with university scholarships and discounts before you accept.
Documents and legalisation: a checklist for nine destinations
Where an apostille is enough, where consular legalisation is required, and what separate recognition step each destination asks for — with the order of steps and timings.
- The basic document pack needed everywhere
- Apostille or consular legalisation — a table by destination
- Denklik, homologación, CIMEA, NCEQE: what they are and how long they take
- Three mistakes that cost applicants a year
Planning a degree and a career in Spain? Book a free consultation with AcademGo. We will check whether your chosen program keeps the work and job search options open, build your budget with the IPREM minimum and real housing costs, and plan your visa route from the Spain hub to your first contract. Contact us via the form, WhatsApp or Telegram on the contacts page.
