Post-Study Work Options in Spain

Spain’s affordable cost of living and welcoming atmosphere are good enough reasons for many international students to take up a job after completing their studies. Around three per cent of the student population in Spanish universities is of foreigners holding different nationalities. Students not only witness a great academic life but also experience the multi-diversity of their culture, ancient traditions, and lifestyle. According to the Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education (SEPIE), a student has to spend less than 1,000 euros monthly while living in Spain. This also depends upon his location of residence. Also, students pursuing an undergraduate course at public universities in Spain need to spend around 700 to 1,800 euros for a single course.

Although Spain’s rate of unemployment was among the highest (12.6%) in Europe in July 2022, the Spanish government has been adopting measures to tackle the same. But the good part is that irrespective of this factor, international students can still obtain work in various domains such as hospitality, IT, education, food and beverages, tourism, and much more.

Check: Part-time work options in Spain for International Students

Top Companies Hiring in Spain

Language Barrier while Searching for Jobs

Not every student pursuing higher studies knows Spanish and even if they do, many are not fluent in the language. The scarcity of employment opportunities combined with language problems many times act as an obstacle while searching for jobs for international students. This is so because even if you find one, the employer may give priority to the one who knows Spanish or is fluent in both Spanish and English. It is always therefore better to attend some Spanish language certificate classes before finding a job so that your routine conversation with the locals becomes easy. Also, you should target the right source for finding work so that your time is not wasted oscillating between fake sources and genuine ones. Also, apart from advertisements and agencies try to dig out job-related information through your network or local friends, if any.

Some of the sources that international students can refer to for employment are mentioned below:

• The Local
• ThinkSpain
• Expatica Jobs
• Next Station
• The Guardian

Apart from the aforementioned sources, many jobs are also published daily in Spain’s national or regional newspapers. Check out their Sunday editions for maximum job availability information.

Check: Number of Chinese students increased in Spain

Popular Post-Study Jobs in Spain for International Students

Listed below are some of the popular jobs which are open to international students.

Spain’s Immigration Regulations

In 2022 so as to assist foreign nationals in Spain to work without hassle, the country roped in new immigration regulation measures. SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that this will help minimize work permit requirements for those living in Spain and the same came into effect on July 27. Due to this, obtaining a work visa will be easier for foreign citizens. These new measures have been introduced so as to deal with the existing shortage of labour market in the country. The Corporate Immigration Partners have stated that this reform will also be fruitful for those who do not possess any formal papers to reside in Spain.

Another good news is that foreign students from non-European Union countries will now be permitted to take up work for a maximum of 30 hours per week while studying in Spain. These students will also be able to start working as soon as they complete their studies. As of now those with a student residence card are allowed to work for a maximum of 20 hours per week while studying.

Check: Spain Student Visa Guide

Work Permit for Spain

Spain is one of the 26 Schengen countries. These are the nations which have mutually abolished passport and other border requirements at their border. It is very important for the students to filter the location of the place where they would like to live after completing their studies, after calculating all the pros and cons. Take your post-study work visa into consideration while doing this.

Those who wish to work in Spain after passing out from a Spanish university will have to connect to both the immigration authority under the Secretary of State for Migration (La Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones), and the labour and employment authorities under the Ministry of Labor and Economy. But before moving ahead with all this, the third-country citizens will have to obtain a work permit. In order to apply for the same, they will need to have an official employment contract from an organization or employer.

Required documents

Non-EU/EEA citizens who wish to stay in Spain for a longer duration and work will need a residence and a work permit. Along with the residence permit (Tarjeta de Residencia – TIE), they will also need to obtain a Foreigner’s Identity Number Número de Identificación de Extranjero – NIE). These can be obtained from the local foreigner’s office or police.

Also, Spain requires every working person, self-employed or paid, to be registered with General Social Security Fund. You can do this yourself if you’re self-employed but in case you’re working for someone else, then your employer will do the needful.

Obtaining a Work Permit

Once you have a job, an application will have to be submitted by your employer to the Ministry of Labor provincial office in order to get the work permit. You will then obtain the application’s copy with the official stamp, which is responsible for your file number and permit, from the government of Spain. After this, you will have to send the same to the Spanish embassy. The regional labour office, after being intimated by the embassy, will then process your application. A work permit application may take a maximum of 8 months to get processed. It is only after the approval of your work permit that your work and residence visa will get issued. After living in Spain for 5 years you will be able to obtain permanent residence in the country.

Documents required for Work Visa

• Original passport and 3 blank pages for visa stamp
• Old passports (if any)
• Work permit from the employer in Spain
• 2 latest passport-sized photos
• Personal last 3-year ITR
• Last 6 months’ bank statements
• Salary slips
• Travel insurance document

Read More: Foreign countries easing visa norms for Indian students