Can students work in Spain? The 30-hour limit and conditions

Working as a student in Spain: rules by type of estancia

The right to work depends on the category of article 52 under which you obtained your estancia. Article 57 of the regulation distinguishes between an automatic right and work “on application” [1][2].

For language courses, work is possible only on application and depends heavily on the timetable: more in the article language courses and the study permit.

The 30-hour limit and other restrictions

Article 57.2 of the regulation limits work to thirty hours a week as a general rule. For intensive vocational training, the limit is set by sector legislation. Exceeding the limit is a ground for terminating the estancia [1]. So go by your actual schedule with all employers combined, not by a “part-time” contract: the text refers to the total workload, and splitting the hours between two employers does not double the limit (we have not found a separate explanation from the authorities on this point).

• Compatibility with studies. Work must not interfere with the main purpose of the estancia. Shifts that clash with compulsory classes put the renewal at risk [1].
• Geography. The work permit is limited to the autonomous community where the estancia permit was issued. You may work in border localities of a neighbouring community. The authority may make an exception if the workplace does not require constant travel that would undermine compatibility with your studies [1].
• Duration. The work permit is valid for as long as the estancia. Losing the estancia or being refused its renewal also ends the right to work. If the estancia is renewed, the work permit is renewed automatically (de oficio) as long as the conditions are still met [1][2].

How to get work authorisation if there is no automatic right

If you are not in higher education or want to work as an employee in a category with no automatic right, you need a separate application. The procedure under the regulation and the Ministry of Inclusion’s Hoja 4 bis [1][2]:

1. Find an employer. The terms of the contract must comply with the law and the sector’s collective agreement.
2. The employer files the application at the oficina de extranjería of the province where the workplace is located. You need a contract on the official form, the employer’s documents and proof of its means, your passport and proof of qualifications if the profession requires them. You must show that the work is compatible with your studies [2].
3. Paying the fee. If the work permit is valid for six months or longer, the fee under modelo 790, código 062, is paid by the employer: at the time of submission if filed electronically (Orden PJC/617/2025, article 2.3), or within ten working days if filed in person [2][5].
4. The decision takes three months from the date the application is registered. If there is no reply, the application is deemed refused [2].

Article 57 makes things easier: the labour market situation (situación nacional de empleo) is not taken into account for such an application, and for part-time work the salary does not have to be at least the full-time minimum wage [1]. If you plan to be self-employed outside higher education, you file the application yourself (código 062, point 3.3 of Hoja 4 bis) and prove the conditions of article 84, except the two points on the non-return period and the threat to public order [1][2]. More on self-employment: cuenta propia: residence permit for self-employment.

Work placements and internships: what counts as work

A placement that is part of the programme’s curriculum and takes place under an agreement between the university or school and an organisation, without an employment relationship, does not require a separate permit. Compulsory academic placements and the workplace component of vocational training are covered by the estancia itself [1][2]. If you are offered a paid placement “outside the curriculum”, that is work, and the rules above apply. And if you are studying not on an estancia but living in Spain on no lucrativa, you cannot work at all: studying on no lucrativa.

There is a separate permit for placements (autorización de residencia para prácticas) under Ley 14/2013: the host organisation applies for it, the Delegación or Subdelegación del Gobierno decides within 30 days, and silence counts as approval. It is intended for people who obtained a higher education degree within the last two years or are studying on such a programme, and it requires a placement agreement [4]. Whether this option suits you depends on your degree and programme.

Once you start working: Seguridad Social, taxes and TIE

When you work under article 57, the health insurance requirement of article 35 is considered met if you are registered with the Seguridad Social under the relevant scheme [1]. For this, the employer registers you (alta) before you start work, and you obtain a social security number: more in how to get a social security number. The TIE is applied for in the usual way within a month if the estancia lasts more than six months [1]. The tax consequences (IRPF) depend on your tax residence and income: that is a separate question, and we do not cover it in this article.

Work does not extend the estancia. Renewal depends on continuing your studies: the window is two months before expiry and three months after, and if renewal is refused, the work permit ends too [1].

Work for the student's spouse and children

A student’s family members who obtained an estancia under article 56 cannot work [1][3]. If a spouse has their own basis for working, it is assessed separately and is not replaced by the student’s family status. More: a student’s family in Spain.

Common mistakes

• Assuming that “all students” have the right to work. It is automatic only in higher education.
• Going over 30 hours by not counting a side job with a second employer.
• Calling an ordinary job a “placement” when the programme does not include it and there is no agreement.
• Registering as autónomo without checking whether the estancia category allows it.
• Starting work before being registered with the Seguridad Social.
• Choosing a job in another autonomous community without the geographical allowance.
• Expecting the job itself to extend your status after your studies end.

When you need an individual review

You need a review if you are not in higher education, if the work is remote for a foreign company, if your class and shift schedules overlap, if you have two employers or combine self-employment with a job, or if you plan to move from an estancia to work after graduating. The outcome depends on the estancia category, the programme and the documents. Check with a lawyer or gestor before signing a contract. On the transition after studies: after studying in Spain.

How we can help

We work out on what basis you can work, prepare the work application file and deal with the employer, and advise on moving to a residence permit with work after your studies. The first 15 minutes of a consultation are free; after that, the cost is priced on a quote, and fees and translations are paid separately. The company is not responsible for how long the authorities take to reply. Book: consultation form. Service: work and residence permits, route card for studies.

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.