Who needs the student visa
Citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland study in Spain without a visa. For other nationalities, if the course lasts more than 90 days you need the study stay, which is applied for as a visa at the Spanish consulate in your country.
For shorter stays, such as summer courses or programmes of a few weeks, the study stay is not required: it is covered by the short-stay visa exemption if your nationality has one, or by a regular Schengen visa.
Requirements to obtain the study stay
The central requirement is admission to a recognised Spanish educational institution, public or private, for a programme with a defined timetable and calendar: university, vocational training, languages, doctorate or specialised training.
In addition, you must prove financial means, in an amount around the monthly IPREM (€600) for your stay and that of your accompanying family members, medical insurance with coverage in Spain, accommodation and no criminal record. The visa is decided at the consulate and the processing time is counted in weeks.
Working and doing internships while studying
The study stay authorises work with a compatible work authorisation, which allows up to 30 hours per week provided the activity does not harm the studies. Since the reform of the Immigration Regulations (RD 1155/2024, in force since 2025) the limit was increased and the process is more streamlined.
Curricular internships, linked to the study programme, do not need separate authorisation. Extracurricular ones, such as an internship contract with a company during the course, do require the compatible work authorisation.
From student to employee: the change of status
When you finish your studies, the natural route is to change the study stay to a residence and work authorisation, without leaving Spain. The company submits the job offer and the application, and the worker changes status without returning to their country.
The contract must pay enough to support the worker: the practical reference is the 2026 SMI, at €1,221 per month in 14 payments. It is the most used formula to bring in talent already trained and settled in Spain.
What your company can do with this
If your SL is struggling to find technical or multilingual profiles, the international talent already studying in Spain is a huge pool: people with valid visas, local training and no need for relocation.
The usual formula is to offer extracurricular internships during the final year and, on graduation, convert the student into an employee through a status modification. The whole process is handled by a specialised advisory firm, and a lawyer only becomes necessary if there are refusals or atypical cases.
