Popular job sectors for international students

While studying in Spain, international students with valid student visas can work and supplement their income. With a student visa, you can work up to 20 hours per week in Spain while you are enrolled in classes there. You will only be permitted to work while enrolled as a student in Spain if part-time employment is thought to interfere with your education. International students from outside the EU typically encounter more red tape and formality than students from within the EU or the EEA. 

You are only allowed to work part-time as a non-EU/EEA international student in Spain up until the expiration of your student visa. The hiring company must apply to the Foreign Nationals Office in Spain (your work permit) to hire you. Remember that you must abide by all rules to avoid jeopardizing your ability to live, work, or study in Spain. Many international students who are studying in Spain also work part-time jobs. It is a productive technique to make money and pay for living and educational expenses (at least partially). 

Things to know for the students working in Spain 

For EU citizens and non-EU nationals, there are different conditions for working while studying in Spain. To access the Spanish job market, both parties must complete several requirements. However, non-EU nationals must also adhere to the restrictions imposed by their Spanish student visa. Of course, there are requirements to fulfill and regulations to go by if you want to work in Spain as an international student. 

Student Non-EU/EEA 

For non-EU/EEA students, there are requirements to work in Spain, including: 

• Work a part-time schedule of four hours each day for 20 hours per week. 
• Take out a work permit (the employer should make the application). 
• Have a secondary primary source of income (the part-time work income should only be complementary). 
• Strive to balance your work and studies (do not let work interfere with your studies in Spain). 

Note: Remember that you are only permitted to work full-time for three months (and it should not be during university term time when you are supposed to engage in academic activity). 

Student EU/EEA 

Students from the EU and EEA must meet the exact requirements as domestic students to work in Spain. There are no restrictions on the right to employment in Spain for citizens of EU/EEA nations. When looking for jobs while studying in Spain, you will typically be regarded the same as Spanish citizens if you are from the EU or EEA. You can work in Spain without a work permit, even for full-time jobs. However, you will want a written employment contract you and your employer have both signed. 

You generally need to submit the following documentation when applying for a post-study employment visa in Spain: 

• College degree or certificate (showing you have finished your studies). 
• Good ways of sustaining your finances while you are in Spain. 
• A health plan for the duration of your stay in Spain. 
• Receipt for payment of fees. 

Note: You are not permitted to work during this period; therefore, securing a job or launching your own business should be your top priority. Once you have a full-time job offer, you should start the process of getting a work permit so that you may start working. 

Step by Step process to apply for a job 

To obtain work authorization, you must gather the following paperwork: 

• Your passport 
• Two recent images of you 
• Police track record: evidence that you haven't committed any crimes in the last five years. 
• Proof of accommodation: a rental agreement 
• Work Agreement: dated and signed by both parties 

Depending on the extracurricular internship, proof of eligibility may be a high school graduation or a vocational credential. A few options are available if you want to work part-time while a student is in Spain. 

Through networking or word-of-mouth 

Inform your social circle that you desire to work. Finding a job through networking is usually a brilliant idea. Inform your social process that you can babysit for a small fee or tutor in English. 

Through a way of your university 

Ask about opportunities at the job center at your universities. You can obtain part-time employment outside your chosen field of study in university cafeterias, libraries, or residence halls. 

Take a look at the options in your city

Students prefer the retail and service industries. Give your resume to the neighborhood gym. Find out whether your neighborhood bar needs a bartender. Check to see if the local supermarket is recruiting. 

Examine online sources

Utilize local and international job boards, such as infoempleo.com, thinkSpain, and Glassdoor.  

Make use of social media

Look for job openings on websites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Join student organizations in your city. To draw in students, neighborhood taverns, cafes, and shops frequently post-employment positions in student organizations. 

Career fairs at universities 

Most colleges host career fairs to connect students with potential employers. Career fairs are beneficial if you're looking for an internship or a job related to your degree. 

Working hours for international students in Spain  

The student's work cannot interfere with their studies, and the maximum number of hours per week can be at most 20. The employer must get work authorization from the Foreign Office to hire a person with a student visa. 

Work law in Spain 

• Employers are only permitted to gather or request information during the recruiting and selection process pertinent to the candidate's suitability for the open position and reasonable under the circumstances.  
• Generally, depending on the situation, a probationary period's maximum length is two to six months.  
• Foreign nationals, not residents of other EEA nations, often need a work visa and a work and residence permit to work in Spain.  
• An employment contract is in effect when someone performs a service for another party while being organized and managed by that party and receiving payment in exchange.
• Fixed-term agreements are only permitted to be utilized under certain statutory conditions, and their duration is restricted.
• The legislation permits the employer to unilaterally adjust some terms and conditions under specific circumstances, even though changes to the employment contract typically require consent from both parties.
• Employers must give employees complete payslips, follow the rules regarding deductions from compensation, and pay employees at least once per month in cash, by check, or by bank transfer. A federally mandated minimum wage exists.
• The typical working day for an employee cannot be longer than nine hours or 40 hours per week (calculated as an annual average).
• Employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave and daily and weekly rest periods, which often include Sundays.
• Working parents are entitled to unpaid parental leave, maternity leave (usually 16 weeks), and paternity leave (12 weeks) (up to three years). Employees can also take advantage of different rest and working-time adjustments to offer care and attend to family and personal affairs.  
• Employment discrimination is illegal for several reasons, including sex, pregnancy, marital status, age, race or ethnic origin, social condition, political opinions, religion or belief, sexual orientation, trade union membership/non-membership, language, and disability. Men and women must receive equal pay for comparable or equally valuable work. 
• Employers are required to set up policies to prevent harassment and handle complaints, and it is illegal to engage in sexual harassment and harassment based on a protected trait.  
• Collective bargaining agreements determine the majority of employees' wages and working conditions. Employees are free to join trade unions, and representative associations are entitled to various representational and collective bargaining rights. 
• Employees may elect representatives with various informational, consultative, and other rights in businesses or establishments with at least 11 employees. 
• Employers are responsible for a wide range of specific tasks related to workplace health and safety.  
• The workforce is represented in OHS matters in businesses or facilities with six or more employees by "prevention delegates. 
• Employers may lawfully terminate an employee for "objective" or disciplinary reasons and for organizational, technological, financial, or production-related factors. Each sort of dismissal has its procedures and regulations. 
• A fired employee may file a lawsuit against termination in a labor court because it was unjust or invalid.  
• Only when the employer fires the employee for legitimate grounds does the law require one of the parties to provide notice of termination of an indefinite-term contract.  
• Employees' employment contracts are automatically transferred to the new employer in the event of a business transfer.  
• To help them adapt to changes at work and improve their employability, employees have a right to obtain vocational training from their employer.  

Minimum wages in Spain 

The minimum wage for international students working part-time in Spain is €450 ($550). International students must have another source of income to work part-time during their education. Working a part-time job is just meant to be complimentary.