Working in Spain After Graduation: The Job-Search Permit and Direct Switch

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

A study stay in Spain ends when the studies end, but Spanish law gives non-EU graduates two ways to stay on: a residence permit to look for a job or start a business, and a direct switch from the study stay to residence and work. This guide describes both as they stand in the consolidated texts of the Official State Gazette (BOE) consulted in October 2026. Rules change, so confirm the details with your Oficina de Extranjería before you plan around them.

Who this applies to

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a study stay or a work permit in Spain, so this guide is for students from other countries who hold a long-stay study authorisation. How you got it is described in the student visa guide for Spain. The two routes below have different requirements, and you can only use one of them at a time.

Route 1: the permit to look for work or start a business

The legal basis is the seventeenth additional provision of Law 14/2013. Its main points:

• Who: foreign nationals who have finished studies at a higher education institution and reached at least Level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework, which the law ties to a bachelor's-level degree.
• How long: up to 24 months, with no extension. The purpose is to look for a job suited to the level of your studies or to start a business.
• When to apply: electronically, during the 60 calendar days before your study stay authorisation expires or the 90 calendar days after it expired. The application goes to the Government Delegation or Sub-delegation of the province where you will live.
• What the office checks: that you obtained the degree or another official proof of qualification, that you have health insurance, and that you have sufficient resources. For the resources you submit a sworn declaration describing the means you rely on.
• Time limits: an application filed in the window extends your previous authorisation until the decision. The law sets 20 days to decide, after which the permit is considered granted by administrative silence.
• Family: relatives who were with you during your studies can stay with you, tied to your permit.

The law describes this permit as a period for searching and starting a business. It says that once you find a suitable job or start a business you must apply for the corresponding authorisation under the Aliens Act (Organic Law 4/2000) or Law 14/2013. If you want to take any work during the search itself, ask the immigration office in writing whether that is allowed.

Route 2: the direct switch from the study stay

The immigration regulation, Royal Decree 1155/2024, adds article 190: if you hold a long-stay study authorisation of the kinds it covers and you have obtained your degree or certificate, you can move to residence and work without applying for a visa. You can choose:

• employee residence and work, meeting the requirements of article 74 of the regulation, except the one in its paragraph 1.a. The application can be filed by the employer or by you, and the employer pays the fee
• self-employed residence and work, meeting the requirements of article 84
• residence without a work authorisation, meeting the requirements of article 89, section 2

Points that decide whether this works for you:

• it is not open to people who received a scholarship or subsidy under Spanish or home-country sustainable development cooperation or humanitarian programmes
• you can apply in the two months before or three months after the study stay ends or the degree is obtained. This window was amended by Royal Decree 316/2026, in force from 16 April 2026
• an application in time extends your previous authorisation until the decision, and once it is accepted for processing you hold a provisional authorisation, which the admission decision states allows full-time work
• the granted authorisation lasts one year, takes effect once you are registered with Social Security, and you must request the TIE card in person within one month of it coming into force

Which route fits

Route 1 suits graduates without a job offer who need time to search. Route 2 suits graduates who already have an employer or a business plan. Both require a degree, so plan around your thesis defence and the date your university can issue proof of completion. Note the different windows: 60 days before to 90 days after for Route 1, two months before to three months after for Route 2.

Practical plan

1. In your final semester, note the expiry date of your study authorisation and count the windows from it.
2. Ask your university when it can issue the degree or an official certificate of completion.
3. Keep your health insurance valid and prepare evidence of funds.
4. Decide between searching (Route 1) and switching (Route 2), and ask the immigration office which application matches your case.
5. After approval, register with Social Security if you work and request the TIE within a month.

Where to look next

• Student visa for Spain
• Arrival checklist for Spain
• How much it costs to study in Spain: public-university tuition for non-EU students in our catalogue is typically €1,208 a year

Official sources

• BOE: Royal Decree 1155/2024, Regulation of the Aliens Act (article 190)
• BOE: Law 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs (seventeenth additional provision)

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.