Student residence route
You know whether your programme qualifies, what the authorisation lets you do and what happens after you finish.
Studying is one of the most common ways to move to Spain. This topic covers Spain's student residence (estancia por estudios): who qualifies, which programmes count, how much you can work while studying, and whether to apply from abroad or from inside Spain. It also covers language-course stays…
Pick the article that fits your situation
Who qualifies for Spanish student residence (estancia por estudios)?
You qualify for Spanish student residence if you are a non-EU applicant with a place on a qualifying full-time course, enough money, full health insurance and a clean criminal record. These rules apply to applications filed since 20 May 2025.
Which programmes qualify for student residence in Spain
Shows which studies count for a Spanish student stay and which do not: degrees, language courses, exchanges, unpaid practice and volunteering. For non-EU/EEA nationals planning to study in Spain.
Working while you study in Spain and the 30-hour limit
Explains what work a non-EU student on a Spanish student stay can do without extra permission, the weekly hour cap, and which kinds of work or stays fall outside that automatic right. For students planning a part-time job or internship.
Applying for student residence from abroad or from inside Spain
Explains whether to apply for student residence at a Spanish consulate abroad or at an immigration office inside Spain. It is for non-EU nationals who want to study in Spain and need to match the filing path to their current status.
Staying and working in Spain after you finish studying
When your studies in Spain end, you can stay to look for work, take a job, or start a business, but only inside set time limits.
Studying Spanish only, what a language-course stay allows
A language-only stay in Spain has its own limits on weekly hours, length, extension and work, and it does not lead to residence by itself.
About this topic
Choosing a university, visa health insurance, family reunification and the mechanics of changing status are not covered here.
Key rules
- Work hours: A student on a stay authorisation may work up to 30 hours a week, employed or self-employed, as long as the work does not get in the way of the studies.
- Weekly study hours: Language and non-degree courses need at least 20 classroom hours a week, and the course must be full-time and in person.
Student residence route: the whole process, step by step
From first check to life after studies
- Check whether you need a student stay: Before you plan anything. A course of more than 90 days needs a student stay authorisation, usually a student visa; a course of 90 days or less in a 180-day period needs none. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens register instead. Who qualifies
- Confirm your programme counts: Before you enrol or pay. The centre must be recognised and the course must be full-time and in person. Which programmes qualify
- Check your funds, insurance and record: Before you apply. You need 600 EUR a month for the whole stay plus 450 EUR a month for each family member, full health insurance and, for stays over 6 months, a criminal record certificate and a medical certificate. Who qualifies
- Choose where to apply: The default is the Spanish consulate that covers your home; you can apply from inside Spain while your legal stay is still running. Applying from abroad or from inside Spain
- File and pay the fees: Apply at least 2 months before the course starts; the consulate decides within 1 month. Applying from abroad or from inside Spain
- Collect your visa, travel and get your TIE: After approval you enter Spain with the visa and apply for the TIE within 1 month of arrival if your stay is over 6 months. Applying from abroad or from inside Spain
- Study and work: During your stay, work only within the student-stay work right and keep up with your studies. Working while you study
- Renew your student stay if your course is longer than a year: Before it expires. Who qualifies
- Apply for the job-search and entrepreneurship authorisation: In the window around your permit's expiry date. After your studies
- If your student authorisation has already expired: File at once; a late filing carries a fine. After your studies
- If you studied Spanish only: The stay is limited to the course length and is not a route to long-term residence; plan the next step before the course ends. Language-course stays
Documents you may need
Identity and residence
- Admission or enrolment letter from your school. Who qualifies
- Criminal record certificate for stays over 6 months, legalised and translated. Who qualifies
- Medical certificate from a doctor, for stays over 6 months. Who qualifies
Income and work
- Proof of funds for the whole stay. Who qualifies
Guarantees
- Health insurance valid in Spain, with no co-payments and no waiting periods. Who qualifies
Forms and fees
- Form EX-00 for student stays filed in Spain, and the national visa application form at the consulate. Applying from abroad or from inside Spain
- Modelo 790 código 052 for the student stay authorisation fee and modelo 790 código 012 for the TIE fee. Applying from abroad or from inside Spain
- Training agreement for exchanges, unpaid practice and volunteering. Which programmes qualify
Explore places
Where you live changes the details. See how Spanish regions and cities compare on rent, jobs, weather, safety and healthcare.
What to read next
More in Eligibility and route selection
Route map and first choices
You leave with a short list of Spanish routes that fit your passport and situation, and know which ones to read next.
Short stays and Schengen limits
You can count your days correctly, know what a short stay allows, and avoid the myths that lead to overstay.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
You know which free-movement category you fall under, what you must be able to show, and where the rules are lighter or stricter than for visa routes.
Also in Immigration and residency
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.