Changing your residence permit type without leaving Spain (modificación)

Key rules

• Start date: The new rules apply to applications filed from 20 May 2025.
• Older applications: Applications filed before that date stay under the old rules.
• Granted permits: A permit already granted stays valid until it expires, and you renew it under the new rules.
• Conditions: Each switch has its own conditions, so check yours before you file.

Can you change permit type from inside Spain?

Yes, in a defined set of cases. If you already live legally in Spain, you can usually ask to change your permit type (a modificación) without going back to your home country. Each switch has its own conditions, so check yours before you file.

Which switches are allowed

These are the main in-country changes:

• Student to work, as an employee or self-employed, after a set period of study.
• Student to internship or research routes.
• Temporary residence to long-term residence.
• Family-reunification resident to an independent work authorisation.
• Work-and-residence holder switching between employee and self-employed work.
• Residence by exceptional circumstances (arraigo) to other permits.

The comparison below sets out the conditions, timing and risks of each switch. Confirm the exact conditions for your case with your local immigration office (oficina de extranjería) before you file.

Which rules apply to you

The current immigration regulation has applied since 20 May 2025, six months after it was published. It replaced the 2011 regulation.

• If you filed before 20 May 2025, your application continues under the old rules.
• If you file from 20 May 2025, the new rules apply.
• A permit already granted stays valid until it expires. You file its renewal under the new rules.

You do not need to swap a valid permit for a new one. The transitional rule can differ by permit type, so ask your immigration office which one covers yours.

What to do

1. Check that your current permit type can be changed from inside Spain.
2. Check the conditions for the specific switch you want, such as the period of study for student to work.
3. Note the date you filed, because it decides which rules apply.

The timeline, checklist and questions below go through these points.

Permit switches compared by conditions, timing and risks

Compare your options for changing permit type from inside Spain, or by leaving and reapplying, on time held, timing and risk. Written for anyone with a temporary permit who wants to switch basis, for example from study to work.

Which switch fits you

Staying in Spain and applying for the change is usually the safer route than leaving and reapplying. Start by noting four facts about yourself: your main basis for staying, your work situation, your partner status, and the route you have been granted or are aiming for. Each one decides which row below applies to you.

Side by side

Time held on your current permit

There is no single minimum for every change. Student to work, for example, has its own conditions on time spent in Spain. Some profiles are exempt, so ask the Oficina de Extranjería about the exact route you want before you pay any fee.

Waiting for the decision

For most general-regime changes, silence from the office usually means approval. For some permits it means refusal. Under the family-of-citizen route, silence is treated as refusal in practice. In every case the office still has to issue a written decision, so ask which rule applies to your permit.

What you get at the end

The new permit lasts for a period set by its type. General-regime permits often start at one or two years, and the family-of-citizen card lasts five years. The exact term also depends on how much time is left on your old permit.

Work rights and documents

The work rights and the paperwork depend on the route. Ask the Oficina de Extranjería for the document list for your route before you apply.

Long-term residence

Periods under different permit types add up towards the five years for long-term residence. Student years count only in part.

Record your choice

Write down the route you picked and the reason in one sentence. For example: "Student to work, because the current permit stays valid while the application is decided." Keep this note with your application papers.

Time requirements, the effect of silence and the new permit's term vary by route, so confirm them with the Oficina de Extranjería before applying.

Timeline and deadlines

• New immigration regulation published: 20 November 2024

• Applications filed before the change keep following the old rules: before 20 May 2025

• New regulation comes into force, six months after publication: 20 May 2025

• Applications filed from this date follow the new rules: from 20 May 2025

Checklist

• Check whether your current permit type is one that can be changed from inside Spain, such as student to work or temporary to long-term residence.

• Confirm the conditions for the specific change you want, such as a set period of study for student to work.

• Find out whether you filed before or from 20 May 2025, since that decides which rules apply to you.

• Ask your local immigration office which transitional rule covers your permit type if you hold a permit granted earlier.

• File any renewal of an older permit under the new rules.

The list of allowed changes is not confirmed in detail; check it with your local immigration office before filing.

Frequently asked questions

Which rules apply if I filed my modification before 20 May 2025?

Yes, the old rules still apply to you if you filed before 20 May 2025, because those applications continue under the earlier regulation. Applications filed from 20 May 2025 follow the new regulation.

When did the new regulation start to apply?

The new regulation has applied since 20 May 2025. It was published on 20 November 2024 and came into force six months later, replacing the earlier regulation from 2011.