Students, language assistants and au pairs: life beyond the programme

Key rules

• Language assistant year: Your programme runs 1 October to 31 May, so your programme circle ends then.
• Flatmates: Living with Spanish flatmates is the most effective way to meet locals.
• Room payments: Never pay a deposit before seeing the flat and meeting the landlord.
• Au pair terms: Your signed agreement sets your hours, free day and language course time.

Use your programme network, but don't stop there

Your programme gives you instant company and support. Use it in your first weeks. Then start building Spanish contacts straight away, because the programme circle ends and local friends are the ones who stay.

Where your programme network is

• Erasmus students: the Erasmus Student Network has local sections at most universities. They run buddy programmes, trips and parties. Your university's international office can also help.
• Language assistants (auxiliares de conversación): your regional coordinator is the first contact. Regional and city groups online, plus Meetup and language-exchange groups, add peer support.
• Au pairs: your placement agency handles host matching and support. Local language schools and online au pair groups give you social contact.

Local sections and groups differ by city, so ask your coordinator, agency or international office what exists near you.

Reach local friends on purpose

Programme life pulls you towards other internationals and English. Erasmus classes are often separate or have few locals, and many Spanish students go home at weekends. A low level of Spanish limits contact further. Counter this early:

• Live with Spanish flatmates. This is the single best route. Search Spanish-language room listings and visit flats in person, because many rooms are advertised only to internationals.
• Join things that are not for foreigners: student clubs, sports teams, volunteering, and university language-exchange schemes.
• Take mainstream courses if you are a student, so you sit with locals.
• Au pairs: your agreement should leave time for a Spanish course. Go, and talk to classmates and neighbours, not only other au pairs.

Finding a room safely

Students and language assistants mostly search the big room-listing sites, university housing boards, and word of mouth. Watch for these:

• Never pay before you have seen the flat and met the landlord.
• A request for a deposit before a viewing is a scam warning sign.
• Some landlords refuse short contracts.
• The deposit is typically one or two months, and bills are often extra.
• Rents are tight and vary sharply by city.

Know when your circle ends

Language assistants work from 1 October to 31 May, so the group around you thins out then. Some regions start in mid-September or end in June. Erasmus stays last one semester or a full academic year, and calendars vary by university.

Au pair terms come from your agency agreement, not one law. They normally set about 25 to 30 hours a week of light childcare and housework, at least one full free day a week, your own room and meals, pocket money and time for a language course. Check the signed agreement for your exact terms. Non-EU au pairs generally need a student visa and course enrolment.

If you plan to stay on without a visa, the limit is 90 days in 180, so plan your next step well before your programme finishes. The timeline below shows when to start each step, and the warning below explains how a bubble can disappear or trap you.

Timeline and deadlines

• Search Spanish-language room listings and visit flats in person: Before you arrive or in your first weeks, so you can live with Spanish flatmates from the start

• Join local activities, language exchanges and clubs outside your programme: In your first month, while the programme is still running

• Erasmus autumn semester ends: September to January or February; the spring semester runs February to June, and a full year ends in June

• Language assistant year ends: The programme runs from 1 October to 31 May, about eight months, so build local friendships well before the end

• Plan your next step if you stay without a visa: A tourist-style stay is limited to 90 days in 180

Situation bubbles: when your group disappears or traps you

• Your programme circle has an end date: Programme friends tend to leave together. Erasmus stays last one semester or a full academic year to June. Language assistants work from 1 October to 31 May, so that circle ends then. Nomad visa stays and expat friendships also tend to turn over after a year or two, leaving gaps. Start a second circle with Spaniards or long-term residents within your first few months, not when the group breaks up. Local friendships take months to build.

• A bubble can trap you as well as vanish: You may be in a bubble if you socialise almost only in English or your own language, most friends are fellow newcomers, you barely know your neighbours, you get information only from expat groups, or you avoid Spanish in daily life. Join one regular activity, class or local association where Spanish is spoken, and keep going to it every week.

• Expat coastal towns make the bubble easy to stay in: In coastal expat areas such as parts of the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and the Torrevieja area, you can live almost entirely in English with expat clubs, shops and services. Daily life is easy, but you meet few Spaniards and may never need much Spanish. Spanish-majority towns give more local contact but can feel isolating at first and have fewer foreign-language services. Consider a Spanish town near an expat hub, so you get both. Join local groups and learn Spanish whichever you choose.

Calendars vary by university and region, so check your own start and end dates with your programme or university.

Frequently asked questions

How can I meet Spanish friends as an Erasmus student?

Live with Spanish flatmates and join activities that are not run for Erasmus students, because that gives you the most contact with locals. Buddy programmes, tandem language exchanges, student clubs, sports teams and volunteering also help. Taking some mainstream courses, where classes have more Spanish students, raises contact further.

Why do Erasmus students end up mostly with other internationals?

Erasmus social life is dominated by international groups and English, so locals are easy to miss. Classes are often separate or have few Spanish students, and many Spanish students go home at weekends. A low Spanish level also limits contact, so start with language exchanges early.

How much free time should an au pair have in Spain?

Agency agreements normally set about 25 to 30 hours a week of light childcare and housework, at least one full free day a week, and time to attend a Spanish language course. Your own room and meals are usually included, and the family often helps with course costs. Confirm these terms in your signed agreement, because no single Spanish law sets them.