# Spain job search visa after studies: stay and work permit (2026)

> If you finish a bachelor's degree or higher in Spain, you can apply for a residence permit to look for work for up to 24 months (it was 12 months before December 2022). Once you have a job offer, you switch to a work permit: from student status directly, from the job-search permit, or through the Highly Qualified Professional route.

Source: Spain Dev Jobs, https://spain-devjobs.com/guides/graduate-to-employee-job-search-stay-and-work-permit
Category: Visa. Last updated: 2026-10-16.

Spain does not have a general **job search visa** for people abroad, but it does have one for people who have **just graduated in Spain**. If you finish a bachelor's degree or higher at a Spanish university or higher education institution, you can apply for a **residence permit to look for work for up to 24 months**. When you find a job, you switch to a work permit. If you already have an offer before you graduate, you can switch straight from your student status to a work permit, without leaving Spain.

This guide explains both routes, the deadlines, and how the Highly Qualified Professional (HQP) permit fits in, with references to the law. Immigration rules change often, so check the official texts and your local immigration office before you rely on any date.

## 12 or 24 months? The official answer

You will find both figures online. The law has changed:

- In **2018**, Spain created the residence permit for graduates to look for work, for a **maximum of twelve months** ([Real Decreto-ley 11/2018, additional provision 17 of Ley 14/2013](https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2018-12131)).
- Since **23 December 2022**, after the startup law (Ley 28/2022) amended that provision, the maximum is **twenty-four months**, and it cannot be extended ([Ley 14/2013, additional provision 17, consolidated text](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074)).

So the current answer is **up to 24 months**. Older articles still say 12.

Don't confuse this with the "visados para la búsqueda de empleo" in the general immigration regulation. Those are **12-month** visas for people abroad, but only for children or grandchildren of Spanish nationals, or for specific occupations and regions set by a yearly ministerial order ([Real Decreto 1155/2024, articles 43 to 45](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099)). They are not a general job seeker visa for tech workers.

## Route 1: the job-search residence permit after studies

### Who can apply

Under [Ley 14/2013, additional provision 17](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074), you can apply if:

- you have **finished studies at a higher education institution** in Spain, and
- you reached at least **level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework**, which is a bachelor's degree (*grado*) level. Master's and doctoral degrees are above it, so they also count.

The immigration regulation confirms that graduates at this level can use it ([Real Decreto 1155/2024, article 190.10](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099)).

### When to apply

The window is tight. You apply **electronically** in the **60 calendar days before** your student stay permit expires, or in the **90 calendar days after** it expires. You apply to the Government Office (*Delegación* or *Subdelegación del Gobierno*) of the province where you will live. Applying in time extends your previous permit until there is a decision.

### What they check

The office only checks that you have:

1. your **degree or official proof of qualification**;
2. **health insurance**; and
3. **sufficient funds**, which you show with a signed declaration (*declaración responsable*) explaining how you will support yourself.

The office has **20 days** to decide. If it doesn't answer in that time, the permit counts as granted (positive administrative silence). Family members who were with you during your studies can stay with you.

### What it lets you do

The permit lets you stay in Spain for up to 24 months to **look for a job that fits your level of studies**, or to start a business. When you find a suitable job, you apply for the matching work permit under the immigration law or Ley 14/2013. Check with the immigration office whether you may start work before that permit is granted; the provision itself only covers your stay while you look.

## Route 2: switching from student status to a work permit

If you have a job offer before or soon after you graduate, you may not need the job-search permit at all. The immigration regulation lets students move from their long-stay student status to a **residence and work permit, without a new visa** ([Real Decreto 1155/2024, article 190](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099)). In Spanish this is the *modificación de estancia por estudios a residencia y trabajo*.

### Who it covers

People with a long-stay permit for **higher education studies** and some other training covered by article 52, who have **obtained their degree or certificate**. You must not have studied on a grant from a development cooperation or humanitarian programme.

### Employee (cuenta ajena)

For a job as an employee, you must meet the normal requirements for an initial residence and work permit (article 74), **except the labour market test**. The employer does not have to show that no local candidate was available. The other conditions still apply, for example:

- a signed employment contract;
- pay and conditions in line with the law and the applicable **collective agreement**; part-time pay must still reach at least the full-time minimum wage over a year;
- the employer is up to date with tax and Social Security and has the means to pay you.

Either **you or the employer** can file the application, but the **employer pays the fee**.

### Self-employed (cuenta propia)

You can also switch to self-employment, meeting the requirements for self-employed permits (article 84).

### Deadline and what happens while you wait

You apply in the **two months before** or the **three months after** your student permit expires, or after you get your degree (article 190.6, as amended in April 2026). Applying in time extends your student permit. Once the application is accepted for processing, your status becomes a **provisional residence and work permit**, which lets you work full time while you wait (article 190.7).

### How long it lasts

The permit is granted for **one year** (article 190.9). It takes effect when you are registered with Social Security, and you must apply for your foreigner identity card (TIE) in person within one month (article 190.8). After that, it is renewed like any other permit of its type.

### Working while you study

If your student permit is for higher education, it already lets you work, as an employee or self-employed, without a separate application. The work must fit with your studies and, in general, be no more than **30 hours a week** ([Real Decreto 1155/2024, article 57](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099)). Going over the limit can end your student permit. A part-time job or internship during your studies is often how graduates get their first full-time offer.

## Route 3: the Highly Qualified Professional permit or EU Blue Card

For most tech graduates with a good offer, the **HQP permit** under Ley 14/2013 is the strongest option. It is handled by a central unit (the UGE), the legal deadline is **20 days**, and if you are legally in Spain you can apply from Spain, which extends your current status until the decision ([Ley 14/2013, article 76](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074)).

Recent graduates get a lower salary threshold for the **EU Blue Card**. Since 28 June 2026:

| Case | Minimum gross salary a year |
|---|---|
| Standard Blue Card and national HQP permit | €41,356.36 |
| Blue Card: qualification obtained no more than **three years** before applying | **€33,085.09** |

The reduced threshold is set by [Order PJC/44/2026](https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-2142). Check an offer with our [EU Blue Card salary check](https://spain-devjobs.com/visa-salary-check/eu-blue-card-spain), and read our [work visa guide](https://spain-devjobs.com/guides/spain-highly-qualified-professional-visa) for the steps.

## Which route should you use?

| Your situation | Best route |
|---|---|
| Job offer before graduating, salary at least €33,085.09 | HQP permit / Blue Card (Route 3) |
| Job offer before graduating, lower salary | Switch from student status to a work permit (Route 2) |
| No offer yet when you graduate | Job-search residence permit for up to 24 months (Route 1), then Route 2 or 3 |
| You want to start your own company | Job-search permit (Route 1) or self-employed switch (Route 2) |
| EU, EEA or Swiss citizen | No permit needed; register as a resident ([RD 240/2007](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2007-4184)) |

Whatever you choose, **watch the deadlines**. Missing the 60/90-day or two-month/three-month windows can leave you without a legal route from inside Spain.

## Finding your first job in Spain as a graduate

The international tech job market in Spain leans senior. In our [October 2026 report](https://spain-devjobs.com/reports/2026-10), of 2,583 English-speaking tech jobs on our board, **65 were internships** and **59 were junior roles**, against 838 senior roles. So:

- **Start early.** Use internships and part-time work during your studies.
- **Target large employers** with graduate programmes and many openings, mostly in [Madrid](https://spain-devjobs.com/jobs/in/madrid) and [Barcelona](https://spain-devjobs.com/jobs/in/barcelona).
- **Check sponsorship.** Our [visa sponsorship jobs](https://spain-devjobs.com/visa-sponsorship-jobs) and jobs you can [apply for from abroad](https://spain-devjobs.com/jobs/apply-from-abroad) show employers used to permits.
- **Know your numbers.** An offer that clears the reduced Blue Card threshold opens the fastest route.

Our guide to [getting a tech job in Spain without Spanish](https://spain-devjobs.com/guides/tech-jobs-spain-without-spanish) has tips on CVs and interviews, and the [Spain tech job market 2026](https://spain-devjobs.com/guides/spain-tech-job-market-2026) guide shows which skills are most in demand.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Spain have a job seeker visa?

Not a general one. Spain's job-search visas under the immigration regulation last 12 months but are only for children or grandchildren of Spanish nationals, or for occupations set in a yearly order. Graduates of Spanish higher education can instead apply for a residence permit to look for work for up to 24 months after their studies.

### How long can I stay in Spain after graduating to look for a job?

Up to 24 months, which cannot be extended. You must have reached at least bachelor's degree level (EQF level 6) at a higher education institution. You apply online in the 60 days before or 90 days after your student permit expires, showing your degree, health insurance and enough money to live on.

### Can I convert my student visa to a work permit in Spain?

Yes. Once you have your degree, you can switch from student status to a residence and work permit without a new visa, under article 190 of the immigration regulation. There is no labour market test. Apply in the two months before or three months after your student permit ends. The new permit lasts one year.

### Can I work in Spain on a student visa?

Yes, up to 30 hours a week, as long as the work fits with your studies. Going over that limit can end your student permit. Internships that are part of your course are covered by your student permit.

### What is the minimum salary for a recent graduate's Blue Card in Spain?

Since 28 June 2026, the reduced Blue Card threshold is €33,085.09 gross a year for people who obtained their qualification no more than three years before applying. The standard threshold is €41,356.36. These figures change when the INE publishes new salary data.

### Why do some websites say the post-study stay is 12 months?

Because it used to be. When the job-search permit for graduates was created in 2018, it lasted up to 12 months. The startup law (Ley 28/2022) raised it to 24 months from 23 December 2022. The current consolidated text of Ley 14/2013 says 24 months.

*This guide explains Spanish immigration rules in general terms. It isn't legal advice. Rules, deadlines and thresholds change; always check the official sources linked above or ask the immigration office before you apply.*

## Sources

- https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074
- https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099
- https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2018-12131
- https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-2142
- https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2007-4184
- https://spain-devjobs.com/reports/2026-10