What does “no autorizado a trabajar” mean on your Spanish Student Visa?

If your Spanish student visa says “no autorizado a trabajar” (“not authorised to work”), it does not mean you cannot work.

DO NOT PANIC!

It means that you need to activate it so that you can work.

Spanish immigration law permits certain types of work under student status, regardless of what it says on the visa.

You need to follow specific procedures to get the proper authorisation.

Just because it says “no autorizado a trabajar”, it doesn’t mean you can’t work. It means you must activate your work authorisation.

Options for Working in Spain on a Student Visa

If you wish to work in Spain and your student visa shows “no autorizado a trabajar”, here is how you can legally activate your work authorisation in compliance with Spanish law.

Apply for a Work Authorisation Linked to Your Studies (Part-Time Work Permit)

Under current Spanish law:

1. You can work up to 30 hours per week.
2. The job must not interfere with your studies.
3. The company must apply for authorisation (you cannot apply on your own).
4. Work can be done for an employer or as a self-employed individual in some cases.
5. Once the paperwork is done, you can work.

Requirements

1. You must already have your student residence card (TIE).
2. The employer must present a work authorisation request to the immigration office.
3. The job must be compatible with your study schedule.
4. It can be a paid internship or a regular employment position.

This process is called “Autorización de compatibilidad de estudios y trabajo”.

Change to a Work Permit After Studying (“Modificación de Estancia a Residencia y Trabajo”)

Once you have finished your studies, you may be able to modify your student visa to a work permit.

You must have held your student visa for at least 3 years, although exceptions may exist for high-demand fields or certain post-study visas.

You’ll need a job offer and an employer willing to sponsor your visa.

The application must be done before your student visa expires.

Apply for a Job Search Visa (“Estancia por Búsqueda de Empleo”)

When you finish a Master’s, PhD, or higher education program, you can request a one-year visa to stay in Spain to search for a job or start a business.

You must apply within 60 days before or within 90 days after your student visa expires.

Once you get a job, you can convert your student visa to a work permit.

WARNING: If you do not secure a job within the specified timeframe, you will be unable to reapply and must leave Spain.

How to Start One of These Three Processes

1. Contact your school or institution to confirm your schedule and obtain documentation of class hours (for compatibility checks).
2. Find a job offer and ensure the employer is willing to handle the paperwork.
3. The employer applies through the “Oficina de Extranjería” in your province.
4. Wait for the authorisation before starting work.

We do not recommend working without authorisation; it could cause problems.

Information Sources

Here are some official and authoritative sources (mainly in Spanish) that explain your options for working in Spain on a student visa, even when it says “no autorizado a trabajar”:

Spanish Immigration Law (Ley de Extranjería) and Reglamento

The key regulations come from the

• Ley Orgánica 4/2000 (Foreigners Law) – web page https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2000-544, specifically Articles 36 and 37 on student work and modifications of status.
• Reglamento de Extranjería (Real Decreto 557/2011) – web page BOE-A-2011-7703 Real Decreto 557/2011, de 20 de abril, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, sobre derechos y libertades de los extranjeros en España y su integración social, tras su reforma por Ley Orgánica 2/2009., specifcally:
  • Artículo 42 – Autorización de trabajo para titulares de estancia por estudios. (Work authorization for holders of a student stay permit.)
  • Artículo 199 y ss. – Modificación de estancia por estudios a residencia y trabajo. (Modification of student stay to residence and work permit.)

Immigration Reform – Royal Decree 629/2022

This reform eased restrictions on students working and allows them to work up to 30 hours per week. The 30 hour per week allowance still applies.

”Las actividades deberán ser compatibles con la autorización de estancia de larga duración y no se superen las 30 horas.” (The work must be compatible with the long-term stay authorisation and must not exceed 30 hours.)

Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones

Student Work Authorization – see web page https://www.inclusion.gob.es/web/migraciones/w/autorizacion-de-estancia-para-actividades-de-investigacion-o-formacion where it mentions AUTORIZACIÓN DE TRABAJO (WORK AUTHORIZATION).

Job Search Visa (Estancia por Búsqueda de Empleo)

The official page explaining how to apply after graduating with an MCER Level 6 qualification issued by an officially recognised Spanish educational institution is Hoja 20 – Autorización de residencia para búsqueda de empleo o inicio de proyecto empresarial – Migraciones – Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones.

Why do some people get a student visa that says “no autorizado a trabajar” and others do not?

The reason some people get a Spanish student visa that says “no autorizado a trabajar” and others do not is mainly due to:

Administrative Variations (Not a Legal Difference)

There is no difference in rights between the two student visas. Whether the phrase appears or not. The variation is often due to:

• Different consulates using different formats.
• Different immigration offices across Spain having slightly different practices.
• Whether the visa is a national D visa (in a passport) or a TIE (residence card).

Key point: The legal right to work as a student comes from the immigration law, not from what’s printed on your visa. If it says “no autorizado a trabajar”, you can work, but you have to activate your work authorisation. It does not ban you from working.

 Format of the Document (Visa Sticker vs. TIE Card)

Level of Studies or Type of Program (Sometimes Matters)

Though not a formal rule, students in degree programmes (e.g., university Master’s or PhDs) may be less likely to see the phrase printed, especially if:

• Their studies are eligible for post-study work.
• Their university or school automatically provides documentation to demonstrate compatibility with the work.

Students in:

• Short-term courses
• Language schools
• Non-degree private academies

… are more likely to receive a visa or card with “no autorizado a trabajar” by default.

However, this is an administrative decision, it is not a legal requirement, and it DOES NOT PREVENT YOU FROM ACTIVATING YOUR WORK AUTHORISATION AND GETTING A JOB.

Local Foreigners Office (“Oficina de Extranjería”) Practice

Spain’s immigration system is decentralised. Your experience may differ depending on the province or region:

• In Madrid, for example, many TIEs say “estudiante” without further comment.
• In Barcelona, many still say “no autorizado a trabajar.”
• Some offices even issue TIEs with “autorizado a trabajar 30h/semana” once you’ve received the student work authorisation.

What Courses Guarantee My Visa Does Not Say “No Autorizado a Trabajar”?

No course in Spain guarantees 100% that your student visa won’t be marked as “no autorizado a trabajar”.

The phrase “no autorizado a trabajar” is:

• Administrative, not legal.
• Often printed by default on visa stickers or TIEs.
• Not tied to the type of course, but rather to:
  • The format of your visa (passport sticker vs. residence card).
  • Differing regional practices (e.g., immigration offices in Madrid vs. Barcelona).
  • Whether you’ve applied for a compatible work authorisation.

What Really Matters

Regardless of what your student visa or TIE says:

• You can legally work as a student in Spain up to 30 hours per week while you are studying, if:
  • The job is compatible with your studies, and
  • You or your employer requests authorisation.
• What is printed on the document does not alter your rights under Spanish law.

If your student visa or TIE says “no autorizado a trabajar”, DON’T PANIC, follow the above to activate your work authorisation.

You can obtain work authorisation; it is 100% legal, and it allows you to work while studying.

The Legal bases for the guidance in this document are:

1. Real Decreto-ley 629/2022 (2022 Immigration Reform) BOE-A-2022-12504 Real Decreto 629/2022, de 26 de julio, por el que se modifica el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, sobre derechos y libertades de los extranjeros en España y su integración social, tras su reforma por Ley Orgánica 2/2009, aprobado por el Real Decreto 557/2011, de 20 de abril.
2. Reglamento de Extranjería, Article 42 BOE-A-2011-7703 Real Decreto 557/2011, de 20 de abril, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, sobre derechos y libertades de los extranjeros en España y su integración social, tras su reforma por Ley Orgánica 2/2009.