Guide to apply for a residence permit for an internship (autorización para residencia de prácticas)

Every year, a lot of non-EU students graduate from Spanish universities with a bachelor, master´s, or Ph.D. degree. Those who wish to start working in Spain may find it very hard to fulfill the requirements of the change from student residence to the working permit, mainly due to the following reasons:

• Unable to fulfill the requirement of time spent in Spain: to get a working permit when holding a student residence, you need to have resided in Spain for more than 3 years continuously until the moment you apply for the permit. This is especially a strong barrier for those who come to study for a one-year master's.
• Unable to find a company to sponsor the student: there are several requirements and not all companies want to sponsor a foreign student for the additional costs of sponsoring the visa.
• Unable to get the working permit because you have received scholarships from Spain or your country of origin.

 

1. How can this residence permit benefit the employee and the employer?

2. Who is eligible for this residence?

3. There are two ways available: internship agreement and contract

4. What are the requirements to apply for this permit?

5. How long does the process take?

6. For how long is this authorization granted?

7. You can modify this residence again to obtain a working permit!

8. Don’t forget to ask for help from us!

 

 

1. How can this residence permit benefit the employee and the employer?

 

This is quite beneficial for you because:

 

• You don't need to go back to your country of origin to apply for a visa anymore.
• You can request this modification without fulfilling the requirement of having to stay in Spain for 3 years.

 

This residence permit is also very beneficial to your company because:

 

• It saves time for the company because the application is done online.
• This residence permit grants the company to pay you less than a normal employee for now and enjoys social security discounts, making it easier for the company to sponsor your visa.

 

 

2. Who is eligible for this residence?

 

 

You can benefit from this residence permit if you:

 

• have completed within the last two years or are at a level 6 or higher study (university studies, masters, doctorates, higher sports education, higher-level professional training, and higher artistic education). Any inferior training will not be accepted, and the application would be denied.
  • Studies can be both in Spain and outside of Spain. You can request this authorization whether you are studying in a Spanish territory or you have done it in another country.
  • In case of being within the Spanish territory, you need to have a valid TIE.

 

 

3. There are two ways available: internship agreement and contract

 

Obtaining residence authorization for an internship in Spain allows two possible and differentiated paths:

 

• By employment contract:
  • Through the internship contract, there is a contractual relationship with the company or self-employed that hires the student, so the student is a worker of the same and contributes to social security.
  • These are contracts with a total maximum duration of 1 year, although it is usual to contract for 6 months (the minimum) and renew once this term ends.
  • At the salary level, you will not be able to earn less than the interprofessional minimum for that position.
  • If the student becomes unemployed, he will be entitled to unemployment benefits.

 

• Or through an agreement:
  • In this case, the student is NOT an employee of the company.
  • It is possible to request an internship agreement with the university if you are still studying. There is a relationship among three different parties: the student, the academic institution in charge of internal management, and the company. That is why a direct employment relationship is not contemplated.
  • In this case, since the university or higher education center oversees issuing the agreement, the student must be studying at the time of application (it would not be possible to have the option of having finished them already). 

 

 

4. What are the requirements to apply for this permit?

 

 

There are a series of requirements that both the student and the company must meet to apply for this residence permit:

 

• A full copy of your valid passport
• A full copy of your valid TIE if applicable
• The internships must be within the same scope as the higher studies completed, and at the same level of qualification. That is, the specific tasks and the position/functions of the student must go along the same lines.
• Health insurance: the student must have private health insurance with the same coverage as the Spanish public health, without deficiencies or co-payments. Its duration must be at least 1 year. Our expat insurance can fulfill all the requirements.
• Sufficient economical means: You must show that you have 100% of the IPREM. If you have an internship contract, you can use it as funds.
• The company that offers the internship must be up-to-date with payments with the Treasury and Social Security. The company will be the one who initiates the request in the government delegation in which it is located or where her work activity is carried out.
• Contract or internship: At the documentation level, you must present the contract or internship agreement signed by all the parties involved. 
• You need to present a properly filled EX-04 model.
• It is necessary to attach a document in which the company details the description of the internship program, its duration, conditions, who is the supervisor or instructor, hours of work, etc.

 

5. How long does the process take?

 

As everything is done electronically, the process is much faster and more agile. The resolution time is 30 business days, and if after this period you do not receive a response, silence is usually positive, the resolution is considered approved.

 

 

6. For how long is this authorization granted?

 

The time depends on whether it’s an agreement or an internship contract.

 

• In the case of an internship agreement, it depends on the duration of the agreement. 
  • The maximum of the initial application is 6 months, but it may be less if the agreement specifies. 
  • After these 6 months, it is possible to renew for an additional 6 months. At the end of that year, the employer must modify the general regime if the company wants to continue to have the worker.

 

• In the case of an internship contract, it depends on the duration of the internship contract. In this case, the maximum is 2 years, without being able to be less than 6 months.

 

• Note: The request is linked to the specific company. If at the end of the 6 months of the contract you want to change companies, you will have to make another request from 0, as the initial one does not work for you.

 

 

7. You can modify this residence again to obtain a working permit!

 

Once the validity of your internship or agreement ends, you can change the residence permit to obtain a working permit. Then with the renewable work permit, you can continue working and achieve permanent residence finally in the country.

 

 

8. Don’t forget to ask for help from us!

 

Our expat insurance fulfills all the requirements for this visa residence permit and the residence card renewal as well as meets all visa requirements. This is trusted by more than 100000 international students and not even one application was rejected because of the insurance.

 

Do you qualify for the residence permit? If this isn´t for you, maybe see if one of these visas better fits your needs:

• Digital Nomad Visa
• Golden Visa
• Student Visa
• Family reunification visa
• Working holiday visa
• How to apply for a Spanish Non-lucrative Visa?

 

 

Reference:

 

[1]Autorización de residencia para prácticas (2021). Retrieved 13 September 2021, from https://www.cograsova.es/adjuntosmail/2021/20210225/residencia.pdf 

[2]BOE.es - BOE-A-2018-12131 Real Decreto-ley 11/2018, de 31 de agosto, de transposición de directivas en materia de protección de los compromisos por pensiones con los trabajadores, prevención del blanqueo de capitales y requisitos de entrada y residencia de nacionales de países terceros y por el que se modifica la Ley 39/2015, de 1 de octubre, del Procedimiento Administrativo Común de las Administraciones Públicas. (2021). Retrieved 13 September 2021, from https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2018-12131#at 

[3] BOE.es - BOE-A-2013-10074 Ley 14/2013, de 27 de septiembre, de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalización. (2021). Retrieved 13 September 2021, from https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2013-10074 

 

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 19/07/2023