Spain · Work
Spain Graduate job search
First stay: 2 yrs
Residence authorization to search for employment or start a business after studies (Sheet 20)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Graduate job search is a work route for Spain. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- Up to 20 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Shown, not spent€600+/mo ≈ $670
- EUR 600 a month (≈ $670)100% of the monthly IPREM for the graduate (2026 IPREM EUR600 (≈ $670)), or 50% where accommodation is paid in advance; 75% for the first relative and 50% for each further one.
Renewal2 years max, no extension
The authorization lasts 24 months and cannot be extended.
ProcessingUp to 20 days
The decision takes 20 days; silence means approval.
Where to applyInside the country
File electronically in Spain in the 60 days before the study authorization ends, or within 90 days after.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Can't be renewed: 2 years in total at most
- Needs earlier residence or an existing status in Spain
- Work isn't allowed on this route
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant holds a long-term stay authorization for studies, or its extension.
- The applicant has completed studies at an authorised Spanish institution at EQF level 6 or above.
What you must show1
- Means of EUR600 (≈ $670) per month (100% of the 2026 IPREM) for the whole stay.
Documents2
- Form EX-26, a sworn statement of the resources, proof of completed studies and health insurance.
- Passport valid at least one year, and a criminal record certificate if the study stay was under six months.
Steps2
- File electronically in the 60 days before the study authorization ends, or within 90 days after.
- The decision takes 20 days, and silence means approval.
After you arrive2
- The authorization lasts 24 months without extension and does not allow work during its validity.
- On finding suitable work or starting a business, request the matching authorization under Organic Law 4/2000 or Ley 14/2013.
What happens at day 183
How Spain decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 2 years in total
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in a calendar yearPresence in Spanish territory; sporadic absences count unless tax residence in another country is proven.
- Foreign-source income
Residents are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income.
All tax rules for Spain Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Form EX-26, a sworn statement of the resources, proof of completed studies and health insurance
- Police certificate and civil documents
Passport valid at least one year, and a criminal record certificate if the study stay was under six months
- Money to show
This route asks for savings of €600+ a month ≈ $670.
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
24-month non-renewable residence authorization for graduates who finished higher-education studies in Spain at EQF level 6 or above, to look for suitable work or start a business project. 1 2 3 4
What you must show
- Savings of at least EUR 600 a month (≈ $670) · 100% of the monthly IPREM for the graduate (2026 IPREM EUR600 (≈ $670)), or 50% where accommodation is paid in advance; 75% for the first relative and 50% for each further one. 1 3
Requirements
- The applicant holds a long-term stay authorization for studies, or its extension. 1
- The applicant has completed studies at an authorised Spanish institution at EQF level 6 or above. 1
- Means of EUR600 (≈ $670) per month (100% of the 2026 IPREM) for the whole stay. 1
- Form EX-26, a sworn statement of the resources, proof of completed studies and health insurance. 1
- Passport valid at least one year, and a criminal record certificate if the study stay was under six months. 1
- File electronically in the 60 days before the study authorization ends, or within 90 days after. 1
- The decision takes 20 days, and silence means approval. 1
- The authorization lasts 24 months without extension and does not allow work during its validity. 1
- On finding suitable work or starting a business, request the matching authorization under Organic Law 4/2000 or Ley 14/2013. 1
Stay
- The authorization lasts 24 months and cannot be extended.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Not renewable according to our source.
Nationality
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Work is not permitted during the validity of this authorization.
Family
Family members who accompanied the student may stay but are not authorised to work. Your spouse or partner may not work in Spain on this visa.
Official sources
- Sheet 20 - Residence authorization to search for employment or start a business project · Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration · checked 2026-10-10
- Ley 14/2013, support for entrepreneurs and their internationalisation: consolidated text (Arts. 61-76, 74 bis-quinquies) · Boletín Oficial del Estado · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2013-09-28
- Monthly and annual values of SMI and IPREM 2026 · Public Employment Service (SEPE) · checked 2026-10-10
- Real Decreto 1155/2024, Regulation of Ley Orgánica 4/2000: consolidated text (in force 20 May 2025) · Boletín Oficial del Estado · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2024-11-20
Graduate job search and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate job search | – | 2 yr | No |
| Employee visa | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| EU Blue Card | Needs income from €33k a year ≈ $37k | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Highly qualified worker | Needs income of €41k+ a year ≈ $46k | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Graduate job search?
Savings of at least EUR 600 a month (≈ $670). 100% of the monthly IPREM for the graduate (2026 IPREM EUR600 (≈ $670)), or 50% where accommodation is paid in advance; 75% for the first relative and 50% for each further one.
How long can I stay on the Graduate job search?
The authorization lasts 24 months and cannot be extended.
How long does the Graduate job search take to process?
The decision takes 20 days; silence means approval.
Can I work on the Graduate job search?
No. Work is not permitted during the validity of this authorization.
Can I bring my family on the Graduate job search?
Family members who accompanied the student may stay but are not authorised to work.
Who can apply for the Graduate job search?
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
More in Spain
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Sheet 20 - Residence authorization to search for employment or start a business project · Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration · checked 2026-10-10
- Ley 14/2013, support for entrepreneurs and their internationalisation: consolidated text (Arts. 61-76, 74 bis-quinquies) · Boletín Oficial del Estado · checked 2026-10-10
- Monthly and annual values of SMI and IPREM 2026 · Public Employment Service (SEPE) · checked 2026-10-10
- Real Decreto 1155/2024, Regulation of Ley Orgánica 4/2000: consolidated text (in force 20 May 2025) · Boletín Oficial del Estado · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.