Residence and work authorisation for internships

For foreign students who, on completing their studies, take up an internship with a host company or entity.

Residence and work for internships

An authorisation created when an EU directive was transposed by Royal Decree-Law 11/2018 of 31 August, to improve the position of foreign students when they finish their studies in Spain. Positive administrative silence applies: with no reply within 30 days of filing, the application is deemed granted.

Advantages

It allows, for example, someone taking a one-year master's degree to move to residence within a short period.

A swift decision thanks to positive administrative silence.
Change from a study stay to a residence authorisation.
The period for applying for Spanish citizenship by residence starts to count.
Direct access to the labour market through a professional internship.
No minimum prior stay in Spain is required.

Requirements and documentation

From the student: official EX-04 application form, completed and signed; full passport in force or a valid travel document; higher-education studies completed in the last two years or in progress; medical insurance without co-payments and sufficient financial means if there is no internship contract; a medical certificate if the stay is shorter than six months; a criminal record certificate from the country of origin or of residence for the last five years, where applicable.
From the company or entity: tax number (NIF) and registered deed of incorporation; a document proving the signatory's legal representation; the signatory's NIF or NIE, or authorisation to verify their identity; a certificate of being up to date with tax and Social Security obligations, or authorisation to check it.

Internship agreement or contract

Internship agreement: description of the programme and its training objectives, duration, conditions and supervision, hours and the relationship between the student and the entity.
Internship contract: signed by both parties, with minimum content equivalent to the agreement and proof of the company's financial and material means, including payment of the salary.

Filing the application

It is filed by the host company or entity online, with a digital certificate, through the General Electronic Register of the Administration; a professional representative authorised by the company may also file it.

Important points

Foreign documents must be translated by a sworn translator into Spanish or into the co-official language.
Public documents from non-EU countries must be legalised or apostilled under the Hague Convention.