Studying in Spain as an American: The Student Route
A 2022 reform let students work 30 hours a week and scrapped the three-year wait before entering the labour market. What the student route actually offers now.
Reviewed September 2026. Americans tend to dismiss the student route as something for twenty-year-olds. It is worth a second look, because a reform that took effect in August 2022 changed the two things that made it impractical: you may now work up to thirty hours a week alongside your studies, and the old requirement to spend three years in Spain before entering the labour market afterwards is gone.
That does not make it the right route for everyone, and it is not a back door. But if you were going to study a language seriously anyway, or you have a postgraduate course in mind, the arithmetic is different from what most guides still describe.
What changed in 2022
Real Decreto 629/2022, in force from 15 August 2022, amended the Reglamento of Organic Law 4/2000.
| Before | After RD 629/2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Working while studying | Heavily restricted | Up to 30 hours a week, employed or self-employed, where compatible with the studies |
| Entering the labour market after studying | Required three years of stay in Spain first | That requirement removed |
Read the condition rather than the number. Thirty hours is a ceiling, not an entitlement, and the activity has to be compatible with carrying out the studies. The authorisation exists for the studying; the work is permitted alongside it, not instead of it.
How it differs from the other routes
| Student | Non-lucrative | Teleworking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May you work? | Yes, up to 30 hours, compatible with studies | No | Yes, remotely for non-Spanish employers |
| What anchors it | Acceptance at an authorised institution | Income that is not work income | A genuine pre-existing foreign employer or client base |
| Duration | Tied to the course | Renewable residence | Renewable residence |
| Ends when | The course ends, unless you change status | You stop meeting the conditions | You stop meeting the conditions |
That last row is the honest catch. A course ends. Planning a life around this route means knowing, before you start, what you intend to change status to afterwards, and confirming that path with someone qualified rather than assuming it will be available.
The card, once you are in Spain
A student holding a stay authorisation of more than six months applies for the foreign student card. The mechanics are the same as the ordinary residence card:
- Form EX-17, the same form as the TIE.
- Tasa modelo 790, código 012.
- Presented at any Oficina de Extranjeros or Comisaría de Policía where you have your address.
- The card carries the same period of validity as the authorisation behind it, so it expires when the course does.
Courses of six months or less do not lead to this card, which is a distinction worth checking before booking a programme. The arrival sequence is otherwise the one set out in your first 30 days.
What to settle before choosing this route
- Is the institution authorised, and is the programme the right length? Both matter, and a course under six months changes what you get.
- Is the work right useful to you in practice? Thirty hours compatible with full-time study is less time than it sounds, and it is not a substitute for the income tests on other routes.
- What happens when the course ends? Decide the intended next status before you start, not in the final month.
- Does the tax position change? Studying in Spain does not suspend US filing obligations. See US taxes after moving to Spain.
- Does anyone in the household hold EU citizenship? If so, the family route is lighter than this one.
Where this goes wrong
- Treating it as an immigration shortcut. The authorisation is for studying. Enrolling without intending to study is not a plan, it is a misrepresentation.
- Booking a course under six months and expecting the student card.
- Assuming thirty hours funds the move. It is a ceiling, conditional on compatibility with the course.
- Leaving the change of status to the last month. The course end date is known from day one.
- Using pre-2022 guidance. A great deal of what is written about Spanish student visas predates the reform and describes restrictions that no longer apply.
What the reform says, and where it says it
Consulted 29 September 2026. The visa application itself is governed by your consulate’s checklist, which these pages do not replace.
- Real Decreto 629/2022: the thirty-hour work right, the compatibility condition, and the removal of the three-year requirement for entering the labour market after studies.
- Ministerio de Inclusión — access to employment for student stay holders: the official information sheet for this situation.
- Policía Nacional — foreign student card: the six-month threshold, form EX-17, the tasa 790/012 and the card’s validity period.
Changing status when a course ends is a question for someone qualified to answer it about your circumstances. This page sets out what the regulation says and goes no further.
Compare it against the other options in which visa route fits your move, and find the office that governs your file in the consulate finder by state.
Common questions
Can I work on a student visa in Spain?
Yes. Since Real Decreto 629/2022 took effect in August 2022, holders of a student stay authorisation may work employed or self-employed for up to 30 hours a week, provided the activity is compatible with carrying out the studies.
How many hours can a student work in Spain?
Up to 30 hours a week. It is a ceiling conditional on compatibility with the course, not a guaranteed entitlement.
Do I have to wait three years to work in Spain after studying?
No. Real Decreto 629/2022 removed the previous requirement of three years of stay in Spain before entering the labour market after completing studies.
Does a language course qualify for a Spanish student visa?
The student card applies where the stay authorisation is for more than six months, so programme length matters. Check that the institution is authorised and confirm the requirements with your consulate.
Which form is the Spanish student card?
Form EX-17, the same form as the TIE, with the tasa modelo 790 codigo 012, presented at an Oficina de Extranjeros or Comisaria de Policia where you live.
How long does the student card last?
It carries the same period of validity as the authorisation that justifies its issue, so it expires when the course does.
Official sources
Sources recorded for this page. Check the linked authority for current requirements; review dates are shown for each source.