Can an international student earn extra money while studying in Spain?

Many international students might have the same question after calculating the living expenses in Spain. Some of them ask because they want to develop a professional career in Spain or want to gain experience for their future choices.

Fortunately, the answer is yes! You can earn extra money while studying in Spain. There are many ways to do this.

1. Paid internships:

2. By performing well at your school: being a paid TA/student ambassador, being involved in a funded research project, or winning a competition:

3. By being a tutor/babysitter/au-pair: 

4. Online earning opportunities: 

1. Paid internships:

• As a foreign student, you can do internships with companies if you are an EU/EEA student or you hold a student visa. 
• Spanish companies like to recruit young professionals at a more economical cost. Having an intern is of course the best choice because companies are not required to pay the minimum wage.
• Since you are studying, the company usually requires you to sign an internship agreement with you and with the institution where you are studying. You can also check here to gain more insights into the job market in Spain.
• Typically, the internship should not surpass 20h/week, not overlap with classes, and be aligned with your major.
• The best part of it is: If you like the job and the company likes you, you will have a chance to be contracted as a full-time worker. Or you can use this experience to develop your professional career.
• However, there are a lot of unpaid internships. And also beware of unqualified companies that exploit interns.

2. By performing well at your school: being a paid TA/student ambassador, being involved in a funded research project, or winning a competition:

• If you perform well in specific subjects and get recognized by your professors, you might get the chance to become a TA or help with research projects. They could also be paid opportunities.
• In some schools, since student ambassadors are great at guiding and welcoming new students, you might also get paid by being an outstanding student.
• Each year, a lot of companies, and organizations hold competitions and challenges with generous rewards for students to find creative solutions. Although you are an international student, you are usually allowed to participate in these opportunities.

3. By being a tutor/babysitter/au-pair: 

• You can always find Spanish families in need of a tutor or helper to take care of their kids.
• Maybe they want you to teach a certain instrument, course, or language to their kid. If it fits your talents and you have sufficient time to cope with them, you can easily earn extra money.
• If you are a fluent speaker of Spanish and another language, you might find money-making opportunities in some local language academies.

4. Online earning opportunities: 

• There are a lot of online tutoring or freelancing platforms available for you to earn extra money. 
• You can also become an influencer by recording your student life in Spain.

These are only several ideas of how you can earn extra money while studying in Spain. Always remember that your main objective is to study and pass all the courses with good grades. If you come with a student visa, the academic records can be even more important. Because if you want to renew your student visa/NIE/TIE card, you are required to show the course completion/graduation proof and your grades. If you fail a lot of courses, you might not be granted any visa/residence permit renewal. Keep this in mind!

We want to ensure you a safe stay in Spain by offering you our expat health insurance that meets visa/NIE/TIE requirements and understands the health needs of expats. 

Check out one of these blogs if you are curious to know more about this topic:

• Guide to the income tax statement in Spain
• Guide on how to open a business in Spain
• Guide to trademark registration in Spain

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation.