Guide to a working holiday visa for Spain

A working holiday visa, also known as a youth mobility program, is a program designed for young people to work and travel for a determined period in a country that their home country has an agreement with. The working holiday visa can be valid for up to one year and the expats holding this visa should return to their home country when the duration ends.

1. Who is eligible for a working visa in Spain?

2. What documents do I need to apply for the visa?

3. Advice from Adeslas

1. Who is eligible for a working visa in Spain?

• Country requirement: Citizens in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, and South Korea. These countries have working visa agreements with Spain.
• Age requirement: Normally young people from 18 to 30 can apply for it. But the agreement between Spain and Canada permits nationals from 18 to 35 years old to apply for the visa.
• Specific occasions (example from the embassy of Australia)
  • a) Young citizens in possession of a post-secondary diploma wishing to obtain additional training in Spain through a pre-arranged contract of employment.
  • b) Registered students of a Canadian post-secondary institution wishing to complete part of their academic training through a pre-arranged internship in a Spanish institution, including under inter-institution agreements.
  • c) Young citizens wishing to obtain additional training in the other country under a pre-arranged contract of employment in order to contribute to their professional development.
  • d) Registered students of a post-secondary institution in their home country who plan to travel to Spain during academic vacations and who wish to work on a casual basis in order to increase their financial resources;
  • e) Young citizens who plan to travel to Spain and who wish to work on a casual basis to increase their financial resources or to do volunteer work (Working Holiday)
• Quota: There is a quota of the working visas issued each year. For example, an agreement between Spain and Canadian specifies that up to 1000 Canadians can travel to Spain using this visa, and vice versa.

2. What documents do I need to apply for the visa?

You need to take the originals and copies of the following documents:

• Print-out of your visa appointment
• Visa application form, filled in and sighed
• One color photo that fulfills the requirements here
• A valid passport with a minimum validity of one year
• ID card or residence permit of your country of origin
• A return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase it
• Proof of sufficient economic means for the first three months in Spain (about 3 times the IPREM):
  • If the applicant receives a contract of employment in Spain, the contract should show that the salary for the first three months is more than 3 times the IPREM.
  • Sufficient funds through bank statements issued within the previous two months to show the income
  • Any certification of funding, scholarship, or grant
  • If the parents are financially responsible for the applicants, they shall submit a letter legalized by a notary public, signed by them in which they state their consent, a copy of the parent’s bank statements for the previous two months, and a photocopy of their passports.
• Medical travel insurance: If you don’t have a pre-arranged contract of employment, you should opt for Spanish medical insurance for your whole stay in Spain. Our expat insurance is the No.1 Spanish medical insurance that fulfills the requirements for visa and residence permit applications.
• Visa fee: You should check the visa application fee accordingly in your local consulate.
• If the duration of the stay is over 6 months, police checks should be issued by the local police office and police offices of the countries where you have resided in the last 5 years.
• If the duration of stay is over 6 months, a medical certificate is issued by a certified hospital or any entity specified by the local consulate.
• Furthermore, according to your situation (specified above), you need to submit the following documents:
  • Category B beneficiaries:
    • proof of registration in a post-secondary institution in Canada
    • proof of acceptance by a Spanish institution to complete their academic training, within the framework of an inter-institutional agreement
  • Categories a and c beneficiaries:
    • a pre-arranged contract of employment, valid up to the authorized stay
    • company’s NIF (Tax Identification Number), and a document stating that the hiring company is registered with the Spanish Social Security System
    • relevant qualifications and credentials proving that the applicant has the capacity required for the exercise of the duly recognized profession
  • Categories d and e beneficiaries:
    • an offer of casual employment, if available when applying for the visa
    • company’s NIF (Tax Identification Number), and a document stating that the hiring company is registered with the Spanish Social Security System if an offer of casual employment is available when applying for the visa
    • Relevant qualifications or credentials proving that they have the capacity required for the exercise of the duly recognized profession if an offer of casual employment is available when applying for the visa
  • Category e beneficiaries (for people who apply based on volunteer work):
    • Letter of acceptance from the institution where volunteer services shall be performed.
• Pay the consular fee for this application
• NIE number application: In some consulates, you need to submit an NIE number application to get the number. Check with the local consulate if you need to make this individual application: Fill in the EX15 form and write: “En virtud de Acuerdo de Movilidad de Jovenes entre España y (the Spanish name of your country of origin) ”(box 4.2-especificar)

3. Advice from Adeslas

A working holiday to Spain would be an amazing opportunity, exclusive only for young people in several countries. This temporary period will let you experience a different culture and a different way of living.

Spain is an attractive spot and has a land of opportunities for young people. Let us care for your health with our medical insurance (also known as health insurance, visa insurance, NIE/TIE insurance, and expat insurance), while you start the exciting journey!

Do you qualify for a working holiday Visa? If this visa isn´t for you, maybe see if one of these visas better fits your needs:

• Digital Nomad Visa
• Golden Visa
• Non-lucrative Visa
• Family reunification visa
• Spanish student visa

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 19/06/2023