Guide to internship agreement (convenio de prácticas) for expat students in Spain

In the article, we will explain all you need to know about interning in Spain, with a focus on the internship agreement. You can do a part-time internship to gain extra money or experience as long as you have a Student NIE number. One of the necessary documents is medical insurance. Here at Innoinsure, the international office of Adeslas, we want to offer you the best valued medical insurance that fulfills all requirements of a Spanish student visa and NIE/TIE requirements.

 

1. What are the internship types available for expat students?

2. What requirements should be met to sign the internship agreement?

3. Should the students get paid?

4. What does social security contribution mean for the student?

5. Some clarifications on common questions

 

 

1. What are the internship types available for expat students?

 

• Curricular internship: This internship grants you to work for an organization or company. And this experience is part of your study plan, your program, or compulsory for you. Usually, when you finish the internship, you can gain compulsory credits to get your diploma.
• Extracurricular internship: This internship also grants you to work for an organization or company. But this experience is not required by the curriculum of the program you are studying.

 

An internship agreement (Convenio de prácticas) is the only legal way to work in Spain while you are holding a student residence permit. This agreement will be signed by three parties:

 

• The organization or the company
• The university or education center
• The student visa holder

 

 

2. What requirements should be met to sign the internship agreement?

 

• The student should be enrolled in a university or an authorized training center to sign internship agreements with companies.
• The internship activity is related to the student's current studies.
• The student has passed 50% of the credits to obtain the degree.
• In the case of a curricular internship (included in the study plan), the student must be enrolled in the subject linked to it.
• The student does not have any contractual relationship with the company or the organization where the internship is to be carried out.

 

 

3. Should the students get paid?

 

 

Companies are not obliged to pay interns in either of the cases. Financial aid to students during the internship period is optional unless this condition is included in the educational cooperation agreement of the training center.

 

If the internships are paid, companies are obliged to register the student in social security. Both the company and the intern will need to make social security contributions. The following requirements will need to be met to be registered in the corresponding Social Security:

 

• The paid amount of internship must be financed by the company or organization.
• The internships must be linked to university studies or professional training.
• The company or organization must register the interns in Social Security during the entire period that they remain in that company.

 

If you are entitled to Social Security, you can check here and print out an official document showing your social security status.

You can access the service by using a digital certificate, SMS, cl@ve, or username and password.

 

4. What does social security contribution mean for the student?

 

A student who contributes to Security through an "internship agreement" is entitled to retirement, temporary disability benefits due to a work-related accident, or common illness but is NOT entitled to unemployment benefits.

 

 

5. Some clarifications on common questions

 

• The internship does not imply an employment relationship: Even if the intern becomes part of the company once their internship period with the internship agreement has ended, it will not be valid as seniority in the company or as a trial period unless the opposite is clarified in the agreement.
• An internship agreement (Convenio de prácticas) is not an internship contract (Contrato de prácticas): Different from the internship agreement, an internship contract is an employment contract aimed exclusively at graduates.

 

Here at Innoinsure, the international office of Adeslas, we want to offer you the best valued medical insurance that fulfills all requirements of a Spanish student visa and NIE/TIE requirements.

 

If you are interested in knowing more about this topic, check out one of these other blogs:

• Guide to apply for a residence permit for an internship (autorización para residencia de prácticas)
• Guide to a working holiday visa for Spain
• Can an international student earn extra money while studying in Spain?
• Guide to getting a social security number (número de Seguridad social) in Spain

 

 

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 26/07/2023