...
Home Community answers Is it possible for someone to get a job while on a...

Is it possible for someone to get a job while on a Spanish student visa with a NIE?

Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi

Question

I will be on Spanish student visa, with NIE, for up to 6 months. I have recently applied for a job and they have said I should be fine to work up to 20 hours with this visa and I just need to apply for a social security number. What do you think? Is it possible?

Answers

These are the answers of some Facebook group members:

🇮🇸

Planning your move to Spain?

Get the free step-by-step roadmap used by 10,000+ expats — covering visas, budget, housing, and the mistakes to avoid.

Start the Moving to Spain Hub →

“Check out this Spainguru article “How to Get Work Permission on a Student Visa in Spain“!”

“I am under student visa and have NIE, but finding companies who are willing to go to la oficina de extranjeria and switch your visa seems impossible! Good luck if the company is willing to go there and help you to be hired.”

“you can work up to 20 hours with a work permit that they must apply for.”

“Your employer needs to apply for work permission on your behalf. It’s not automatic. (In short, its not impossible but unlikely)”

⚖️

Need an immigration lawyer?

Spainguru's vetted lawyers have helped 10,000+ expats with NLV, Digital Nomad, Student, and Golden Visa applications.

See Vetted Lawyers →

“All the above advice is good but honestly it’s Spain – companies are too lazy to do their own job let alone do extra paperwork for hiring students. Unless you’re a highly qualified worker, they seldom do it. Cuenta ajena and propia are good options”

“As people have said above, the paperwork and amount of waiting time are likely dissuasions for employers. If they can find an EU national with fantastic English to do the job (many people have dual passports and then there’s citizens of countries such as The Netherlands, who usually have an almost native English level), then they’re not going to go through all this. Sorry, but that’s the case here.”


Useful links:

📖 Related Reading: For a complete overview of tax residency, income tax brackets, Beckham Law, Modelo 720, and more, see our Taxes for Expats in Spain: The Complete Guide.

Get your free step-by-step Spain move plan

10 emails over 2 weeks covering visas, budget, housing & the mistakes to avoid.
Join 10,000+ expats who used this roadmap.

Start the Free Roadmap →

100% free · No credit card · Unsubscribe anytime

author avatar
Bruno Bianchi CEO & Spain Immigration Expert
Bruno Bianchi is the founder and CEO of Spainguru, Spain's largest expat immigration community with 150,000+ members. Since 2014 he has helped thousands of people relocate to Spain through expert guides, webinars and vetted professional services covering visas, residency, taxes and life in Spain.