From student visa to work permit for €450, fully online.
You finished your studies, you have a job offer and you don't want to leave Spain to start. The modification turns your student stay into residence and work, if you qualify.
From student visa to work permit for €450, fully online.
From student visa to work permit: Modification from a student stay to residence and employed work (art. 190 of the Immigration Regulation). Anyone who has obtained the qualification from their studies in Spain and holds a job offer or contract. Booka's fee is €450, plus the official fee of 10,94 €. Applied for from within Spain.
The modification from student stay to residence and employed work (art. 190 of the Immigration Regulation) lets graduates of Spanish studies switch to working without leaving the country or requesting a new visa. It is driven by the student with a job offer or contract, while the employer contributes its own documentation.
Its most cited advantage: once the application is admitted for processing, it grants a provisional authorisation to live and work full-time while the case is decided (art. 190.7).
Updated on · Rule: RD 1155/2024 · Source: boe.es
From student visa to work permit: The facts that decide your case.
- What it is
- Modification from a student stay to residence and employed work (art. 190 of the Immigration Regulation).
- Who can apply
- Anyone who has obtained the qualification from their studies in Spain and holds a job offer or contract.The old requirement of 3 prior years as a student disappeared with the current regulation.
- Where you apply
- From within Spain, with no visa and without leaving the country.
- Official form
- EX-03.
- Can you work?
- Yes: admission for processing grants a provisional full-time residence and work authorisation (art. 190.7).It follows admission for processing, not the mere act of filing.
- Who else is involved
- The company, which provides the contract, a job description report and its solvency documentation; and your institution, which issues the completion certificate.
- Length of the permit
- That of a standard residence and work permit, renewable afterwards.
- Government fee
- Official fees are paid separately and itemised in your case file.The 790-012 TIE fee comes at the end, once the permit is granted.
From student visa to work permit: Who it is for — and who it is not.
This is your procedure if…
- You have finished your studies in Spain and hold the completion certificate or the degree.
- You have an offer or contract from a company willing to provide its documentation.
- Your student TIE is still valid, or you are within the window after finishing your studies.
- You want to start working without leaving Spain or applying for a new visa.
This is not your procedure if…
- You have not finished your studies yet: with no qualification obtained there is no modification to file.
- You have no offer or contract: this route is built on the job.
- Your student stay is ongoing and what you want is to keep studying.
- You have never held a student stay in Spain: this modification starts from that prior status.
Is this really your procedure?
If you are torn between routes, answer them before hiring anything. Twelve questions, three minutes, and we tell you which ones fit your case, what you are missing for each, and what puts it at risk. It comes off the price if you then hire the full service.
From student visa to work permit if you come from Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Argentina or Cuba
The change from student status to residence and work is filed in Spain, not at your country's consulate. What still depends on your origin is the criminal record certificate if the Immigration Office asks for an updated one: it is obtained remotely from the body in the table and apostilled, or legalised at MINREX if you are Cuban.
| Country | Apostille or legalisation | Consulate of Spain | Criminal record certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | Colombia apostilles online at the Cancillería (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Colombian degrees are first legalised, free and online, at the Ministry of National Education. | Consulate General of Spain in Bogotá | Colombia's certificate of judicial records (antecedentes judiciales) is issued by the National Police and apostilled online by the Cancillería as a digital document. |
| Venezuela | Venezuela apostilles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MPPRE), by appointment, with an electronic apostille for many documents. Venezuelan degrees first go through the Ministry of University Education. | Consulate General of Spain in Caracas | Venezuela's criminal record certificate is issued online by the Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace, valid for 3 months, and apostilled by the MPPRE. |
| Argentina | Argentina apostilles at the Foreign Ministry (TAD platform, digitally signed documents) or at any Colegio de Escribanos (notaries). Argentine degrees are first legalised at the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Health. | Consulates General of Spain in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario and Bahía Blanca, depending on the province | Argentina's criminal record certificate is issued online by the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia, valid for 90 days, and apostilled via TAD or at a Colegio de Escribanos. |
| Mexico | Mexico has a dual apostille system: federal documents are apostilled by the Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB) and state documents by each state's Secretaría General de Gobierno. Mexican consulates do not apostille. | Consulates General of Spain in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, depending on the state | Mexico issues the federal criminal record certificate (SSPC, online, with SEGOB electronic apostille) and the state certificate of no criminal record; check with the Spanish consulate which one it requires. |
| Peru | Peru apostilles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, online or in person in Lima. Peruvian degrees must be registered with SUNEDU before the apostille. | Consulate General of Spain in Lima | Peru's criminal record certificate is issued electronically by the Judiciary (Poder Judicial), valid for 90 days, and apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
| Cuba | Cuba is not party to the Hague Convention, so there is no Cuban apostille: Cuban documents are legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) and, when the Spanish authority requires it, at the Consulate General of Spain in Havana. | Consulate General of Spain in Havana | Cuba's criminal record certification is issued by the Ministry of Justice and legalised by MINREX; it is the slowest document in a Cuban file, so it is requested first. |
| Ecuador | Ecuador apostilles online at the Cancillería, with no appointment, and the apostille arrives by email. An Ecuadorian degree must be registered with SENESCYT before it is apostilled. | Consulates General of Spain in Quito and Guayaquil | Ecuador's criminal record certificate is issued online and free by the Ministry of the Interior, valid for 90 days, and apostilled online by the Cancillería. |
| Chile | Chile's apostille is decentralised: the Civil Registry apostilles its certificates online, higher-education degrees are legalised and apostilled at Ayuda Mineduc and all other documents at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | Consulate General of Spain in Santiago de Chile | Chile's certificate of criminal record for private purposes is issued by the Civil Registry with ClaveÚnica and apostilled online in the same request. |
Common to all eight countries
- Nationals of Ibero-American countries can apply for Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal residence (article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code), instead of the general 10 years.
- Criminal record and civil certificates are usually required to be less than 3 months old when filed, and every document not in Spanish needs a sworn translation (traducción jurada) in addition to the apostille or legalisation.
Consular pages at exteriores.gob.es and the Hague Conference status table, checked 4 October 2026.
From student visa to work permit: What you have to prove.
Having obtained the qualification from your studies
Having studied is not enough: the file rests on the completion certificate or the degree. That document comes from your institution and usually takes longer than students expect, especially when the official degree is still being issued. It is requested on day one, because nothing is filed without it.
Requirement 1 of 6A contract or offer meeting general-regime conditions
The job must respect the applicable collective agreement and offer conditions consistent with the role. The company also provides a job description report: that is where the fit between your studies and the post is explained, and it is the part of the file most often improvised — and it shows.
Requirement 2 of 6Proven solvency of the company
Tax ID, incorporation deed, proof of legal representation, the company's employment history report, corporate tax and clearance certificates from the tax authority and Social Security. This is what stalls most often when the employer has not been briefed, which is why we ask early and with the exact list of what is theirs.
Requirement 3 of 6Filing within the available window
The 2026 reform extended the period to apply after finishing your studies, but it is still a window. The first thing we check is your TIE expiry date and your completion date: the whole file is organised against those two dates.
Requirement 4 of 6Personal documents in order
Form EX-03, a complete and valid passport, your student TIE and the historical padrón certificate. A passport close to expiry does not prevent filing, but it complicates the later TIE card, so it is checked when the case is opened.
Requirement 5 of 6Specific accreditations where they apply
If the role belongs to a regulated profession, professional qualification has to be evidenced. And anyone who came on a scholarship may need the AECID certificate or a sworn statement of not having been funded by their home country: it does not apply to everyone, but when it applies and is missing, the file stops.
Requirement 6 of 6Does your case fit?
Tick what applies to you. Nothing is sent and we ask for no personal data: the result is only for you.
This is guidance, not a decision: approval depends on the administration and on the complete file.
From student visa to work permit: the documents you need.
This is the checklist. If one is missing, the file is not submitted — and that is precisely what keeps it from being returned.
Solicitante· 8
Empresa· 8
Official source: information sheet 58, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, and article 190 of RD 1155/2024. boe.es
From student visa to work permit: Who prepares and who files your case.
Two teams, one file. Booka prepares and checks your documents; Booka Legal (our in-house legal team, supported by external lawyers) reviews the case and files it as your representative.
- Booka prepares
- We ask for your documents, tell you what is missing or will not be accepted, and build the file in your online case file. 100 % online.
- Booka Legal files
- Booka Legal reviews the complete file and files it as your representative on the Mercurio platform of the Public Administrations e-office, with its digital certificate. You need no certificate or Cl@ve.
- If there is a request or a refusal
- Booka Legal can answer a request for more documents or appeal a refusal. The appeal is included in the price. No firm can guarantee the outcome: the administration decides.
- Price
- A fixed fee of €450, published on this page. Official government fees are paid separately to the administration.
- Follow-up
- Notices from the Immigration Office arrive through DEHú (also visible in Carpeta Ciudadana) and you see them in your case file.
€450, and you know it before you commit.
Document review, case preparation, filing and follow-up until the decision.
Fee 790-052, heading 2.5.1: €10.94 (Order PJC/617/2025, in force as of September 2026). For an employed-work permit the employer also pays fee 790-062: €203.84 or €407.71 depending on salary.
on signing, to open your case and start reviewing your documents.
when we file your application with the administration.
No interest, no surcharge: it is the same price, split. You request it from your case file and someone from the team confirms it within 24 working hours.
There is no paid consultation to find out the price, and no custom quote. This is the price, and it is published.
Almost nobody publishes the price.
Of the digital immigration firms we reviewed in September 2026, only one publishes a price and lets you hire online. The rest ask you to call, or to pay for a consultation before telling you what the procedure costs.
Fixed price, published before you commit. Official fees are separate in both cases.
From student visa to work permit: Booka, a gestoría, a lawyer or on your own
The same application can go four ways. What changes is the price, whether you have to go in person and who checks the file before it reaches the administration.
Booka
- Price
- €450 in fees
- Online?
- Yes, end to end, without travelling to file
- Who reviews the file
- Booka's team, then Booka Legal, before filing
- Official fee included
- No, paid apart (10,94 €)
Traditional gestoría
- Price
- Variable quote, depends on the firm
- Online?
- Depends on the firm; often requires an in-person appointment
- Who reviews the file
- The gestor handling the case
- Official fee included
- Depends on the quote
Immigration lawyer
- Price
- Variable quote, depends on the firm
- Online?
- Depends on the firm; often requires an in-person appointment
- Who reviews the file
- The lawyer
- Official fee included
- Depends on the quote
On your own
- Price
- Only the official fee: 10,94 €
- Online?
- Depends on the procedure: online portal or in person
- Who reviews the file
- Nobody: you check it yourself
- Official fee included
- You pay it directly
Fully online, and you always know where it stands.
No office to visit, no phone calls and no waiting for someone to tell you where your case is: you can see it yourself, whenever you want.
From wherever you are
You open your case and upload documents from your phone, with no office visits. This procedure is filed from within Spain, and the rest of the process happens from home.
Stage by stage, nothing missed
You see which stage your case is in, which document is missing and which one is already reviewed. Every change is logged with its date, so you never depend on a callback to know how it is going.
Your questions, with the people handling your case
You ask from inside your own case file and the immigration team handling it answers — not a WhatsApp number that can stop replying. Every action is written down, with a name on it.
Nothing is filed half-done
The file is not submitted until it is complete: that is what keeps it from being returned, and what saves the most months. Once filed, the official receipt appears inside your account.
- Professionals on Booka
- 107,000+
- App rating
- 4.8 / 5
- Support
- 24/7
Admission for processing grants a provisional full-time residence and work authorisation (art. 190.7).
From student visa to work permit: 5 stages, and you see which one you are in.
Document collection
You upload your documents to the portal. We tell you what is missing and what will not be accepted before any clock starts.
Stage 1 of 5Internal review
The team reviews the complete file before filing. This is the step that prevents it from being returned.
Stage 2 of 5Official fees
Government fees are paid directly to the administration, with the receipt stored in your case file.
Stage 3 of 5Filing
Booka Legal, as your representative, files the application on the Mercurio platform of the Public Administrations e-office, with a digital certificate. You need no certificate or Cl@ve. You see the date and the receipt in your case file.
Stage 4 of 5Decision
The Immigration Office decides and notifies through DEHú (also visible in Carpeta Ciudadana). The next steps towards the TIE card are explained in your case file.
Stage 5 of 5From student visa to work permit: How long it really takes.
| Step | How long |
|---|---|
| Study completion certificate | Set by your institutionUsually the slowest document in the file: requested on day one. |
| Company documentation | 1 to 3 weeksWe ask the company for exactly what is theirs, as a closed list, so there is no second round. |
| Review and case preparation | A few daysThe file is not submitted until it is complete. |
| Filing | Subject to appointment availabilityOfficially registered, with the receipt visible in your case file. |
| Admission for processing | Decided by the administrationFrom admission onwards, provisional full-time residence and work authorisation (art. 190.7). |
| Decision and TIE card | Legal period of 3 months to decideThat is the legal period, not a forecast. The TIE comes afterwards, with its appointment and the 790-012 fee. |
The administration's timelines are nobody else's to promise, and pretending otherwise would be a lie. What is in our hands is everything before: the certificate from your institution, the company's paperwork, and filing complete before your student card expires.
From student visa to work permit: What gets files returned — and how we stop it.
Filing without the qualification obtained
What it costs you
The file cannot stand: the requirement is having finished, not finishing. It ends in a refusal and has to be rebuilt once the institution issues the certificate.
Letting the window after graduation pass
What it costs you
The period to modify is limited. Outside it the route changes entirely and usually means leaving the country or finding another permit, with the job offer waiting.
The employer provides half of its documentation
What it costs you
Without proven solvency a correction request follows and the file stalls for months — contract signed, and unable to start the job.
A generic or copied job description report
What it costs you
That document is what explains the fit between your qualification and the role. One that does not explain it invites a correction request and stretches the procedure exactly when your student card is close to expiring.
Assuming the provisional authorisation starts at filing
What it costs you
The art. 190.7 work right follows admission for processing, not registration of the application. Starting the job before that admission exposes both worker and company.
Foreign documents without sworn translation or apostille
What it costs you
They count as not submitted. It is the most common correction request and the most avoidable, since it is fixed before any clock starts.
From student visa to work permit: the questions we get most.
Where can I switch from a student permit to a work permit in Spain?
Online, on the Mercurio platform of the Public Administrations e-office, with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, choosing your province; notices arrive through DEHú. Without a digital certificate, a representative can file it: a lawyer or a gestoría, at a price quoted by each firm, or Booka for a €450 service fee; Booka Legal, our legal team, reviews and files the case. Government fees are paid separately.
When can I switch from student to work status in Spain?
Once you have obtained the qualification from your studies and hold an offer or contract. The old 3-year prior study requirement disappeared with the current regulation, and the 2026 reform extended the window to apply after finishing.
Do I need to have finished my studies?
Yes: the file requires your completion certificate or degree. If you have not finished yet, we tell you before opening anything — and check whether another route fits, such as the student stay or a renewal.
What kind of contract do I need?
An offer or contract meeting the general regime's conditions, plus the employer's solvency documentation. We ask the company for exactly what is theirs to provide; the case itself runs through your file.
Can I keep working while it is decided?
Admission for processing grants a provisional full-time residence and work authorisation (art. 190.7). It depends on that admission — it is not automatic upon filing.
Do I have to leave Spain to make the switch?
No. The art. 190 modification exists precisely so you do not: it is filed from Spain and needs no new visa. That is its main difference from an initial employed-work permit, which runs through a consular visa.
Does the national employment situation rule apply here?
This modification has its own rules and does not behave like an ordinary initial hire. Before opening the file we review the specific occupation in your offer and confirm which conditions apply to your case, rather than assuming.
Is a part-time contract enough?
What matters is that the contract meets general-regime conditions and the collective agreement for that role. Before the company signs, it is worth us reviewing hours and pay: fixing it on paper is free, fixing it after a correction request costs months.
What if my degree has not been issued yet?
The completion certificate issued by your institution is usually enough while the official degree is being produced, but it depends on how each university words it. It is the first thing we check: if your institution is slow, you need to know before counting on a filing date.
Can I start the file before I graduate?
You can gather the company's documentation and your own while you wait for the certificate, which is the slowest part. What cannot happen is filing without the qualification obtained: the file goes out when it is complete, not before.
What does the employer actually have to do?
Provide the offer or contract, a job description report and its solvency documentation: tax ID, incorporation deed, proof of legal representation, corporate tax, employment history report and clearance certificates. We ask for exactly that list, once.
Can I pay in two instalments?
Yes, with no interest or surcharge: the total is identical either way. The first half opens your case and starts the document review; the second is paid when we file your application — if we have not filed, you do not pay it. You request it from your case file and someone from the team confirms it within 24 working hours.
Are official government fees included?
No: Booka's fee covers review, preparation, filing and follow-up. Government fees are paid directly to the administration, and we tell you which ones apply and when inside your case file.
How do I know this is not a scam?
Three things you can check: the price is published before you pay, payment is online with an invoice, and the second half is only charged once your application has been filed, with the official registry receipt visible in your case file. No informal intermediary gives you those three proofs.
From student visa to work permit as a doctor or nurse: your degree too.
The permit is one thing; practising is another. A foreign doctor, nurse or dentist also needs the degree recognised (homologación) and professional registration. Bookahospi, Booka's healthcare vertical, handles the recognition before the Ministry and wrote a step-by-step guide to this procedure for healthcare professionals.
The modification leaves you with a residence and work permit. Before it expires you renew, and the renewal grants a 4-year card. From then on the time counts as legal residence, which is what can later open the door to citizenship.
Residence and work permit renewalRelated procedures
All Spanish immigration procedures
Start today, from your phone.
Create your account, upload your documents and follow the case. No office visits, no phone calls.
Booka's fees cover the professional handling of your application only and do not include official government fees, which are paid separately to the relevant authority. Approval of any permit rests solely with the competent administration and depends on the applicant meeting all legal requirements. The information on this page is for guidance only, may change as regulations evolve, and does not constitute individual legal advice.