Modification

The modification from study stay status to residence and employed work status is aimed at those who have successfully completed higher education, post-compulsory secondary education, training activities (certificate of technical aptitude or professional qualification and vocational training grade C levels 2 and 3) or specialised healthcare training in Spain and wish to enter the labour market.

This procedure is the necessary step to change your legal status from student to worker, allowing you to reside and carry out a remunerated activity for a company or employer. To apply, it is an essential requirement to have an employment contract signed by the employer that guarantees continuous work activity.

The application must be submitted during the 2 months prior to the expiry date of your study stay authorisation (TIE), or within 3 months following its expiry, provided you can prove the successful completion of the studies that gave rise to your stay in the country.

⚠️ Initial work authorisations, as in this case, are delegated powers in some autonomous communities in Spain. In the case of Catalonia and the Basque Country, the application is handled directly through their respective regional departments, provided that the employment relationship begins and takes place within them. Therefore, you should bear in mind that some aspects of the process differ from the general state regime. Principally, the following may differ:

• The forms

• The payment of fees

• The submission channel

Although the administrative procedure may vary, the substantive requirements you must meet are exactly the same as in any other autonomous community. The regional government is simply responsible for processing part of the application file.