Everything about Spanish Working Holiday Visa
The Working Holiday Visa is born from the Youth Mobility Program, an agreement that Spain has with several countries. This visa allows its holder to enter, live, study and work (with certain conditions for the latter two) in Spain for a maximum period of one year (Canadian citizens can repeat the program once).
What countries participate in this program?
Los ciudadanos de los siguientes países pueden solicitar una Working Holiday Visa:
- Republic of Korea
- Japan
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
What are the requisites?
You must:
- be a citizen -and a resident!- of any country listed above.
- between 18 and 30 years old (inclusive) [18 – 35 for Canadians]
- have a passport from your country of citizenship that’s valid for at least your stay in Spain
- have a return ticket, or have sufficient funds to purchase one
- be in good health and have a doctor’s certificate attesting to it
- possess sufficient funds to maintain yourself during your stay (I’ll explain this later)
- hold a comprehensive travel insurance to cover medical and hospital charges, including associated repatriation costs.
- provide a national police clearance certificate from your country or any other country where you have lived for the last 5 years.
Extra requirements for Australian citizens:
- Posses a functional level of Spanish
- Have completed at least 2 years of higher education
Important! When applying for your visa, you must state that you are coming to Spain for tourism, with work being a secondary intention for your visit.
What is considered sufficient funds and how can I prove I have them?
This amount is susceptible to change, but currently, the applicant is asked to have 535 euros per month of stay. Acceptable evidence of sufficient funds can be demonstrated in the form of bank statements, traveler’s cheques, or recognized credit cards with sufficient credit available (up-to-date statements).
How do I apply for a Working Holiday Visa?
If you meet the requirements, then you can start your application. The process may vary a little depending on your country, but this is how it´s normally done:
- Apply for a Foreigner Identity Number (NIE) at the competent consular office. You will need it for the next step.
- Fill out this form and submit it with a valid passport, your NIE, a return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase it, documentation such as a medical insurance card, a driver’s license, etc., which shows your residency in your country of origin, proof of economic means, medical travel insurance Confirmation of Coverage (coverage must be at least 30,000€) and a motivation letter.
These two steps must be done in your country. Once you arrive to Spain, if you are going to stay for longer than 6 months you should apply for a TIE in the competent office for foreigners within 30 days of arriving. TIE is essentially a card that contains all your identity details in Spain and is proof that you are a Spanish resident. You will need to show your TIE everywhere as proof of your identity in Spain.
You will find more information here and here. Yes, these links are meant for Canadians and Australians respectively, but anybody can use most of the information provided.