One name, two very different visas

Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025, kept a single permit name — estancia por estudios — but split the rights underneath it sharply by what you study. The law distinguishes estudios superiores (higher education, Article 52.1.a) from non-superior studies (Article 52.1.e), which includes Spanish language courses. The two now carry materially different rights.

This is the single most important thing to understand before applying, because the benefits people most associate with the "new student visa" — the 30-hour work right, the easy switch to a work permit, the post-study job-search year — belong almost entirely to the higher-education track. If you are coming to study Spanish, they do not apply to you.

Most readers of this site
Language-school student (Art. 52.1.e)
Work rightsNo automatic right; separate permit needed
RenewalsOne (2 years total)
Renewal proofDELE / SIELE required
Switch to work permitNot available
Post-study job searchNot available
Different rules
Higher-education student (Art. 52.1.a)
Work rightsUp to 30h/week, automatic
RenewalsMatches programme length
Renewal proofAcademic progress only
Switch to work permitYes, via Article 190
Post-study job searchUp to 24 months

Which category are you in?

The split is by the type of studies, not the school's prestige or how many hours you study. Use this to place yourself:

Non-superior studies (the language-school track)

Spanish language courses at an Instituto Cervantes-accredited academy or an official state language school (EOI) — the typical 20-hours-a-week intensive course
Bachillerato (Spanish secondary school)
Intermediate vocational training (FP de Grado Medio)
Other non-regulated training and preparatory or mobility programmes

Estudios superiores (the higher-education track)

University degrees — bachelor's (grado), master's, and doctoral programmes
Higher vocational training (FP de Grado Superior)
Official higher artistic, sports, and religious studies recognised within the Spanish education system
A common path

Many students do a language year first, then enrol in a university master's or degree. The moment you move into a higher-education programme, you move onto the higher-education track and gain its rights. A language year is a legitimate, popular on-ramp to studying in Spain — just understand that the bigger rights arrive when you step up to superior studies, not during the language year itself.

Work rights: the most misunderstood part

This is where most websites get it wrong, so it is worth being precise. RD 1155/2024 introduced the headline right to work up to 30 hours per week without a separate work permit — but only for higher-education students. For them, the right is automatic and tied to the study authorisation.

Language-school students do not get this. Their authorisation does not, by itself, allow work. If a language student wants to work, they must apply separately for a work authorisation, which is a distinct process with its own requirements and is not guaranteed. Treat the language visa as a study visa, not a work visa.

⚠️
Be sceptical of "work 30 hours on a student visa" claims. A lot of agency content states the 30-hour right as if it applies to everyone. It does not. If you are coming to study Spanish, do not budget on being able to work legally — plan to support yourself with savings or remote income, and read our can I work guide for the detail.

How long you can stay

Length of stay also splits by track. For language-school students, the reform introduced a firm one-renewal cap: an initial authorisation plus a single renewal, for a maximum total of two years. Renewing requires a DELE or SIELE exam result, not just continued enrolment. After two years, a language student must leave Spain or move onto a different visa category.

Higher-education students are not subject to the one-renewal cap. Their authorisation can be renewed to match the length of their programme, and academic progress — rather than a language exam — is the renewal test. Full detail is in our renewal guide.

After your studies: who gets to stay

This is the other big divergence. Higher-education graduates have two routes to remain in Spain that language students do not:

Modification to a work permit (Article 190). Higher-education graduates can switch their student authorisation directly into a residence-and-work permit once they finish, without leaving Spain — a major simplification from the old three-year rule
Post-study job-search authorisation (up to 24 months). Under Disposición Adicional 17 of Law 14/2013, higher-education graduates can stay up to two years to look for work or launch a business

Neither is available to language-school students. A language student who wants to build a long-term, work-authorised life in Spain generally needs to either progress into a higher-education programme before their two years run out, or qualify for a separate visa such as the digital nomad or non-lucrative visa.

Why we spell this out (when others don't)

The reform is recent and genuinely confusing, and a lot of student-visa marketing quietly conflates the two tracks because the higher-education benefits sound better. We would rather you applied with accurate expectations. If you arrive thinking you can work 30 hours a week and convert to a work permit, and you are on a language visa, you will be caught out. Knowing the real rules up front lets you choose the right path — and, if your goal really is long-term work residence, plan for the university route from the start.

Is the language-school visa still worth it?

For the right goal, absolutely. A language-school student visa lets you live legally in Spain for up to two years, reach a genuine working level of Spanish through intensive study, and build a life and network there — all on a straightforward application that does not require a university place or prior degree. It remains the most accessible way into long-stay life in Spain for most non-EU nationals.

The honest framing is simply this: it is a study-and-immersion visa, not a work or settlement visa. Go in for the experience and the language, support yourself accordingly, and treat any later work or long-stay plans as a separate step (often the university track). On that basis it is an excellent option, and we will help you find an accredited school and save €500 on the course.

Ready to choose a language school? Enrol through us at any Instituto Cervantes-accredited partner school and we negotiate a €500 discount on your course fees.
Get €500 off →
Legal basis
Article 52, Reglamento de Extranjería (RD 1155/2024): estancia por estudios — distinction between superior studies (52.1.a) and non-superior studies (52.1.e)
RD 1155/2024 work provisions: automatic right to work up to 30h/week for higher-education students
Article 190, RD 1155/2024: modification of student authorisation to a residence-and-work permit for higher-education graduates
Disposición Adicional 17, Law 14/2013: post-study job-search authorisation of up to 24 months
Instructions SEM 3/2025: transitional provisions, including the single-renewal rule for language students

This page explains how the reform treats the two study categories differently and is not legal advice. Administrative practice can vary by Oficina de Extranjería and consulate, and the rules around changing study type are still settling. For your specific case, especially if you plan to move between categories, consult a qualified extranjería lawyer.