When planning to look for a seasonal position in Spain, remember that Spanish is the state language. Those who cannot have a basic conversation in Spanish will encounter very limited job. The friendliest industry for season jobs is tourism.

You will find more information on voluntary jobs or internship abroad

Common Positions for Short-Term Work in Madrid

The availability of short-term positions for expats can vary by the sphere of work. Tourism-related positions are the best place to look for when looking for a short-term and seasonal job, especially during summer holidays or Christmas days.

Campsites

It is very popular for  kids to spend days in adventure and leisure "retirements" / summer camps. Usually they last for 15 days. They sleep over and enjoy groups and team activities. Those camps are lead by young people (and students) who take advantage of the summer holidays to get weekly jobs. 

These kinds of positions will provide you with accommodation and will pay you about 200€ a week.
A couple of places where you can look for similar position are:

• Eurocamp is the market-leader in self-catering holidays to Europe and holiday parks across Europe. Employees must be over 18.
• PGL is a company that organises holidays for children. Also summer camps can be found in UK, France and Spain. They operate from Easter to October and during half terms.
• You can also find a lot of information on BUNAC webpage (British Universities North America Club). BUNAC is a non profit member club which has been offering work abroad programmes suitable for gap years and summer vacations for over 40 years. Programmes include in country support and last up to 18 months. They offer money to cover all expenses, as well as a small salary for the work.

Agricultural Work

Spain's agricultural produce includes grapes, oranges, olives and strawberries. It is a large region with opportunities for fruit picking. If you are interested, you might either try to meet directly the land lord by going from place to place and enquiring to farmers, or use a volunteer organization such as WWOOF – not paid.

Search Engines

Search engines allow you to find a great diversity of job positions regarding your experience and professional field.  The following are the biggest search engines available in Spain.
Most agencies specialize in a particular field. The main recruiting agencies web sites are:

• Infojobs.net - https://www.infojobs.net/
• Infoempleo.com
• Monster - https://www.monster.es/
• Indeed.es
• Trabajando.com

EURES

As part of the EU, job seekers can access the European job mobility portal EURES. This resource provides information about job vacancies from any professional field, as well as information on the living, working conditions, etc.

Networking and Forums

Sometimes getting a job is about knowing the right people. Talk to friends, family, and business contacts to see if they have connections in the area you would like to work. Expat events can also be a great way to find out how other expats found work and see if their company has any openings. Use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln or expat forums.

Newspaper

Several papers have a helpful classified's section announcing job offers from any kind of field. These include:

• El Mundo
• ABC
• El País (https://elpais.com/)
• El Economista
• 20 minutos (free newspaper available daily in train stations and bus stations) - https://www.20minutos.es/

Au Pair

Another way to settle in a country, it is by working as an "au pair". This person is in charge of taking care of the children and lives with a local family (the one that minds the children for).

When working as an au pair, you must receive food and accommodation provided by the family. Moreover, you must also receive a small allowance (weekly pocket money).

Au pairs are not professional nannies and will not be considered as such. Although there are no set conditions to become an au pair in Madrid, female citizens of the EU country members are commonly preferred (in order to avoid visa problems). Experience with children is likely to be demanded, as well as a conversational level of Spanish.

As a live-in Au-Pair will you will earn approx. 80€ - 100€ per week and will have your own room (bathroom can be shared).

You will find more information on Au Pair in "Au Pair" section of the guide for full details.

Working holiday visa

Visa requirements are crucial to your trip planning. This section is intended for reference only. We strongly recommend that you contact the embassy directly for the most up to date info.

All EU nationals have the right to live and find employment in Spain. However, if you intend to stay for a long period of time, you must apply for a residence card (tarjeta de residencia) in the first 30 days of arriving. The card can be obtained from a police headquarters (comisaría de Policia) or Foreigner's Office.
For non-EU citizens, a visa will be required for a stay of more than 3 months. The Spanish Embassy should be contacted for all visa and immigration related enquiries. You will find the address in our Consulate section.

Spain offers the possibility to get a Working Holiday Visa for 12 months to New Zealand and Canadian citizens. They must be between 18 – 30 years old (18-35 for Canadians)

Discount Card

A youth card or student card can offer you a lot of advantages abroad and it recognises your student status. These international cards will give you discounts abroad and are essential for those taking a gap year or going backpacking:

ISE Card (International Student Exchange Card) - An internationally recognized identification card with thousands of discounts in over 80 countries. It is valid for one year from date of issue.
Students of ANY age are eligible, as well as faculty members, children and young adults from 12-25. The price is 25 USD and you can purchase it online.

ISIC (International Student Identity Card) - Issued in over 130 countries, the ISIC card serves as an internationally recognized student card. It is issued for full-time students over the age of 12.
The ISIC card can be purchased online or at a local ISIC issuer. You will need a proof of your student status, an ID document, and a passport sized photo.
To find businesses that give discounts for ISIC card owners see the discounts worldwide.

The ISIC offers two additional cards that offer many of the same benefits and discounts and can be obtained either online or at a local issuing office:

• IYTC (International Youth Travel Card): http://www.isic.nl/en/about-isic/iytc-international-youth-travel-card/ For those who are not a student, but under 26. IYTC has become internationally recognised as an identity card in 50 countries.
• ITIC (International Teacher Identity Card): This card is available for fulltime teachers or professors

What the card offers:

• Valuable discounts on air, travel, bus and ferry transport as well as accommodation (gap year backpacking discounts)
• Access to over 33,000 discounts in over 100 countries
• Reduced admission to museums, galleries and historic sites
• Access to student travel organisations in over 90 countries
• 24 hour emergency, legal and medical help line services
• Basic sickness and accident travel insurance

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