Many Australians come to Spain on the work and holiday visa, and others settle to retire, work remotely or study. Visa-free entry makes scouting trips easy, but living here requires a residence visa applied for in person at the consulate. Here are the usual routes and how to prepare Australian documents.
Key facts
- Entry: Australian passport holders can stay in the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This does not allow work and does not, on its own, let you settle.
- Citizenship: the general requirement is 10 years of legal, continuous residence, with the CCSE and DELE A2. At the oath you must declare that you renounce Australian nationality (art. 24 of the Civil Code); its effect in Australia depends on Australian law.
- Documents: Australia applies the Hague Convention, so an apostille is enough; it is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). English-language documents need a sworn translation.
- Driving: there is no exchange agreement. Once resident you can drive for six months on your Australian licence; after that you must take the Spanish theory and practical tests.
- Social security: the Spain–Australia agreement lets you combine periods to qualify for a pension.
How people usually move
- Work and holiday (ages 18 to 30). Lets you live in Spain for 12 months and work. It requires at least two years of tertiary study and functional Spanish (for example DELE A1 or higher, or an interview), with an annual quota of 3,400 places. You can apply no earlier than three months before travel. It is not residence: to stay afterwards you need another permit.
- Non-lucrative residence. For retirees and people living on savings, pensions or passive income. It does not allow work in Spain and requires private health insurance with no co-payments or waiting periods, a medical certificate and a criminal record check. Non-lucrative residence
- Digital nomad. For people working remotely for companies or clients outside Spain, with a relationship of at least three months. Digital nomad
- Studies. A master’s, degree or course with a study authorisation, which allows work up to 30 hours a week in higher education or vocational training. Study permit
- Skilled work. Highly qualified professional, EU Blue Card or intra-company transfer, processed by the Large Companies Unit (UGE). Highly qualified professional
- Family. Marriage or registered partnership with a Spanish or EU citizen. If you also hold an EU passport, you can live and work in Spain as an EU citizen. Family member of a Spanish or EU citizen
Documents and apostille
- Criminal record: the Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Police Check, requested online; state the purpose correctly (visa for another country). For the work and holiday visa it must be less than 3 months old.
- Apostille: issued by DFAT, including for the AFP certificate. If your certificate is electronic, follow DFAT’s instructions for submitting it.
- Sworn translation into Spanish of the criminal record and other English documents, by an authorised sworn translator.
- University degrees and transcripts to prove two years of tertiary study for the work and holiday visa, or for a study or skilled visa.
- Criminal records from other countries you lived in during the last 5 years, apostilled or legalised and translated.
What to keep in mind
- Spain has an Embassy in Canberra and consulates general in Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney covers New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory; if you live in another state, check the jurisdiction on your consular office’s website. In Sydney you request a visa appointment by email and apply in person (for some visas, such as non-lucrative residence, postal applications are accepted).
- The work and holiday quota is annual and you can only apply within three months of entry: time the AFP check and apostille so they do not expire.
- A common mistake is submitting the certificate without an apostille or sworn translation, or requesting it for the wrong purpose.
- In Spain: register at the town hall (padrón) and apply for your TIE within the first month. The 90 visa-free days are recorded by the Entry/Exit System (EES).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to speak Spanish for the work and holiday visa?
Yes, at a functional level. You can prove it, for example, with DELE A1 or higher, Instituto Cervantes courses or Spanish studied at secondary school, or show it at an interview at the consulate.
Which criminal record do I need and how is it apostilled?
The Australian Federal Police National Police Check, apostilled by DFAT and with a sworn translation into Spanish. If you lived in another country in the last 5 years, you need that country’s certificate too.
Do my years in Australia count towards a pension in Spain?
Yes. The Spain–Australia social security agreement lets you combine periods of residence or contributions in both countries to qualify for a pension; each country pays its share under its own rules.