How to Get a Job in Spain as a Foreigner in 2026- The Complete Guide

Spain isn’t just flamenco and siestas; it’s a way of life that balances history, culture, and fun. Picture mornings with coffee and a chat at your favourite bakery, afternoons that turn into long lunches, and evenings on terraces as the party is only just beginning. The mood is warm, generous, and easy to fall for. And to truly experience it, a few weeks won’t even scratch the surface; you need to live it.

If you want a simple, low-cost way to live and work in Spain, consider starting as an Au Pair. It is one of the most straightforward routes to living like a local, mostly because the big expenses are taken care of. You look after the kids, help with homework or school drop-offs, and in return you get your own private room and three meals a day. With your living costs covered, almost every euro you earn can go straight to your travel fund, and you get the bonus of learning the language and settling into a local routine from day one.

Booking with us means the setup becomes a clear plan rather than guesswork. You pre-approve your host family before you fly with profiles and video calls, then arrive with visa guidance, airport pick-up, and local support in place. A dedicated Trip Coordinator helps you settle, and you have practical perks to keep the adventure rolling, including three free hostel nights once your placement wraps. If you want to keep going, you can re-match for a second country such as the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. 

Most placements cluster around Madrid, Barcelona, and Mallorca, with options across the country from Bilbao’s old town to Ibiza’s summer buzz. Wherever you land, it is less about sightseeing and more about joining a community and becoming a local. 

If you love admin, you can organise it all yourself. If you would rather skip the paperwork and get to the good part, our Au Pair in Spain Pack keeps it simple. With job matching, accommodation sorted, visa support, and on-the-ground help from day one, you can focus on the reason you came.

Spain has a way of drawing you in. If you are ready to live abroad, learn Spanish, and soak up the Mediterranean sun, this is your starting point. 

Visa Requirements: Au Pair in Spain (Visitor stay up to 3 months)

If you hold an Australian, New Zealand, Canadian or United States passport, you can enter Spain visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. That window is perfect for a 3-month Au Pair placement. You do not apply for a visa in advance for this short stay, but you should travel with the right documents to satisfy border officers.

What to have ready at the border

• A valid passport (check it has sufficient validity beyond your stay)
• Travel medical insurance that covers your full time in Spain
• A host-family agreement or invitation letter showing where you will live and what you will do
• Evidence of funds and an onward or return ticket within 90 daysThese align with Global’s pack setup, where your host family match, pre-approved agreement, airport pickup, accommodation and ongoing support are arranged before you fly, making document checks straightforward

If you want to stay longer than 90 days

Spain does not run a single, nationwide “Au Pair visa” category. Non-EU travellers typically extend their stay through long-stay permission (commonly under a student-type route paired with language study). This is applied for via your Spanish consulate before travel, or in some cases can be switched to after arrival if local rules allow. Always check your consulate’s current instructions. 

Quick how-to (less than 90 days)

1. Book with Global to secure your host family match and pre-approved family agreement. 
2. Gather documents: passport, insurance, return/onward ticket, proof of funds, copy of your host-family agreement.
3. Arrive in Spain as a short-stay visitor and keep your documents handy for border checks.Settle in with Global’s airport pickup, accommodation, Trip Coordinator and local support. 

Quick how-to (more than 90 days)

1. Carry your approval and all supporting documents when you fly
2. Check your consulate’s long-stay/student requirements and timing, then submit your application before you travel (processing times vary)
3. Confirm duration with your host family and Global

Why the Global pack helps at the border

Because core inclusions are arranged in advance, host family match, pre-approved agreement, airport transfer, accommodation, Trip Coordinator and ongoing local support, you have clear proof of where you are staying and what you are doing, which is exactly what short-stay checks look for.

Best Places to Live and Work in Spain

Madrid - Big city buzz with a local heartbeat

Spain’s capital has an energy that’s impossible to fake. Days start with café con leche in a corner bar and end with tapas hopping through La Latina. The streets are alive late into the night, but there’s also a rhythm of routine: kids in school uniforms, locals reading the paper in Retiro Park, and weekend markets spilling through neighbourhood squares. Living here means having culture at your doorstep, from world-class museums like the Prado to small art studios and hidden jazz bars. It’s busy, bright, and easy to feel part of the flow.

Barcelona - City life meets seaside living

Barcelona feels like a city built for living well. Mornings are for beach walks or café terraces, afternoons for exploring Gaudí’s architecture or the maze of the Gothic Quarter. The mix of Catalan pride and international flair gives the city a creative edge. People are open, relaxed, and always ready for a vermut in the sun. For Au Pairs, it’s the perfect balance of city life and coastal calm. You can finish work and be at the beach within minutes, surrounded by travellers and locals who make every weekend feel like a small festival.

Mallorca Island pace - the endless summer 

Mallorca offers the kind of Mediterranean lifestyle people dream about. Think clear water, mountain trails, fresh seafood, and villages that slow down time. Life here moves with the sun: quiet mornings, long lunches, and evening swims. It’s smaller and more relaxed than the big cities, but still full of culture, especially in Palma’s old town. For Au Pairs, Mallorca is ideal if you want community and calm with adventure close by. You’ll get the local warmth of island life and weekends that feel like holidays.

The Au Pair in Spain Pack: What’s Included and Who It Suits

Moving abroad should feel exciting, not like a paperwork marathon. If you want the Spain experience without the admin headache, our Au Pair in Spain Pack gives you a clear path in. We set up the essentials before you fly, introduce you to a pre-screened host family you approve, and meet you on arrival so you can settle quickly and start living. Think of it as your launch kit: family match, a room of your own with meals included, visa guidance, airport pick-up, and a dedicated team to steer you through the first weeks. With the basics handled, you can focus on learning Spanish, finding your rhythm, and using your stipend for the good stuff - weekend trips, new friends, and the kind of memories a short holiday can’t buy.

What’s Included

• Host family match: Review detailed profiles, meet by video, and approve your family before you leave.
• Private room and meals: Live in comfort with three meals a day, so your earnings can go straight to travel.
• Visa guidance and paperwork support: Get the right documents in order, on time.
• Airport pick-up and arrival help: Land confident, with support through your first steps.
• Trip Coordinator and Travel Concierge: Real humans to help with planning, insurance and side trips.
• Cultural extras: Three free hostel nights after your placement, plus optional experiences such as Barcelona nightlife, Oktoberfest or surfing in San Sebastián.
• Second-country re-match: Keep the adventure going with a new family in the Netherlands, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
• Ongoing support and perks: Local team assistance, Global Emergency Line, gWorld access, Global Academy and Marketplace deals.

Who It Suits

Ideal for travellers 18–30 who enjoy working with children and want to live, earn and belong in Spain without spending months wrestling with logistics. Perfect for gap years, career breaks or anyone keen to learn Spanish while keeping costs down and community high.

Why It Works

The hardest part of moving abroad is uncertainty. This pack removes it. You arrive with a confirmed family, a place to live, and a support crew on the ground. That means your time goes where it should: building routines, improving your Spanish, exploring on days off, and making the most of a year that feels like yours.

Other Options to Live and Work in Spain

If the idea of living and working in Spain as an Au Pair doesn’t quite tick the bucket-list box, we’ve got plenty of other ways to make Spain home. Think sipping sangria after your last call and scooping paella like it’s a normal Tuesday. Whatever style of working holiday you’re after, there’s an option to suit. Prefer your own space and a ready-made crew? Digital Nomad Barcelona gives you a private room, solid Wi-Fi and a built-in community. Want beachside buzz and tips in a jar? Keen to teach and flex your local language? Pair our Tutor in Spain with the Spanish city of your dreams. 

Digital Nomad Barcelona: Work Remotely, Live Vibrantly

If your idea of “living in Spain” comes with a laptop, a sea view, and tapas after your last video call, the Digital Nomad Barcelona experience is your perfect match. Designed for remote workers who want more than just a change of scenery, this 29-day adventure blends productivity and play in one of Europe’s most creative cities.

Barcelona is where art meets innovation, a place where you can start your morning in a yoga class, take client calls from your apartment’s sunny workspace, and be on the beach by 5 p.m. It’s a lifestyle built to support and nurture remote working, with a colourful community of expats and co-working locations, you will meet people from all over the world, doing really amazing things, all while working and living like a local. 

Why Booking with Global Work & Travel Makes Sense

You’ll live in a shared apartment with other digital nomads (private upgrades available), enjoy reliable high-speed Wi-Fi, and have a Local Community Manager who organises daily events and weekend experiences to help you settle in fast. Airport transfers are sorted both ways, and your Trip Coordinator and Travel Concierge make sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

What’s Included

• Private room in a shared digital-nomad apartment (upgrades available)
• Return airport transfers
• Workspaces with high-speed Wi-Fi and a local data SIM
• Two weekly yoga classes
• Local Community Manager and daily social events
• Trip Coordinator and Personal Travel Concierge

Who It SuitsPerfect for remote professionals, freelancers, or entrepreneurs aged 18–70 (fit for anyone at any stage of their life and career) who want to live and work abroad without the chaos of figuring it all out alone. You’ll join a ready-made community of travellers and digital nomads, meaning you can arrive solo and still find your people before your first paella night.

Add-Ons That Make All the Difference

Life as an Au Pair in Spain isn’t just school runs and mealtimes. Once you’ve found your rhythm, your days off open the door to something bigger: spontaneous weekend escapes, local adventures, and even full-blown trips that turn your working holiday into a long-term journey.

That’s where our extended travel experiences come in. If you’ve ticked off your local tapas bar and still want more, the Spain, Portugal & Morocco: Tapas, Medinas & Sunsets Tour is the next step. Over 16 days, you’ll cross from Barcelona’s creative streets to Portugal’s golden Algarve coast before hopping over to Morocco for blue medinas, mountain views and desert sunsets. It’s the perfect way to round out your Spanish adventure, with seamless logistics, guided experiences and a group of travellers who’ll feel like old friends by day two.

But travel isn’t just about movement; it’s also about peace of mind. Global Travel Cover gives you the confidence to live abroad knowing you’re protected for the unexpected, from flight delays to lost luggage or medical emergencies. 

And because you’ll have enough on your plate learning the language and keeping up with life abroad, our SuperLite app keeps everything in one place. Store your documents, track your tasks, get reminders for visa dates, and browse our AI-powered job board for your next gig, whether that’s your next Au Pair placement or a role somewhere new.

Together, these extras make your working holiday more than just a job. They’re what turn a few months abroad into a full chapter of your life, connected, supported and full of stories you’ll be telling for years.

Final Thoughts

Spain has a way of winning you over, and the best way to experience it is not through short-term sightseeing but by living it. Becoming an Au Pair is one of the easiest and most affordable routes to do just that. With your living costs covered, you can focus on what matters: learning the language, exploring new cities, and settling into a culture that values connection and joy.

If you want the same Spain-with-support feeling without childcare, Digital Nomad Barcelona gives you a ready-made base for remote work. Think a private room in a shared apartment, reliable high-speed Wi-Fi, a Local Community Manager, daily community events, airport transfers, and even weekly yoga. It is a simple way to land softly in Barcelona, keep your work on track, and still have your evenings free for tapas and the beach.

However you choose to do it, booking through us keeps things simple and stress free. Your key details are locked in before you fly, your arrival support is ready, and you have a team to lean on while you find your feet.

If you are ready to live abroad, learn Spanish, and make Spain more than a holiday, this is where it starts. Pick the path that fits, and we will handle the details so you can focus on the experience.