Job Discussion Forums

[beachbum]

Is there any hope for a non-EU citizen to get a position in Spain? I have experience and have taught in 5 foreign countries.

[spiral78]

You might do a search. There are tons of threads on this topic here - with input from other people than just me, I promise I just happen to be online at the moment, so I've got you on the Czech forum as well -where the news is somewhat more upbeat for non-EU citizens.

Short answer for Spain - almost certainly not. The job market is very tight and UK teachers are scrambling for jobs - to get legal papers for a non-EU citizen, a school has to jump through numerous legal hoops, and there is simply no need, realistically.

You might be interested in googling the Schengen zone.....the rules that went into effect in January 2009 now mean that non-EU passport holders can stay 90 days in the entire zone, then have to leave for 90 days before re-entering.

Working illegally in Spain was really common until 2009. The risks of being caught are now pretty high at airports and it's become way less 'normal.'

[hedger22]

I would say close to impossible. I am an American citizen on a visa through August. I have been searching high and low lately to try to find a job that will help me extend my stay here.

Most of the language schools here are British run and require EU passport... Where I live, we only have 1 North American language school and even they prefer EU passport holders, go figure.

[Moore]

People are right to urge caution: working here without papers is illegal.

However, spend five minutes in my local American coffee shop here in Madrid would show you that this city is full of non-EU paper-holders happily working away for academies and private classes.

Basically if you keep out of trouble with the police and don't leave the country you can quite easily work here. In the last six months I haven't heard of anyone being arrested, deported, or even having their passports stamped as over-stayers: immigration have much more troublesome people to go after than a bunch of hard working middle class white kids.

The reality is that here on the ground in Spain at any bar, coffee shop or party in Madrid you will meet non-EU workers teaching English: EU paper holders may get shirty about it, but that's the situation as it stands here.






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