Live, Work & Travel in Spain & Portugal
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Meddeas – Are you a recent graduate looking for a valuable professional experience in Spain? Meddeas cooperates with more than 200 private schools in Spain. It offers paid yearlong positions in different locations in Spain to potential English language assistants from all over the world. The program includes a monthly grant, TEFL-related training (paid by the programme), and ongoing in-country support. Meddeas provides participant with pre-departure assistance (bank account and welcome package), advice in everyday practical matters, and emergency support. Meddeas also run an Early Childhood Work Experience in Spain for Young Professionals programme, and place Spanish teachers in American schools.
Sunseed Desert Technology – At Sunseed research, education and ecological living are uniquely combined. Take part in research into appropriate technology, semi-arid land management and organic gardening, learn about sustainable living and become part of a vibrant community for as long as you want. Either pay to take a working holiday in an idyllic Spanish village or apply to become part of the staff for a small weekly allowance.
Ibiza Spotlight – A guide to all aspects of staying in Ibiza. Including advice on working there in the Business section.
Employment in Spain and Portugal
Employers, Agencies & Placement Services
Academia Atlantika – Spanish language academy dedicated to teaching English and Spanish as a Foreign Language. No employment information but we’ve seen them advertising for teachers in the past.
Amnesia – Ibizan club.
Berlitz Spain – Each summer over 100 camp monitors are needed by Berlitz to staff their summer camps in Jerz and Jaen, in the south of Spain. The position involves developing leisure and conversational activities for ESL students, aged between 16 and 20 years old, out of the classroom. Around €200 per four weeks, accommodation and all meals are provided in return. Applicants should be 18 years old and native English speakers. Experience is not required.
Delboys Bar – English family run bar in Pontinatx, Ibiza. Their website is no more so we’ve linked to their Facebook page as they have in the past been spotted advertising for cooks and a kitchen assistant to serve up pub grub and snacks.
Eden – Home to Gatecrasher.
Feetup Hostels – There is several hostels in this group, in Barcelona, Valencia, Santiago de Compostela and Seville, employing smiley, dynamic, flexible receptionists for a minimum of three months. Accommodation, breakfast, free stay at all of their hostels, a sales commissions every month, and 250€ per month is offered in return. People who understand the difference between a hostel and a hotel are preferred, as is a command of languages, particularly English and Spanish. The job is five days a week, eight hours a day with three different shifts in the morning, afternoon and night. Volunteer work can be had in several of their hostels as part of Feetup’s Work and Travel Programme.
Highlander Ibiza – Scottish bar in San Antonio. Jobs available seem to be for bar staff, DJ, waiting staff, kitchen porter, PR and, rather unusually, bag piper. Fill in the questionaire on their website.
Hi Ibiza – A nightclub that moved in on Space’s famous terrace when that club closed down.
Los Gallardos Leisure – Entertainers recruited for the summer season. Also sometimes requires restaurant and bar staff.
Oasis Hostels Lisbon – Hostel jobs in Spain and Portugal. This link is to the Lisbon hostel but others in the group can be found in Granada, Malaga, Toledo and Seville. EU ID is a must.
Meddeas – Are you a recent graduate looking for a valuable professional experience in Spain? Meddeas cooperates with more than 200 private schools in Spain. It offers paid yearlong positions in different locations in Spain to potential English language assistants from all over the world. The program includes a monthly grant, TEFL-related training (paid by the programme), and ongoing in-country support. Meddeas provides participant with pre-departure assistance (bank account and welcome package), advice in everyday practical matters, and emergency support. Meddeas also run an Early Childhood Work Experience in Spain for Young Professionals programme, and place Spanish teachers in American schools.
Pacha – Ibizan club. Open all year round.
Playaway Abroad – Recruit staff for working holidays in Ibiza, Magaluf and Tenerife.
P P Property – Though there isn’t any information on their site, PP told us they employ sales staff and would consider the right candidates to open new branches.
Queen Victoria – British expat pub in Santa Eulalia, Ibiza, said to have a message board of jobs available locally as well as vacancies of its own. Their website went AWOL years ago but their Facebook page has been kept up to date so we’ve kept the link here for the moment.
Roc Blanc Hotels – A couple of hotels in Andorra. There used to be an employment application form on the website but if it’s still there I can’t find it.
Employment Resources for Finding Work in Spain and Portugal
Advice & Useful Sites for Finding Work
Andorra Guides – Information on where to find a job and places to work. This site also includes other important things that you need to know about living in Andorra such as finding a rental, opening a bank account and the cost of living.
Canterbury English TEFL Course – English Academy and TEFL training school located in Madrid.
Digital Ibiza – Information for both tourists and travellers, offering a messageboard to advertise accomodation, work and other useful information. Also included is a diary area where travellers can upload stories and photos for other site visitors to view.
EBC – International TEFL certificate course offered by a Madrid based TEFL training school and corporate language training company.
Ibiza Spotlight – A guide to all aspects of staying in Ibiza. Including advice on working there in the Business section.
Jobs in Barcelona – Provides easy access to professional English speaking jobs in Barcelona and the rest of Spain.
Jobs in Madrid – Job search site for English speaking professionals seeking employment in Madrid and other parts of Spain.
Lanzarote.com – A guide to the island. It used to include a short list of job vacancies but I can no longer find them. Nonetheless the telephone numbers of restaurants and attractions make this site useful to job hunters.
Gap Year & Voluntary Work in Spain and Portugal
Unpaid Positions & Adventure
Alma Porto Hostel – A bunk, breakfast and some groceries are the rewards for working on the front desk and cleaning for six hours a day with two days off a week.
Atlantic Whale Foundation – Volunteers work as research guides on whale watching boats in Tenerife for three or so days per week and spend the rest of the time in the research room assisting where their skills lend best.
Babel Idiomas – Spanish courses in the centre of the Andalusian city of Malaga. They offer intensive courses, au pair programmes and gap year programmes with accommodation in student flats or with host families.
Cadiz Inn – Though there isn’t any information on the subject on their site, Cadiz Inn have been known to take on staff through a work exchange programme.
Casa Bombo – Constantly looking for young spirited, motivated, energetic and fun volunteers to join their team to clean, serve, shop, tend bar and lead guests on walking tours. Food and accommodation flows the other way. Mature and responsible people aged 25+ preferred. Two month commitment is essential.
Destination Hostels – A small hostel group that takes on work exchange volunteers.
Dive and Sea Tenerife – Offers a PADI Divemaster internship course.
Diverbo – Volunteer for a week at Pueblo Ingles, an English speaking village in Spain. All meals and accommodation is taken of for volunteers helping to create a little piece of the English speaking world in Spain. There are also volunteer opportunities for teenagers aged 13 to 17. This separate website of volunteers’ experiences is worth a read too.
Easy Nerja Hostel – Invites people to join their volunteer programme and learn Spanish.
EcoAgarve – Constantly on the look out for new participants, not afraid of work, with a sense of humour and seriously concerned about the future of this planet.
Grupo Lubo – Works toward the conservation of the wolf and the wolves’ habitat in Portugal. Volunteers help with many tasks including feeding the wolves three times a week.
Hostel 33 – Sometimes looks for people who want to help in various positions and be part of their family in Faro. They provide breakfast, dinner and accommodation.
Inn Hostels – Continuously looks for young, dynamic travellers who want to join their team in Seville, Granada or Cadiz. Receptionists, front desk attendants, cleaning, maintenance, experienced manager, work exchanges, tour guides and entertainers are some of the jobs they offer. There is an application form on the website for work exchange enquiries.
Instituto Hemingway – Arranges several programmes for living and working in Spain, including volunteering, internships, au pairing and working in hotels.
La Fragua – An international residency programme and arts centre located in a 15th century monastery.
Las Musas Hostel – A Madrid hostel that values all types of skills in their volunteers and will send a bed and breakfast your way in return for part time work. Give your preferred start and end dates via the form on their website.
Ljmonade Hostel & Suites – May be willing to take on volunteers in Portugal for a month or so.
Lisbon Chillout Hostel – Might also be open to work exchange staff able to lend a hand in housekeeping, reception or entertainment.
Monte Aventura – Volunteer nature and adventure guides, and tourist advisors are recruited to work in southern Spain.
Ole School – A Spanish in Barcelona. There is also information here on getting a long term student visa for Spain.
Paws-Patas – Animal shelter that offers work placements and volunteer work in Almeria.
Peniche Hostel – Hostel in a Portuguese surf spot wants volunteers for the nightshift.
Perfect Spot Lisbon – This hostel found working with volunteers to be a big help to them and got in touch with us for help finding more.
Project Seahorse – Occasionally may have positions in Portugal for volunteer divers.
Sunseed Desert Technology – At Sunseed research, education and ecological living are uniquely combined. Take part in research into Appropriate Technology, Semi-arid land management and organic gardening, learn about sustainable living and become part of a vibrant community for as long as you want. Either pay to take a working holiday in an idyllic Spanish village or apply to become part of the staff for a small weekly allowance.
TEFL Trainer – A teacher recruitment and training company. Though they carry articles on working in Asia, it’s on Spain where they are strongest, with 100+ teaching internship opportunities every year.
Urban House Hostels – Offers the opportunity for students and travellers to work with them in exchange for private room accommodation, breakfast, occasional commission, and snack bar profits. Appealing particularly to surfers, there are four Urban House hostels in San Sebastian.
Way Hostel – Work exchange in Madrid.
WWOOF Portugal – Discover Portugal by volunteering your way around the country on organic farms. The website lists a good number of hosts willing to put up volunteers in exchange for their labour. Membership of WWOOF is required to access contact details.
WWOOF Spain – Organic farms in Spain.
* Free or Cheap Volunteering *Your family might prefer if you go with a placement agency, but volunteering can be cheaper when travelling independently. Visit our Free or Cheap Volunteer Work Abroad pages to find NGOs and grassroots organisations in Spain & Portugal. |
Living in Spain & Portugal
Real Estate and Resources for Staying Long Term
BIP Portugal – Algarve estate agents with a guide to buying property in Portugal.
E Tenerife.com – Information relevant to tourists and expat residents, as well as those considering or preparing to take the plunge and move to Tenerife.
Eye on Spain – A community based website for anyone buying a property or living in Spain.
Idealspain.com – Over 2000 pages of information on buying, moving and living in Spain covering subjects such as banks, making a will, schools, drink driving laws and how to get a social security number.
Kyero.com – Spanish property portal. Includes an articles section and lists hundreds of local estate agents.
Lanzarote Property – Find a home on the island.
Madridconnect – Portal to Madrid with classifieds, events, chat and info on bars, restaurants and living in Madrid.
Murcia Puchades – Spanish real estate sales group.
Permaculturing in Portugal – The attempts of one family to live in a more planet-friendly way. Volunteers occasionally taken on in the summer.
Portugalist – Portugalist is the web’s leading guide to Portugal and all things Portuguese.
Portugal Smallholding – Andy and Sophie take on volunteers at their newly eco-renovated house. Work varies with the seasons but will usually include digging, weeding, planting and watering in the gardens, harvesting and preserving; mucking out the animals, building work, general maintenance and keeping the place tidy, household chores, and childcare. Volunteers stay in a caravan or a yurt.
Property Sales Spain – Property for sale or rent throughout Spain.
Spain Expat – An independent information site specifically for expats moving to Spain or already living here. Includes information on working in the country..
Spainhouses.net – Properties for sale and rent in Spain.
Spanish-Living.com – Covers retiring in Spain, moving there, starting a business, employment law and a job search.
Tenerife Property Shop – New and resale properties in southern Tenerife. Website also has a careers page looking for sales advisors at the time of writing.
Viva Malaga – A directrory of service, advice and information for people visiting or living in Malaga. Also includes some employment information. Also available are sister sites for Murcia, Granada and Almeria.
Travelling in Spain & Portugal
Accommodation & Getting Around
Andalusia-Travel.com – Offers tips and advices to those who decided spend their holidays in Andalusia. The website also offers a database of vacation rentals.
Barcelonaconnect – A guide to Barcelona including travel tips, cheap restaurants, accommodation, night life, insider information covering living and working in Barcelona, language schools, hundreds of classifieds every month, a chat room, message boards, bi weekly community meetings, stories, and more in English, Spanish, German and French. An online copy of their printed monthly magazine is available to view.
Alicante, Spain – Travel information about Alicante, Calpe, Javea, Benidorm, Denia, Torrevieja and other cities around the Costa Blanca.
Costa del Sol Tourist Board – Tourist information for the sun coast.
PortugalVisitor.com – Tourist information on Portugal including regional guides, culture and travel tips.
Pyrenean Experience – Walking and Spanish language holidays in the Pyrenees.
Simply Salema – Luxury beachfront Algarve villa holidays in Portugal provided by a friendly family run company. No employment opportunities as yet but that may change in the future.
Spain-Info.com – Spanish Tourist office site. Contains all kinds of information for people interested in Spain, including tourism, living in Spain, culture and history.
Other Useful Websites
Culture, News…
AIP Language Institute – AIP is a Spanish language school in Valencia which gives you the opportunity to learn the Spanish language and culture while discovering the charm of an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
Cervantes Spanish Language School – Using interactive teaching methods, this school tries to provide a creative and pleasant environment for students from more than 35 countries, and arranges homestays offering Spanish hospitality, cooking and cultural exchange. Extra curricular activities include excursions to places of interest such as Seville, Granada and Cordova.
ENFOREX – Spanish Language schools open all year round for teenagers, university students and adults. Schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella, Salamanca, Granada and Almunecar in Spain. They also have three summer camps for children aged five to 18.
Government of Gibraltar – Website for the British Rock in the Mediterranean.
Hispania Valencia – Language school for foreigners in Valencia.
LucyCorne.com – Lucy is a freelance writer and passionate traveller living in the Canary Islands, having just completed a travel guide about the islands for the British publisher Bradt. On her site you’ll find published accounts of previous trips and photos, mainly of the Canary Islands.
Spanish Courses in Spain – Cactus Language offers a wide range of destinations to take up Spanish Language Courses in Spain. Courses are available for all levels and all ages.
Spanish in the World – Spanish schools located all over the Spanish speaking world. Spanish in the Spanish World offers Spanish courses, free services for learners of Spanish and a tourist guide and other resources for people interested in the Spanish language.
US Institute of Languages – Learn Spanish free online or purchase the Visual Link Spanish course. Free Spanish newsletter.
Web Express Guide – Free magazine distributed along the Costa del Sol.
Index image courtesy of Damon Nofar