Intern Guidebook: Valencia Spain

Valencia, Spain’s third largest city, is one of the top tourism destination in the country. The combination of the beautiful beaches, ancient culture and modern wonders, has continually attracted people from all around the world. With its strategic location, Valencia’s port is one of the busiest in the region making it a globally interconnected city. Because of this, many businesses make Valencia as their home, creating a diverse and numerous internship positions. An internship in Valencia will be a challenging and exciting adventure!  

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Visa and Accommodation

For an unpaid internship in Valencia, Spain, visas are not required for a stay less than 90 days for nationals from European Union, Antigua and Barbuda, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, United States (excluding the Northern Mariana Islands), Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela.

For everyone else and/or for paid internship, you will need to apply for a Schengen Visa, Short Term Visa (Maximum 90 days) – Training / Internship. To apply, you will need to obtain an internship contract and acceptance letter from the company where you will have your internship. For further information, you should check with the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in your home country or Spain Visa Application Centre or BLS (the outsourced partner to the Embassy of Spain in Country).

For accommodation, the cost of living in Valencia is considerably lower compare to Spain’s bigger cities like Barcelona or Madrid, especially if you are willing to commute longer. Most common type of accommodation for interns and students in Valencia is a shared flat. Usually, you will get a private room with shared bathroom and kitchen. One of the most obvious benefit to live in this kind of accommodation is that you will be able to meet many new people from all around the world.

Internships Placements

Valencia has one of the biggest port in the region and it handles a significant amount of the country’s import. With this, a lot of businesses are stationed in Valencia, creating many diverse positions for an internship. Business are of the most popular internship in Valencia, especially marketing and communications. Another popular internship positions are in art, museum and tourism industries with Valencia being one of the top tourism destination in Spain. With the beautiful beaches, eclectic mix of history and modern wonders, and various attraction, tourism is an industry that is continually developing in Valencia. Lastly, with the Spanish’s love for sport, especially football, there are also numerous opportunities to have your internship in football clubs or sport consulting firm.

Working Condition

In Valencia, working environment tend to be pretty laid back and not rushed. They still practice their traditional afternoon break, called siesta, where most businesses are closed between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., although many businesses has started to leave this tradition. Personal relationships and networking are very important when doing business in Spain. Spanish people will take their time to know their business partners first before moving on to make a deal. This might make the process of closing a deal a bit slower, but it is important to gain their trust to ensure that you will have a good working relationship. Punctuality might not be as strictly enforced, but it is better to make sure to never be late. 

Life in Valencia

English might not be as widely spoken in Valencia, compared to Barcelona and Madrid. Moreover, they also have their own official language, Valencian. It might be a good idea to practice your Spanish before getting an internship in Valencia. Valencia is especially famous for its festivals, especially the Falles. People will gather and parade on the streets in beautiful traditional dresses, displays decorated statues and fireworks. Definitely not an experience that you should miss during your time in Valencia.

Transportation in Valencia is pretty efficient with its comprehensive rail and bus system. They also have a public bicycle sharing service (called Valenbisi), with thousands of bikes all around the city. You can also walk from places to places, as the distances are usually not too far and the weather are normally pleasant.

Having an internship in Valencia, Spain will give you the valuable work experience and let you learn many things about their beautiful culture while also getting the chance to practice your Spanish. If you want to know more about Internship in Valencia, contact us!