Student Visa for Spain (title)

The first thing is to find out if you will need to apply for a visa to be able to study in Spain. If the answer is “yes”, then what type of visa will you need to apply for? What is the procedure and what documents will you be asked for? Estudio Hispanico will help you along the way. We provide free assistance for our students and can help to arrange health insurance!

If you’re from a Schengen area country

Are you citizens from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Iceland (more information) --> you do not need a student visa

< 90 days - you do not need to get a NIE (Spanish Identification Number for Foreigners)
> 90 days - you need to get a NIE 

If you are from another country

< 90 days - you will not need a study visa but you might need a tourist visa to be able to enter Spain
90 – 180 days - If you are studying in Spain between 90 and 180 days you will need to get a type C student visa. With this visa, you will not be allowed to apply for a Foreigner Identity Card (TIE), and you will not be able to legally work in Spain.
> 180 days - If you are studying in Spain for more than 180 days, you will need to get a type D student visa. In addition you will need to apply for a TIE within 30 days of arrival. The TIE is the ´tarjeta de identificacion de extranjeros’ – An identity card for foreigners. 

The visa application process step by step

Although you can apply for a student if you are already legally in Spain, we will now discuss the most common route, which is applying for the Spain student visa from abroad. Applying from your home country is probably the easiest as you will need to get some specific documentation.

1. Make an appointment at the Spanish embassy or consulate
Find and contact the Spanish embassy or consulate closest by where you live now and ask them for an appointment. Although our information is continuously updated, the documentation asked may vary depending on your country and the current political situation. Therefor we always recommend you when you make the appointment to ask for the latest requirements to apply for the visa.

We recommend to ask for the appointment at least 4 weeks before your departure. Ideally even 6 to 8 weeks, just to have spare time in case of unforeseen events. Don’t forget that sometimes you’ll have to face bureaucratic issues that may delay the process. The sooner you get the appointment, the better.

2. Book a Spanish course and accommodation.
After the appointment at the Spanish embassy, choose a destination and a school and book a Spanish at Estudio Hispánico. 

The minimum number of hours of study per week for the student visa is 20. Usually students enroll in one of the intensive 20 Spanish courses. It is important that the school is accredited by the Instituto Cervantes. Most schools we offer are, but please feel free to check with us if you want to be sure. 

Optionally you can also book accommodation with us. This can be for the full duration or the minimum for the visa application, which is 4 weeks. Depending on the country you are from it is recommended that, wherever you book, not to reserve the minimum duration. Not booking the minimum will increase your chance on visa approval.

If you reserve accommodation through us, the letter of acceptance confirming the course reservation will also count as proof of housing. 

IMPORTANT ADVICE: If you are applying for a type D student visa (valid for over 180 days), it is crucial to start your application early and book a Spanish course lasting at least 30 weeks. This is because, when applying for the TIE card after entering Spain, the authorities will consider the date of your entry and the end date of your student visa. If the total duration is less than 180 days, you will not be eligible for the TIE, which is the temporary residence permit for foreigners. The TIE is essential for various purposes, such as opening a bank account, signing a rental contract, securing a job, and more!

Once you’ve paid the total amount of the course, we send you the letter of acceptance by email. In principle all consulates accept the letter of acceptance in digital format. But if needed we can have this, or other documents sent to you by express mail service (this may take up to 5 working days, depending on the express service and destination).

3. Go to the visa appointment with the Spanish embassy or consulate
Ask what documentation you have to bring before attending, just in case. Usually, they ask for:

• A valid passport that doesn’t expire during your stay in Spain
• Visa application form
• Two recent passport size photos
• Letter of acceptance for your Spanish course. Keep in mind that every course with an intensity of 20 lessons per week is eligible, so choose here the best one for you. Only letters from officially recognized school (e.g. Instituto Cervantes accredited schools) are recognized.
• Proof of housing for at least the first 4 weeks of your stay. You can book this yourself or add this to your booking with us.
• Private health insurance for the whole duration of your stay. Read here how you can get FREE health insurance as Estudio Hispanico student.
• Proof of funds (at least 600 per month for your stay in Spain)
• A medical certificate of good health signed by a doctor.
• Certificates of any studies you have completed
• Criminal record certificate from the place where you’ve lived for the previous 5 years (only for students 18 years or older).
• Parental authorization (only for students younger than 18 years old). We can provide you with a template.

Important: all the documents you bring have to be translated into Spanish by an official authority. Also, you will have to make the necessary copies. The embassy or consulate usually do not make them for you. It may be that the embassy requires some extra documentation, which they will specify in a letter. You will get some time to prepare the required documentation. If you need any help, please send us the copy of the letter.

After a few days, the embassy or consulate will send a notice with the approval or rejection of your visa application. If it has been approved, you’ll have to pick it up in person.

When your visa is approved, you will get the NIE (Foreigner Identification Number). It the number printed on your visa. Remember that your NIE is not the same as the TIE, which is the ID card you would need to get if you have a Spanish student visa type D (for stays over 180 days) and that would have your NIE in it.

What if my Spanish visa for a student is rejected?

Let us know and send us a copy of the letter. We can advise you on an appeal and/or showing additional documentation.

If your visa is denied after this, send us a copy the rejection letter. We will inform the school and normally refund the full amount paid minus the administration fee.

Upon arrival in Spain: getting the TIE

Settle in your new place and start your Spanish course! Meet the school staff and ask them anything you’d like to know about your new hometown and/or all the paperwork you’ll need to get through.

If you have the type D visa (for a period over 180 days), you have 30 days from the day of arrival to start the process of getting your TIE card. Where to get the card varies per city. The local school staff will be able to help you get the appointment. In some places there is a long waiting list for appointments, so we recommend making the appointment as soon as possible.

FAQs

Can I also apply for the visa while you are in Spain?
Because of all the documentation you need from your home country, in most cases it is recommended to apply for the student visa for Spain at the embassy or consulate in your home country.

However, non-EU citizens that come to Spain with a tourist visa can apply for a student visa without having to leave the country.

You should make an appointment with the Delegación or Subdelegación de Gobierno in the place where you want to study. Apart from another application form, which they will have at the (Sub/)delegación de Gobierno, the documentation to bring is the same.

How long does it take to get a student visa for Spain?
You can apply for a student visa no more than 90 days and not less than 30 days before the beginning of your studies.

To make sure you have enough time to anticipate unforeseen situations, we recommend you start the visa application at least 2 months before your departure date.

After the appointment it may be that you have to provide additional documents for which you will get some time. Once you handed in all documents, you will usually get your visa within 2 to 4 weeks.

What Spanish course should I book for the student visa?
Only Spanish courses of 20 lessons per week are eligible to get the student visa. In most schools it is called the Intensive 20 Spanish course.

For a type D student visa (>180 days), apart from starting the visa application in time, we advise you to book a Spanish course for a minimum 30 weeks. This because if you travel to Spain after the start of your visa, when applying for the TIE card, the date you enter Spain and your student visa end date will be taken into account. If this duration is less than 180 days, you will not be given the TIE, the temporary residence permit for foreigners. And you will need the TIE for many things, such as opening a bank account, rental contract, get a job, and many things more!

What proof of funds do you need for the Spanish student visa?
To obtain a Spanish student visa, you must demonstrate sufficient financial resources to support yourself during your stay in Spain. The minimum requirement is 100% of the monthly IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples), which is approximately €600 per month of study. For example, if you are applying to study in Spain for six months, you will need to show at least €3,600 (€600 x 6 months) in your bank account. If you can provide proof of accommodation in Spain for the entire period, this amount may be reduced.

Alternatively, you can provide a set of sponsorship documents from your parents. In this case, your parents must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support both themselves and you. They will need to provide the following documents:

• A birth certificate
• A statutory declaration
• A bank statement
• A legalized copy of their passport

Please note that only a parent or legal guardian can act as a sponsor. Siblings, spouses, or other relatives are not eligible.

All documents must be translated into Spanish and bear the Apostille of the Hague Convention.