Named after the treaty signed in Schengen, Luxemburg, this kind of visa allows you to travel freely throughout the Schengen countries. So, if you have set your dreams on a Spanish university, obtaining a student visa should be one of your first priorities after your selection. The entire visa process takes up to 4-6 weeks. Remember that applications will not be entertained more than 90 days in advance or less than 30 official days prior to the departure date. Passports are to be sent to the Consulate General for processing. All the above procedures can be time consuming and a frustrating experience! However, the cherry on the cake lies in the fact that a majority of students receive their visa without too many hassles. We encourage you to read through this material carefully to get your hands on that visa quickly!
Procedures And Requirements To Get Student Visa For Spain
Spain Student Visa Checklist
In order to study in Spain for three months or longer, you are required to obtain a Schengen Visa. Read on for further details on a Spain student visa.
Student Visa Details for Spain
- Valid passport (For a minimum of 180 days prior to your arrival in Spain).
- Identifying the Consulate and completing the application form for a Schengen visa.
- 4 passport size photographs (with a white background).
- Acceptance letter from the Spanish University indicating name, address and registration number of the school with Spain's Department of Education (Ministerio de Educación de España). Details such as full payment of tuition, duration of program, subjects of study and hours of study per week also need to be included.
- Return travel tickets or an itinerary and proof of payment for tickets.
- Medical certificate from physician.
- Health insurance (original copy) or an international insurance coverage for health/accident. The sum must be equal to €30,000 during the period of stay in Spain.
- Money order for $100 (with your name, as it appears on the passport)
- Current bank statement and its copies.
- Reference letter from your education institution.
- Police clearance certificates (for any country of residence during the past 5 years)
Additional Information:
- If your documents are accepted for the visa then they will not be returned back to you.
- Applications for student visa to Spain will neither be accepted more than four months in advance nor less than 7 weeks before the departure date.
- During the time of processing, your passport remains with the Consulate. It takes a minimum of 7 weeks to certify this visa. Do not get impatient and make frequent calls to concerned authorities.
- If your chosen course in Spain is for more than 180 days then on arrival, you have to request for an authorization for completion of your studies as well as a proper student ID card from the Police Department in Spain ("Policia Nacional”).
- The Schengen visa allows you to transit in any of the Schengen countries up to a period of 5 days.
- Nationals of the following countries may not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days: EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and US, Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Korea (Republic of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.
The above article makes an effort in presenting updated information on student visa particulars to study in Spain. Consult the Spanish Consulate for further queries.