Spain Student Visa

The application for the student visa to Spain should be made when you are offered a place in your chosen study program. You should begin the preparation process as soon as you get your admission letter. Additionally, to avoid any visa processing delays, it is essential to apply for your Spanish student visa at least two or three months before traveling to Spain.

The processing time for a Spanish student visa is usually somewhere between 1-3 months, depending on the workload of the embassy or consulate. Sometimes, you might receive an answer for as little as 15 days. However, you must apply well ahead of time to avoid any possible delays. Make sure you begin preparing the required documents as soon as possible after receiving your letter of admission from your chosen education provider. 

The cost of your student visa to Spain varies depending on the visa type and your country of origin. The Spanish student visa fee is usually €60; meanwhile, the cost of a Schengen student visa to Spain is €80 (for citizens of countries excluding the US or Canada).

US citizens will have to pay €132 ($160) for a student visa to Spain and €115 ($140) for a Schengen student visa to Spain. Canadian applicants will have to pay €80 ($98) for a Spanish student visa and €97 ($118) for a Schengen student visa to Spain.

Your student visa to Spain may get rejected on certain occasions. Applying for a student visa can be a complicated process because you have to make sure you have all the required documents and meet the requirements (including proof of financial resources or health insurance). 

Here are some of the reasons why your Spanish student visa can get rejected: 

• Lack of financial support.
• Incorrect documentation (or missing documents).
• Failure to provide suitable answers to the consular officer during the interview.
• The Spanish authorities are not convinced of the applicants’ intentions.
• Others.

Just because your student visa to Spain can get rejected does not mean it will get rejected. Simply make sure you provide the correct documents, prepare for the interview and state your intentions of studying in Spain clearly and efficiently.

Yes, you can work in Spain during your studies while being on a student visa. The Spain student visa allows students to work a maximum of 20 hours per week, meaning students (on a student visa) cannot undertake full-time employment during their studies in Spain. Your employer in Spain has to obtain a work permit for you, from the Foreign Office. Meanwhile, your student ID will be enough if you want to undergo an unpaid internship.

Ideally, you should apply to renew your student visa up to 60 days before it expires, so it gets renewed right on time for its expiration date. In some cases, you can apply for the renewal of your student visa up to 90 days after the expiration date. After you apply for an extension of your student visa, the Immigration Office will give you a document that makes you eligible to stay in Spain until you obtain the visa extension.

You should obtain your student residence card (TIE or Foreigner Identity Card) after arriving in Spain. Specifically, you should apply for this card within one month of your arrival. Do so by visiting the nearest Immigration Department branch or local police station in Spain. You should submit a set of documents such as a letter of residency, letter of admission to studies, passport, and ID, as well as recent photographs.

The Spain Study Visa application form is the most important document that should be completed. Such an application form can be found either on the internet or at the nearest Spanish Embassy. As an international student, you should be seeking the Spanish Student  Visa Type D. The Application for a National Visa will be adequate if you aim to take studies for longer than 90 days. You will most likely find a link to print the National Visa application with the Student Visa instructions on the consulate’s website.

Generally, you can find the Student Visa instructions under the Consular Services link on the consulate’s website. Since you are an international student wishing to pursue your studies in Spain, there are some questions you have to answer carefully and in close accordance with your specific consulate. While you are filling out the National Visa Application, you may need to leave some questions blank, such as national identity number, knowing that you aren’t a Spanish citizen. Most of the questions will be easy to answer, others will require applicable answers. In a particular case, the question “Residence in a country other than the country of current nationality” should be left blank if you live in your country of citizenship.

There are a number of documents that will be required to obtain the student visa. You will have to submit a medical certificate, a background check with Spanish translations, and Police Criminal Record clearance. You will obtain a student visa through a Spanish consulate/embassy. It will take approximately a month and a half or a bit longer to process your visa application. Through this process, your passport will be in the hands of the Spanish consulate.

There are two possible options for receiving your Spanish Student Visa. In the first case, the consulate will mail you the passport with your visa inside. In the other case, you will be required to go to the consulate yourself and pick up your passport and visa. However, make sure you have checked the consulate website for any specific instructions.

If your study program will exceed the timeframe of six months then you will need to apply for a student residence permit within 30 days of entering Spain. To apply for a residence permit you will have to go to your local Foreigners Office or a police station.

Your family members are welcome to visit you while you are studying as long as you hold a study visa. However, there are a few preconditions you have to meet before they arrive. First and foremost, you have to prove that you have enough money to support your dependents, provide evidence of your relationship, and your stay must be for more than six months. Furthermore, your family members will have to apply for their Foreigner’s Identity Card (TIE) a month after arriving in Spain.

It is not 100% necessary for you to submit the application personally. You can appoint a representative to do it for you through a notarized authorization letter.

For instance, you can designate one of our lawyers to act on your behalf if you are unable to do it yourself or are unsure how to proceed.

However, it is not possible to submit the application via email. Someone must physically visit the consulate or immigration office in Spain for this purpose.

In most cases, you cannot enter Spain before your student visa starts if you're coming from a non-EU country. Your visa usually needs to be valid for entry, and it must be active from the date stated on your visa. If you try to enter Spain or the Schengen area before the visa's validity begins, you may be denied entry.

However, you can enter Spain or the Schengen area earlier if you travel on a Schengen tourist visa or under a visa waiver program (if you're eligible). Keep in mind that the tourist stay must end before your student visa begins, so there is no overlap between both periods.

You should also check with the Spanish consulate where you applied for the visa, as rules and regulations might change depending on your situation and nationality.