Student Visa
Spain Welcomes You!

If you are considering studying in Spain, you may have to apply for a student visa. Spain's immigration policy is similar to other European countries. It allows people from all over the world to come and start or continue their education over here.

Additionally, have you ever thought about learning Spanish? Or you might only need to improve it!

Who needs a student visa for Spain?

Your eligibility will depend on (i) your nationality and (ii) the length of your stay.

1. You are planning a short stay (LESS than 3 months)

Similar to the tourist visa, you will not have to apply for a student visa if you are from a country excluded by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperacion). Bring your passport and/or a national ID card with you since you will need it.

The following table include the countries from of the nationals for which a student visa is NOT required:

Albania	Germany	Andorra
Argentina	Australia	Austria
Belgium	Bolivia	Bosnia-Herzegovina
Brazil	Brunei	Bulgaria
Canada	Colombia	South Korea
Costa Rica	Croatia	Chile
Cyprus	Denmark	Ecuador
USA	El Salvador	Slovakia
Slovenia	Estonia	Philippines
Finland	France	Greece
Guatemala	Netherlands	Honduras
Hong Kong	Hungary	Ireland
Iceland	Israel	Italy
Japan	Latvia	Liechtenstein
Lithuania	Luxemburg	Macau
Macedonia	Malasia	Malta
Morocco	Mexico	Monaco
Nicaragua	Norway	New Zealand
Panama	Paraguay	Peru
Poland	Portugal	United Kingdom
Czech Republic	Rumania	San Marino
Vatican City	Singapore	Sweden
Switzerland	Tunisia	Turkey
Uruguay	Venezuela

2. You are planning a long stay (MORE than 3 months)

You'll have to apply for a student visa unless you are from a European Union (EU) country.

3. You are a non-EU national

You will generally need a student visa to enter Spain regardless of the length of your stay.

How do you get a student visa?

First of all, plan everything well in advance. Contact the Spanish Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible and ask about the requirements, as well as for an appointment.

The student visa process can take up to 6-8 weeks (sometimes more!). Actually, it depends your nationality, the time of the year and the number of applications in the pipeline. So make sure you arrange everything way before your flight...

In general, you will be asked to apply for your visa in person. The same applies when picking up your student visa. No postal mail!

Spain - Student visa requirements

Curious about the paperwork needed to apply for a student visa? Although the requirements might vary, you should be aware that some of the documents that may be required are:

• Spain's official student visa form
• Passport and/or national ID card
• Letter of invitation from the Spanish school/university
• Proof that you have enough financial means for the length of your stay
• Medical insurance with international coverage
• Medical certificate to prove that you are in good health

As an example, here are the requirements for US citizens (Right-click on the link to download this PDF file).

You should check this information with the nearest Spanish Embassy or Consulate in your country.

If you are planning to travel to Spain and wonder about the need of a tourist visa, you should have a look at a basic travel visa FAQ.

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