Do You Want to Come to Study in Spain?
If you are not a citizen of a European Union State, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland, or a family member of citizens of these countries to whom the regime of Union citizens applies, you may need a visa to study in Spain depending on the duration of the course and your nationality:
- If the course lasts less than 3 months, you must verify that your nationality does not require a visa to enter the Schengen territory.
- If the course lasts more than 3 months, you need a visa to properly enter the Schengen territory. This visa includes an authorization for study, not for work.
Requirements to obtain a student visa:
- Having been admitted to an authorized educational center in Spain, for a full-time program that leads to the attainment of a degree or study certificate.
- Full-time? This is understood to be about 20 hours a week.
- Does online or blended learning count? No.
- Do they have to be regulated studies? No, you can come to do non-regulated studies, but the center must be authorized by the Autonomous Community, and at the end of them, you must obtain a degree or study certificate.
- Not be prohibited from entering Spain and not appear as rejectable in the territorial space of countries with which Spain has signed an agreement in this regard.
If you have previously applied for visas and they have been denied, your application may need to be reviewed by a professional.
- Have sufficient economic means to cover the costs of stay and return to your country and, if applicable, those of your family members, according to the following amounts:
- For your support, monthly, 100% of the IPREM (Public Indicator of Multiple Effects Income, an index used in Spain as a reference since 2004, for 2017 it is €537.84 per month, less than €8,000 per year), unless it is duly accredited that accommodation has been paid in advance for the entire duration of the stay.
- For the support of your family members, monthly, 75% of the IPREM for the first family member and 50% of the IPREM for each of the remaining persons, unless it is duly accredited that accommodation has been paid in advance for the entire duration of the stay.
- Have public or private health insurance arranged with an insurance company authorized to operate in Spain.
- Depending on the consulate where you must apply, there will be some particularities for the insurance, such as that it is for stay and not for residence or that it includes repatriation in case of death.
Additionally, if the duration of the stay exceeds six months, the following will be required:
- For adults, have no criminal record in Spain and in their previous countries of residence during the last five years for crimes existing in the Spanish legal system.
- Not suffer from any of the diseases that can have serious public health repercussions in accordance with the provisions of the International Health Regulations of 2005.
What options are there to study as a student in Spain?
The first thing you should ask yourself is, do I want to study in Spain? If the answer is “yes,” then you should apply for what many know as a “student visa.”
When we hear the term “student visa,” most of the time the person is referring to a study stay or an authorization to be in the country as a student.
It is very important to know the difference between a student visa and a study stay.
If you want to study in Spain, you should apply for a study stay.
Study Stay in Spain
A novelty explains that now you can apply for a study stay from your country of origin or from Spain.
The study stay is NOT a residence. It is simply an authorization that will allow you to legally stay in Spain while you carry out your studies.
If you apply for a study stay and obtain it, you must remember that this stay does NOT allow you to work and you must complete your studies in person.
If you already have your study stay and wish to work, then you must apply for an
Employment Authorization (for students)
This applies to all those who are already in Spain with their study stay and wish to work.
This authorization, if granted, will only allow you to work part-time. (There is a series of requirements to be able to apply for this employment authorization).
I have finished my studies, what options do I have?
If you have already completed your higher education studies (degree, master’s, or doctorate), and have graduated in the last two years, there are two types of residence for which you could apply.
Residence for Job Search
As mentioned earlier, only those who have completed their studies in Spain (higher or equivalent to a degree, master’s, or doctorate) and have graduated in the last two years can apply.
If approved, this residence has a duration of one year and cannot be extended.
Residence for Internships
If you did NOT study in Spain, this is the right option for you.
The residence for internships is for those who have a degree (regardless of whether it is from Spain or another country), and have graduated in the last two years.
The applicant must have an internship offer and the duration of this residence is 6 months with the option to extend for an additional 6 months.
Where can I apply for the student visa?
- It is requested at the Spanish Consulate in your country of origin or residence.
- Now, a new modification allows the person to apply for their study visa FROM Spain. To read more information about how to apply for the visa from Spain.
I have already been granted the visa, is there anything else I have to do?
- If the course lasts less than 6 months, the visa will serve to identify you and will allow you to cross borders, as it will normally be a 180-day multi-entry visa (or the duration of the course).
- If the course lasts more than 6 months, normally the visa will only have 90 days of validity, so you must apply for the Foreigner Identity Card (TIE). For this, you have one month from your entry into Spain to request an appointment at the police office in the municipality where you are registered.