Do you want to study in Spain as a non-European citizen? Then your first step is to apply for a student visa in the Spanish territory – and you should know that studying in the country has many advantages, especially as a foreigner.
In this article, we’ll not only cover these advantages and how to get a student permit in Spain, but we’ll also answer important questions that you MUST know. Can I modify my Spain study visa after completing my studies? Is it possible to work in the country while studying? Which courses are valid for this visa? Can I stay in Spain after my student visa expires?
Let’s find the answers to these questions, and more!
What is the Spanish student visa?
The student visa is the residence authorization that allows non-EU citizens to stay in Spain while they take studies in public or private educational centers, conduct research in the country, or undertake some kind of training.
More precisely, those planning to enroll in a professional training course, master’s, postgraduate course, P.hD., or bachelor’s degree in Spain will find that this permit is the right path for them.
It is important to emphasize that this visa is geared toward citizens from outside the European Union.
Furthermore, this is not a regular residence permit. The student visa is just an authorization to live in Spain while you study.
That is why, when counting the years you need in order to get permanent residency or Spanish nationality, the years lived under the student visa do not count.
However, with the reform of Immigration Law, it has become a great option for non-EU citizens. It allows you to work, automatically, 30 hours per week, and once you complete your studies (whatever the duration), you can modify your work permit easily.
Do I need a student visa to study in Spain?
It depends. If you are a non-EU citizen the answer is simple: yes.
If you are planning to study or conduct research in the country, you will need to apply for the residence authorization for study purposes.
Nevertheless, you can’t get a student visa if you are from the European Union. Basically, because you don’t need one.
According to article number 44 from the Royal Decree 557/2011, all students coming from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland can stay in Spain while they study without a visa. This also applies to the relatives they bring with them after a joint application.
Types of student visas
There are two different types of student visas depending on the length of your course or studies the place of submission:
Submission from abroad (before the consulate)
In case you apply from your country of origin, you can be granted two subtypes of student visas:
- Short-term student visa: The short-term visa allows the holder to stay in Spain for a maximum period of 90 days in 180 days. It can’t be renewed, unless the holder can prove a specific and exceptional situation, such as serious illness or humanitarian reasons or force majeure.
- Long-term student visa, in case you are studying for more than 90 days. The visa will be granted for a maximum duration of 1 year. If you need to extend it to complete your studies, you will have to request a student stay authorization from Spain (IMPORTANT: there are exceptions depending on the type of course).
Submission from Spain (before the immigration office)
The second option is to apply directly from Spain, as long you are legally in the country (for example as a tourist). Nevertheless, this option is just valid if you are studying:
- Higher education
- Specialized studies in the healthcare field
- Or you are completing training leading to a technical certification or a professional qualification
Also, bear in mind that you must submit your application at least two months before the start date of the training activity and at least two months before the expiration date of your current legal status.
Do you have any questions so far? Ask our lawyers anything:
How long does a student visa last in Spain?
The authorization will be granted for the same duration of your studies. However, the validity of the permit will start 1 month before the starting date of your studies, and it will end 15 days after its termination.
For non-higher education courses, the duration will be limited to 1 year (renewable once for another extra year, in this case).
Then:
- With a Student visa for more than 6 months, you will get a TIE card.
- But with a student visa for less than 6 months, you won’t get a TIE card.
What happens if my course or studies are extended?
So let’s assume your studies finish in June, and hence your student visa is also valid until that month.
What can you do if your program needs to be extended? (pending subjects, for example)
There is no problem. You can request a student visa extension before the Immigration Office, 2 months before and up to 3 months after the expiration date of your student visa.
How to Get a Student Visa in Spain
Let’s now go through the main steps you will need to follow in order to obtain your student permit. We will analyze where should you apply, the documents you must include, where to submit them, and the requirements that you must meet.
But before we explain everything, we’ve already created a checklist for you to make things quick and easy.
Student Visa Requirements in Spain
Before starting with the actual application procedure it is crucial that you understand all the requirements that any foreigner wishing to attain a student visa must meet. Otherwise obtaining this permit is not possible:
- As we already mentioned, you can’t be a European Union Citizen in order to get this visa
- Being in legal status in Spain and not being forbidden from entering the country is necessary.
- You must possess sufficient economic funds in order to sustain yourself in the country for the duration of your studies. How much bank balance is required? A monthly 100% of the IPREM, which is about €600 per month. This needs to be calculated according to the duration of the course, so it if last 12 months, the minimum amount required will be 7.200 € (600 € x 12 months).
- Having a private or public medical insurance contract with full coverage in Spain. Learn more about the health insurance requirements here
- You will have to be admitted to the course/university you are planning to study at. This means that before starting your application you must get your acceptance or admission letter from the learning course
- Even though the vast majority of courses and educational centers will be valid, you must make sure to verify that they comply with the list that we mention below.
- Having clear criminal background records
- For short-term study visas, you must also include round-trip flight tickets from and to your country of origin. Don’t make any payment until your visa is issued
- For higher-education studies such as a master’s or postgraduate degree, it is very likely that you will be asked for the homologation or validation of your university degree if you obtained it in your country of origin, but this depends on the University and the type of studies.
Required Documents
Which are the documents will you need to submit in order to become a legal student in the country?
- Complete copy of your passport
- Acceptance letter from a recognized/official centre. You can check it on the links below:
- For higher education: Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT) | Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional. This allows you to work automatically for up to 30h/week.
- Non higher education (language courses, for example): Centros docentes no universitarios | Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional (educacionyfp.gob.es) – this won’t allow you to work automatically.
- If it is a Spanish course, it will need to be accredited by the Instituto Cervantes.
- Proof of funds (it will depend on the duration of the course, where you will have to calculate it according to the minimum of 600€ / month)
- Private health insurance, with full coverage in Spain
- If the course is going to last 6 months or longer, then you must also include:
- Criminal Records Certificate, apostilled and certified translated (valid for 6 months)
- Medical certificate, apostilled and certified translated (valid for 3 months)
What studies are valid to obtain a student visa?
The first thing you will have to do if you want to obtain a visa for studies in Spain is to enroll in a course or degree and get a confirmed spot in an educational center.
The question then is whether all the centers and all the courses are valid in order for you to enjoy a successful application.
In that sense, many foreigners tend to mistakenly consider that it is only and exclusively university education that is valid to get a student card.
But that is not the case.
The reality is that any type of education will be valid, regardless of the level and content of the study program (as long as it meets the 4 requirements we will see in the following section).
But there is something you must know. It is now required that the course you take is included in the Official Public Registry.
But there is no limitation when it comes to the course level. Early childhood education, primary, secondary, vocational training, and university degrees are valid for the application for a student visa.
The valid studies for the student visa are the following:
- Professional training
- Higher artistic or sports education
- Language courses (very common for foreigners to obtain a student visa to learn Spanish)
- University studies
- Master’s degree
- PhD
Thus, as you can see in this list, the stay authorization for studies is not exclusive to university education. There is a wide range of educational courses available for this procedure.
In addition, both private and public centers are admitted.
However, there are 4 fundamental points that the educational center must comply with in order for your immigration application to get accepted.
The 4 requirements for your studies to be valid
In order to successfully apply for a student visa, the educational institution providing the training you wish to enroll in must comply with the following:
- First of all, it must be an institution authorized by the Spanish Government (by the Ministry of Education) or by the regional government. This means it is essential that it is registered in an official public entity
- It is important that the course is full-time
- It can be hybrid (online + in person), as long as at least 50% of the course is done in person
- This course must allow the achievement of an official certificate at the end of the course
- In the case of a Spanish course, it must be carried out in an academy accredited by the Cervantes Institute. And in the case of another language, accredited by an analogous institution.
As long as the center and course meet these requirements, you will be able to obtain the student card without hassle.
However, there is one key consideration that will help you in the future as a foreigner in Spain.
Make sure that your training is on this list
If you want to stay in Spain in the long run (i.e., to remain in the country once you finish your studies), and once you stop extending or renewing your student visa, you will have to change and move to another residence card.
Important: This procedure is only applicabile to higher education courses now
In that sense, something that is nowadays very common and popular among student expats in Spain is to change to a residence permit to look for a job (you can discover more about it here).
However, in order to get this one-year residency that allows you to live in Spain while you find a job, not all studies are valid: they must be within a list recognized by the government.
It can be really interesting and useful that you choose your studies based on this requirement (enrolling in a center that is within this list), thus ensuring your chances of staying in Spain in the long term.
How much bank balance is required for Spain student visa?
The applicant must have at least €7,200 in bank balance at least for the first year. This is because the requirement is having 100% of the IPREM, which is €600 per month, for the duration that the individual will be on the student visa.
Take note that a bank balance refers to what is currently one’s bank account. Thus, bank statements should be recent.
Don’t worry, the bank does not have to be a Spanish bank, but depending on the Immigration Office, you might need to show your funds in a Spanish Bank account.
Can I apply for a student visa while in Spain?
Yes, you can apply for a student visa while in Spain, but ONLY if you enroll in a higher education course, being careful with the following deadlines in this case:
- The application must be submitted 2 months before the starting date of the course, at the latest
- The application must be submitted having at least 2 months left on your visa (e.g.: if you come to Spain under a tourist visa, valid for 90 days, you must file the application within the first month)
Having this time frame in mind is essential.
Nevertheless, whichever municipality you are in, you will need to register your empadronamiento, which is a census registry.
An important piece of advice: make sure that before entering the Spanish territory you have all the documents prepared.
Why? Because you need to submit them before your last 60 days of legal status in the country.
Should I submit my documents in person or can someone else do it for me?
It is not 100% necessary that you submit the application personally. You can design a representative that does it for you through a notarized authorization letter.
For example, you can design one of our lawyers to do it for you in case you can’t yourself or don’t know how.
Nevertheless, it is not possible to do it via email. Someone must go to the consulate or immigration office in Spain for that.
Student visa processing time
The exact processing time depends entirely on the Immigration Office you are submitting your application to. This means that it can be quite fast and get your resolution in just 1 month, or experience greater delays.
Can I enter Spain before my student visa starts?
If you are a non-European citizen, you cannot enter Spain before your student visa starts. However, if you are already in Spain on a short-term visa, you can apply for a study visa from within the country.
Thus, in that sense, it is possible to change your tourist visa to a student visa.
Can you bring your relatives or family members with you?
Yes, there is the possibility to bring your family so they can accompany you during your student stay in Spain. But this is only applicable to relatives of higher-education students or relatives of students in the sanitary field
These relatives can apply for a visa or a residency authorization that depends on the main applicant (student), as long as the student still has 90 days left (or more) on their card.
The procedure is exactly the same as the one carried out by the main applicant, but the main difference is that these relatives WON’T be able to work in Spain.
But, what type of relatives can apply?
- Spouse or registered civil partner (pareja de hecho) or duly proven civil partner (proof of a minimum period of continuous cohabitation of 1 year or proof of common descent + stable cohabitation must be provided for this latter case)
- Unmarried minor children, either your own (student) or those of your spouse/partner
- Unmarried adult children with specific support needs (illness or disability), either your own or your spouse’s/partner’s
As for the requirements, the following must be demonstrated:
- The main applicant (student) must hold a residence permit for higher education studies or a specialization in the healthcare field
- They must not be in an irregular situation in Spanish territory
- Proof of family relationship or kinship
- Sufficient financial means:
- For 1 person: 100% IPREM, which is €600/month or €7,200/year (in 12 payments)
- For 2 people: 100% + 75% IPREM, which is €1,050/month or €12,600/year (in 12 payments)
- For 3 people: 100% + 75% + 50% IPREM, which is €1,350/month or €16,200/year (12 payments)
- For more than 3 people, add 50% for each additional family member
- Have health insurance with full coverage in Spain
- If the family member is of legal age, provide a criminal record certificate from their country of residence for the last 5 years
- Not pose a threat to public order (verification of no criminal record + police report)
Can you work in Spain while studying with a student card?
Yes, it is totally possible to work in Spain with your student visa, as long as you are taking higher-education studies.
If your student visa was issued after August 16, 2022, you can work automatically with this visa for a maximum of 30 hours per week, without having to do any extra paperwork (the card itself already authorizes you to work).
On the other hand, as a foreign student in Spain, you have 4 different options to work in the country once you finish and fully complete your studies.
These are ways to modify your student visa.
Below you can find this list, but if you would like to know how to get a work permit in Spain as a student, you can find a complete guide here.
Residence to Internship
After completing your studies, you can apply for a residence permit for internships (again, if you studied a higher-educaiton course).
This residence permit is obtained through an internship contract with a company, or an internship agreement under the academic institution that you completed your studies in.
Thus, the duration of this residency is directly linked to the duration of the internship contract or agreement.
You can read more about how to apply for this residency here.
You can intern with a visa for students in Spain.
Residence Authorization Modification
After finishing your higher-education studies (and 60 days before the expiration date of your student card) you will be able to change your student visa to a work permit.
This basically means that you can jump from a student visa to a work permit easily:
- If you are going to work for someone (por cuenta ajena), you will need to find a job offer that enables you to work 30 hours per week for one year.
- If you are going to become a self-employed individual (por cuenta propia), you will need to submit your business plan in which you detail the business idea you would like to execute
In addition to modifying to a regular work permit, you have another option, which in this case, although it offers an express resolution in only 20 days, it does require a minimum of time with a visa for studies in order to be obtained.
After one year as a student in Spain, and provided that you find a highly qualified job offer, you can transition to a work permit as a skilled professional.
What is a highly qualified job position? One as a manager or any other technical position, earning a salary over €40,000 per year.
Bear in mind that the permit will be associated with the company you will be working for, not to you.
This means that, if you would like to change your job position or company, you’ll need to apply again for this permit.
Student Visa Modification to Search for a Job
Finally, we find the case of those students who have been in Spain for just one year but who can’t get a job offer regarded as highly-qualified.
There is also a good solution for them.
At the end of 2018, a new law was approved in favor of foreign students.
This law enables you to extend your stay in the country for two years. This time is given to you so you can find a job offer in Spain, with some limitations.
For that, it is essential that your university is on this list. This basically means that it is recognized by the government so you can apply for this visa extension.
Get legal assistance obtaining your student residence permit
If you consider that doing all the required paperwork and submitting it to the competent authorities is something a bit complicated, don’t worry.
Our team of immigration lawyers is here to help you out.
We will manage the whole application procedure so you can get your residence authorization as a foreign student in the country. Furthermore, we will also apply for the residencies of your relatives, so you can come all together.
We will prepare and submit all the documentation (plus assist you with translations and legalizations) so you won’t need to worry about anything. Furthermore, we will advise you on how you can work in the country while studying.
Book a consultation with one of our lawyers and we’ll answer all your questions:
Related content of interest:
- How to find a job in Spain
- Apply for a NIE as a non-resident
- Renew your student visa
- Work permits while on a student visa
At Balcells Group we have been foreigners effortlessly moving to Spain for over 11 years. We help expats from all around the world with their immigration, business, tax and legal needs; ensuring a legally safe and enjoyable transition to the Spanish territory. Our multilingual team understands the importance of adapting to the cultural and legal specificities of our international clients. We offer a comprehensive service that combines the expertise of several generations of lawyers with the innovation needed to address today’s legal challenges, always striving to simplify processes and ensure reliable, effective results.
Good afternoon! I am a Georgian citizen who will be applying for a Student Residence soon. My questions is before/during the application process, as it is all done online nearly. Would I be able to leave the EU to fly to Georgia or Russia, as long as I am back before the 90 days expire? e.g. I would like to go visit family over the weekend, would that be possible? I have dual nationality, so i’d fly back with my Russian Passport and come back into Spain with my Georgian one.
Hi George,
During the application process, if you want to leave the country, you need to request something called “autorización de regreso”. This will enable you to enter again without any problem.
Regards!
Hello good day there is an account in Spain that a woman is the holder of the account and I am the Authorization can I use this account for my study Visa and also my school as resume already since last month hope I have no issue with the consula about that????
Hi!
You must be the holder of the account with the required amount of money.
Hello. My tourist visa expires in 30 days. I’m applying for a student visa now. During the application process if it takes more than 30 days it means I will be in Spain illegally? And if my application declined should I pay some fine etc because my Schengen tourist visa has expired and I break the law?
In order to apply for the student visa while you are in Spain, you should do it during the 60 first days of your stay in Spain. Otherwise, the application will be rejected in Barcelona.
Depending on the city where you are applying, it can take up to 2 months to get the resolution of the student visa. During this time, of course, if it takes more than 90 days you will be irregular. In case the application is rejected you can go back to your hometown.
Hello, I have a multiple 1,5 year touristic schengen visa and now I am at barcelona from last 2 (around 60 days), So do I have time to start my student application process and residence permit now?
You need to submit all the documents before the last 30 tourist visa days.
Hallo. I am a South African citizen and I want to study the Spanish language in Spain. What are the minimum hours per week that I need to attend class in order to apply for the student visa?
Hi Tanya,
The course must be a minimum of 20 hours per week.
Hello I am from India currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Architecture and I want to do an unpaid internship in Barcelona. So what will be the procedure required for getting resident permit for 6 months.
Hi,
If you would like to do an internship you need to get the student visa (as explained in this article). So the first step is to find a university, then trough them you can enroll in the internship.
Hello , my daughter is already a student in Barcelona and have already a student visa , tie and bank account . She is ending the first semester and would like to have a break of 3 months to start another one. She would like to come back home for this 3 months . And be back in June when the classes start again . Is it ok ?
In case she wants to continue studying a course that was not the one submitted at the consulate to get the student visa, she must go back to her country and ask for another student visa.
Hi! Really useful guide but I still have one question: when providing proof of means of financial support, what do I actually need to send? How should I demonstrate that I have sufficient economic funds?
Thank you very much!
Lucas
In order to assess what would be your best option, it would be ideal to have a consultation with you so that one of the lawyers can advise you taking into account your case. You can send an email to [email protected]