Spain
Student visa for Spain: documents, fees and steps
Study · 217 nationalities · any residence · ordinary passport
Verified on 7 October 2026
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Documents requested
Valid passport or travel document, recognized as valid in Spain, with a minimum validity of one yearConditions and details
The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration requires a passport or travel document in force, recognized as valid in Spain, with a validity of at least one year. Generally speaking, copies of the documents are attached to the application and the originals are presented at the time of submission.National visa application form (« solicitud de visado nacional »), to be downloaded from the website of the Spanish consular postConditions and details
The « Visado nacional » pages of the Spanish consular posts direct to the national visa application form, used for study, work or residence visas. It can be downloaded from the page of the post that receives the application.Proof of admission to a recognised higher education institution (or an authorised centre for post-compulsory secondary education) and of payment of the enrolment or tuition feesConditions and details
For higher education, the student must have been admitted by a recognised higher education institution to a full-time programme leading to a recognised degree, and must have paid the enrolment fees. For post-compulsory secondary education, he must be admitted to an authorised centre in Spain, to a full-time programme leading to a recognised qualification. Non-university studies are taken in person or in a hybrid format, with at least 50 % in person.Proof of sufficient financial means for the stay and the return to the country of origin: 100 % of the IPREM per month for the student, plus 75 % for the first family member and 50 % for each subsequent oneConditions and details
The IPREM is the Spanish public indicator of income with multiple effects, taken as the reference. The student provides proof of 100 % of the IPREM for each month, unless he proves that he has paid his accommodation in advance for the entire duration of the stay. For the family members accompanying him, the threshold is 75 % of the IPREM for the first one and 50 % for each of the others, with the same exception. The sums spent on the cost of the studies are not counted.Health insurance taken out with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, with benefits similar to those of the basic common portfolio of the National Health SystemConditions and details
The application file includes proof of health insurance taken out with an insurance company authorized to operate in Spain, whose benefits are similar to those of the basic common coverage of the healthcare services of the National Health System.- Medical certificate attesting the absence of diseases with serious repercussions for public health, within the meaning of the International Health Regulations of 2005This certificate is attached to the application filed from abroad. It is not required when the student applies for a long-term stay authorization while already in Spain.
- Proof of payment of the visa application processing fee, payable at the time of submissionThe visa issuance fee is paid at the time of application, and proof of payment is attached to the file.
Depending on your situation
Criminal record certificate from the country of origin or the country of residence for the last five years, if the stay exceeds six months and if the applicant is of legal age under criminal lawConditions and details
When the duration of the stay exceeds six months and the person is of legal age under criminal law, the application file includes a criminal record certificate issued by the authorities of the country of origin or of the country where the person has resided during the last five years. The stay depends on the duration of the studies; the applicant checks for himself or herself whether the six-month threshold is exceeded.Documents issued abroad: translation into Spanish by a sworn translator, and legalization or apostilleConditions and details
Documents from other countries are translated into Spanish (or into the co-official language of the territory where the application is submitted) by a sworn translator. Any foreign public document must first be legalized by the Spanish consulate competent for the country that issued it, or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, unless it bears the apostille of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 or is exempt from legalization by an international convention.
Steps
- Be admitted to a full-time program leading to a recognized degree at a recognized higher education institution in Spain (or an authorized center for post-compulsory secondary education), and have paid the enrollment fees.
- Assemble the file: passport, medical certificate, proof of financial resources, of health insurance, of admission and of payment of the enrollment fees, criminal record certificate if the stay exceeds six months, proof of payment of the fee.
- Submit the visa application in person (or through a representative) at the Spanish diplomatic or consular post with jurisdiction over the place of residence, at least two months before the start of the studies, and pay the visa fee.
- Wait for the decision: at most one month from the day after submission; without an express response within that period, the application may be considered rejected by administrative silence.
- Collect the granted visa within two months of the notification; failing that, the applicant is deemed to have waived it and the file is closed.
- If the stay exceeds six months: apply in person for the foreigner identity card (TIE) at the police station or police service of the place of residence, within one month of entry into Spain.
Where to apply
- Diplomatic mission or consular office of Spain with jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence: submission of the visa application in person
- “Visado nacional” page on the website of the competent Spanish consular post: application form, table of consular fees and list of documents by visa type
Good to know
Submission in the country of residenceConditions and details
The study visa application is submitted in person at the Spanish diplomatic or consular post with jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence. The applicant may also act through a representative; if the applicant is a minor, his or her parents, guardians or duly accredited representative appear in person.Submission deadlineConditions and details
The application is submitted at least two months before the date on which the studies begin, unless impossibility is justified by specific enrolment dates or by other exceptional grounds.Duration of the authorized stayConditions and details
For higher education, the duration of the long-term residence authorization is equal to the total duration of the studies. For post-compulsory secondary education, it is equal to the duration of those studies, up to a maximum of one year. If the authorization exceeds one year, maintaining its validity requires proving each year, at the beginning of each course, enrolment or ongoing schooling.Working while studyingConditions and details
The residence authorization for higher education allows working as an employee or on a self-employed basis, without any additional procedure, provided that the activity is compatible with the studies and does not exceed 30 hours (except intensive vocational training, governed by sectoral legislation). Exceeding this limit is a cause for termination of the residence authorization. The work authorization is geographically limited to one autonomous community, with the possibility of working in the localities bordering another community.Close relatives of the studentConditions and details
For higher education, the spouse, the registered or stable partner, minor children (or adult children with support needs) and, if the student has a disability or an illness that requires it, the person who supports him or her may apply for their visa at the same time as the student or later, as long as the student still has 90 days of authorization validity remaining. They reside during the same period and are not authorized to work.Extension of the study stayConditions and details
The extension is applied for electronically during the two months preceding the expiration date or the three months following it, justifying the continuation of the studies. Up to two extensions are permitted per authorization, for higher education as well as for post-compulsory secondary education; each is valid for the duration of the course, within the limit of one year.The national visa does not constitute a right of entryConditions and details
A national visa is required of any third-country national who stays in Spain for more than 90 days (over any period of 180 days) in order to study. It allows travel to Spain and movement within the Schengen area for up to 90 days, but does not confer an automatic right of entry: border authorities may refuse entry if not all the legal conditions are met.Service fee of an outsourcing companyConditions and details
Some Spanish consular posts use an outsourcing company to receive applications; its service fee is then added to the visa fee, which is listed in the post's table of consular fees.Other study stays, with other fact sheetsConditions and details
The Ministry of Inclusion publishes separate fact sheets for the school pupil mobility programme, student mobility within the European Union, Andorran nationals and their relatives, and the temporary travel of minors for schooling purposes. They are not described here.Procedures for the foreigner identity cardConditions and details
The documents to be provided for the foreigner identity card (TIE) are published in the Extranjería section of the electronic headquarters of the Ministry of Territorial Policy; appointment requests, payment of the fees and case follow-up are also listed there.
Nationalities covered
This procedure applies to 217 nationalities.
- Afghanistan
- Åland Islands
- Albania
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Antarctica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Bouvet Island
- Brazil
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Caribbean Netherlands
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Christmas Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French Southern Territories
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guernsey
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Pitcairn Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Réunion
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Barthélemy
- Saint Helena
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Sint Maarten
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- U.S. Outlying Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Wallis and Futuna
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Official links
- Hoja 1 - Autorización de estancia de larga duración para la realización de estudios superiores o de educación secundaria postobligatoria. Familiares. Prórroga de la autorización - Migraciones… (new tab) www.inclusion.gob.es
- VISADO NACIONAL (new tab) www.exteriores.gob.es
- Hoja 4 bis - Acceso al empleo de las personas titulares de una autorización de estancia de larga duración por estudios, movilidad de alumnos, servicios de voluntariado o actividades formativas -… (new tab) www.inclusion.gob.es
- Estudiar - Migraciones - Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones (new tab) www.inclusion.gob.es
- Extranjería - Administraciones Públicas (new tab) sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es
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