Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Great weather, beautiful beaches and warm open-minded people are typical characteristics for the country on the Iberian Peninsula.
Apart from these qualities, Spain is certainly a famous center for excellent universities, affordable education and of course, learning Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world.
Europeans and students from the Schengen Area, including Switzerland, do not require a student visa to study or train in Spain. However, one of the big challenges for non-Europeans to study in Spain is to obtain a Spanish student visa.
What is the Spanish student visa?
Suppose you are an international student who is planning to study in Spain for longer than 3 months. In that case, yo have to apply for a Spanish student visa before you are allowed to enter the country. (Exception: Some countries have a bilateral agreement with Spain and student can enter the country on a tourist visa and change it for a student visa whilst in Spain)
With this multiple entry visa, you are able to study, live and work part-time in Spain for the duration of your studies. Once obtained, you can freely travel border-less within the European Union and the Schengen Countries.
The student visa is issued by the Spanish Consulate or Spanish Embassy in your home country and once in Spain, will be transformed into a residence permit, which is renewed every 12 months throughout your study stay in Spain.
With a Spanish student visa, you can work part-time up to 20 hours per week and even 40 hours when there are no lectures – like during summer break. The primary purpose of your stay should however, be the full-time studies.
How to apply for a Spanish student visa?
We advise you to start this process as early as possible. Usually, the entire visa application including processing the documents, takes between 2-3 months. During this time you will need to prepare many legal documents, which will require translations and legalizations. The Spanish Consulate or Embassies in your country will process the visa applications.
Requirements to get a Spanish student visa?
Before you schedule an appointment at the Spanish Embassy in your country there are a few documents you need to have ready. These visa preparation documents highly vary per nationality and sometimes even per State Department of your country. See here a list of requirements that usually need to be presented.
- National visa application form
- Biometric images
- Passport with expiry date at least 6 months past the date you are applying for
- Health Insurance Letter from Spanish provider
- Medical Examination, following the current requirements of the Spanish Health Association
- Accommodation Letter
- Bank statement, showing that you can financially sustain yourself during your whole stay in Spain (this amount varies every year, contact us for the up-to-date requirements)
- Invitation and offer letter from a Spanish academic institution
- Visa fees paid
Most of these documents need to be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator and legalized by the notary or Spanish authorities, depending on your country of origin.
LEAP has a visa success rate of >95%. Contact one of you educational experts to enlarge your visa acceptance chance.
