Are the Spanish sunshine and tapas calling your name? If your country of origin is not part of the EU, you will need a visa to stay in Spain for over 90 days. Spain’s long-term national visa or, _visado nacional_, also called a type D visa, allows non-EU citizens to live in the Spain for longer than three months. If you apply for a student visa with Speakeasy, you will be permitted to live in (and enjoy!) Spain for the duration of your long-term Spanish language course.

International students in Barcelona, Spain.
International Speakeasy students enjoying a weekend excursion to the Costa Brava

Are you are planning to move to Spain? You may be wondering if you need a visa at all, and if so, how to get a Spanish student visa. If you are a non-EU citizen (UK, Brazil, Russia, US, China etc…that’s you!) you will need to apply for a student visa. If you’re from a Schengen area country, you’re in luck, you don’t need a student visa to live and study in Spain for a longer period of time.

So, what is the procedure, and what kind of documents will you need? Speakeasy has years of experience helping international students obtain the student visa and is happy to advise.

If your home country is a Schengen area country (all EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland):

Less than 90 days

  • You don’t need a student visa, no need to get a Spanish Identification Number for Foreigners (NIE)


More than 90 days

  • You don’t need a student visa, you will need to get a Spanish Identification Number for Foreigners (NIE).


If your home country is any other country:

Less than 90 days

  • You don’t need a student visa (you may need to apply for a tourist visa to enter Spain)


More than 90 days

  • You will need a student visa type D


Keep in mind that you must enroll in a 20h per week, full-time course, in order to be considered for the student visa. Both Speakeasy’s Accelerated long-term course and Immersive long-term course meet this requirement.

Where can you apply for the Spanish student visa? Either while in Spain directly in the immigration office, or before you arrive, in the Spanish consulate in your home country.

July 28th, 2023

Posted in Learn Spanish, Moving to Barcelona

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