What can I do with a student visa in Spain?

Does this sound like you?

  • You want to learn Spanish

  • You want to spend more than 90 days in Spanish

  • You want to live in a city like Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Granada or Toledo

  • You want visa-free travel opportunities through 27 European countries for up to 12 months (and more)

Then the Spain student visa is your ticket to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. However, navigating the application process can be complex. A simple mistake could lead to lengthy delays. You could be waiting for months – and miss the start date of a Spanish course or study program you’ve already paid for. Don’t make that mistake!

To help, we’ve asked our international student advisors to create this list of 9 requirements to get a student visa in Spain.

If you’re looking for Spanish courses in Barcelona, then you can contact one of our student advisors for personalized support. Otherwise, read on for all you need to know!

What is the Spain student visa? 

If you want to study in Spain for more than 90 days and you’re not an EU citizen then you need a student visa (visado de estancia por estudios).

There are two kinds of student visa in Spain:

  • Type D (4-6 months)

  • Open Type D (6-12 months)

The long-term Spain student visa lets you apply for a Foreigner’s Identity Card (TIE).

The TIE is a residency permit that lets you live in your chosen city for the duration of your course (but you’ll need to renew it every 12 months).

Who can apply for a student visa in Spain?

You can apply for the Spain student visa to pursue the following studies:

  • Full-time studies (min. 20h/ week) at an accredited Spanish educational institution that will result in a degree, diploma or certificate

  • Doctoral studies at a Spanish university or educational institution

  • High school (secondary or middle school) exchange programs with an accredited educational institution or scientific center

You can apply for the student visa in Spain for activities related to:

  • Internships or traineeships at public or private entities

  • Serving as a teaching assistant

  • Volunteer services 

  • Au pair programs

  • Training activities 

Your nationality determines the application procedure.

For example, anyone from Canada, United Kingdom or the United States can visit Spain for up to 90 days without any visa – and apply for a student visa after arriving.

Citizens from China, Russia or South Africa must apply for a short-stay or student visa before arriving in Spain. 

(See the FAQ section for a full list of countries.)

How long is the student visa valid in Spain?

You’ve already seen the two kinds of student visa in Spain:

  • Short-term visa (4-6 months)

  • Long-term visa (6-24 months)

But there are three things to know about the long-term visa:

  1. You can’t apply for a long-term visa until you’re accepted at an accredited Spanish educational institution (and paid for your course in advance)

  2. The limit on the Spain student visa is 12 months with the possibility of renewing from within Spain

  3. You can extend your Spain student visa 60 days before it expires and 90 days after it ends – we recommend renewing it 60 days after it ends at the latest

For example:

You could apply for a student visa to study Spanish in Barcelona at Speakeasy BCN, study for 12 months and then extend your visa with another long-term Spanish course for 12 months more. 

You could even extend your student visa again to get a Master’s qualification.

All of this is possible once you get your Spain student visa.

What are the 9 Spain student visa requirements?

There are 9 requirements to get a long-term student visa in Spain:

  1. You must not be an EU, EEA or citizen of Switzerland

  2. You must not be from a country forbidden to enter Spain 

  3. You must be undertaking an activity that merits the student visa

  4. You must have gained acceptance at an accredited educational institution in Spain for a full-time program (min. 20h/ week) which results in a degree, diploma or certificate

  5. You must prove sufficient financial means to meet the costs of your stay and return to your country

  6. You must have public or private health insurance with a company authorized to operate in Spain

  7. You must have completed the visa application form

  8. You must not have a criminal record in Spain or your country of residence in the last 5 years for offenses existing in Spanish law

  9. You must prove with a medical certificate that you do not suffer from diseases with serious public health implications (according to the 2005 International Health Regulations)

Note – points 8 and 9 are only applicable if the student is staying longer than 6 months.

Depending on your nationality, your Spanish consulate may have additional requirements such as proof of residence in your district.

How long does it take to get a student visa to spain?

The Spain student visa processing time is usually one month.

However, it depends if you’re applying from your home country in advance or from within Spain.

  • If you apply from your home country the processing time is 2-4 weeks

  • If you apply from within Spain the processing time can be 3-6 months.

Because of high demand for the student visa in cities like Barcelona our student advisors find it can take longer to get a response.

But if you’ve already submitted an application within Spain you can legally overstay your 3-month tourist visa while your student visa is ‘in process’. We recommend you do not travel while your student visa is being processed.

If you apply from your home country, our student advisors recommend you give yourself at least two months before your start date to apply for a student visa.

Spanish consulates around the world accept student visa applications any time from 90 days before the course starts. 

If you apply from within Spain, the application must be submitted with at least 30 days remaining on your tourist visa.

How to get a student visa for Spain?

The Spain student visa application procedure depends on whether you’re applying from your home country or from within Spain as a tourist.

This is the procedure if you’re applying from your home country:

  1. Download, fill in and print out the Spain student visa application form. Click here to see the application form (in English) for all consulates.

  2. Request an appointment at the diplomatic mission or consular office in your country. You can find a global list of Spanish embassies and consulates here.

  3. Pay the visa fee. The fee is set by your nearest Spanish embassy or consulate.

  4. Hand in the application form and additional documents required. This includes the acceptance letter from an accredited Spanish educational institution, confirmation of medical insurance, proof of financial means, medical certificate, criminal record certificate, passport photos and valid passport.

  5. Within 2-4 weeks you should receive notification of your Spain student visa’s acceptance. Go and receive or collect your visa.

If you’re applying from within Spain you have two options:

  1. Get a lawyer. Your lawyer will have an online portal in which they can submit all your documents online, keep up with your application and check for updates.

  2. Do it yourself. You will need to email your nearest Foreigner’s Office (Oficina de Extranjería) and get an appointment. Download, fill in and print out the Spain student visa application form (you can find the Modelo EX00 application form here in Spanish). Attend your appointment, hand in the application form and additional documents required. This includes the acceptance letter from an accredited Spanish educational institution, confirmation of medical insurance, proof of financial means, medical certificate, criminal record certificate, passport photos and valid passport.

When applying within Spain, it can take 3-6 months to receive notification of your Spain student visa’s acceptance. 

If you’re looking to take a Spanish course in Barcelona then a student advisor at Speakeasy BCN can assist your Spain student visa application. Our student advisors do not apply on your behalf, but we can give you everything you need to make a successful application, and we can refer you to a lawyer if necessary.

What do I do after arriving in Spain? 

If you have a short-term Spain student visa then this step doesn’t apply.

If you have a long-term Spain student visa then you need to apply for your Foreigner Identity Card (TIE) within 30 days of arriving in Spain.

Here’s the procedure:

  1. Make an appointment at your nearest Policía Nacional station. You must book your appointment online before going – or have a student advisor assist on your behalf.

  2. Download, print out and fill in the TIE card application form. You can find the Modelo EX17 application form here in Spanish.

  3. Attend your appointment, hand in the application and additional documents required. This includes your passport, a photocopy of the passport page with your long-term Spain student visa and stamp of arrival, your proof of residence in Spain (empadronamiento) and 2 recent passport-sized photos. 

  4. Fill out the TIE card tax form and pay the fee in advance. You can find the TASA 790 codigo 012 application form and pay online here.

  5. Within 30-45 days your TIE card will be ready to pick up at the same Policía Nacional station where you made the application. Go and collect it. You must take your passport and your temporary approval document.

Who can I contact for assistance in getting a student visa for Spain?

Speakeasy BCN is a top-rated Spanish language school in Barcelona. As well as offering Spanish courses in Barcelona we’re also a fully accredited educational institution with the Cervantes Institute. A letter of acceptance from us is sufficient to apply for a Spain student visa. To help you, we include student visa support for all of our long-term Spanish courses.

  • Yes, you can apply for a Spain student visa after arriving in Spain. However you must submit your application when you have at least 30 days of legal residence remaining (e.g. on your tourist visa or short-stay Schengen visa). You can see a list of countries which need the Schengen visa before visiting Spain below.


  • Yes, you can bring your family with you on a Spain student visa.

    The family members who may accompany you include:

    • Your spouse or unmarried partner

    • Children who are minors or who have a disability

    In most cases, the student needs to get the student visa first and then the spouse can apply to accompany the student. But please note – each consulate has its own application requirements. We recommend you contact your nearest Spanish embassy or consulate for more information.


  • You are permitted to come to Spain up to 14 days before your student visa starts.

  • If you are already one of our students or you have studied at another language school, you can prolong your student visa with Speakeasy.

  • If you are already one of our students or you have studied at another language school, you can prolong your student visa with Speakeasy for a minimum of 3 months.

  • Yes and no. You’re not permitted to work right away with a long-stay student visa for Spain. You must find a sponsor first, and then you can get a part-time job while you complete your studies in Spain. After your study course finishes, you can apply separately for a full-time work visa if you wish to continue living and working in Spain – but you must have a sponsor. We recommend you contact the nearest consulate in your home country for more information.


  • Yes, the payment for the course must be in full and in paid in advance.This way your spot for the duration of the whole course will be reserved. It is also a requirement by the embassy if you are applying for a student visa.

  • Yes, we provide the necessary documents you will need from Speakeasy to apply for your student visa in Spain. Since additional documents required for application depend on the country you´re coming from we suggest getting in touch with the embassy in the city you will be applying in. For more information please see our student visa page.

  • Our student advisors recommend you apply for your Spain student visa at least 90 days before the start date of your course or study program.

  • The length of the process depends on the Spanish embassy in your home country. Embassies require making an appointment in advance, so give yourself time for this. Once you have had your appointment and turned in your application at the embassy it should take between 2-4 weeks to receive a response about your student visa application.

  • The Spain student visa cost depends on the Spanish embassy or consular office where you apply. For example, in the Consulate of Spain in Los Angeles the cost is €160. You should check prices at the embassy or consulate nearest to you. You can find a global list of Spanish embassies and consulates here.


  • You need to prove your financial means as part of the Spain student visa application. The required amount is equivalent to 100% of Spain’s Public Multiple Effects Income Indicator (IPREM) for the duration of your stay. At the time of writing, the IPREM in Spain is €600 per month. So if your course of study is 12 months then you need to prove financial means equivalent or greater than €600 x 12 = €7,200. If you have already paid for accommodation covering the duration of your stay, this will be dedicated from the minimum amount required.


  • Yes, you can apply for a student residence permit (estancia por estudios) within Spain. Make sure you have more than 30 days of your legal stay in Spain when applying for student residence permit from within Spain. For more detailed information check our our student visa page.

  • Yes, there is a Spain student visa application form online. You can find the Modelo EX00 application form here in Spanish. But please note – our student advisors have not seen one student successfully manage to apply for a Spanish student visa online. Bureaucracy in Spain is complex, and the laws are not always clear.

    To save yourself time, we recommend you do one of two things:

    • Apply for the Spain student visa at the nearest Spanish consulate in your home country

    • Apply for the Spain student visa with the help of a lawyer or a Speakeasy BCN student advisor from within Spain

  • From Speakeasy you will need an invitation letter, the receipt stating that the course has been paid in full, the school accreditation from Instituto Cervantes and our CASA program.

  • If your visa gets denied, we are happy to postpone your start date if you would like to apply again. Otherwise, you can send us the official denial letter, and with this, we will refund you the full price of your long-term course minus a €250 administration fee.

  • Type D student visas allow stays in Spain for between 6 months-24 months.


    There exist two types:

    • Type D (4-6 months)

    • Open Type D (6-24 months)

    The type D student visa for Spain does not allow you to get a Foreigner’s Identity Card (TIE). But the open type D student visa for Spain lets you stay for between 6-12 months and receive a TIE card which acts as a legal residence permit and ID card. Both types of Spain student visa can be renewed.


  • The NIE number is your identification number here in Spain and you can get it from the local police station. The reception issues an assistance document for further steps.

  • There exist two types of student visas in Spain:

    • Type D (4–6 months)

    • Open Type D (6-12 months)

    You can extend either Spain student visa, so long as you meet requirements and continue with the same or related studies.


  • What’s the processing time for a student visa in Spain? The Spain student visa processing time is usually one month. If you’re applying from within Spain, the processing time can be as long as 3–6 months due to high demand among international students. IN the meantime, you will not be illegal in the country. Your visa status will be ‘in process’ – but we recommend you do not leave Spain until you have received your visa.


  • The European Regulation 2018/1806, of November 14, 2018 includes in its Annex II the countries whose nationals don’t need to apply for a visa for stays of up to three months. 

    These countries include:

    Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Barbados, Brunei, Brazil, Bahamas, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Micronesia, Grenada, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Saint Kitts and Nevis, South Korea, Saint Lucia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nauru, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Palau, Paraguay, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia [excluding holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Serbian: Koordinaciona uprava)], Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Singapore, San Marino, El Salvador, East Timor, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Holy See, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, Vanuatu, Samoa.

    The countries who need a Schengen visa before entering Spain include:

    Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Bolivia, Bhutan, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar/Burma, Mongolia, Mauritania, Maldives, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, São Tomé and Príncipe, Syria, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.


If you have more questions, take a look at our complete FAQs page.

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