Spanish Study Visa

Book your Study Visa Appointment 

You can submit your visa application up to 120 days in advance (from your programme start date). Check the Spanish Embassies and Consulates around the world and find an office closest to your residence. You may be required to book an appointment at the embassy/consulate to submit your application, so this should be done as soon as you are enrolled in your programme.

If you are allowed to travel to Spain without a visa for a period of 90 days or have a Schengen tourist visa for the same period, you can convert your tourist visa into a Spanish study visa directly from Spain. In this case, please contact our admissions team for more information. 

Gather all the neccessary Documents

Check the Spanish Embassy / Consulate website in your country of residence for the full list of required documents required to obtain a Spanish study visa as this usually varies from country to country. You will be required to provide Spanish translation and legalisation of some documents. Required documents generally include:

1. ESEI Enrolment Letter
2. Official Spanish Study Visa application form
3. Passport or Travel document valid in Spain
4. Permission from parents or legal guardians for minors (for students under 18 years of age)
5. Financial Means to cover tuition and living expenses. Typically students have the following amounts in their bank accounts at least 6 months before their student visa application: 
   1. Bachelor – €19,000 per year
   2. International MBA – €20,000 per year   
   3. Other Masters – €16,000 per year
6. Health Insurance valid in Spain. Typically students obtain insurance from:
   1. Atlantida Health Insurance
   2. Swisscare LTD Insurance
7. Medical Certificate
8. Police Report from countries of residence over the past 5 years
9. Evidence of Accommodation in Spain

Submit your Visa Application

On the appointment date, you will have to submit all required documents and be prepared for a possible interview. You will be required to pay an application visa fee at this point, so make sure to know the methods of payments accepted by the Embassy. 

Notice and Pick up

You should receive notice of the decision taken on your visa application within 2 weeks to 1 month from your visa application submission. In some cases, the embassy/consulate may take longer to provide a decision. If the answer is positive, you will receive a 90-day Spanish study visa on your passport, and you will be required to get your Spanish student residence card (which will replace the visa on your passport) upon arrival in Spain. If the answer is negative, you will be informed of the reasons why you were denied your visa and will have the option to reapply or appeal your case. 

Get your Spanish Student Residence Card in Spain

Upon your arrival to Spain, you will need to register yourself as a resident in Barcelona at the nearest Citizen Help and Information Offices (OAC) (this process is called “empadronamiento” in Spanish) and afterwards book an appointment on the government website to get your student residence card. Your card which is called a TIE (Tarjeta de Indentidad del Extranjero) is normally issued after a month processing your fingerprint and submitting the following required documents:

• For Empadronamiento:
  • Passport or travel document
  • Official Empadronamiento Registration form
  • Rental agreement of your apartment (Original and Copy). If the rental agreement is not in your name, you will need to get an authorisation from the rentee.
• For Getting your Student Residence Card:
  • ESEI Enrolment Letter
  • EX-17 Official Application form
  • Passport or travel document
  • Proof of payment of the fee needed to process your card
  • A recent passport size colour photograph, with a white background
  • Evidence of home registration (empadronamiento) in Barcelona
    

With a valid student residence card (TIE), you will be allowed to work for up to 30hrs a week on a job contract, take on an internship, and travel to countries within the Schengen region.