The student visa is a residence authorization that allows non-European Union citizens to stay in Spain while they study in public or private educational centers, carry out research in Spain or participate in a training program. To be more specific, it is for those who are enrolled in a training course, bachelor’s, master’s, or postgraduate degree in Spain.
Types of student visas
There are two types of student visa that depend on the duration of the course or studies. The short-term student visa is for those whose course or studies is only between 90 to 180 days, while the long-term visa is for those whose studies is more than 6 months. It is only if you have applied for a long-term visa that you will be issued a residence card. The visas are valid for one or two years and the expiration date on your card and the completion of your course will not necessarily coincide. Should you need to stay longer than the expiration date of your visa, you can apply for a student card extension at the nearest police immigration office.
How to apply for a student visa
To apply for a student visa, you will need to submit certain documents and requirements. The first is that you need to submit the acceptance letter issued by the university or educational center in Spain, then you will have to show proof that you have sufficient funds to stay in Spain for the one or two years duration of your stay. This amount should be a minimum of €600 per month. While studying in Spain, you must have private or public health insurance with full coverage in Spain. For short term study visas, you must also show round-trip plane tickets to and from your country of origin. For a master’s or postgraduate degree, you will need to show a certified true copy of your diploma from your previous university.
According to the latest Spanish Immigration Law, you can apply for a student visa from your country of origin at the Spanish consulate or while you are in Spain and have a tourist visa. In the latter case, you must apply for the student visa 90 days before the start of your studies in Spain and no less than 30 days before. A student visa will be issued to you within a month.
You can work in Spain but only under an internship program that is related to your studies and compulsory and where there is a formal agreement between the academic institution and the company you will work for.