Student visa
(with the option to work part-time)
General information
Student Visa General Information
Through the Spanish consulate of the applicant’s country of origin.
Or at the local foreign office where the studies take place. The applicant must be in Spain on a regular basis, with a tourist visa valid for 3 months. Thus, the applicant may apply for the student visa during the first two months of their tourist visa.
The application can be presented individually, through authorised representation or online.
The requirements for the student visa are:
- Fulfillment of all of the entry requirements.
- Acceptance into an officially recognized Spanish teaching or scientific centre, public or private, to carry out or extend studies. The timetable of the course must be indicated which implies attendance and a study plan.
- In the case of students who are minors and who are not accompanied by parents or legal guardians, authorization from their guardians will be required for their relocation to Spain in order to study. The name of the centre and the period of the stay must be indicated.
- The necessary economic means to be able to pay for course and accommodation costs and return journey to country of origin and, if applicable, for family members, must be guaranteed.
Procedure
The application for a student visa must be presented at the Spanish diplomatic mission or the Spanish consular office in the country where the foreigner resides or at the local foreign office where the student visa will be applied for. This must be accompanied by a valid 3 month tourist visa. In the case of minors the application should be presented in person by their parents or guardians or an accredited representative.
Upon requesting the student visa the applicants must present documents which accredit the following:
- Validity of the passport or travel document for the entire period of the visa.
- Acceptance into an officially recognised public or private teaching centre.
- The content of the study programme that they plan to carry out.
- Medical insurance which covers, for the entire duration of their stay in Spain, the medical costs and costs of repatriation associated with an accident or sudden illness.
- The availability of funds for subsistence and accommodation for the period requested and, if necessary, to guarantee the return to the country of origin.
- In the case of minors, the corresponding parental or legal authorization.
In the case of the duration of studies exceeding six months the following is also required:
- A medical certificate.
- In the case of applicants who are above the legal criminal age, a criminal record check.
The Consulate or Embassy may require the presence of the applicant, and where considered necessary, to attend an interview.
The Embassy or Consulate will make a decision about the application and will, in the case of it being successful, issue the student visa within a month.
In the event of the acceptance of the application, the applicant should collect the visa within a period of two months from notification.
If the duration of the stay for studies exceeds six months, the applicant must apply for the corresponding foreign student card within a period of one month after entry into Spain.
Renewal
Student visa renewal
The authorization to remain in the country for study purposes may be extended annually if the applicant is able to show:
- That they continue to comply with the established requirements for obtaining the student visa.
- That they have passed the tests or requirements in order to continue their studies.
The extension of the visa must be requested no less than sixty days prior to expiry date.
Work
Is it possible to work with a student visa?
Those who have the corresponding student visa may to be authorized to carry out paid work activities, once the employer presents a job authorization application and the following requirements are met:
- That the worker is guaranteed a continuous activity.
- That the company has formalised its inscription in the corresponding part of the Social Security system, and that they are up to date with the fulfillment of their tax and social security requirements.
- That the conditions stipulated in the job offer comply with the established guidelines for the particular field, professional activity and location.
- That the person holds the appropriate qualifications, officially approved where necessary, or that they have appropriate training for carrying out of the profession.
- That the foreign workers are not in Spain illegally.
The aforementioned activities should be compatible with the studies that they are carrying out.
It is not necessary to request authorization for those practices (in public or private entities) which form part of the study plan for which the student visa was granted.
Contracts should be formalized in writing and should adapt to a part time working contract.
The issued authorization will not be limited geographically, except if it coincides with teaching periods, in which case it will be limited to the residential area of the visa holder.
The validity of the authorization will not be longer than that of the visa or study permit.
Work permits will be renewed if there is no change in the circumstances in which it was originally issued, as long as the student visa renewal authorization has been obtained.
From student residence to work residence
From the situation of study visa to residence and work.
Foreigners in Spain on authorization to study can obtain residence and permission to work without having to request a visa, when the employer presents a request for authorization to reside and work, and they also can prove that;
- They have remained in Spain for at least three years on a student visa.
- They have carried out their studies or research correctly.
- They have not been awarded a grant or scholarship by any public or private organization within cooperation or development programmes in their country of origin.
The student who requests this may also request permission for residence for their family members.
The authorization for residence or for work and residence will have the consideration of initial authorization. The effectiveness of the residence and work authorization will be conditioned by the affiliation and inscription into the Social Security system which must be carried out within a month of the applicant being notified. Having complied with this condition, the authorization will commence its validity and within a month the worker should apply for the foreign identity card.
The authorization for work and residence, and where applicable, the authorization for residence for family members, should be applied for during the three months prior to the expiry of the student visa. This application will prolong the validity of their student visa, and where applicable of their family members, until a decision has been made on it.
Long term visa for students’ families
Long term visa for students` families
Foreigners who have applied for a student visa, or who are in Spain on said visa, may apply for the corresponding visas so that their family members (spouse and children or or minors under legal guardianship under the age of 18) may legally enter and remain in Spain for the duration of the study period. They may apply for the aforementioned visas at the same time as the application for the student visa or at any time during the period of validity of the visa.
The family members of the holder of the student visa may legally remain in Spain during the same period with the same conditions and rights as those stipulated in the student visa. If their stay is longer than six months they should apply for the corresponding foreign student card within a month of arriving in Spain.
The family members will not have the right to apply for work authorisation.
Brochure
