TWU PROGRAMS IN SPAIN

Spanish Visa Requirements

Stays up to ninety (90) days do not require a visa, with a valid passport and return/ongoing ticket.

If your program requires a stay in Spain longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a student visa at your nearest Spanish Consulate. 

What is a Student Visa? 
A student visa is not the same as a Passport.  Your Student Visa is a permit which allows you to remain in the host country for a designated amount of time.  When you apply for a student visa you will leave your passport at the office of the consulate, when your student visa application is finalized and approved, your passport will be returned to you and you will find the student visa located on a page within your passport. A visa is an official authorization appended to a passport, permitting entry to study and to travel within a particular country or region.

Start the process today. Some of the documents required by the Spanish Consulate may take several weeks for you to obtain. If your application is incomplete, has required documents missing or is submitted beyond the allowable timeframe, your visa will not be processed. You cannot start applying for a student visa until 90 days before your program begins, and some Consulates will not process your student visa without an appointment made in advance. If the Consulate that you are applying to requires you to make an appointment, please make the appointment as soon as possible. Please also remember that you will be required to apply in person for your visa.

All questions concerning requirements, timelines and procedures for visa applications must be directed to your designated Spanish Consulate. This document contains helpful tips which can serve as a resource; however, the actual requirements vary from Consulate to Consulate and can change at any time. The documentation, timelines and information required of you by the Spanish Consulate supersede any information provided by TWU. TWU cannot guarantee that you will be granted a student visa as it is not within our authority to do so and TWU will not intervene between students and Spanish Consulates or other immigration authorities.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Find the Spanish Consulate for Your Jurisdiction.  A list of Consulates and their Jurisdictions is provided here.

Required Documents

1. Completed Visa Application Form (you need to submit 3 copies of this form, so you will complete a total of 3 identical visa application forms.)  You can download your Visa Application form here:  VISA Application Form You should also download the "Guide For Completing your student visa application form here:  VISA Application Guide

2. 3 passport-size photos. Staple one recent standard passport-size photograph to each copy of your visa application form. Please go to your post office or Kinkos or other store where you can have true passport photos taken.  Do not use your own camera to make these photos.  Also don't make humorous faces in these photos, these are for use in obtaining a student visa and you should try to make a good impression.

3. Valid passport (original + 1 copy).  Passport valid for a minimum of 6 months after the indented date of departure from Spain, with at least one blank page to affix the visa. If your passport is going to expire during your stay or very near to your return date to come back home from the program then you should apply to Renew Your Passport.  Please Note: Your passport must remain at the Consulate.

4.Provide also a copy of either the following: US Driver’s license, US State ID card, Voter’s Registration Card, current Student ID.

5. Sponsorship Acceptance letter: Letter of acceptance as a TWU International Student in Spain.

6. Evidence of funds: Provide proof of full tuition payment and a statement from the US program assuming full financial responsibility for room and board.

7. Return travel tickets or itinerary and proof of payment for tickets.  Most students  have not booked a flight yet.  You may call STA Travel at 1 800 781-4040 and reserve a flight.  While you are not required to make payment on the flight immediately, you will receive a complete itinerary by email which you may print out and submit with your student visa application form.
 

8. Evidence of sufficient funds for stay (Notarized document from Parents)
You can download your Financial Support form here:  Financial Support Form

9. Statement (Letter) from your physician. (original + 1 copy)  Because Spain is a very health conscious nation that is free from contagious diseases the Consulate will require a letter from your physician which states that you are in good physical and mental health, the letter must contain specific wording so be sure to download the Sample Doctor's Letter and take it with you to your doctor's office.  You typically will not need to schedule an actual appointment in order to get the letter if you have seen the physician recently within the last year.  Sometimes the physician's receptionist will be able to print this letter for you an have the doctor sign it.  Be sure to call ahead to let your Doctor's office know that you will be coming in and that you will need to have a letter typed on the Physician's Letterhead, if you have a fax machine you may want to fax a copy of the letter to your doctor's office before you stop by in order to expedite the process. 

10.Police clearance certificates (for any countries of residence during the previous 5 years) Even though you most likely have never even had a traffic ticket, Spain is careful about its procedures for granting student visas.  This is a newer requirement which has been implemented within the last 4 years.  Please call your city hall to ask the procedures required to obtain a Police clearance certificate, in some cities this can be issued same day while in some cities it may take several weeks so be sure to plan ahead.

 11. Visa Application Fee of $100 Payable in Cash or by Money Order (Be prepared, do not take checks or credit cards as they will not be accepted. 

What is the cost of a visa?

$100 Fee

Payable Cash or Money Order