Foreign students
Information for foreigners students
- Students from the European Union
- Students from outside the European Union
- Accommodation and cost of living
- Other useful information
Students from countries of the European Union must follow an administrative procedure in order to reside in Spain. On arrival, they must register with the Foreign Citizens Register (new procedure) and apply for an NIE (Foreign Citizen Identification Number) in order to carry out economic activity in Spain (open a bank account, collect a scholarship or grant, etc.).
To carry out these procedures, on arrival, students should go to our International Mobility Office (OMI), where they will be provided with the general welcome information pack and specific information on legalizing their academic stay. The OMI will provide advice on everything relating to their situation as students from European Union countries.
Students from outside the European Union :
Visa:
Foreign Students from countries outside the European Union and in which the competent authorities have established that entry into Spain requires a visa should apply for a type-D visa for STUDY (family members also) at their Spanish consulate or embassy.
Students should NOT enter Spain with a tourist visa even though this might be quicker to obtain and allow them to join the courses earlier; the type of visa cannot be modified from within Spain and students will be forced to return to their countries of origin when the tourist visa expires (usually a maximum of three months) in order to apply for the correct visa.
Extension of study visa :
Extension of study visa: On arrival, students from countries outside the European Union who hold a study visa must apply for a residence card for study purposes and an NIE (Foreign Citizen Identification Number).
For the initial application for these documents, the OMI will provide a general welcome information pack and specific information on legalizing their academic stay. Students will also be told which documents are required (forms, certificate of residence, photographs, etc.) and will be told where they need to go.
The study residence card must be applied for within one month of entering Spain, taking into account that the visa is valid for three months. It is therefore important to provide proof of the date of entry into Spain. For this reason, the competent authorities usually stamp the date on the visa. If, for any reason, this date is not indicated on the student’s passport, the student has 72 hours from the time of entry into Spain in which to go to any police station and request a certificate of their date of arrival. To obtain this certificate, students will be asked to present their transport ticket.
The card authorizing the stay, issued by the government provincial subdelegate’s office for these students, is usually valid for one year and if the student’s stay is longer than the initially granted period, renewal of the card must be applied for via the OMI. It is very important to apply for renewal before the card expiresin order to remain legally in Spain.
Travel to other countries by students from outside the European Union :
Authorization to stay in Spain does not imply automatic authorization to travel freely throughout the European Union. International students from OUTSIDE the European Union may not travel to, within or across Europe without a specific permit.
If, once in Spain, students from OUTSIDE the European Union need to travel to another EU country for study reasons, they must apply for the corresponding study visa for the country in question. If travelling for tourism or leisure purposes, students should check with the consulate of the destination country and, if necessary, apply for the corresponding tourist visa in order to be able to return to Spain without difficulties.
Students from outside the European Union may not travel to another country (go on holiday, return to their country of origin, travel for study purposes, etc.) while their temporary residence card is being processed or while it is being renewed due to expiry. Before leaving the country, students must apply for authorization to returnto Spain and should remember that at certain times (Christmas, etc.) there may be a large number of applications and issuing of authorizations may be delayed.
Any queries should be directed to the OMI and the embassy or consulate of the destination country.
As an indication, most Spanish scholarships include a financial grant of between 900 and 1200 euros per month. This amount is sufficient to live in Spain in an apartment shared with other students.
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