If you would like to attend a Spanish course at our school in Barcelona of over 12 weeks duration, you will require a visa (unless you are a citizen of a European Union country). You must obtain this visa before travelling to Spain, as the visa cannot be obtained after your arrival in Spain.
You should apply for your visa to the Spanish Consulate in your country with jurisdiction over your state. Spanish Consulates will not accept visa applications from applicants who do not live within the jurisdiction of that consulate. Visit the following website to find which is the Spanish Consulate with jurisdiction over your state: http://www.exteriores.gob.es
Applications will often not be accepted more than 90 days before you are due to travel, or less than 45 days before your departure date. It may take 4 weeks or longer to process your application. You should check this with your local Spanish Consulate.
It depends on the Spanish Consulate of your country. You should take a Money Order for this amount with you, made payable to the Consulate General of Spain, when you go to the Consulate to apply for your student visa. Personal checks are unfortunately not accepted. This visa processing fee is non-refundable.
Visas are often only issued for an initial period of 3 months. If you are staying in Spain for longer than this, you should go to your nearest police station, in Spain, directly after your arrival, to extend your visa. Please ask in reception for detailed information.
Yes, you need to submit all the necessary documentation in person. This requirement is only sometimes waived in the case of parents applying for a child, but if applying for a child, you should check with the Consulate first, to see if this is the case.
You should take the following documentation with you to the Spanish Consulate, when you apply for your visa:
(i) Leave enough time for your visa to be issued
Due to the high demand for visas, it can take a long time for your local Spanish Consulate to issue your visa. So, be sure to allow enough time for this process. We would advise you to contact your local Spanish Consulate to ask them how long the visa application is likely to take.
(ii) You will need to leave your passport with the Spanish Consulate whilst your visa application is being processed.
It is not normally difficult to obtain a student visa to study in Spain, provided you supply the Spanish Consulate with all the necessary documentation, and provided that you allow sufficient time for the visa application process to be completed.