Proof of funds for a Spanish student visa: what to show and how

How much money you need for a Spanish student visa

The requirement is set out in article 35 of the regulation (Real Decreto 1155/2024): the applicant must have the means to live in Spain and return home without relying on social assistance. For a student this is 100% of IPREM per month; for family members coming with them, 75% of IPREM for the first and 50% for each additional one [1].

IPREM (indicador público de renta de efectos múltiples) is the index Spain uses for benefits and income thresholds. It is €600 per month: this is the figure from Ley 31/2022, and SEPE gives the same €600 on its page of 2026 amounts, next to the minimum wage [3][4].

The consulate in Moscow gives the same percentages and adds that the student or their representative must show funds for the stay and the return journey [2].

How to calculate the total for the length of your studies

An illustrative example to show the logic, not a calculation for your case. A student without family, visa for 12 months: €600 × 12 = €7,200. A student and one family member: (€600 + €450) × 12 = €12,600. A student and two: (€600 + €450 + €300) × 12 = €16,200.

The regulation does not say where the multiplier of 12 comes from. Article 35 says “mensualmente” and says nothing about the period. For no lucrativa, article 62 states explicitly that the monthly amount is multiplied by the length of the permit [1]. There is no such rule for study, and the consulate may base the calculation on the length of the permit, the length of the visa or something else. We have found no official clarification: check with the consulate responsible for you.

For comparison: no lucrativa requires 400% of IPREM per month for the applicant, i.e. four times as much as the student visa [1]. Amounts cannot be carried over from one route to another. On the other route: financial means for no lucrativa.

What is not included in the amount you prove and what reduces it

Tuition fees do not count: money that goes towards paying for the course or programme is not counted as living funds [1]. You need both sets of evidence: payment on one side, living funds on the other.

The regulation includes a proviso: you do not need to show the living amount if you prove that accommodation for the whole stay has been paid in advance. The consulate in Moscow puts it more cautiously: the amount is “reduced” [1][2]. Exactly what proof is accepted, for example a contract with a student residence and a payment receipt, depends on the consulate.

Which funds are accepted

The regulation lists sources by way of example: grants, aid and scholarships, a current employment contract or a firm job offer if the permit allows work, and, for school exchange programmes, a statement from the centre that it will cover the costs [1]. The words “among other sources” show that the list is open.

The consulate in Moscow specifies the format for personal money: your own funds or your parents’ funds are proven with a bank certificate and a statement of transactions for the last three months [2]. The page says nothing about other formats, such as an account of a sponsor who is not a parent. If the money belongs to someone else, attach a document showing their relationship to you and that they are willing to support you, and check with the consulate whether that is enough.

Proof of income from work in Spain before entry is only possible with a job offer, and for higher education the right to work is included automatically, provided the work is compatible with studies and does not exceed 30 hours a week [1]. The page does not say whether the consulate in Moscow accepts such offers as evidence.

How to prepare the bank certificate and statement

1. Choose an account in the student’s or the parents’ name. It is better not to use an account of a third person: you would have to prove their link to you separately.
2. Order a bank certificate confirming the balance, signed or stamped, and a statement of transactions for the last three months [2].
3. If the document is not in Spanish, it needs a translation; foreign documents are submitted with an apostille or legalisation and a translation [2]. The consulate does not say explicitly whether this applies to a private bank’s certificate: check before ordering translations.
4. Check the amounts in the account currency. The regulation does not name an exchange rate for converting into euros: note the rate and the date in a covering letter.
5. If the money arrived in the account shortly before you apply, prepare an explanation of where it came from: the consulate may request additional documents and information [1].

It is best to prove funds when the money is already in the account and will stay there for the whole processing period. On the other documents in detail: documents for a student visa.

Do you need to show the funds again on renewal?

Yes. For renewing a study stay, article 55 of the regulation requires you to keep meeting the conditions that gave you the right to the permit: a valid passport, living funds under the article 35 rule and health cover, and no threat to public order [1]. The renewal is filed within the two months before the permit expires, and for higher education up to two renewals are allowed [1]. So proof of funds is prepared twice: for the visa and for each renewal. If the student works under the permit, the health requirement is considered met by registration with the Seguridad Social [1]. On the procedure itself: renewal of a study estancia.

The amount must be recalculated if IPREM changes: it is currently €600 per month, but it depends on the budget law [3][4].

Common mistakes

• Counting tuition as part of living funds: under the regulation these are separate amounts [1].
• Showing €600 once instead of for each month of the stay.
• Forgetting the additional amounts for family members: their documents are filed together, and funds are calculated for everyone [1][2].
• Attaching a statement from a banking app instead of a bank certificate with a signature or stamp [2].
• Using money from a person whose relationship or consent you cannot prove.
• Taking as the rule an amount a friend quoted for another programme or another country: the route, the consulate and IPREM may differ.

When you need an individual review

An individual review is needed if the money is in an account of relatives who are not your parents, if the family has several members, if the student works, if you want to reduce the amount on the basis of paid accommodation, or if the consulate has already asked for additional documents. The answer depends on your case and the consulate’s current practice: a refusal on funds means you will have to find out exactly what was missing.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona can help you calculate the amount for your family composition, check how the bank certificates and statements look, and put together covering letters. Book: consultation; the general application procedure: student visa to Spain: step by step; service: student visa and estancia; step-by-step timelines in the study route card; other residence routes are compared on the page residence permit in Barcelona.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.