Student visa and study estancia in Spain: a step-by-step route card

Study route card: 10 steps

1. Determine the programme category

   The category determines the age requirement, the right to work, family and the number of renewals. Higher education gives the most options.

   • I know the category: higher education, post-compulsory secondary, school exchange, volunteering, language course or other
   • Checked the minimum age under Article 35: over 17 for university, over 18 for secondary and language courses
   • The programme is in-person or hybrid, not online

   Where: Real Decreto 1155/2024, Articles 34, 35 and 52, on the BOE websiteTiming: before enrolmentCost: free

   When to get help: if the category is borderline, for example a course run by a university or a programme that is not clearly on the list.

2. Choose a programme and enrol

   You choose the programme; we do not select it for you. The law requires admission and a paid matrícula or proof of payment.

   • Checked that the centre or university is listed in the official register
   • Received the acceptance letter and proof of payment
   • Saved the programme’s start and end dates

   Where: the institution, official registers of universities and schoolsTiming: enrolment before the visa applicationCost: tuition fees do not count towards the funds

   When to get help: if the centre is not accredited or its status is unclear. Article: study estancia: how to check the programme.

3. Prove your funds

   You need 100% of IPREM a month per student, that is €600. If your accommodation is paid in advance for the whole period, the amount for accommodation is not required.

   • €600 a month per student, €450 for the first family member, €300 for each additional one
   • Proof: bank account, scholarship, grant or a declaration by someone taking on the costs
   • I do not include the cost of the studies themselves in the amount

   Where: Article 35 of the Reglamento, SEPE pageTiming: IPREM on the day you applyCost: free

   When to get help: if the funds are received by a parent rather than the student, or the family has to be included. Article: funds for a student visa.

4. Get insurance and gather your documents

   The policy must be from an insurer authorised in Spain, with cover similar to the basic package of the public system, for the whole period.

   • Passport valid for at least a year
   • Criminal record certificate if you are an adult and the stay is over 6 months: covering the last five years, with apostille and translation
   • Medical certificate under the International Health Regulations 2005
   • For a minor travelling with an adult who lacks parental authority: consent from both parents

   Where: the country that issued the documents, sworn translatorTiming: the consulate sets how recent the certificates must beCost: apostilles, translations and the policy are extra

   When to get help: if the consulate has rejected the policy. We do not sell insurance. Document list: documents for a student visa.

5. Choose where to apply

   All categories can apply through a consulate. From Spain, you can apply for higher education if you are in the country legally.

   • I know where I will be on the day I apply
   • If applying from Spain, found out whether the university files the application itself
   • The application will go in no later than 2 months before the programme starts

   Where: the consulate for your place of residence or the Oficina de Extranjería of the province where your studies will startTiming: 2 months before the startCost: see step 6

   When to get help: if your legal stay ends earlier than the application deadline requires. Article: student visa step by step.

6. Pay the fee and apply

   The visa application is also the application for the estancia authorisation. You apply in person or through a representative.

   • Paid the fee with modelo 790 and kept the receipt
   • Submitted the documents, kept the confirmation and a copy
   • Paid the consular fee in the way the consulate requires

   Where: the consulate; from Spain, the Oficina de Extranjería; for a registered university, the university itself can file the applicationTiming: under the order, the fee is paid within 10 working days of applyingCost: €10.94 under Order PJC/617/2025, consular fee at the consulate’s rate

   When to get help: a mistake in the fee code or the documents sends you back to the end of the queue.

7. Wait for the decision and collect the visa

   After you apply at the consulate, the oficina de extranjería decides within 7 days, then the consulate issues the visa within a month. Silence means refusal at every stage.

   • I know the timeline: two months from Spain, 15 days via a university
   • Checked the name, dates and type of authorisation on the visa
   • In case of refusal, noted the date of notification and the deadline to appeal

   Where: consulate, Oficina de ExtranjeríaTiming: 7 days plus a month for the visa; from Spain, 2 monthsCost: free

   When to get help: any refusal, or any request that needs a substantive answer.

8. Get your TIE and know the rules on work and family

   If the authorisation is valid for more than six months, the TIE is requested in person within a month. Work rights depend on the category.

   • Booked a cita previa and paid for the TIE with form 790 code 012
   • Work does not exceed 30 hours a week and stays within the autonomous community
   • Family members can come only with higher education, and they cannot work

   Where: Oficina de Extranjería or a comisaría in BarcelonaTiming: TIE within a monthCost: TIE €16.08 for the first issue

   When to get help: if your work goes beyond the hour limit, because exceeding it can cost you the authorisation. Article: working on a student authorisation.

9. Renew the estancia

   The renewal is filed electronically two months before expiry. The application keeps your current status until the decision.

   • Applied 2 months before expiry; I do not rely on the late window: after expiry a fine is possible
   • For an authorisation longer than a year, I prove enrolment every year
   • On language courses, I renew after passing the course, getting a DELE diploma or registering for the exam

   Where: sede, Oficina de Extranjería of the provinceTiming: decision within a month, silence means refusal; for higher and secondary education, up to two renewalsCost: €17.49 under Order PJC/617/2025, TIE on renewal €19.30

   When to get help: the renewal window was missed or the programme changed. Article: renewing a study estancia.

10. Decide what comes after graduation

    After a university degree at Grado level or higher, you can stay for up to 24 months to look for work or start your own project. There is also a route to work residence.

    • Applying for the 24 months within 60 days before my status ends or within 90 days after
    • To switch to work, gathered my degree certificate and the employer’s offer
    • If I need work in a regulated profession, checked the degree homologation separately

    Where: Delegación del Gobierno, sedeTiming: 24 months to look for work, decision in 20 days, silence means approvalCost: €10.94 under Order PJC/617/2025

    When to get help: changing the basis, moving the family over and counting time towards long-term residence. Article: after studies: work and status.