Visa management

Coming to Spain to study Spanish may not be an easy task. The steps you must take to obtain a study visa may seem complicated, but at FEDELE we want to help you and provide you with the necessary information to make this process as easy as possible for you.

GET INFORMATION AND ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE CONSULATE 

The first step to obtaining a visa is to contact the Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country or the one closest to your place of residence. We recommend visiting the website of the consulate to get information on how and where to apply for the visa, what documentation is required, and what the procedures are.

Notethat the visa must be applied for well in advance of the start of your studies, as the process involves consultations with other authorities and may be delayed. Therefore, you should schedule your appointments between 1 and 2 months prior to the start of the course.

REGISTER FOR A SPANISH COURSE AND GATHER THE DOCUMENTATION

Once you have gathered all the information about the requirements you must meet, it is very important to obtain the supporting documentation for each of them in order to submit a complete application for the visa.

Among the required documentation, you will be asked to provide proof of acceptance at an accredited Spanish language school in Spain for a full-time course (minimum 20 hours per week). FEDELE schools are accredited by the Instituto Cervantes and meet the required standards, allowing you to obtain a student visa, as stated by Spanish regulations.

You can consult the list of affiliated schools at the following link: CENTROS FEDELE

After making the full payment for the course, the language school will provide you with an admission certificate, which will confirm that you are enrolled and have paid for the Spanish course.

Additionally, our schools offer accommodation services, and they will assist you with this process by finding housing that best suits your needs and providing you with the corresponding accommodation certificate

ATTEND YOUR APPOINTMENT AND SUBMIT THE APPLICATION

On the day of your appointment, you must bring all the documentation to begin the process. As you know, it is very important to meet all the requirements and submit the requested supporting documentation, but don not forget that at a minimum, you must bring:

• Visa application form, which can be obtained on the consulate’s website.
• Two recent passport-sized color photographs with a light background, taken from the front, without dark glasses, reflections, or clothing that obscures the face.
• Valid passport. Original and photocopy of the page with the biometric data of the passport. Remember, the passport must be valid for at least the entire duration of the intended stay and have two blank pages.
• Certificate of acceptance at an authorized institution for a full-time study program. Original and copy.
• Certificate of financial means. The minimum required amount is equivalent to 100% of the IPREM (Public Indicator of Income).
• Health insurance with an authorized insurer operating in Spain. The insurance must cover all risks covered by Spain’s public healthcare system with a minimum coverage of €30,000.
• Proof of residence within the consular jurisdiction.
• Payment of the visa fee.

If your stay is longer than 180 days (6 months), you must submit:

• Criminal background certificate if you are of legal age. It must be issued by the country or countries of residence in the last 5 years and must be legalized or apostilled, as well as translated into Spanish.
• Medical certificate confirming that you do not suffer from any diseases that could have serious implications for public health in accordance with the Health Regulations. This document must also be legalized or apostilled and translated into Spanish.

If you are a minor, you must present authorization from your parents or legal guardians, as well as proof of identity and capacity of the representative (identity document or passport of the parent and a document proving the relationship).

Remember that foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and, if applicable, accompanied by an official translation into Spanish. Additionally, both the original and a photocopy of all documents must be submitted.

Also, remember to check the consulate’s website to verify the requirements and requesteddocumentation, as this list is not exhaustive, and they may request additional documents

Once the application is submitted, the Consular Office will provide you with a receipt of the application that includes a code allowing you to check the status of your application through the following link: https://sutramiteconsular.maec.es.

Additionally, the Consular Office may ask you to submit any missing documents or provide additional documents or information needed to process the application. They may also invite you for a personal interview.

The decision-making process typically takes about 1 month from the day following the submission of the application, but this period may be extended if additional documents are requested, if an interview is required, or due to technical reasons

VISA APPROVED

If your visa has been approved, you should start preparing for your trip to Spain

Settle into your accommodation and begin your Spanish course with a FEDELE school. The school will guide you through the entire process and assist with any questions or concerns you may have during your stay, as well as the procedures you’ll need to complete as an international student.

Remember that if your visa is for a stay in Spain of more than 180 days, you have 30 days from your arrival to begin the process of obtaining your TIE card. However, we recommend doing it as soon as you arrive to avoid doing it after the deadline, as sometimes the Foreigners Office may request modifications to some documents, and you will need to schedule a new appointment. You can find all the information at the following link: HOW TO OBTAIN TIE 

You should know that your long-stay student visa (more than 90 days) will allow you to work as long as the work activities are compatible with your studies and do not exceed 30 hours per week. You can check the procedure and the required documentation at the following link: AUTORIZACIÓN DE TRABAJO POR CUENTA AJENA O PROPIA (work authorization for employment or self-employment)

VISADO NOT APPROVED 

If your visa has not been approved, you must analyze the reason and address any issues.

After that, you can submit an appeal at the same Consular Office where you submitted your application within one month from the day after you receive the denial notification. You can also file an administrative litigation appeal with the High Court of Justice of Madrid within two months from the day after you receive the visa denial notification or the rejection of your appeal. For this, it is recommended to seek assistance from a lawyer who can advise you properly.