What do you need to know?

• The student visa is a special permit or authorisation for foreign citizens who come to study in Spain. This visa allows you to reside in the country exclusively for the duration of your Bachelor's or Master's degree at a public or private institution. This authorisation is also valid for other studies such as vocational training or specific courses.
• Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland: Citizens from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland DO NOT NEED A VISA TO STUDY IN SPAIN. Neither do their accompanying family members. If this is your case, the only thing you will need to apply for is an EU citizen registration certificate if your studies last more than 3 months. Citizens from other states: If you are a citizen of any other country and you are coming to study or carry out research activities in Spain, you DO need to apply for a residence permit for studies.
• There are two types of student visas: short-stay and long-stay. As you can imagine from the name, the difference lies in the length of validity of each permit. To come to Spain to study a university degree, you will need to apply for a long-stay student visa.
• The application must be submitted during the period of legal stay as a tourist (90 days), at least 30 days before the expiry date of the regular stay in Spanish territory, or it can be processed in advance from the Spanish Consulate in your country of origin.