Spain Study Visa for Indian Students

Spain is one of the best countries in the EU for higher education as it provides a range of courses cutting across disciplines at its world-class universities. Spain has one of the highest education standards, and it is reflected in the competitiveness one witnesses while taking admission at a Spanish university. Apart from giving a truly global standard education, Spain has some of the most elegant cities in the world. Be it Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia, all of them are bustling with life. The Spanish culture is very accommodating to international students, and they host a large pool of students from across the globe. 

The student visa enables young minds to take courses in Engineering, MBA, Medicine, Hotel Management, and many other courses. The student visa rules are different for people from outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, and they need a type D visa for pursuing a course at a Spanish university. We will discuss all the details on the Spanish student visa for Indian students.

Spanish Student Visa- A brief overview

A Spanish student visa helps students in multiple ways, and it is not solely restricted to education. It allows students to do these things:

• Train or study in Spain at a range of courses offered by universities.
• To be a part of the student exchange program with friendly nations.
• To work as an unpaid intern for a period extending more than three months.

Spain being a member of the Schengen area allows students to study at different lengths and allows free movement across the Schengen area without needing a separate visa for other countries. Students utilize this feature of the Schengen visa to move from one country to another for research, collaborations, and leisure travel. There are three types of visas for students wanting to pursue a course at a Spanish university. One must secure admission and have a letter of acceptance before proceeding with the embassy or any Spanish consulate in India. The visa process is very similar to other European nations, with minor rules and procedures alterations.

What are the types of Spanish student visas for Indian Students? 

Short Term Visa	Between 3-6 months	Short Term Type D
Long Term Visa	More than 6 months	Student Visa(Type D)

 

A student visa is a doorway for students to Spanish educational institutions. Students from the Schengen area enrolled in a course duration of fewer than 90 days need not apply for the visa. However, for the rest of the world and Indian students, too, Spanish authorities issue two types of visas depending on the length of the course.

Short-Term Visa or 180-days D type visa: The application process is relatively less cumbersome than the other visa type, and it doesn’t take much time. A short-term visa is only issued for students pursuing a course whose duration is between three months and six months. The visa applicant must have had a letter of acceptance from a recognized educational institution in Spain.

Long-Term Visa or Student visa (type D): The application process for the long-term visa takes more time in processing and the overall time taken is also a bit longer than the short term. The long-term visa is issued for students wanting to pursue a course that is of more than 180 days. Students have to apply for a residence permit in the long term visa and get a student residence card from the immigration office within a month of reaching Spain. It is better to take it within 10-15 days. In addition, a student has to give a medical certificate and certify of having no criminal conviction in the native country. 

Since most of the Indian students go for long-term courses and thus we will keep the focus on long-term visa requirements and processes. Also, most of the process is precisely similar, barring a few alterations that we have already mentioned. 

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What are the eligibility criteria for Indian students applying for Spanish Student Visa?

To be eligible for the Spanish student visa, an Indian student must fulfill the following criteria:

• A citizen of India with a valid passport.
• No criminal record and medical certificate for a long-term visa.
• Secured admission at a recognized university or educational institution in Spain. 
• The ability to finance the living expenses during the stay in Spain, which is 530 euros per month.
• The fees payment receipt or the loan sanction letter from the Bank.

These are certain criteria laid out by the Spanish authorities, but they are not exhaustive. The embassy official will need an elaborate set of documents discussed in the next section. The eligibility is decided as per the rules set by the government of Spain, and there can be additional criteria too while deciding on the issuance of a visa. 

Read Also:

•  Spain Universities Application Deadlines 2023
•  Education Loans for Studying in Spain
• 5 Best Countries to Study in Europe
• Study System in the Post-Pandemic World
• How to Choose the Right Country for Overseas Education?

What are the documents required for Spanish Student Visa?

We are providing the complete list of documents, but for security or further assessment, embassy officials may ask for additional info. The list of documents needed for the student visa are :

• A valid Indian passport that has the validity extending till the time of stay in Spain, i.e., throughout the course, the passport must remain valid. 
• Copy of all the passport pages to check the travel history of the applicant.
• Letter of acceptance from a recognized educational institution in Spain. 
• Evidence that substantiates the ability of the visa applicant to fund the cost of living during the stay in Spain. A bank statement, income proof, or living expense coverage under the bank loan can be used as evidence. 
• The official documents about any scholarship received by the student for pursuing the course.
• Medical Certificates and No criminal record certificates are compulsory for long-term visa applicants.
• A recent passport-size color photograph with no flash or blur.
• Evidence of having health insurance. 

 

All the documents mentioned above must be authentic, and there shouldn’t be any discrepancy as this will only delay the process. If grave misinformation is communicated via these documents, it can even lead to a permanent ban from getting a visa for Spain. However, for minor errors like some information mismatch, typos, etc., the embassy officials will ask to correct it and then reapply.

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Visa For Dependants 

If a student visa applicant has a dependant, they can be issued visas only in cases where the applicant can prove the financial capacity to sustain the dependents in Spain. 

What is the Spain Student Visa application process?

Follow these steps carefully and ensure that there are not any errors so that the visa can be processed at once. Also, keep all the scanned documents beforehand before starting the filing of the application form: 

• The first step is to secure a seat in a recognized educational institution in Spain and get a letter of acceptance.
• Depending on the duration of the course, select a long-term or short-term visa. 
• Depending on the type of visa, download the form for the long term or the short term visa and fill it completely. Please ensure that there aren’t any mistakes in the form. 
• Fill the form completely, valid passport, passport size color photos, documents needed for verification, and book an appointment at the embassy or consulate from the table below. 
• After paying the visa fee, processing the visa application and the embassy will communicate the information within 15-20 days. 

People living in these areas should submit the visa application form at the Embassy of Spain, New Delhi. 

• Jammu and Kashmir
• Chandigarh
• Manipur
• Bihar
• Nagaland
• Jharkhand
• Punjab
• Madhya Pradesh
• Uttar Pradesh
• Himachal Pradesh
• Uttarakhand
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Lakshadweep Island
• Rajasthan
• Odisha
• Mizoram
• Tripura
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Delhi NCR
• Sikkim
• Meghalaya
• Haryana
• Assam
• West Bengal
• Ladakh

People living in these areas should submit the visa application form at the Consulate General of Spain, Mumbai.

• Gujarat
• Goa
• Karnataka
• Pondicherry
• Tamil Nadu
• Kerala
• Andhra Pradesh
• Telangana
• Chhattisgarh
• Maharashtra 

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What is the processing time for the Spanish Student Visa?

Usually, the time taken for student visa processing is around 15-30 days. However, there is no fixed timing for visa processing as it might get approved within 15 days or might even extend to three months in some cases. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has induced extra safety measures, and it is taking more time than usual. In some cases, the embassy may suggest some changes to the application or ask for more information, and in these cases, the delay is inevitable. Also, the applicants also commit errors and then need to reapply for the visa. So, it’s advised to start with the visa process as soon as the letter of acceptance is received from the university. 

What if the Spain Visa application is rejected?

The chances of visa application rejection are minimal when the documents are in order, and the information provided is correct. However, there could be some error wherein one might have to explain to the embassy officials, and it could be done via an appeal. So, for the appeal one need to follow these steps:

• A cover letter detailing the exact reason for the appeal. 
• Attach a copy of the rejection letter along with the cover letter. 
• Copy of the passport and all the contact details.

 

Part-time work with Spain Student Visa

Students from non-EU countries are given the liberty to work part-time at the time of studies and full-time on vacations. The student visa allows part-time work to take care of the living and other miscellaneous expenses. To work in Spain, students have to meet the following criteria:

• The employer should make an application on behalf of the job applicant. After reviewing the request, the officials issue the work permit to international students.
• It is a must to have a source of income other than a part-time job. Without a primary source of income, the work permit isn’t issued. 
• Even full-time work is restricted to three months at a time. 
• The maximum working hour is fixed at 20 hours/week. 
• The employment contract mustn’t exceed the time of studies under any circumstance. 

Spain has a lot of opportunities for students from different parts of the world. Thousands of students are presently living and studying in Spain. It has a truly global standard education system, and a Spanish student visa is a gateway for Indian students to enter the new world of opportunities and learning.