How to apply for a Student Visa to legally teach English in Spain

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Obtaining a Student Visa in Spain

To Study in Spain for longer than 90 days you will need….

1. A passport with an expiration date of at least 6 months after your planned stay.
2. To be enrolled in a government recognized language school or university in Spain. 
3. A Spanish student visa.  Please allow 4-8 weeks before departure to obtain this.

How to Apply for your Spanish student visa

(The application procedure and necessary documents may differ slightly between consulates.  You must check with the Spanish consulate that presides over your jurisdiction for the most accurate information.)

1. To apply for your visa you must visit, in person, the closest Spanish consulate to your home address. Click here to find your Consulate in the USA for your region:
   
   
2. Book a face-to-face appointment with the consulate:  Once you´ve found the closest consulate please schedule an appointment to visit the consulate.  Each consulate varies on how you can make an appointment.  Some consulates allow you to make an appointment through their website, others will only accept appointments through phone calls, and others may not even take appointments, check with your consulate. 
   
   
3. Here is a list of documents you´ll need when you go to your appointment.
   Please check with the Spanish consulate before going to your appointment to verify what documents you will need to apply for your student visa. 

• Two application forms completely filled out. Click here to find your application. You´ll need to complete the “visados nacionales” document:      
• A valid passport
• One photocopy of the identification page in your passport
• Proof of home address such as a driver´s license or voter registration card
• Two passport photos with a white background
• Letter of Acceptance (From your language school)
• Proof of Health Insurance (there are many inexpensive international medical insurance companies)
• Financial guarantee (ex: bank statement with at least $1,000 per month of intended stay, or a notarized letter from your parents with the suggested writing “I hereby certify that I, the (father, mother, other), of (full name) will support him/her with a monthly allowance of $1,000 while she/he is in Spain and that I will financially responsible for any emergency that may arise.”  Your parents should also supply their most current bank statement. 
• Proof of verifiable housing. 
• Local Criminal Background Check - please contact a local police department in your town for this document and information on how to obtain it.
• Medical Certificate signed by a MD plus one copy (example wording “The applicant has been examined and found in good physical and mental health to travel and to stay abroad and is free of contagious diseases or any other illnesses which could lead to Public Health repercussions according to the International Health Sanitary Regulations”).
• $100 application to consulate fee payable only by money order.
• Course Syllabus (of the language school you will attend in Spain).

4. For more detailed information and instructions on how to make an appointment please visit the Spanish Embassy or Consulate website in your state or country.

To work in Spain with a long-stay Visa for students…

1. Within 30 days after your arrival in Spain you will need to apply for a Número de Identificación (NIE).  To do this, please visit a local Spanish Police Station or Immigration Office.  (Please visit the following site for an explanation of what an NIE).
   
   
2. Here is a list of documents you´ll need to apply for an NIE. (Note: once you´ve arrived in Spain, Best Programs will put you in contact with people who can help you with this process if desired.)

• A valid passport
• Copy of the identification page your passport
• Two passport photos with white backgrounds
• Two completed NIE application forms available online
• Your Spanish address
• A letter indicating your need for a NIE number

3. Once you´ve turned in your paperwork you will receive a receipt called a resguardo.  Within 15 days, you should return to the Spanish Police Station or Immigration Office with your resguardo to pick up your NIE.

Note, student visas are not an "automatic" thing that are purchased.  Consulates are nototious for being very particular on every item needed on their checklist and will send you home to get it perfect before issueing a student visa.