Student visa requirements and procedures are constantly changing. We are doing our best to keep our information up to date.
In accordance with Spanish law students studying in Spain for 91 days or more are required to obtain a student visa. Those with Spanish/EU citizenship are exempted. It is not necessary for US students studying for 90 days or less to obtain a visa. Non-US nationals should consult their local Consulate for details on student visa requirements. Our Student Visa Office is available to assist all students in getting ready to submit their application. We provide simple step-by-step instructions for the application process to students after they are accepted.
If you need to apply for a new passport or renew a passport set to expire within 3 months of your program end date, please plan accordingly.
Currently, US passport processing can take up to 5-8 weeks according to the US Passport Agency. SAI highly encourages expedited passport processing to ensure your new passport is received 3 months prior to your program start date if your program requires a student visa. If your program does not require a visa please ensure you receive your passport at least 1 month prior to your program start.
Most students must appear in person to present their student visa application. Your specific Consulate is determined by the location of either your permanent address or your address while at school. In some cases, your nearest Spanish Consulate or Visa Processing Center may be in a neighboring state, which might necessitate air travel. Some Centers or Consultes may even require 2 visits to their office – one to drop off the application and another to pick up the passport and visa. Please plan and budget accordingly.
SAI Visa Processing (Miami and Houston Consulates)
With SAI visa processing, there is no need to appear at the Consulate, just mail all documents to SAI by the deadline and we’ll handle the rest! SAI Visa Processing will review your visa application so it will be approved without any issues.
For visa-related questions, please contact our Student Visa Office at visas@saiprograms.com.