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.
All visa details are found in your Ready-Set-Go! Pack.
Complete the visa application and all supplemental materials, following the SAI instructions. Make a copy of your completed application to bring with you for your program.
SAI will send 3 visa letters to you. They will need to be included with your visa application:
- Official acceptance letter in Spanish
- SAI enrollment letter with proof of housing
- Proof of insurance letter
Your official Spanish School Acceptance Letter is sent to the SAI office directly from the school in Spain and is not immediately available upon enrollment. When your letters are ready, you will receive a confirmation email that they are being sent. Let us know ASAP if they have not arrived within 15 days after their mailing.
All Consulates require that you show some form of financial documentation to prove you have finances to live on once you arrive in Spain. All 10 Consulates require different documentation. We strongly suggest you look at the checklist for your specific Consulate to see what is needed to complete your application. Your application will be rejected if you do not give them exactly what they want.
For visa-related questions, please contact our Student Visa Office at visas@saiprograms.com.