Spain student visa
Spain calls its long-stay study visa the estancia por estudios, and there is no shortcut to it: no e-visa, no visa-on-arrival. Any programme running longer than 90 days needs this National (Type D) study visa, and you apply for it in person in India before you fly, at the BLS Spain visa application centre for your consular jurisdiction (the Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulate General in Mumbai). A course of up to 90 days is a different matter altogether: it takes a short-stay Schengen visa, not a study visa.
File early. The application must go in at least two months before your programme begins, because the consulate consults other authorities before it decides. The legal decision period is one month from the day after submission, and it can stretch further if an interview or extra documents are requested. Programmes over 180 days add two apostilled papers to the pile: a police clearance certificate and a medical certificate. And once your stay passes six months, the visa is issued for one year, after which you collect a Foreigner Identity Card (TIE) within one month of arriving in Spain.
Who this visa is for
- ✓Indian nationals with a confirmed admission or enrolment letter from a recognised Spanish institution for a programme longer than 90 days
- ✓University and postgraduate students, secondary-level student mobility, official language courses, and professional or educational training programmes
- ✓Applicants residing in the relevant consular district (New Delhi or Mumbai jurisdiction)
- ✓Applicants who can prove sufficient funds of at least 600 EUR per month (100% of IPREM) for the duration of the stay
- ✓Applicants holding health insurance from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain covering all risks of the Spanish public health system
Visa options for Spain
Schengen short-stay study visa (Type C)
For study or educational activity of up to 90 days. This is a short-stay Schengen visa, not a study visa; no study-stay permit or TIE is involved.
National study visa (Type D), 91-180 days
Long-stay study visa for programmes over 90 days but up to 180 days. No police clearance or medical certificate is required, and no TIE card is issued; the visa covers the whole stay.
National study visa (Type D), over 180 days
Long-stay study visa that also grants a study-stay authorisation. Requires an apostilled police clearance certificate and an apostilled medical certificate; for stays over six months the visa is valid one year and a TIE must be collected within a month of arrival.
Documents typically required
- ✓National visa application form(s), completed and signed, with two recent passport-size colour photographs on a white background
- ✓Passport valid for the full study period (minimum one year's validity), plus a photocopy of all pages
- ✓Admission or acceptance letter from the Spanish institution stating the programme start date and duration, with proof the enrolment or tuition fee has been paid
- ✓Proof of financial means: original bank statements for the last six months, signed and stamped by the bank, showing at least 600 EUR per month; if sponsored, a letter of guarantee or affidavit of support with the sponsor's ID, income-tax returns for the last three years (with PAN card copy) and payslips
- ✓Medical insurance certificate from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, covering all risks of the Spanish public health system for the whole stay, with no co-payments or coverage limits
- ✓Proof of accommodation in Spain for the stay, showing the address
- ✓For stays over 180 days (adults over penal age): Police Clearance Certificate for India and any other country of residence in the last 5 years, apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs
- ✓For stays over 180 days: medical certificate from a registered practitioner confirming no diseases with serious public-health repercussions per the 2005 International Health Regulations, apostilled
- ✓For minors travelling unaccompanied: apostilled notarial authorisation from the parents or guardian naming the person responsible in Spain, translated into Spanish, plus a notarised declaration by that responsible person before a Spanish notary
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
Applications are lodged only at a BLS Spain visa application centre (india.blsspainvisa.com) by prior appointment, in the consular district where you reside, and at least two months before the course start date. Documents such as the police clearance and medical certificate must carry the Apostille of The Hague from the Ministry of External Affairs. For a stay over six months, collect the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) within one month of arriving in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee the visa?
No one can. The decision rests entirely with the Spanish consulate and immigration authorities. What we do is give you a frank assessment of your case and make your application as complete and strong as possible. Over the last two to three years our applications have seen a 97% success rate.
Do I apply in India, or after I reach Spain?
In India, before you travel. The application goes to a BLS Spain visa application centre in the consular district where you live (New Delhi or Mumbai jurisdiction). Spain has no e-visa or visa-on-arrival for study, so the National (Type D) study visa must be in hand before you leave.
Can I work while studying in Spain?
If you're in higher education — a university degree, master's, PhD or official regulated training — you can work up to 30 hours a week under the study-stay authorisation, with no separate permit, as long as the job doesn't clash with your classes. Language-course students don't get automatic work rights.
How long does a decision take?
The legal decision period is one month, counted from the day after you submit. It can run longer if the consulate calls you for an interview or asks for more documents. And because it consults other authorities before deciding, apply at least two months before your programme begins.