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SpainLong-stay authorisation for study

Long-stay study authorisation in Spain

The programme is intended for third-country nationals who wish to pursue higher education, vocational training or complete secondary education in Spain. Students must be admitted to an accredited educational institution and hold the necessary financial means. The programme covers the whole duration of the course and can be renewed. Family members of a higher education student may accompany them, subject to proof of the relationship, sufficient financial means and a clean criminal record.

Source: Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones — Hoja informativa 1

Who may apply

The programme is open to different categories of students and to those accompanying them.

Main applicant

  • Third-country national, not from the EU, EEA or Switzerland
  • Admitted to an accredited educational institution
  • At least seventeen for higher education, eighteen for secondary education
  • Holds maintenance funds at the prescribed minimum level

The student's family members

  • Spouse or registered partner of a higher education student
  • The student's minor children
  • Adult children with a recognised disability
  • People providing necessary support to a student with a disability

When the programme will not suit

You are an EU, EEA or Swiss national

Use the EU freedom of movement directives

You have not yet been admitted to any educational institution

Apply to your chosen institutions first and wait for a decision on admission

You are below the required age for the chosen level of education

Wait until you reach the required age or consider other mobility programmes

You do not hold funds at the required minimum level

Approach sponsors or look for funding through scholarships and grants

Documents to gather

Gather the documents in good time, as some of them need translation and legalisation.

  • Valid passport or travel document with at least one year of validity remaining
  • Medical certificate confirming the absence of infectious diseases under the International Health Regulations
  • Criminal record certificate (for stays of more than six months)
  • Documents confirming admission to the institution and payment of the registration fee
  • Documents evidencing financial means at the prescribed level
  • Medical insurance policy recognised in Spain
  • The foreign documents listed above translated into Spanish by a sworn translator
  • Apostille or consular legalisation of the foreign documents
  • Receipt for payment of the fee (where applicable)

How the process runs

The application route differs depending on whether you are outside Spain or already in the country.

  1. 1

    Gathering and preparing the documents

    2-4 weeks

    Prepare all the necessary documents, including translations and legalisation. Make sure you have the certificate of admission to the institution and documents evidencing your financial means.

  2. 2

    Deciding where to lodge the application

    1 day

    If you are abroad, lodge the application at the Spanish consulate in your country. If you are already in Spain (higher education only), lodge it with the Immigration Office.

  3. 3

    Lodging the complete set of documents

    1-2 days

    Submit originals and copies of every document. When applying from abroad, attend the consulate in person. When applying from Spain, choose your route: in person or through the electronic system.

  4. 4

    Waiting for the administration's decision

    1 month from abroad, 2 months from Spain

    The administration decides within the prescribed period. Silence after that period counts as refusal. It is advisable to apply at least two months before the course starts.

  5. 5

    Collecting the visa and the foreigner identity document

    1-2 weeks

    Where the decision is favourable, collect the visa at the consulate or the foreigner identity document in Spain. After entering the country you have one month to apply for the plastic foreigner identity card.

Timelines and rights

Work

Accompanying family members are not allowed to work («no estarán autorizados a trabajar»).

Who you can bring with you

Family members of a higher education student may accompany them to Spain, subject to certain conditions.

Spouse or registered partner
Must hold a valid passport, a clean criminal record (for stays of more than six months), medical clearance, an insurance policy and financial means at seventy-five per cent of the prescribed minimum. Not allowed to work in Spain.
Minor children
Must be unmarried. The same documents and financial means are required as for a spouse. From the second child onwards the financial minimum falls to fifty per cent of the prescribed level. Not allowed to work.
Adult children with a disability
A recognised disability or a need for support. Health documents and financial means at seventy-five per cent of the minimum for the first family member are required. Not allowed to work.
People providing support
Where the student has a disability and needs assistance, a person providing support may accompany them. The same documentary conditions and financial means apply as for other family members. Not allowed to work.

Renewal and the grace period

The authorisation may be renewed a maximum of two times. The renewal application is lodged in a window running from two months before expiry to three months after it. Renewal calls for a valid passport, a current insurance policy, documents confirming that the course continues and that financial means are in place, and payment of the prescribed fee. The renewed authorisation runs for the length of the academic year but no more than one year.

Frequently asked questions about Long-stay study authorisation

May I work as a student staying under this programme?
The programme does not carry an automatic work authorisation for students. Family members of a student are expressly not allowed to work during a stay under this authorisation.
What happens if the administration does not decide within the prescribed period?
If the administration does not issue a decision once the period has expired (one month for applications from abroad, two months for applications from Spain), its silence counts as refusal of the authorisation.
Do different requirements apply to higher education students and post-compulsory secondary students?
Yes. Students must be at least seventeen for higher education and eighteen for post-compulsory secondary education. In addition, only higher education students may be accompanied by family members. The authorisation for secondary education does not exceed one year.
How are the financial requirements set and what is the IPREM?
The financial requirements are expressed as a percentage of the IPREM, the public multiple-effect income indicator. The student must hold one hundred per cent of that figure per month, or show that accommodation has been paid for in advance for the whole period of study. Family members must hold seventy-five per cent for the first member and fifty per cent for the rest. The specific amounts in euros are set by regulation and may change annually.

Other ways to move to Spain

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Spain.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.