Ready to Go to Spain
Visa Information

• Visa Process
• Important Information

In order to study in Spain for three months or longer, you are required to obtain a Schengen Visa. Named after the treaty signed in Schengen, Luxemburg, in order to eliminate border checkpoints in participating European countries, a Schengen Visa will allow you to travel freely through Schengen countries.

While obtaining a student visa can be time-consuming and frustrating, a high majority of students receive their visa without incident. We encourage you to read through these materials carefully, refer to the websites listed on this page and approach this process promptly and with patience and good humor. We strongly encourage you to begin this process as early as possible. Please refer to these step-by-step instructions in order to start the process.

How to Apply for a Temporary Long Stay Visa for Spain 

STEP 1: Obtaining a Passport
You must possess a valid Passport.  If you do not have a passport, please begin the process of securing one immediately.  Please visit the U.S. State Department travel pages for the most up-to-date information regarding passport application and fees. If you already have a passport, please check to see that it has not expired.      

STEP 2: Identifying your Consulate Office  You will be submitting your visa application to a Spanish Consulate for processing.  There are eight Spanish consulate offices throughout the US, in addition to the Spanish Embassy in Washington, DC.  You will be assigned a consulate office depending on your permanent home address. In some cases, the consulate may give you the option to apply under the jurisdiction of your campus address, if the jurisdiction differs from your home address. In order to determine the location of your consulate office, please visit the Spanish Embassy Website. This link will take you to the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C.  From their main page, click on your appropriate consulate's website for more information.                                                     

We have provided a listing of US Consulate Offices and their areas of jurisdiction below. This information does periodically change, so we encourage you confirm your area of jurisdiction prior to applying for your visa.You are required to appear in person at the appropriate consulate office in order to lodge your application as the Spanish Consulates will not accept your visa application through the mail (and in some cases, you may also be required to pick up your visa in person). Most consulates require an appointment in order to apply for the student visa in person.  Please refer to your appropriate consulate’s website to make an appointment; we strongly encourage you to make an appointment as early as possible. Some consulates will allow you to identify an authorized legal representative to apply for your student visa on your behalf (in which case your documents must have notarized authorization). 

• Spanish Consulate Offices in the United States (as of September 2009)

  • Boston Consulate
    31 St. James Avenue
    Suite 905
    Boston, MA 02116
    http://www.spainconsul-ny.org/boston.html
    http://www.maec.es/Consulados/boston/es/Home
    Jurisdiction: ME, MA, NH, RI, VT

    Chicago Consulate
    180 N. Michigan Avenue
    Suite 1500
    Chicago, IL 60601
    http://www.consulate-spain-chicago.com
    http://www.maec.es/Consulados/chicago/es/Home/
    Jurisdiction: IL, IN, IA, KS, NE, ND, SD, OH, KY, MI, MN, MO, WI

    Houston Consulate    
    NOTE: Effective October 1, 2009, students under the New Orleans jurisdiction must apply through Houston.  
    1800 Bering Dr., Suite 600     
    Houston, TX 77057                                                          
    http://www.maec.es/Consulados/houston/es/Home       
    Jurisdiction: NM, OK, TX     
    After 10/1/09, also includes: AL, AR, LA, MS, TN                                                                         

    Los Angeles Consulate
     5055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 860
    Los Angeles, CA 90036
    http://www.maec.es/Consulados/LosAngeles/es/Home/                                      
    Jurisdiction: CA (counties: Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Barbara, and Ventura), AZ, CO, UT

    Miami Consulate  
    2655 Le Jeune Rd., Suite 203                                                                              
    Coral Gables, FL 33134  
    http://www.conspainmiami.org
    http://www.maec.es/Consulados/Miami/es/home       
    Jurisdiction: FL, SC, GA  

    New Orleans Consulate
    NOTE: Effective October 1, 2009, students under the New Orleans jurisdiction must apply through Houston.
    2102 World Trade Center/ 2 Canal Street
    New Orleans, LA 70130
    http://www.maec.es/Consulados/NuevaOrleans/es/home
    Jurisdiction: AL, AR, LA, MS, TN

    New York City Consulate          
    150 E. 58^th Street, 30^th and 31^st floors                                                  
    New York, NY  10155         
     http://www.maec.es/Consulados/NuevaYork/es/Home/  
    Jurisdiction: NY, CT, DE, PA, NJ                        

    San Francisco Consulate
    1405 Sutter Street       
    San Francisco, CA 94109                                                
    http://www.maec.es/Consulados/sanfrancisco/es/Home/                    
    Jurisdiction: AK, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, WY

    Washington, DC Embassy
    2375 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20037
    http://www.maec.es/consulados/washington/es/home
    Jurisdiction: MD, VA, WV, DC, NC

STEP 3: Completing the Schengen Visa Application 

Download and complete the Application for a Schengen Visa. 

In Spanish & English:
http://www.maec.es/subwebs/SiteCollectionDocuments/Documentación%20consular/VisadoEs_En.pdf

In order to help you with the application process, we have posted instructions on how to fill out a Schengen Visa below. We encourage you to reference these instructions when completing your application.  If you have any questions when completing the application, please contact your program manager for assistance.  Once you have completed the application, please make a copy for your records.  How to Fill Out the Schengen Visa Application

The “Schengen States” agreement is between certain designated European states.  A Schengen visa issued by a Consulate of the Schengen States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) is valid for travel to these countries.

Instructions on how to fill out a Schengen Visa

• Always answer as honestly as possible on all government applications.
  • 1. Surname
    2. Maiden name
    3. Given Name
    4. Birth date: Year, month, day
    5. Social Security Number : ___-__-___
    6. Place and country of birth
    7. National citizenship
    8. Nationality at birth (if different than #7)
    9. Gender
    10. Marital Status
    11. Father’s full name
    12. Mother’s full name
    13. Type of passport: National Passport
    14. Passport Number: Found on the picture page of the passport
    15. Issued by: Most passports will indicate the city of the US passport office that processed the passport
    16. Date of issue: found on picture page of the passport
    17. Valid until: found on picture page of the passport
    18. Country of origin, return: answer accordingly which may be N/A
    19. Current occupation: student
    20. University name, address and number: Arcadia University, 450 S. Easton Rd., Glenside, PA 19038 (215) 572-2901
    21. Destination city
    22. Type of Visa: long stay for semester and all year students
    23. Visa Type: Individual
    24. Number of entries: Multiple
    25. Duration of stay: Program dates and number of days
    26. Other Visas: Answer accordingly, use N/A if the question does not apply
    27. Other permits: Answer accordingly, use N/A if the question does not apply
    28. Previous stays in other Schengen states: Answer accordingly, use N/A if the question does not apply.
    29. Purpose: Cultural/Full-time study in a university study abroad semester program
    30. Date of arrival: answer accordingly using your flight literary
    31. Date of departure: answer accordingly using your flight literary
    32. Border of entry: answer accordingly
    33. Means of transportation: Airplane
    34. 1. TOLEDO program: Fundación Ortega y Gasset – Rosa Almoguera, Callejón de San Justo s/n, 45005 Toledo, Spain, 34-925-284-902, Rosa.almoguera@fogtoledo.com
        2. GRANADA program: Universidad de Granada Centro de Lenguas Modernas, Inmaculada Sanz Sainz, Placeta del Hospicio Viejo (Realejo), 18009 Granada, Spain, 34-958-228-153, veredac@arcadia.edu
        3. BARCELONA program: Arcadia in Barcelona – Dr. Jaume Gelabert, Rambla Catalunya 47, 2nd floor, 08007, Barcelona, Espana, 34-93-215-5133 gelaberj@arcadia.edu
    35. Who is paying?: Myself and the host institution, Arcadia University
    36. Means of support: cash/ traveler’s checks/ credit cards/medical insurance
    37. Spouse’s information: answer accordingly

STEP 4: Collecting Your Visa Materials

You will receive in your Acceptance Packet from Arcadia the following four documents:

1. Arcadia University Acceptance Letter—congratulating you on being accepted to Arcadia's program in Spain

2. Arcadia University Certification Letter —verifying your enrollment with Arcadia University of proof of financial means

3. HTH Insurance Letter—verifying your attendance at a Spanish institution
   
   
4. Spanish Certification Letter—verifying your attendance at a Spanish institution
   * (For Granada: will be sent to you in a separate mailing)

You will need all four of these documents in order to apply for your student visa. In addition, you will need to compile the information listed below, prior to submitting your application to the consulate for processing.  While these materials are necessary at most consulate offices, each consulate office operates as an independent office and can require additional materials. We advise that you check your local consulate office’s website to confirm their requirements before applying for your visa.  

To apply for a student visa, the following requirements are necessary at MOST consulates: 

• Passport.  Please be sure that it is signed and valid for a minimum of 6 months after your program return date.    
  
• 4 Passport-sized Photos.  These will be stapled to your application.
  
• 2 Copies of the Completed Schengen Visa.
  
• Spanish Certification Letter.  Included in your acceptance mailing for Barcelona & Toledo*. 
  *Sent in a separate mailing for Granada. 
  
• Arcadia University Certification Letter.  Included in your acceptance mailing. 
  
• Arcadia University Acceptance Letter.  Included in your acceptance mailing.
  
• HTH Insurance Letter. Included in your acceptance mailing.
  
• A Copy of your Flight Itinerary/Airline Tickets.  Please be sure that this includes your specific arrival and departure details. 
  
• A Medical Doctor’s Letter.  Most consulates require this only if your stay is for more than 6 months. If required, please have a medical doctor certify on his/her letterhead that you are in good health, free of yellow fever, cholera, the plague, drug addiction and mental illness.  The doctor’s signature should appear on this letter. 
• Money Order for $100.  The cost of a student visa, Type D is currently $100 (as of 2/5/2007).  Payment must be in the form of a money order payable to the Consulate of Spain. Please be sure that your name appears on the money order. 
  
• A Pre-Paid US Postal Service Express Envelope. In order to receive your passport and visa back, we encourage you to include a pre-paid, pre-addressed US Express Envelope.  This will allow you to track your passport and visa and ensure that you receive it in a timely manner.  Other express delivery services, certified or registered mail are not accepted. 

In addition to the items above, SOME consulates require the following items: 

• Academic Transcript.  Some consulate offices require a copy of your latest academic transcript.  Please refer to your consulate’s website for specific instruction. 
  
• Additional Identification.  Some consulate offices require additional forms of identification and photocopies of identification, including US driver’s license, US state ID card, current student ID, Voter's Registration card, birth certificate or additional photos.  Please refer to your consulate’s website for specific instruction.
  
• Police Certification Record.  You are only required to submit a police record if you are staying in Spain longer than 6 months.  Original certificate of good conduct issued by the police department of the city or cities in which the applicant has spent 6 months or more during the last 5 years.
  
• Apostille of the Hague.  You are only required to obtain an Apostille of the Hague if you are staying in Spain longer than 6 months.  Commonly referred simply as an Apostille, this document certifies that the notary public who notarized a document is in fact a notary in good standing with the state.  The consulate is requiring an Apostille on the Police Certification Record and the Medical Doctor’s Letter (and on any other documents that need to be notarized).  An Apostille can only be granted by the Secretary of State in the state where the document was notarized.  Requirements and fees to get an Apostille vary by state so check with your state's Secretary of State website.   

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Other Important Notes

• We advise that you make an appointment (if necessary) and apply for your visa ASAP—please do not delay.  The entire process can take up to 8-10 weeks. 
  
• Applications will not be accepted more than 6 months in advance or less than 30 business days prior to departure date. Passports must be left at the Consulate General for processing.
  
• Please take into account any U.S. or Spanish holidays that may occur around the time you submit your visa for processing. If you are traveling to other countries before or during your stay in Spain, you will want to inquire about the entry requirements permitted with this visa. Students traveling to non-European Community countries may not be admitted into Spain after leaving.
  
• Students who study for one semester receive a visa valid for a period of 6 months.
  
• Students who study for the academic year receive a visa valid for a period of 3 months, after which the student must contact local authorities to acquire a student residency card, validating the remainder of the academic year. The staff in Toledo, Barcelona, and Granada can assist you with this after arrival, if necessary.
  
• You may need to submit 2-3 photocopies of all the documents presented.
  
• These web instructions are valid as of September 2009.  The Spanish Consulates frequently amend the application process, invalidating these instructions.  Please contact our office at 866 927 2234 if you have any questions.