HOW TO APPLY FOR A STUDENT VISA AND NIE CARD IN SPAIN: STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

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The article was prepared by Study Barcelona, a visa and residence permit consultant in Spain.

Types of student visas to Spain

If it is planned to study in Spain for a period of more than 90 days, the student must apply for a national visa of category D.

There are two types of such visas:

long-term national visa D for studying for a period of 90 to 180 days;
long-term national visa D if the duration of study is more than 180 days, with the subsequent receipt of a student card.

Submission of documents for a study visa is possible no earlier than 3 months before the start of study.

A student visa may also be requested for research, student exchange programs, volunteer programs, and non-employment internship programs.

Important: the internship / internship agreement should not imply that the student is paid for the work.

Where and how to apply for a visa

A student's residence permit in Spain can be requested:

At the Spanish consulate closest to the place of permanent residence: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Astana, Kiev. For a visit to the consulate, be sure to pre-register.
The processing time at the consulate usually takes 2-4 weeks. The law establishes a maximum period of 1 month. The consulate informs the applicant about the results by phone or by letter - to the e-mail indicated in the application form.
At the place of residence and study - if you are legally in Spain on a visa, if there is at least a month left until the end of its validity period (according to the law 11/2018 of August 31, 2021).

You can submit documents:

To the bodies of the migration police, city hall offices or registers. In Barcelona at the address: Calle Bergara, 12, 08002, Barcelona.
Online - using an electronic certificate issued by the tax office or social security service.
By sending documents through Correos post offices.

The progress of the application can be tracked on the website.

The visa is issued for the period of study, that is, for one academic year. The maximum visa validity period is 12 months. But, according to the law 11/2018 of August 31, 2021, when enrolling in certain programs of the university, a visa can be issued immediately for 2 years.

What documents will be needed

List of documents for obtaining a student visa D to Spain:

Application form for a national visa D in duplicate (you can download it on the website) when submitted at the consulate. Or form EX-00 when applying for a residence permit for a student in Spain
Confirmation of payment of the consular fee in the amount of 60 euros (at the rate set by the consulate). When applying for a visa in Spain - confirmation of payment of the state fee in the amount of 31.53 euros (must be paid before submitting documents).
A valid foreign passport with photocopies of all pages. Previous passports may be requested.
Two color photographs 3.5x4.5 cm on a white background (only needed when submitting at the consulate)
Original and photocopies of all pages of the internal passport (only if submitted at the consulate)
Confirmation of the existence of a place of residence in Spain: an agreement for a reservation of a place in a residence, a lease agreement for real estate for the period of study + a copy of the document of the owner who signed the agreement + an extract from the property register Nota Simple.
Health insurance policy. Must be registered with one of the insurance companies operating in Spain.

Important: the insurance program must necessarily include coverage of the costs of full hospitalization if such a need arises, as well as contacting clinics without additional payments (sin copagos). In addition to the insurance contract itself, you will need to provide confirmation of the last paid period (month or year) - recibo.

Confirmation from the educational institution of enrollment in a training course (matrícula). It must indicate the program, training time, schedule indicating the number of training hours per week. You must also provide proof of payment for the next course or its reservation.

An educational institution can be:

a private general education school for a child under the age of 18;
academy for preparation for passing the entrance exam to the university;
a Spanish language school accredited by the Cervantes Institute;
a public or private university;
a sports academy (schoolchildren from 6 to 16 years old must combine training with studies in a general education school);

Important: the study load must be at least 20 academic hours per week.

Educational document: grades / certificate / diploma (only if submitted at the consulate)
Certificate from the bank (when filing in Spain, a certificate from a Spanish bank is desirable - certificado bancario con el saldo disponible) on the availability of the full amount of funds for living for the next year.
The statutory minimum for a year is 6,455 euros (based on 100% IPREM per month, equal to 537.84 euros, but it is better to show more).

Minors will need documents from the sponsor: a notarized sponsorship letter, a job certificate, an extract from the sponsor's bank account.
When submitting documents by minors, a guardian must be present. If none of the parents owns a Spanish residence permit or a student visa, an adult citizen of Spain or its resident can act as a guardian if they have valid documents for residence in Spain (NIE card). You will find detailed information on the registration of guardianship in Spain at the link.

Mandatory documents in this case:

notarized consent from both parents / legal representatives of the child for the guardian and an act from the guardian to assume responsibility. Consent can be formalized in one common document in the presence of a guardian and parents. Or it can be different documents - from each separately. Consent can be obtained from a Spanish notary or from the Spanish consulate or from a notary in your country. In the latter case, an apostille and a sworn translation of the document into Spanish are required.
The document must indicate: the time and place of the child's education, the fact of transfer and acceptance by the guardian of responsibility for the life and health of the student. In addition, the guardian must confirm consent to be verified in the Spanish Sexual Crimes Registry (el Registro de Delincuentes Sexuales) or provide from there an up-to-date certificate of no sexual offenses (El certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual);

copies of identity documents of the guardian (passport, DNI, NIE card) and parents (foreign passports);
a child's birth certificate with a sworn translation into Spanish.

Many certificates (financial) are valid for a maximum of 1 month (ideally should not be more than 2 weeks old).

When completing training for a period of 90 to 180 days and submitting documents immediately in Spain, you must also issue and provide a NIE certificate on A4 form. If the study lasts more than 180 days, after receiving a positive answer, a student card is requested and a NIE number is assigned automatically. The NIE certificate can be obtained through a consulate or police station while in Spain. Its cost is 9.64 euros.
When completing training for more than 180 days - a police clearance certificate with an apostille (required at the age of 18 years old, may be requested from adolescents 14-17 years old). Such a certificate will be required from all countries in which the applicant has citizenship or has lived for the last 5 years.

When completing training for more than 180 days - a medical certificate: form 086U (when submitted at the consulate) or a health certificate, which can be issued at paid medical centers directly in Spain.

The certificate must contain the text: "This certifies that Mr. / Ms. ... does not suffer from diseases that could harm human health, as specified in the International Regulation on Sanitation of 2005"

Important: all documents are submitted in Spanish or with an official translation by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) or certified through consular legalization.

All documents must be brought with you in the form of originals and photocopies.

The procedure for issuing a student card

After receiving a type D visa / residence permit for studies for more than 180 days, it is necessary to submit documents and be fingerprinted on the student's card in Spain within a month. It is advisable to make an appointment with the police in advance: the registration is open 1–3 weeks in advance.

Available appointments usually open Monday and Friday mornings, but may appear on other days if someone cancels their appointment.

You can register at any police station in your region. In Barcelona itself, at Rambla Guipúscoa, 74, 08020, Barcelona.

List of documents for obtaining a student card in Spain:

Card request form (EX17 form).
2 photographs of carnet size (approximately 3.2x2.6 cm).
A valid international passport (original and copy of the main page).
A copy of the D study visa with an entry stamp / resolution to issue a permit to stay in Spain as a student.
Confirmation of the time of registration with the migration police.
Proof of payment of the state duty in the amount of 15.75 euros. It can be paid at one of the branches / ATMs of any Spanish bank or by credit card on the website online before submitting documents).
Registration (Volante del padron). You can register or update your registration document at any branch of the City Hall, in Barcelona such branches are called OAC. For registration, a preliminary registration on the site is required.
Documents from the educational institution stating that the student has already started classes and is undergoing training; the name of the educational institution and the date of graduation must be indicated.

When applying for a student card for minors, the presence of a guardian with a package of papers confirming his powers is mandatory when submitting an application form and documents.

It will be possible to pick up the finished card in about a month. Depending on the workload of the police station, the processing time in Barcelona can vary from 2 to 6 weeks. In Barcelona, the address is Calle Mallorca, 213, 08008, Barcelona. You can find out about the readiness of the card from the lists - they are hung on the doors of the police.

The instruction that you have read is as detailed as possible. But if you do not want to independently deal with the paperwork and follow the changes in Spanish legislation, we will be happy to help you.

At Study Barcelona, we have been dealing with visa and residence permits for our clients since 2021.

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