Spain Student Visa 2026: Funds, Work Hours and Steps
Spain's rules for foreign students are set by the immigration regulation approved in November 2024, Royal Decree 1155/2024. A study visa comes with a long-term stay authorisation that lasts as long as a higher education course, and it lets students in higher education work up to 30 hours without a separate permit. This guide sets out the money, the documents, the deadlines and the work rules from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and Spain's consulates, as read on 13 October 2026.
Quick answer
For studies of more than ninety days, a non-EU student needs a study visa and a long-term stay authorisation. You must show 100% of the IPREM, which is 600€ a month in 2026, plus health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain. Apply at least two months before the course starts; consulates decide within 1 month. Students in higher education may work up to 30 hours automatically. If the stay is longer than six months you must request a foreigner identity card within one month of arriving.
Who needs a study visa
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: the study authorisation does not apply to them.
- Everyone else, for more than ninety days: a study visa, which also counts as the application for the study stay permit.
- Stays of less than 90 days: no study visa is needed, though some nationalities need a short-stay visa.
Which studies qualify
| Type | Examples | Length of the authorisation |
|---|---|---|
| Higher studies | Official university degrees and universities' own degrees, higher artistic education, higher-level vocational education | Equal to the total duration of the studies |
| Post-compulsory secondary education | Baccalaureate, mid-level vocational training | Equal to the studies, up to a maximum of one year |
For non-university studies, at least 50% of the teaching must be face-to-face. The authorisation runs from one month before the studies begin to fifteen days after they end. Separate sheets cover student mobility programmes, volunteering and training activities such as language courses.
The requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | Of legal age, or at least 17 for higher education |
| Admission | Accepted by a recognised institution for a full-time programme leading to a degree, with registration fees paid |
| Funds for yourself | 100% of the IPREM each month: 600€ in 2026 |
| Funds for family | 75% of the IPREM for the first relative (450€) and 50% for each additional one (300€) |
| Health insurance | With an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, with benefits similar to those of the National Health System |
| Criminal record | For stays over six months, a clean record in Spain and in the countries where you lived for the last five years |
| Fee | The processing fee must be paid |
Two details reduce the money you need to show. If you have paid in advance for accommodation for the whole stay, that amount is deducted. And the cost of the studies themselves is not counted towards the funds.
How consulates want the funds proved
The Spanish consulate in London accepts a letter from the university covering accommodation and meals, proof of a scholarship, a notarised sponsorship letter from parents or guardians, or 6 months of stamped bank statements. Its insurance rule is strict: the policy must cover all the risks insured by the public health system with no co-payment or waiting period, and travel insurance is not accepted.
How to apply, step by step
- Get admitted and pay the enrolment fee. Proof of payment is requested for higher education.
- Apply at least two months before the studies begin, in person at the Spanish consulate or its visa centre for the district where you live.
- Hand in the file: application form, photo, passport, proof of admission, proof of funds, health insurance, a medical certificate and, for stays over six months, a criminal record certificate, legalised or apostilled and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
- Wait for the decision. The legal period is 1 month from the day after you apply, and it may be extended if an interview or more documents are requested.
- Collect the visa within 2 months of being notified.
- Request your foreigner identity card within one month of entering Spain if the stay is longer than six months.
If the study stay does not exceed 6 months, the visa covers the whole stay and no identity card is needed.
Applying from inside Spain
For higher studies only, an adult who is in Spain legally can apply from within the country, in person at the immigration office of the province or online, at least two months before their legal stay expires. The time limit for notifying the decision is two months, and no answer in that time may be understood as a refusal.
Working while you study
| Point | Rule |
|---|---|
| Higher studies | The stay authorisation itself authorises employed and self-employed work, automatically and without an additional procedure, if compatible with the studies |
| Hours | Not more than 30 hours |
| Where | Limited to one autonomous community, plus bordering localities of another |
| Internships in the curriculum | No additional authorisation required |
| Other studies | The employer applies for a work authorisation; the decision deadline is three months |
The hours limit has teeth. The ministry states that failing to comply with it results in the expiry of the stay authorisation.
Keeping your status year to year
When the authorisation is granted for more than one year, you must show at the start of each course that you are still enrolled in the studies that justified it. Lose the stay authorisation, or have its extension refused, and the right to work ends with it.
Bringing family
Relatives of students in higher education can apply for their visas with the student or later. The family covers the spouse or partner and minor children. They need health insurance and the extra funds in the table above. The London consulate adds a warning: visas for students' family members are not work permits.
Visa fee
The fee is paid when you submit the application, in local currency, and consulates revise it with exchange rates. Check the consular fee list of the consulate where you apply.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a Spain student visa?
100% of the IPREM for each month of stay, which is 600€ a month in 2026 according to the Spanish consulate in Washington. Accommodation paid in advance is deducted.
Can I work on a student visa in Spain?
Yes. For higher studies the stay authorisation automatically authorises work, up to 30 hours, if it is compatible with your studies.
How long does a Spain student visa take?
The legal period for the consulate to decide is 1 month from the day after you apply. Apply at least two months before your course starts.
How long is a Spanish student visa valid?
For higher studies, the stay authorisation equals the total duration of the studies. For post-compulsory secondary education the maximum is one year.
Do I need a TIE card as a student in Spain?
Only if your stay lasts more than six months. You must request it in person within one month of entering Spain.
Can I apply for a student permit from inside Spain?
Yes, for higher education only, if you are an adult and in Spain legally, at least two months before your legal stay expires.
Can my family come with me while I study in Spain?
Yes if you are in higher education. Add 75% of the IPREM for the first relative and 50% for each additional one, and each needs health insurance.
Official sources
- Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration — Sheet 1: Long-term stay for higher education or post-compulsory secondary education
- Ministry of Inclusion — Sheet 4 bis: Access to employment for holders of a study stay authorisation (updated May 2025)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General in London — Study visa
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate in Washington — Study visa (2026 amounts)
All figures verified against the official pages above on 13 October 2026. The ministry's sheets are for guidance; the regulations in force when you apply are what count. Information, not legal advice.