Student visa for Spain
For individuals residing outside Spain who have been admitted to a Spanish educational institution and who are applying at the Spanish consulate.
Specification reviewed on . Scope : Algeria.
Required documents
The list below is exhaustive. Each document is described as it must be submitted, including the most common errors that lead to rejection.
Identity
Valid passport
Passport with at least one year of remaining validity on the date of submission, containing a minimum of two blank pages. A full copy of all used pages is also required.
Common errors
- The one-year validity requirement is often confused with the six-month rule applicable to short-stay visas.
- A passport with eight months' validity is refused.
- Blank pages are counted excluding pages reserved for official notes.
- For passports issued in 2025 and 2026, the Consulate in Algiers frequently requests a copy of the previous passport. This practice is confirmed for Schengen visa applications and reported without official confirmation for student applications.
National visa application form
Official national visa application form, completed in Spanish, dated and hand-signed by the applicant. The visa application also serves as an application for the corresponding residence permit: there are not two separate procedures.
Common errors
- Short-stay visa form used instead of the national form.
- Sections left blank instead of being filled in with 'not applicable'.
- Missing signature on the second page.
Identity photograph
Recent colour photograph, 32 x 26 mm format, plain white background, bareheaded with the face uncovered.
Common errors
- Schengen format 35 x 45 mm used by default by photographers.
- Blue or grey background.
- Photograph older than six months, reused from a previous case.
Criminal record certificate
Certificate issued by the authorities of the country or countries of residence for the last five years, bearing an apostille and accompanied by a sworn translation into Spanish. Since 9 July 2026, Algeria has been a party to the Apostille Convention and Spain has not raised any objection. Algerian documents intended for Spain must now bear an apostille and no longer a consular legalisation. The Consulate of Spain in Algiers ceased all legalisation activities on 12 July 2026. Note on the state of the law: on 8 July 2026, the Tribunal Supremo overturned the automatic refusal based on the existence of a prior criminal history. The official information sheets, updated in April 2026, do not yet reflect this decision. Inform your adviser of any such history so that the difficulty may be addressed with full knowledge of the facts.
Common errors
- Certificate legalised according to the old consular procedure, which is now obsolete and not replaced by an apostille.
- Unofficial translation instead of a sworn translation.
- Certificate covering only the country of nationality when the applicant has resided elsewhere.
- No regulation specifies the validity period of this certificate. Observed practice is three months, sometimes six. The practice adopts three months as a precaution.
Resources
Proof of financial means
Proof of resources corresponding to 100% of the IPREM per month of stay, i.e. 600 euros per month in 2026. A six-month stay requires 3,600 euros, a one-year stay 7,200 euros. For an accompanying dependant, add 75% of the IPREM, then 50% per additional person. Sums intended for the payment of tuition fees are not included in these amounts.
Common errors
- Tuition fees already paid counted as available resources.
- Bank statement showing a single, recent deposit with no history.
- Account in a third party's name without a corresponding statement of financial support.
- Amount calculated based on an IPREM from a previous year.
Statement of financial support from a sponsor
When the stay is financed by a third party: statement of financial support, proof of the relationship with the applicant, and proof of the sponsor's resources covering the required amounts. Document not applicable when the applicant provides proof of sufficient personal resources.
Common errors
- Declaration written without indicating the period covered.
- Guarantor's resources proven by a single statement, with no continuity.
- Family relationship stated but not proven.
Education
Letter of admission from the institution
Admission to a recognised institution, specifying the title and duration of the course, its full-time nature, and certifying that the tuition fees have been paid. The full-time nature is assessed as 90% of the course credits.
Common errors
- Conditional admission presented as final.
- Tuition fees not paid by the submission date: admission alone is not sufficient.
- The sometimes-cited criterion of twenty hours of classes per week does not appear in any current regulation and should not be used as a reference.
- Unrecognised institution, particularly for certain language courses.
Insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance taken out with an entity authorised to operate in Spain, offering cover equivalent to that of the Spanish National Health System's basic portfolio, for the entire duration of the stay, without co-payments, without waiting periods, and including repatriation.
Common errors
- Taking out a Schengen travel insurance policy for 30,000 euros, which is a different product and does not meet this requirement.
- Presence of a co-payment, even of one euro.
- Waiting period for certain benefits.
- Cover ending before the end of the course.
Other documents
Medical certificate
Certificate stating that the applicant does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions as defined in the International Health Regulations of 2005. Issued on the practitioner's letterhead, dated and signed, accompanied by a sworn translation into Spanish.
Common errors
- Certificate drafted in general terms without using the wording required by the International Health Regulations.
- The procedures for the apostille of an Algerian medical certificate are not established to date, as private practitioners do not fall under the ministries covered by the first implementation phase. Your adviser handles this point on a case-by-case basis.
Timeframes
The visa application also serves as the application for the corresponding residence authorisation: there are not two separate procedures. The Foreigners' Office (Oficina de Extranjería) has seven days to decide; administrative silence is equivalent to a refusal. The consulate then issues the visa within a maximum period of one month. The legal timeframe is not the actual timeframe. In Algiers, national visa applications are submitted without an appointment, on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limited number of daily slots. The practice recommends starting the process four to five months before the start of the course.
Official fees
National visa: 80 euros. Algerian nationals are subject to the general fee and not a reciprocity fee. Service fee of the external provider: 2,560 Algerian dinars. Residence card (TIE), tasa 790-012, after arrival in Spain: 16.08 euros. These amounts are payable to the administration or its provider. They do not constitute our fees and are not processed by the practice.
Have your situation reviewed
Having the list does not indicate whether your situation will lead to a successful outcome. The questionnaire takes a few minutes and an adviser will send you a written opinion within one working day, whether your application is admissible or not.