Year after year, thousands of students from all around the world decide to move to Spain in order to study.

Completing their college degree, studying a masters, doing a Phd or simply taking a Spanish language course are common motivators when deciding to spend some months or even years in the Spanish territory.

And, for that, a student visa is required: it is the legal mechanism that will allow them to stay in the country while their studies last, and even allow them to work under certain conditions.

But why is it such a great option? Why would you choose a student visa instead of any other path to residency?

Advantages of the Spanish student visa

What’s next is a list of all the benefits and advantages this visa offers and that help explain its popularity and why more and more citizens from all around the world are choosing the Spanish one instead of any other EU student permit.

Simple requirements

You just need to have a registered spot in a Spanish university or officially recognized education center, hire private health insurance and demonstrate the possession of sufficient economic means, and you will enjoy an easy application.

That’s it!

Apply directly from Spain

While it is true that many foreigners decide to start their student visa application from their country of origin (at the Spanish consulate), the Spanish immigration law also allows the foreign student to enter the country as a tourist and directly complete her application during the first 3 months of her stay.

As long as she starts before the 2nd month of her tourist visa stay comes to an end, that fast-track application is possible.

Possibility to bring your relatives with you

Even though the foreigner moves to Spain in order to study, it is well possible to include direct relatives in a joint application, so they can also obtain the right to live in the country (but not to work) during the duration of the studies.

Obtain a work permit afterwards

Finally, and perhaps the most important of them all, the student visa is for many the ideal gateway to obtain a work permit in Spain.

The truth is that initial applications for work visas are quite complex and usually end up with rejections (after the foreigner has spent a lot of time and money).

But the student visa may act as an intermediate bridge that grants the foreigner the desired end result.

Depending on how long the foreigner has been studying in Spain, there are 3 ways to obtain a working residency after she completes her studies:

• After 1 year studying, it is possible to apply for a highly-qualified work permit, as long as the job position requires technical knowledge and usually managing people
• After 3 years in the country with a student visa, the foreigner can apply for a regular work permit, both as a self-employed individual or as an employee of a Spanish company
• Finally, since the end of 2018, the possibility to apply for what is called “residence permit for student looking for a job” emerged; a 1-year residency that allows the foreigner to stay in the country while trying to find a job or prepare to set up her own company

For all these reasons, the student visa has become during the past years more and more popular among expat communities, and it will certainly continue to be for years to come.

Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia or any of the other wonderful cities in the country are ideal spots for students who wish to meet new people, discover an amazing culture and enjoy great food.