Applying for a student visa to Spain can be very challenging and overwhelming. There are lots of paperwork required, lots of things to keep in mind and specially the accuracy and timing of the application. But if you have all the information curated at one place and tips to do it right, you should be having your visa with you.
While applying for a Spanish visa the most important thing to keep in mind is to apply on time. You can apply for a visa appointment not before 90 days of your travel date and not later than 30 days to your departure. There are two consulates where you can apply to depending on which city you live in India. Either New Delhi or Mumbai. You will have multiple dates to choose from for your appointment depending on the availability.
I have attached the links of the websites of both the consulates for easy access.
New Delhi https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/nuevadelhi/en/Embajada/Paginas/Consulados.aspx
Mumbai
https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/mumbai/en/Paginas/index.aspx
Once you have booked an appointment, it is now time for you to aggregate all the documents. Be very careful to ensure the accuracy of the documents because these embassies take these very seriously. Any hiccup from your end will just unnecessarily delay your visa and will invite many complexities.
These are the documents that I had to collect before my appointment:-
- Degree certificate translated and with apostle – Your graduation degree needs to be translated to Spanish if it is in any other language. After the translation you will have to duly legalize it by the Ministry of External Affairs. (You can submit your provisional degree as well)
- Medical certificate translated and with apostle – You will need to have a medical certificate by an MD Doctor with the letterhead of that Doctor stating that you are physically and mentally fit to travel and stay in another country. After making this certificate, you will again have to translate and apostle it.
- Police Control Certificate translated and with apostle – This document explains about your criminal record. You will need a PCC from every country that you have resided in, in the last 5 years. You will have to book an appointment at the nearest Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and once you go there with the required document that is mentioned in each PSKs website, they will tell you about the process from there on. Once you receive the PCC, you will have to translate and legalize it.
Translation and legalization may sound like a hectic task, but you have agencies that assist throughout for this. One such agency is IVS Global Services in New Delhi. Their contact number +91 95999 01335. They will have their own charges, but it is the easiest way to get it done.
You should technically work for these 3 documents before booking your appointment because it takes time to sort all these.
- 2 complete Schengen visa application forms
- Demand draft for visa payment of Rs. 6,883/- (this amount might vary from year to year). Carry 2 photocopies of this demand draft as well
- Proof of financial means – ITR for the last 3 financial years, Bank statements for at least 6 months duly stamped by the bank manager, Financial Affidavit stating the name of your sponsors and your recognition of the amount of expenses and sanction letter (if on student loan)
- Health Insurance – A coverage of Euros 30,000 at least. Can be an Indian company as well but the insurance document should mention about its coverage in EU nations
- Certificado de Empadronamiento – Your place of accommodation should be clearly mentioned in this document. Some universities do help with this, so it is better to first approach your university for this
- College related documents – Admission letter, receipt of the payment made to the university and content of study plan
- Passport, Aadhar card and PAN card (with copies)
- 2 recent passport size photos
- Parents ID – Passport, Aadhar card, PAN card (only copies)
- Covering letter – You will have to mention why you applied to the University in Spain, why you chose Spain and all the reasons to study in Spain. This is a very important document as this is the only personal way to tell your story to the embassy so make sure to include all the information. Do not write more than 1 page though.
These are all the documents you need to apply for a student visa to Spain. Hope this helps everyone who needs it. Learn to value time and be patient. All the best!
Rahul Maheshwari
MSc. International Management’23
Esade Business School
