Student Visas
Important Message About Visas
If you need a student visa we highly recommend that you immediately begin informing yourself of the process by getting in contact with your corresponding Spanish consulate as soon as possible. The process will vary from consulate to consulate in the U.S. and around the world, so it is important to know the exact requirements at your consulate.
Master's degree students need a long-stay student visa (stays for more than 90 days), allowing students to study for up to one year in Spain. The visa application process requires the student to present documentation at their corresponding Spanish consulate. We strongly recommend starting your visa application process at least four months prior to the beginning of the program.
Passport Requirement
All students must have a passport that is valid for at least six months after their program end date. It is recommended that you have your passport ready at least four months before your program start date to initiate your visa application. Moreover, students are discouraged from making international travel plans during the months in which they plan to apply for their visas because the local consulate may keep their passport while processing the application.
Visa Delays and Other Issues
Please be aware that many consulates have been experiencing delays in appointment availability and visa processing. Regardless of the delay that you may face in your procedure, we strongly urge you to complete the process before leaving your home country, as students who are not citizens of the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Switzerland need a student visa in order to enter and study in Spain.
Who needs this visa?
All master’s degree program participants on the Valencia campus need this visa unless you are a citizen or legal resident of the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, or Switzerland.
Getting Your Visa
The following information describes the general process in order to obtain a long-stay student visa. However, you should check with your Spanish consulate before beginning the process, as the process varies from consulate to consulate.
Before Entering Spain
Step One: Make a Visa Appointment
Contact your local Spanish consulate and make a visa appointment. You can find the Spanish consulate that corresponds to you here.
PLEASE NOTE:
- You must go to the Spanish consulate that corresponds to where you are a legal resident. In the U.S., for example, your consulate is assigned to you based on the state you live in.
- Some consulates are busier than others. The first available appointment could be months away, or it could be within a few days. At your appointment you must present official documents provided by Berklee, which we will mail to you in an accept pack soon after sending the acceptance email.
- The date of your visa appointment is important because once your visa is issued, you must enter the Schengen Area within 90 days. For example, if your visa is issued on June 1, you must enter a country in the Schengen Area before September 1. Often, an ideal time to get a visa appointment is in mid to late May, but it really depends on how long your consulate takes to process student visas. Processing times vary at each consulate and it can take anywhere from a week up to three months.
Step Two: Gather Important Documents
Before your visa appointment you should get all the necessary documents together. You may need to have some documents translated into Spanish by an official translator, while some documents require an Apostille of the Hague. Check with your consulate for specific requirements. If you need documents translated into Spanish, here is a list of official sworn translators (the list is organized by the original language and where the translator is physically located).
The following documents are generally required to obtain a student visa, but you should check with your consulate for specific requirements:
- Original, signed passport valid for 6 months beyond stay, with at least one empty page for the visa.
- Visa application form and passport-size photos.
- An official letter certifying admission to Berklee College of Music master's degree program. (Provided by Berklee in your accept pack)
- The program of study outlining the course content. (Provided by Berklee in your accept pack)
- A medical insurance policy covering medical expenses and repatriation in the case of accident or sudden illness for the entire period of the stay in Spain. (Provided by Berklee in your accept pack)
- A letter from a doctor stating that the applicant does not suffer an illness that poses a threat to public health in accordance with international health regulations. This should be on the doctor's or health center's letterhead and stamped.
- Proof of financial means during your stay. For example, an official bank statement or a notarized letter from your parents accepting financial responsibility for you.
- A criminal record certificate issued by the authorities of your country of origin or any country in which you have lived for six months or longer during the past five years.
Again, this is a general list of required documents. You should check with your consulate for specific requirements.
Step Three: Go to Your Visa Appointment
Arrive to your appointment early with all your documents and copies prepared.
PLEASE NOTE:
- You will present your physical passport, plus all your documents and copies.
- Bring money to pay the visa fee. Check with the consulate beforehand to know the accepted form of payment and the amount.
- At your appointment, ask how long they anticipate the visa processing to take, and how you will know when your visa is ready. Ask how it will be returned to you, if you need to pick it up in person, or if they mail it to you in a prepaid envelope. Each consulate has a different process.
Step Four: Get Your Visa
At your appointment you should ask how your passport and visa will be returned to you, as each consulate works differently.
The busiest time for consulates is the summer, when they process a high volume of visas for students coming to Spain in the fall, so this process could take up to six weeks or more.
Entering Spain
Enter Spain
As you pass through immigration upon entering the Schengen Area, an immigrations officer will stamp your passport. Make sure your passport gets stamped.
Once in Spain
Get Your Student Residency Card
From the time you enter the Schengen Area, you have 30 days to apply for your student residency card, which will be your national identification card while in Spain.
It will take approximately two months to complete the process and get your student residency card, which is valid for up to one year and renewable if you continue to meet the student visa conditions.
You will receive information on how to apply for the residency card before orientation.
Visa FAQs
Schengen Area
What is the Schengen Area?
The Schengen Agreement, which five member states of what was the European Economic Community signed in 1985, aimed to harmonize short-term (up to 90 days) immigration practices among member countries. At present, 25 countries have signed the Schengen Agreement: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Please note that not all European Union members have signed or implemented the agreement and that not all signatory countries are members of the EU. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, and Romania are European Union members but have not yet implemented Schengen regulations. Ireland and the United Kingdom, also European Union members, have not signed the agreement. Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, however, have signed the Schengen Agreement although they are not European Union members.
What is a Schengen Visa?
A Schengen visa is the typical 90-day tourist visa that people from some countries (for example, India, Kenya, Peru) need in order to travel to Spain (or any other Schengen country). Citizens from certain countries are not required to obtain in advance any special tourist visa to visit Spain, and do not have to fill out a Schengen visa application. A tourist visa will be granted upon arrival in Spain and is good for 90 days in any six-month period. People who may obtain visas upon arrival in Spain include citizens of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong and Macao (China), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Do I need a Schengen visa to study in a Berklee master´s degree program in Valencia?
No. Our master’s degree students stay in Spain for more than 90 days so these students need a student visa. Remember, a Schengen visa is only good for up to 90 days in any six-month period and our master’s degree students stay for up to a year; therefore, master’s degree students should not worry about a Schengen visa, no matter which country they are from.
Does my student visa allow me to travel around Europe while I am studying at Berklee?
To answer this question we need to highlight an important difference in how visas work. Visas are like keys that allow visa holders to enter Spain. Once in Spain, however, students will be required to get their student residency card, called a Tarjeta de Identificación de Extranjero or TIE (often incorrectly called a NIE, because a NIE appears on the card), within 30 days of their entry into the Schengen Area. A student visa stamped in your passport will allow you to move through the Schengen Area only while the student visa is in effect. The student visas are usually issued for 90 days, and, of course, during the first 30 days our master’s degree students are here, they will apply for their student residency card, which will allow them to stay in Spain during the rest of their studies (long after the visa stamped in their passport has expired). Please note, however, that the student residency card, unlike the student visa stamped in your passport, does not grant you travel rights in any other Schengen Area countries. Students, please keep this in mind when you are planning trips around Europe while studying at Berklee. Simply put, while the visa stamped in your passport is valid, you should be able to travel through other Schengen Area countries but once this visa expires, your student residency card holder’s rights are tied to Spanish national territory; therefore, you may need a visa to travel to other Schengen member countries, depending on your country of origin.
Applying for a Student Visa
Can Berklee Valencia assist me with my visa application?
Students are responsible for securing their visa for study at Berklee Valencia. Berklee Valencia will only provide:
- The academic documentation required by authorities.
- A list of local lawyers and gestors (people who help with administrative and bureaucratic processes).
- A list of official translators.
Berklee Valencia does not:
- Vouch for external providers.
- Provide any advice or assistance, legal or otherwise, with the procurement of the visa. Students are responsible for any and all costs associated with this process.
My local consulate does not have any appointments available before the graduate program start date (or in the next months/weeks). What should I do?
Please communicate this information to the Admissions, Academic Affairs and Student Affairs departments as well as the Program Director, so that we are aware of any possible delays in your arrival to Valencia.
How many entries should I request?
You should request a multiple-entry visa.
What are the most important insider tips to remember about getting a student visa?
Challenge No. 1 Logistics Many consulates suffer from a heavy workload during the summer months and therefore might not have an available appointment for a month or two. Be aware of your timeline. Most students only need between two to four weeks to get their documents ready, and the Spanish government usually needs at least a month to process your student visa. You want to be here in September—don´t get caught waiting for a visa appointment. Be sure to contact the consulate as soon as you are accepted and see when the next available appointments are for visa applications. If the consulate is asking people to wait a month or more, grab an appointment now, before you have all your paperwork done. Challenge No. 2 Criminal Background Check If you are applying for your visa in the United States, remember that the FBI usually takes six weeks to resolve criminal background checks. Ask the consulate if it accepts a criminal background check from the state police. If so, contact the state police where you live and see how long it would take to complete a background check. Usually, the state police can resolve your request much faster than the FBI. Challenge No. 3 Medical Certificate Contact the consulate and ask for information about the medical certificate. Pay special attention to what kind of wording the certificate needs to contain and what other elements have to appear (doctor´s letterhead, signature, etc). Also, you may want to ask the consulate if it has a list of doctors who provide such certificates. Many doctors on consulate lists are used to issuing the certificates and know what kind of language they need to use. If not, any family doctor can examine you and issue the certificate. Challenge No. 4 Translating and Legalizing Documents Verify with the consulate, which documents have to be: a) Notarized b) Legalized internationally (Apostille) c) Translated by a sworn translator who is licensed to work in Spain. Often consulates have a list of sworn translators. Remember that many translators charge extra for emergency work, so be sure to notify your translators ahead of time to book their services.
I live in one country now but I used to live in another. Where do I get my criminal background check from?
Spanish law states that you need a criminal background check from all the countries in which you legally resided during the last five years.
If I apply for a student visa and then decide not to come, would my visa still be valid next year?
No, your visa expires three months after it is issued.
If I present a defective visa application, how long do I have in order to correct it?
You have 10 business days to correct (subsanar) any problems in your application after you have submitted it. The 10 days are calculated starting the day after you present your application, and the days that count are Monday through Saturday (not Sunday, nor any holiday that causes the consulate to close. These holidays might be Spanish national holidays or local holidays in the country where the consulate is located).
Will I be provided a letter from the university or school in Spain or in the U.S. assuming full financial responsibility during my stay?
No. Unfortunately, Berklee does not provide students with this letter. You must fulfill this obligation by another means.
The Spanish student visa requires students to have proof of housing for their visa appointment. I don’t have my housing in Valencia yet, what should I do?
Do not worry too much about your housing requirement. Your acceptance letter should be enough proof of residence. In the rare case that it is not, you will have to book a hotel or a student residence for your first few days in Valencia so you can satisfy this agreement. Bring your paid receipt with you back to the consulate and that should fulfill the requirement.
I have a visa appointment in late August, and my visa won’t be ready in time to come to Spain. What are my options?
You CAN get into Spain for 90 days without a tourist visa IF you are from: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong and Macao (China), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, or Venezuela. If your visa will not be ready by the time your classes start, and you are from one of the above countries, you could come to Spain and start your classes and then return to your home country to pick up your visa when it is issued. Remember, you have up to 90 days to be here without the student visa. Once you are notified that the visa is issued you have 60 days to pick it up in your home country; be careful, if you don't pick it up within 60 days, it will be canceled! Also remember that the consulate will hold your passport while it processes your visa application, but you will need your passport to come to Spain. Therefore, you will have to ask the consulate if it will let you keep your passport while it processes your visa. The best way to convince the consulate is to bring paid plane tickets/hotel accommodations to your visa appointment. Since each consulate has a degree of administrative leeway, we cannot guarantee that it will let you hold on to your passport, but so far, all of our students and employees who have found themselves in this situation were able to keep their passports.
What happens if I arrive late for my program due to visa issues?
Academic Affairs will work with the corresponding Program Director and faculty involved to ensure that you are able to start the semester and attend classes and other important events remotely for a limited amount of time.
Do I have to pick my visa up in person?
Spanish law states that you must come to the consulate in person to get your passport. There have been cases in which a consulate will let someone use a courier service to retrieve his or her passport, but that decision is at the discretion of the consulate. You would have to negotiate that, and you may or may not be successful in doing so. The better you document your case (paid airline tickets, for example) the better chances you have of being able to have a courier pick up your passport. Also, there is an important nuance that you should be aware of. The consulate usually holds the passport while it processes the visa, so if you want to fly to Spain during this time, you should let the consulate know of your plans when you submit your application (again, bring paid airline ticket receipts, hotel receipts, etc.)
Will the health insurance letter provided by Berklee in my accept pack meet the health insurance requirement for my Visa application?
Yes, the student insurance that Berklee provides meets all the health insurance requirements from the Spanish government, including covering medical expenses and repatriation in the case of accident or sudden illness for the entire period of the stay in Spain.
Will the official acceptance letter provided by Berklee in my accept pack meet the requirement for my Visa application?
Yes, the acceptance letter Berklee provides meets the acceptance letter requirements for the Spanish government. The official acceptance letter is written in Spanish and certifies that you are a full-time student in Spain from the Spanish University/School or US program indicating: name, address, telephone and fax number, and registration number with the Ministry of Education of Spain; full payment tuition; duration of the program (date of start & date that finishes); subjects of study; hours of study per week (20 at least).
Immigration Issues in Spain
Can I enter Spain before the date posted on my Visa?
Entering Spain a few days before your student visa is in effect won’t be a problem if you are from the countries listed below*. Just be sure that when you enter the Schengen Area, you get your passport stamped. If, for some reason, an immigrations officer doesn’t stamp your passport (this is rare, but does occasionally happen), please be sure to keep your boarding passes and the paid receipt for your flight. You would need them to get your Spanish student residency card. *These countries are: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong and Macao (China), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The police didn’t stamp my passport when I entered the Schengen Area with my visa. What should I do?
Save your boarding passes and the paid receipt for your flight. You will need to present them to the police in order to get your student residency card.
Can my wife/husband and child/children accompany me?
Yes, your immediate family members can accompany you during your studies in Spain. Each family member will have to apply for a separate visa; they should each apply for a Non Lucrative visa. Depending on the consulate that corresponds to you, each family member may need a separate appointment in order to present their visa application. We recommend checking with the consulate to see what their procedure is. Remember to bring a copy of your marriage certificate and/or birth certificates with you to Spain, because Spanish police will want to see them in order to issue your family members their own residency cards.
What is a NIE?
NIE stands for Numero de Identificación de Extranjero, or a foreigner’s registration number. This number is used to identify foreigners while they stay in Spain and it is imperative to have for all administrative and financial matters.
What is the difference between a student residency card and a NIE?
A student residency card is a type of Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, or a foreigners’ residency card. This is a physical card that all non-EU foreigners must obtain if they are staying in Spain more than six months. This card contains your photo, your fingerprint, and your NIE.
Once I get to Spain, how do I get my student residency card?
Berklee will send you more information on getting your residency card several weeks before your program begins.
Does the time I spend in Spain as a student count toward getting Spanish citizenship?
The calculation for time spent in Spain in order to apply for citizenship is based on what is called residencia. Unfortunately, student visas don´t grant residencia, but rather estancia and, therefore, your time at Berklee doesn´t count toward the required time need to apply for citizenship.
Can I fly to Spain with a tourist visa and apply for the student visa upon arriving?
If you choose to apply for a visa once you are in Spain, you should be aware of the following:
- If you don’t receive a visa by November 20 of your first semester of enrollment in your program, you will be withdrawn from the program, and refunds, if any, will be processed following Berklee’s withdrawal policy. Based on our experience, it is unlikely students will receive a visa by November 20. Please keep in mind that if you arrive in Spain without a visa, you most likely can only stay for 90 days, depending on which country you are from.
- Should you be withdrawn from a master’s program, you will have to reapply for the program. Should you be readmitted to the program, you will have to restart the program from the beginning. Readmittance to the program is not guaranteed.
Internships, Work, and Citizenship
Can I stay in Spain past the expiration date on my student residency card?
There is a gray area of the law that could be beneficial to you if you only want to stay for a few months after your card expires. Technically, you have to renew your card before it expires. However, there is a grace period of 90 days for people who did not renew in time. That means you could still legally be in Spain for up to 90 days after your card expires. However, remember that your card is what allows you to re-enter Spain if you leave, and your card will be expired during that 90-day grace period. This means that if you leave Spanish national territory during the 90-day grace period, you will not have the right to get back in, especially if you are not from the following countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong and Macao (China), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, or Venezuela.
My spouse is getting a visa to accompany me to Valencia while I complete my master's degree at Berklee. Will he/she be able to work in Spain?
Unfortunately, your spouse cannot work because his/her visa status won't permit him/her to work.
Do you know if I will be legally able to work or do an internship with a student visa?
To answer your question, we have to break down the concept of "work" and "internship" into two separate categories, because Spanish law divides them into different legal concepts. Internships: If the internship in question stems from your Berklee master’s degree program, your student visa grants you the right to participate in the internship. Spanish immigration law is designed, in part, to protect Spanish workers in a global labor market while giving students opportunities to continue their education with practical internships in both public and private companies. Therefore, foreign students have the right to participate in internship programs sponsored by their universities, and these arrangements are not considered labor contracts even if the student receives economic compensation by the company for his or her participation; this compensation is in the form of a student grant or expense reimbursement. Please contact the International Career Center on campus for more information about internships. Work: Under Spanish law, the concept of "work" or "a job" involves a different kind of economic relationship that comes with different rights and responsibilities than does an internship. Your student visa permits you to work part-time in a job that does not conflict with your class schedule. It also permits you to work full-time for up to three months under the same conditions. However, the business that hires you must solicit permission from the government and many employers are reluctant to take this administrative step. Therefore, few foreign students receive legitimate job offers during their studies. More information in English can be found here for student visas and here for work visas. Both links lead to the Spanish Ministry of Labor website.