Passports and Visas

Some of your documents may need to be notarized, translated into Spanish, and/or legalized with an Apostille of the Hague. See Step 2 for more information. All forms must be filled out with a pen. The consulate will not accept forms filled out with a pencil.

Required Documents for All Students:

• Passport (original and two copies of the photo/information page) Make sure your passport is signed, in good condition, and valid for at least six months after your program ends. It must have at least one empty page for the visa to be stamped inside. Scan or take a picture of your passport before submitting it with your visa application so you will have a copy for your records.
• College/University ID or State ID/License (one copy) Your ID must be from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, or Maine. Copies of state IDs/licenses must be notarized. Copies of college/university IDs do not need to be notarized.
• Application For National Visa (original) Fill out the Application for National Visa. --Page 1: Fill out electronically - complete numbers 1-10, 12-16, and 18 (if applicable). --Page 2: Fill out electronically - complete number 21. --Pages 3-4: Do not fill out (the required info is already completed for you). --Page 5: Include the place and date you're signing the form (e.g. Boston MA, 1-Sep-2023). Sign and date the form! You must use a pen (no pencil).
• Color Photo (original) You can get a “passport photo” at most drugstores including CVS and Walgreens, or at a post office. Your photo must have a white background. Write your name on the back of your photo in case it gets separated from the rest of your documents.
• Proof of Financial Means (original and one copy) -Option 1: Parent/Guardian Financial Support Letter, parent bank statements, and student's birth certificate. The parent letter must be notarized. If the letter is notarized outside the U.S., it must also be legalized. You must also provide the same parent's last three bank statements.* A copy of the student's birth certificate is also required. -Option 2: Student's bank statements from a U.S. bank: You must provide your last three bank statements.* *All bank statements must have an ending balance of at least $700 multiplied by the number of months you will be in Spain. For example, if you will be in Spain for four months, each statement must have an ending balance of at least $2,800.
• Consulate Authorization Letter (original) Fill out the Consulate Authorization Letter. The letter must be notarized. If you submit your visa application to the study abroad office in person, you can get the consulate authorization letter notarized in the office.
• Payment for the Visa Fee (original) The consulate in Boston only accepts money orders and cashier's checks. Personal checks are not accepted. You can get a money order from a post office or a cashier’s check from a bank. Address the money order to "Consulado General de España" and write your name in the “from” section. The visa fee is non-refundable. Your visa fee depends on your passport country. --USA: $160 --Australia: $420 --Canada: $92 --UK: $214 (if studying abroad for more than one semester) --All Others: $85
• Immigration Documents (original and one copy) Required only for Non-U.S. Citizens. If you are an international student, you must provide your F-1 visa and I-20, or green card. Your I-20 must be signed (by you) on the first page. Your documents must be valid for at least six months after your program end date.
• Doctor's Letter (original and one copy) Required only for students studying abroad for a full academic year. Students studying abroad for one semester do not need a doctor's letter. The letter must be signed by an M.D. or D.O. and it must be on the doctor’s letterhead. It must say exactly this: “This medical certificate attests that (student’s full name) does not suffer from any illness that would pose a threat to public health following International Health Regulations of 2005.”
• FBI Background Check (original and one copy) Your FBI background check must be translated into Spanish and legalized. ​If you have lived outside the U.S. during the last five years, you must also submit background checks (translated and legalized) from the countries where you have lived.

Refer to the visa application checklist in Step 1 to see which documents need to be notarized, translated, and/or legalized.

Getting a Document Notarized

To get a document notarized, the person signing the document must sign it in front of a notary public. The notary then adds their stamp/seal to the document. You can find a notary at many banks, law/insurance offices, and UPS stores. 

Getting a Document Translated

Translations must be from a legal translator. Many students have used Southeast Spanish to get their translation and apostille.

Getting a Document Legalized (Apostille of the Hague)

If your document(s) need to be legalized, it must be done in the place it was issued (signed and/or notarized). Legalizing documents issued in the U.S. Federally-issued documents, for example an FBI background check, must be legalized by the U.S. Department of State. See Apostille Requirements for more information. Many students have used Southeast Spanish to get their translation and apostille. Legalizing documents issued outside the U.S. If your document was issued in a country that belongs to the Apostille of the Hague Convention, it must be legalized with an Apostille, in the country in which it was issued. Review the list of countries for instructions on how to get an Apostille in each country. If your document was issued in a country that does not belong to the Apostille of the Hague Convention, it must be legalized by a Spanish consulate or embassy.

Submit your complete visa application to the study abroad office in Boston. Option 1 - Schedule an in-person meeting with a study abroad advisor. You must schedule an in-person meeting to submit your documents. Please do not submit your documents without an appointment. (Email studyabroad@berklee.edu to schedule an appointment if you do not have a Berklee login.) Option 2 - Mail your documents to the study abroad office. Mailing Address Berklee Study Abroad Attn: Tracey Mellor (MS-939-ISS) 1108 Boylston Street - Basement/Mail Center Boston, MA 02215 *Be sure to use a trackable service (e.g. USPS priority mail, UPS, FedEx) and ensure that your package will arrive by the deadline.

The study abroad office will retrieve your passport from the consulate once your visa is ready. You can either pick up your passport from the study abroad office or have it mailed back to you. You will receive more information approximately one week before your passport and visa are expected to be ready.

You must apply for your visa at the Spanish consulate or embassy that corresponds to your legal residence. In the U.S., for example, there are several Spanish consulates, and you will need to find the one that corresponds to the state you live in. See here for a list of Spanish consulates and embassies.

Some consulates require you to make an appointment to submit your student visa application, while others only accept applications by mail. Some consulates require you to include a prepaid self-addressed envelope with your application so your passport and visa can be mailed back to you, while other consulates require you to bring your passport to the consulate in-person later to retrieve your visa.

You must check your consulate's website for the specific documents necessary for a student visa application. The documents required by your consulate should be similar to those required to apply through Berklee. You may use the Berklee instructions as a reference, however you must follow the specific instructions of your consulate. Proof of Acceptance and Spanish Health Insurance: Please email studyabroad@berklee.edu to request these letters. They will be in Spanish. The acceptance letter includes confirmation of your housing in Valencia.

Arrive to your consulate appointment early and with all the required documents, including copies. (If an appointment is not required, be sure to check your consulate's visa drop-in hours.)

• Remember, you will be asked to leave your passport at the consulate, along with the rest of your documents, while your visa is being processed.
• Be prepared to pay the visa fee. Only certain forms of payment will be accepted (see Step 3).
• Before you leave the consulate, ask how long it will take to process your visa, how you will know when it is ready, and how you can pick it up. (Most consulates do not require another appointment and will allow you to pick it up during their business hours.) Some consulates will mail your passport back you (if you provide a prepaid envelope). Each consulate has a different process, and you must confirm with them in advance.

You will either go to the consulate to pick up your passport (with visa inside) or it will be mailed to you. Remember to ask about this process during your appointment (see Step 4).

As you go through the passport control area upon entering the Schengen Area, an immigrations officer should stamp your passport. Make sure your passport gets stamped!

If you are studying abroad for one semester only, you don't need to do anything. You will not get a student residency card. If you are studying abroad for an academic year, you will need to apply for your student residency card within 30 days of your arrival into the Schengen Area. It will take approximately two months to complete the residency card process. Your residency card will be your national identification card while in Spain. It's 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 during orientation in Valencia.