Students not from the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland: Before travelling

If you are still in your country of residence, please note that the procedures you need to follow differ depending on whether your stay in Spain will last more or less than 90 days.

You may find yourself in one of these two situations:

1) You are a national of one of the countries exempt from the requirement to apply for a visa for stays of less than 90 days.

• See Annex II of (EU) Regulation 2018/1806 for a list of such countries.
• Further information is available on the information sheets of the Immigration Portal..

2) You are a national of one of the countries that requires a residence visa (type C).

• See Annex I of (EU) Regulation 2018/1806 for a list of such countries.
• Schengen visa

• Request a Schengen visa at the Spanish Consulates (Service category: "Visas"; Consular services: "Short-stay visa – Schengen visa").

If you are planning to stay for more than 90 days, you can choose one of these two options:

1) You can apply in your country of origin for a study visa/permit covering the entire length of your stay in Spain:

At the Spanish consulate or embassy in your country, you can apply for a visa that includes a ‘Long-term permit for conducting advanced studies’, which is valid for travelling to, staying in and studying in Spain.

The visa will vary depending on the length of your stay:

• Stays of 6 months or less: the consulate will issue a 180-day visa covering the entire stay, and you will not need to complete any further formalities.

Please note that the competent authorities may add to the total duration of the permit a period of up to one month prior to and 15 days after the dates scheduled for your stay at the EHU. This may mean that your stay of less than 6 months becomes one of over 6 months, and you will have to submit the documentation corresponding to this second type of stay. You can expressly request that these periods (both or just one of them) not be added to your permit.

• Stays of 6 months or more: the Spanish consulate will issue a Study Visa (type D) valid for 90 days. In this case, you will need to apply for a Foreign ID Card (TIE) within the first 30 days of your arrival in Spain. .

You will find all the information pertaining to this type of permit on the Immigration Ministry’s website (Sheet 1). We also recommend that you read the criteria and exemptions published in 2025. Please also consult all the information provided by the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country of origin.

Bear in mind that:

• Except in the case of exceptional circumstances, you must submit your visa application at least two months before starting your studies at the EHU.
• You must be at least 17 years of age. 
• Your visa must cover the entire duration of your stay at the EHU. 
• This type of permit allows you to work for a maximum of 30 hours per week.

2) You can travel to Spain without having applied for a student visa/permit in your home country:

It is possible to apply for a study permit while in Spain (provided you have entered the country legally by some other means). However, this option is not recommended as there is a risk that, once in Spain, your application for a study permit may be refused.

Bear in mind that:

You will find all the information on this type of permit on the Immigration Ministry’s website (Sheet 1). We also recommend that you read the criteria and exemptions published in 2025.