Recently, illegal immigration has become an issue in Spain, and it is being seriously addressed by the authorities. It is therefore extremely important that you follow the Spanish regulations on this subject. Illegal immigration is a politically sensitive issue, therefore efforts are being made to prevent unauthorised entry and to find and deport people living illegally in the country.

European Union students (Austria, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Holland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic and Romania) do not need to follow any special procedure to enter and stay in Spain. Only a valid passport or national ID is required. Students from EU Member States (except Romania and Bulgaria) do not require a permit to work in Spain.

Non-EU Nationals are required to obtain a visa - note that this also includes non-EU spouses and dependent relatives

Visas are managed by the Ministerio de Asuntos Extranjeros (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) through its consulates and embassies around the world. You must apply for a visa through the Spanish embassy/consulate nearest to your residence before travelling to Spain. Honorary consuls generally cannot issue visas but may provide application forms.

Visas are never issued in Spain; you must apply for one before you leave your country of residence. Do not attempt to enter Spain without a visa if you need one. Your embassy will not be able to help you and you will be refused entry.

You cannot enter Spain with a tourist visa and then apply to stay as a student without returning to your country of residence. Also, it is not possible to ask someone else at home to obtain a visa for you. You have to leave the Schengen Area in order to apply for a new type of visa.

To apply for a visa you must first have a valid passport, so be sure to allow enough time to obtain your passport and get the visa application processed before travelling to Spain.

Each Spanish embassy/consulate has different visa application procedures. You must therefore contact the embassy/consulate that applies to you to find out which procedure to follow. If you foresee entering/leaving Spain more than once during your exchange period, please inform the embassy/consulate about this.

If you entered with a non-renewable student visa (maximum 180 days), you do not need to follow any other procedure. However, you have to leave Spain before this visa expires.

In any other case, you have to request the Foreign Student Identification Card (FSIC) to the Spanish government within one month after your arrival date in Spain. The time spent waiting in line and waiting for the FSIC can vary tremendously. The UPV International Exchange Programmes Office (OPII) helps exchange students to apply for a NIE and FSIC, so do not hesitate to come to the office as soon as possible, after arriving in Spain.

Please bear in mind that the Foreign Student Identification Card (FSIC) is in no way a residence permit.

It is not possible to obtain the Foreign Student Identification Card (FSIC) if you do not have a renewable student visa.

A NIE is a number the Spanish immigration services issue once you obtain residence and is your personal identification number in Spain. It is necessary in order to file taxes, establish a business, open a bank account, and for almost all other formal procedures. Both EU citizens and non-EU citizens may apply for a NIE.

If you need the NIE for activities relating to UPV we will gladly help you apply for it, so please do not hesitate to contact us at the International Exchange Programmes Office (OPII).

Spain is a signatory to the Schengen Agreement, which enables free circulation of residents within countries in the Schengen Area. A visa granted by one of these countries is valid in the whole Schengen Area. Travelling within the Schengen Area is legally the same as travelling within Spain. A visa granted by one of the Schengen countries is valid in all other member countries.

Please note that Switzerland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Morocco, and Gibraltar are not part of the Schengen Area.