Living in Spain
Studying at a university outside your home country is one of the most important decisions you can make.The most important and the smartest. A stay in another country will significantly help your education and life experience.
European experience
UPV opens its doors to you to live this experience in one of the most prestigious universities and where, as part of your education, it will provide you with access to carry out part of your training in any of the more than 1,200 universities with which we have a collaboration agreement. Universities located in more than 90 countries on 5 continents.
Studying at the UPV opens the doors to Europe to the best training and the most promising future.
And you won’t be alone!
UPV’s student body is openly international. 7.7% of its students are international, more than double that of other Spanish universities and it is the fourth university in Europe in terms of Erasmus students received, so you won’t be alone, you’re sure to find someone from the same country as you. Make the most of it and share all the experiences designed for international students.
Why Valencia?
You’ll soon discover why it attracts more than 3,000 international students yearly.
Lifestyle
València is the best city in the world to live in, according to the ranking published by Forbes magazine.
Warm, Mediterranean, open, cheerful, welcoming, innovative, surprising, diverse, cosmopolitan…
Culture, history and geography define a lifestyle we would love to share with you. Come, discover it and enjoy Valencia.
Affordable
The cost of living in Valencia is up to 30% cheaper than in Madrid or Barcelona.
Affordable accommodations, restaurants and bars, and hundreds of free activities and attractions can be enjoyed all year round.
The ideal place to enjoy the high quality of Mediterranean life without spending too much.
Warm
In Valencia, we have more than 300 sunshine days a year!
Our climate is Mediterranean, with mild winters, warm summers, and an average temperature of 19º.
A climate that annually attracts millions of tourists. And not only do they choose us for their holidays, but many decide to stay and live with us.
Accessible
Valencia is a friendly and open city for everyone to enjoy equally.
Most of its streets are adapted for people with disabilities, with access ramps and lifts in the main public buildings. There are many accommodation options and restaurants that comply with accessibility regulations.
These factors make Valencia an easily accessible city for all visitors. Check it out in this guide.
Get to know the UPV
Living and studying at UPV
The three cities where our campuses are located, Valencia, Alcoy, and Gandia, are friendly medium-sized towns with all the services you may need and where you can settle down with complete tranquillity and safety. All three belong to Comunitat Valenciana, the international tourist destination.
The Vera campus is in Valencia, where most schools, faculties, and services are centralised. It is the third largest town in Spain and is located on the Mediterranean coast, with beaches that can be enjoyed both in summer and winter.
Perfectly communicated by the airport and less than 3 hours by train from Madrid or Barcelona. It is a flat city, with pleasant temperatures and little rain, which makes it perfect for bicycle transport.
Shopping and renting in Valencia is cheaper than the Spanish average and up to 30% cheaper than in Madrid or Barcelona.
Orientation of new students
You can count on the Comprehensive Student Support Plan to help you in your first days at university or to advise you at any point in your student life. It aims to facilitate personal and social academic integration through Welcome Days, tutorial activities and other support resources.
We will help you with your visa.
To come to study in Spain, you need a student visa, which will allow you to reside and carry out paid internships for the duration of your studies. This procedure must be done at your residence’s diplomatic mission or consular office.
For international students from some countries, study stays of less than 90 days do not require a visa. However, for other countries, a visa is required in any case. You can check which countries require it and which are exempt from visa requirements here.
If the study stay does not exceed 180 days, an SSU visa is required. This visa is valid for the entire stay, and it is not necessary to obtain a Foreigner’s Identity Card (TIE).
If the study stay exceeds 180 days, the SLU visa will be valid for a 90-day stay. The student must apply for a TIE within one month of entering Spain and always before the visa expires.
In the latter case, once you arrive in Spain, always before applying for the TIE, and with a visa that is still valid, the UPV Immigration Service will help you to extend your initial visa for up to two years (depending on your degree) and guide you through the following steps to obtain your TIE at the National Police Station.
More information? Solve your doubts
What to do on campus?
The three UPV campuses are perfectly equipped with all kinds of sports facilities and services.
The main campus, Vera, is a small city almost two kilometres long with more than 700,000 m² of green areas. They are real hotbeds of life and culture where you can practice more than 60 sporting disciplines, show your social commitment with the Development Cooperation Centre or the Social Volunteering Exchange, strengthen your languages at the Language Centre, create your company at IDEAS, participate in the countless cultural on offer or take part in the Design Factory initiatives, cross-curricular student proposals ranging from motorbike and car racing teams to theatre, debate, comics or video games.
Still in doubt?
Which language is used during the sessions?
The language you choose when you enrol: Spanish, Valencian or English. The Valencian Community is a bilingual autonomous region, but with Spanish, you can get by in the classroom and on the street without any problems. However, if you like languages and you want to integrate 100%, you can start learning Valencian through the Servei de Promoció i Normalització Lingüística.
And if you want to improve your English, you can also choose to be taught in this language in more than 600 courses. Click on this link to find the courses taught in the language you are interested in.
Some master’s degrees require a minimum level of Spanish or English to follow the teaching properly. You can consult these requirements in this document.
The university adapts to you
In 1994 the UPV set up the CEDAT Foundation. This service is the gateway to the university that guarantees that this institution is open to all students. If a student requires personalised attention, the CEDAT Foundation’s Service for Students with Disabilities is responsible for providing the necessary support.
This is the way in which the UPV guarantees equal opportunities to the whole society in the access to university studies, their development and subsequent labor insertion.
Can the UPV help me with my internship?
If you are an international student from a non-EU country, the student visa allows you to work in jobs compatible with your studies and not essential for your livelihood in Spain. At the Universitat Politècnica de València, we actively help you carry out internships as part of your training and as your first work experience. Internships are provided by the SIE, the university’s Integral Employment Service, and most of them are paid.
During your stay at the university, you can also work at the UPV through the Servipoli Foundation.
Employment
For the UPV, your first job is part of our responsibility, and we are committed to helping you get it.
UPV’s employability rates are among the highest in Spanish universities. 53% of UPV students are already working when they apply for their degree, and UPV is among the 250 universities with the best employability in the world.
Our university also encourages entrepreneurship. 800 companies have been created at the UPV thanks to the IDEAS Institute. Over 10,000 students have participated in entrepreneurship activities and been advised by the IDEAS team. We also have 13 Emprende spaces, open to the participation of any student to set up projects, participate in international competitions or launch a start-up.
Every year, UPV organises the Employment and Entrepreneurship Forum, a two-day fair where UPV students and graduates have direct contact with more than 100 companies from different sectors.
Accommodation
If you have to stay in one of these cities, the university provides information on housing through a complete search engine that will help you find rooms, flats, or residence halls. You can find all the information about accommodation on the UPV website.
Medical care
As a university community member, you can access health services on campus. You can go there for primary medical care, counselling or nursing care. Initial care is provided here, so it is essential to have insurance that covers possible health problems, including hospitalisation.
The Spanish Social Security has health care agreements with several countries that facilitate this procedure.