Spanish Visa Application Instructions
Making the appointment to appear in person and apply for the visa
Almost all consulates are now requiring a personal appearance to submit documentation, though
some will allow “an authorized representative” to apply on your behalf. This means you may write a
letter authorizing a parent to apply on your behalf (this letter needs to be notarized).
In this case, however, you will be required to appear in person to pick up the visa.
New York is allowing students to drop off applications without an appointment.
Picking up the visa
Some Spanish consulates require that the passport with visa stamp inside be picked up in person
when it is ready. Again, some consulates may allow you to authorize a representative (this means
writing a letter stating the name of the person you are authorizing to pick up your passport/visa,
sign, and date—this letter should be notarized). Consulates (except New York) either require
students to drop-off or pick-up (they need to see you once).
Appointments
You should plan to go to the consulate eight to twelve weeks before the start of your program
(processing takes four to six weeks, plus mail time). Most Spanish consulates require an appointment
be made on-line. They only open their appointments a few weeks at a time, and during peak
application season, once appointments become available, they fill quickly. Make your consulate’s
appointment page your home page until you get one. Do not wait until you have all of your materials
to make the appointment. Without an appointment, you won’t be able to apply for your visa;
without a visa, you won’t be able to study in Spain. DC does not require an appointment; applicants
should show up early the day they plan to apply New York allows you to drop off your application
anytime between 9am and 3pm Mon-Fri.
Schedule your appointment *BE SURE TO SELECT “STUDENT VISA” from the drop-down,
where applicable
o Boston: schedule your appointment on-line:
https://app.timetrade.com/tc/login.do?url=cgsb They will accept applications up to 120
days before the start of the program abroad.
o Chicago: schedule your appointment on-line:
https://app.timetrade.com/tc/login.do?url=spainconsulchicago
English instructions:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/CHICAGO/es/ServiciosConsulares/Serviciosco
nsularesenchicago/Documents/documentosvisados/estudiante.pdf
o DC: Currently, they will not accept appointments, so you need to gather your documents
and show up early the day you plan to apply.
o Houston: schedule your appointment on-line:
https://consulategeneralofspaininhouston.acuityscheduling.com/
o Los Angeles: schedule your appointment on-line:
http://www.vfsglobal.com/Spain/usa/LosAngeles/
o Miami: schedule your appointment on-line: http://www.vfsglobal.com/Spain/usa/Miami
o New York:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/NUEVAYORK/en/ServiciosConsulares/Docu
ments/Student%20Visa.pdf No appointment needed—drop-off your materials
o San Francisco: schedule your appointment on-line:
http://www.vfsglobal.com/Spain/usa/SanFrancisco/
STUDENT VISA REQUIREMENTS BY CONSULATE
Boston:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/BOSTON/es/ServiciosConsulares/ServiciosConsularesB
oston/Paginas/Boston-Visados.aspx
Chicago:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/CHICAGO/en/ServiciosConsulares/consularservicesinc
hicago/visas/Pages/inicio.aspx
DC: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/WASHINGTON/en/Consulado/Pages/Visas.aspx
Houston:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/HOUSTON/es/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Paginas/V
isados.aspx
Los Angeles:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/LOSANGELES/en/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Pages
/IF%20LA/Study-Visa.aspx
Miami:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/MIAMI/es/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Paginas/SCMi
ami/Visado-de-Estudios.aspx
New York:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/NUEVAYORK/es/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Visado
s.aspx
San Francisco: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/sanfrancisco/en/Pages/inicio.aspx
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS/MATERIALS
Word of warning: each consulate makes its own rules—and they change these rules at will. Their
favorite on to change is the application fee, which they tend to re-evaluate each June. You will need
to research your individual consulate’s requirements, but these are standard across many consulates,
including Boston, so I’ll offer them here with a brief explanatory note for some of the questions I get
most often. Please take originals, plus one photocopy of everything to the consulate, including a
copy of your passport. Also, make one copy of everything for your own records to take with
you to Spain to facilitate the registration process once you are abroad.
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
National Visa Application—PRINT DOUBLE SIDED from your consulate’s website.
Some consulates have the form only in Spanish. Consulates sometimes require an original
signature on both copies, so print, complete all but signature, photocopy, then sign.
1 “Supplement Form”—see directions for completing it below (Currently only required in
Boston).
Passport AND PHOTOCOPY of the ID page-get the photo part and the signature part
o The passport must be signed and valid for six months after the intended period of
stay in Spain.
o The passport must be in good condition (they’ve turned down ones that have gone
through the washing machine and students have had to get replacements).
o The passport must have at least two blank visa pages (the ones that say “visa” on
the top—the three last two pages of US passports do not count).
o If you need to obtain/renew a US passport, do so immediately:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/
One of the following: US driver’s license, US State ID card, Voters registration card, or
current student ID as proof that you may apply at your chosen consulate. If someone is
applying on your behalf, they may take a photocopy (he doesn’t need the original document).
2 recent passport sized photos with a white (not off-white—double check when you get
yours taken) background. This photo does not need to match the photo in your passport,
and it may not match the photo in your passport unless you’ve renewed your passport within
six months of your visa application. You should have this photo taken at a place that takes
passport photos—do not try to print these yourself. Alternately, you can try an on-line
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service like this one: https://www.epassportphoto.com/ Attach one photo to each of the
application forms (glue sticks work best, though if your consulate asks for tape or staples, do
as they instruct—if no instructions are given, use a glue stick). *Pomona students
(especially) have used photos that are too small in the past, so be sure yours are 2x2 inches
square.
Letter of acceptance as a full time student from Spain's University/School or US program
indicating: name, address and registration number of the school with Spain's Department of
Education; (Ministerio de Educación de España) full payment of tuition, duration of the
program, subjects of the study and hours of study per week which must be no fewer than 20.
[This is the letter in Spanish provided for you by our office—signed by Patricia Rodriguez.]
o San Fran and Los Angeles consulates have also begun requiring the acceptance letter
from your university in Spain (for students in Madrid, this does not apply), so if you
are attending one of the sites (Getafe, Córdoba, or Logroño) and applying at a west
coast consulate (or see this requirement on your own consulate’s website), let our
office know so we can get this letter for you as well.
Health Insurance (original form): International insurance coverage for health/accident with a
minimum coverage equal to €30,000 during the planning period of stay in Spain (or its
equivalency in dollars). [This letter is also provided to you by our office, since Middlebury
College purchases your health insurance for the time you are abroad.] Later, once we have
actually enrolled you in the health insurance plan, you will get an email from HTH
Worldwide (our insurance company); you should follow their instructions to register and
print your insurance card from their website.
Proof of financial means during your stay: Please provide one of the following:
**SUGGESTED**Notarized letter from your parents or legal guardians assuming
full financial responsibility for $2,000 (each consulate has its own requirement, but
it’s always better to aim high in case your consulate changes its requirements) per
month for room and board. Suggested wording: “I hereby certify that I'm the
(father/mother/other) of (...). I will support him/her with a monthly allowance of at
least $2,000 while he/she is in Spain and I certify that I'm financially responsible for
any emergency that may arise". [This is what the majority of students, even those
not financially supported by their parents, have found easiest to procure.] Have the
responsible party sign the letter before a notary public (found at banks, post offices,
colleges campuses, etc.). *In San Francisco, and likely in other consulates to come,
this letter now requires proof of parental income in the form of tax returns/ bank
statements. So, if you can’t show $2,000 per month, use whatever the consulate
requires if you can prove that OR get a letter from your school if they provide aid
for your semester abroad (c. below).
b) Letter from the University or School in Spain or in the U.S. assuming full financial
responsibility during your stay—this is NOT included in your letter, as you pay your
expenses in Spain out of pocket, so this option will not work for you.
c) Proof of financial aid or scholarship for at least $2,000 per month for room and
board. Your award letter (original) can be this proof if the amount is high enough.
**This document requires notice and you cannot request it from Student Financial
Services on the same day you expect to have it back; please plan accordingly. It must
explicitly state that these funds are for use in Spain, which it will not unless you tell
your financial aid office.
d) Personal bank account statements showing at least $2,000 per month of stay.
a)
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Money-Order (no personal checks or cash accepted at consulates) payable to “Consulate of
Spain” to pay the non-refundable visa fee of $160 for US citizens or $82 for other

nationalities (double check this amount with your consulate—they seem to change it
whenever the exchange rate between the dollar and the Euro fluctuates or the US raises its
visa fee).
Notarized letter from you allowing someone else to apply on your behalf (applicable only if
you are not applying in person for your visa and if permitted by the consulate). Many
consulates do not permit anyone to apply on your behalf.
Date
To the Consulate General of Spain in (City)
I, (your name), give permission for (name of person applying) to apply for my student visa
to study in Spain for the (semester/year) of (year(s)).
Sincerely,
(Your signature—WAIT to sign it in front of the notary public)
(Your printed name)
(Signature from the notary public)
o Notaries on campus include Beth Miller and Beth Karnes-Keefe in Sunderland.
Banks and major post offices have them as well.
Additional Requirements for Students Staying the Full Academic Year, ***including
graduate students*** (US citizens abroad for only one semester do not currently need any of the
following):

Medical Certificate: Doctor's statement on practice or medical center letterhead (important)
indicating that you have been examined and found to be in good health. This cannot be
written on a prescription pad—it must be a typed letter signed by a doctor (not a nurse
practitioner or other medical professional). Some consulates ask for specific wording, like
New York: “The student has been examined and found in good physical and mental health
to travel to study abroad and is free of contagious diseases or any other illnesses which could
lead to Public Health repercussions according to the International Sanitary Regulations” or
Boston "This medical certificate attests that Mr. X does not suffer from any illness that
would pose a threat to public health according to the International Health Regulations of
2005.” IF your consulate doesn’t give specific wording, you may use some combination of
the above; otherwise, use whatever your consulate provides. Most consulates do not require
that this document be translated (except Miami). This must be issued within three months
of entry into Spain (not of your visa appointment), so best to make a doctor’s appointment
for early June and apply for the visa in mid to late June; otherwise, you will have to get a new
letter with a new date.

Background check—no consulate currently requires the FBI background check; they will all
allow a state (never local) background check from every state in which you have lived during
the past 5 years.
o
State-issued background check(s). You will need a notarized and apostilled background
check from every state in which you have lived during the past five years for more
than six months (usually one for your permanent address and one for your school
address will suffice). And if you’re applying at the consulate with jurisdiction over
your permanent address, you can usually skip the one from the state where you go
to school.

Vermont: http://vcic.vermont.gov/record_checks/vermont/myself You
DO need a notarized version because you’ll then have to send the

completed background check to the secretary of state’s office for an
apostille (and they will only apostille documents that have already been
notarized).
Other states: Google: [Your state] background check
If your state does a “live scan” for the background check, the may ask for the ORI code and the
employer. If so, the ORI code is AE709 and the Employer would be the consulate you plan to use
to process your visa. You do not need to know the mail code for the consulate.
All consulates require that this document be apostilled; some require that it be officially translated,
which means you’ll have to pay a service to translate it for you (no, you cannot translate it yourself,
not even if you are a native speaker).
Translation: The American Translators Association recognizes many: http://www.atanet.org/
One in Boston we have used is:
inlingua Language Services
Phone: 617 542 6777
Apostille: A secondary level of certification for use in foreign governments. If you get a notarized
state background check, send it to the secretary of state office in the state in which it was issued.
If you have lived in many states, you may prefer to get one FBI Background check in lieu of several
state background checks: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks.
These checks can take up to four months, so this may not be an option, depending on when you
start the process. You’ll want to complete the paperwork requesting a notarized version, which you
will then need to apostille (see consulate requirements and then note on apostilles below if you do).

To get fingerprinted in Middlebury: call the Sherriff’s office at 388.2981 to
make an appointment—available Tues. 1-4pm). Take:
 Completed forms from the FBI link (above)—the Sherriff’s office
will mail your forms, your payment, and the fingerprint card to the
FBI at this address:
FBI CJIS Division – Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
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$25 check (preferred) or exact cash (for the fee to get fingerprinted)
$18 in money order or cashier’s check payable to Treasury of the United
States (to send as processing fee to the FBI for the background check)
Photo ID (driver’s license is best)
Depending on the processing time for the FBI background check (which conveniently ranges
between 4 and 17 weeks…you might use an approved “handler” for much faster results. There are
many, but I have had students use this one: www.myFBIreport.com with good results).
For the apostille on the FBI background check, you’ll send the document to the US Dept. of State
for the apostille--what you receive back from the FBI is notarized, though they do not use the seal.
If your consulate requires a translation, scan a copy before putting the original in the mail so you can
have the translation processed concurrently with the apostille.
Mailing Address :
Office of Authentications
U.S. Department of State
CA/PPT/S/TO/AUT
1st Floor
1150 Passport Services PL
Dulles, VA 20189-1150
Telephone:
202-485-8000
Submit one set of originals (include the passport and money order in this set) + one set of copies
(include the passport copy in this stack) + keep one set of copies for you to take with you to Spain
Additional Requirement for Non-U.S. Citizens

Evidence of your migratory status in the USA (Only for non US citizens): Provide your
“Permanent Residence Card,” "Alien Registration Card," or “US Visa with I-20/IAP-66”
(except B1-B2). If Nicole is applying on your behalf, provide her the original and a copy
(she will return the original to you after the appointment); if applying on your own, take the
original and a copy.
Checklist of application materials:
 Your original, signed passport + copy
 Your completed, double sided, signed 4 page application for national visa (2 originals)
 2 passport photos—one each glued to each of the above
 Your completed, signed supplement form (1 original) [Boston only]
 Proof of financial means + copy
 Birth certificate copy (some consulates)
 Money order for $160 (US citizens; $82 non-US citizens) payable to the “Consulate General
of Spain”
 YEAR REQUIREMENT: Medical certificate + copy
 YEAR REQUIREMENT: FBI or State Police background check, [apostilled and officially
translated, if required] + copy
DIRECTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE NATIONAL VISA APPLICATION
Print the form and GLUE (unless your consulate specifies tape/staple) one passport photo to the
front. It doesn’t matter if you complete it in English or in Spanish.
1. Last name as it appears in your passport
2. Leave blank if your name has not changed since birth (married women use your maiden name, if
different)
3. First, middle as they appear in your passport
4. Date of birth: written two digit day, spell out the month, four digit year (ex. 10 May 1983), unless
otherwise specified by your consulate.
5. Place of birth means city
6. Country of birth
7. Current nationality (list them all, then list your nationality at birth, if that is different)
8. Gender—male or female as stated in your passport
9. Marital Status
10. None of you are minors, write “N/A”
11. Unless you are a grad student who has been recently living in Spain, you do not have one—leave
blank
12. Type of passport is “ordinary passport” (unless your parents are diplomats or you’re in the
military, in which case, you might have a “diplomatic” or a “service” passport, but you probably also
know it).
13. Your “travel document” is your passport and your passport number is the nine digit number in
the upper right corner of the ID page (of a US passport). The validity is also found on this page.
14. Issue date (use same format as for date of birth throughout this form).
15. Expiration date.
16. Issued by: For most: “Dept of State”—it should be written on the passport, middle, right. This is
held over from when the different agencies would write “Boston passport Agency,” etc. Alternately,
it could be the government and city (government of South Africa, Johannesburg) if your passport
was issued abroad. If yours doesn’t say anything, write “Dept. of State.”
17. Use an address within the consulate’s jurisdiction through which you are applying (either your
home address or your school address—they do not like to see PO boxes, so use a physical street
address). If you are a Middlebury student (or grad student) applying in Boston, use mine: 356
College Street, Middlebury, VT 05753. Also include your email address and phone number.
18. US citizens should check “no.” Otherwise, check yes and list your current residency status and
validity.
19. Current occupation: “student.”
20. Reason for travel: “studies.”
21. Date you plan to enter Spain. If you are not a US citizen and you require a tourist visa to travel
to Spain, you may not enter until the date your visa begins, so be careful not to plan to arrive too
early. US citizens (and others) may have up to 90 days in Spain outside the dates of the visa.
22. Number of entries: multiple
23. Postal address in Spain--select the information from your site below:
Sede Prim, Madrid (Grads and Undergrads in Madrid, including those taking courses at the
Autónoma)
Middlebury College School in Spain
Calle Prim, 19 Primera Planta
28004 Madrid SPAIN
Telephone: 011.34.91.319.8188 Fax: 011.34.91.310.0036
Contact: Patrícia Rodriguez
Email address: prodriguez@middlebury.edu
CORDOBA
Juan de Dios Torralbo: internacional_ffl@uco.es
Universidad de Córdoa
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Plza. Cardenal Salazar, s/n
14071 Córdoba, SPAIN
Tel: +34 957 218 752
GETAFE
Raquel del Pozo: Raquel.delpozo@fund.uc3m.es
Universidad Carlos III
C/ Madrid, 126
28903 Getafe, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 624 9326
LOGROÑO
Rosa Pérez: internacional@adm.unirioja.es
Relaciones Internacionales
Universidad de La Rioja
Avda. de la Paz, 93
26004 Logrono (La Rioja) SPAIN
Tel: +34 941 299 152
24.-27. Leave blank
28. Name of educational institution in Spain: Middlebury College in Spain:
Madrid/Getafe/Córdoba/Logroño (indicate YOUR site)
Address:
Middlebury College School in Spain: Madrid/Getafe/Córdoba/Logroño (indicate YOUR site)
Calle Prim, 19 Primera Planta; 28004 Madrid SPAIN (regardless of site—this is our official program
address)
Telephone: 011.34.91.319.8188
Email address: prodriguez@middlebury.edu
Dates—use these, regardless of your travel dates—these will change before you apply, so check
back, but I need to put something in your visa letters now, so I’m using these—do not use
these dates to purchase airline tickets:
Undergraduates in Madrid for the fall: August 29, 2016 – December 20, 2016 ( days)
Undergraduates in Córdoba for the fall: August 29, 2016 – January 27, 2017 ( days)
Undergraduates in Logroño for the fall: September 5, 2016 – January 27, 2017 ( days)
Undergraduates in Getafe for the fall: August 29, 2016 – December 20, 2016 ( days)
Graduates in Madrid for the year: August 29, 2016 – June 16, 2017
Undergraduates in Madrid for the fall: August 29, 2016 – June 16, 2017 ( days)
Undergraduates in Córdoba for the fall: August 29, 2016 – June 23 2017 ( days)
Undergraduates in Logroño for the fall: September 5, 2016 – June 23, 2017 ( days)
Undergraduates in Getafe for the fall: August 29, 2016 – June 9, 2017 ( days)
27. (again) This should be the place you are applying (i.e. New York) and the date you are applying.
28. Original signature needed on all copies, so complete the form but do not sign it, photocopy it
double sided, then sign all copies.
Directions for completing the Supplement Form (also called Hoja Addicional if you find yourself
with a copy in Spanish—only the Boston consulate is requiring this.)
Complete all information, but these are the trickier questions:
Place of Birth: city and state of birth
Legal status: citizen (or whatever your immigration status is—if you don’t know, then you’re a
citizen)
Maiden name: maiden name for married women—others leave blank unless you’ve changed your
name
Address of residency: use your street address (not your PO box), city, state, and zip
Type of visa/number/expiration: leave blank if you are not in the US on an F-1 student visa
Profession: student
Company name: Middlebury College
Address: Middlebury, VT 05753
Number of entries: multi
Dates: Use dates of your program from above (question #26)
Port of entry: Madrid unless you’re coming overland through another border
Main destination: whatever city you’ll be studying in
Purpose of travel: study
Contact information: Patricia Rodriguez, Middlebury College School in Spain
Address: Prim 19, Primera Planta 28004
City: Madrid
Zip code: 28004
Province: Madrid
(This IS the address they ask for—this is the official address of our school in Spain, but if you are
going to a site other than Madrid, it’s possible that they will want you to change the address to one of
the addresses listed above for Córdoba, Getafe, or Logroño. I would list the address for Madrid, and
if they give you any problem at the consulate, change it—you’ll have the other address on your
application form.)
Date: the date you are signing the form (should be close to the actual date of application)
Firma: There’s no line, but you must sign this form
What to expect at the consulate
Consulates can be intimidating places, so here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. You should know that the security officers in the building will not let you go up to the
consulate until it officially opens, so get to the general vicinity early, then grab a coffee and
wait.
2. You will need to show ID and sign in, and in some cases pass through metal detection, so be
prepared.
3. Use the bathroom before you go, as some consulates only have bathrooms on the first floor,
and you don’t want to have to duck out of the waiting room.
4. Some consulates do not allow food and beverages (Boston, for example) in the waiting area,
so plan accordingly (especially if you grabbed that aforementioned coffee).
5. If you want to make the process easier on yourself, photocopy each of your documents
twice and make one pile of originals and two piles of copies. Put the passport and the
money order on top of the pile of originals—you should have copies of the passport, but
not of the money order. Understand that although all this is required, the consular officer
will likely return the originals to you, as you will need them when you get to Spain and go to
register yourself at the police station (which you must do within 30 days of entering Spain).
That will be explained to you once you get to Spain, but make sure you pack these originals
and take them with you to Spain.
Picking up your visa
Some consulates will return the visa to you by mail, so if this is an option, you should definitely take
advantage of it and prepare whatever return envelope they require.
For the majority of you, when your visa is ready, no one will call you. So, when you drop it off, you
should ask when it will be ready. They’ll probably quote you sometime between five and seven
weeks. After the wait they quote you has passed, give one additional week (if your timing allows),
then you can reasonably assume your visa is ready for pick-up. You could call so you feel as though
you’ve done all you can to be certain, but they seldom answer their telephone and you are equally
unlikely to receive a return to your call. You can either go in person to pick it up or, at some
consulates, you may send a “legal representative.” This means you should prepare the following
letter and sign it before a notary public. The person picking up your visa does not need to be a
relative, but will need to have this notarized authorization from you as well as photo ID (for
him/herself). The letter should read:
Date
To the Consulate General of Spain in (City)
I, (your name), give permission for (name of person picking it up) to pick up my student visa to study
in Spain for the (semester/year) of (year(s)).
Sincerely,
(Your signature—WAIT to sign it in front of the notary public)
(Your printed name)
(Signature from the notary public)
**********************************************************************
Updated 03/21/2016 NC