*Info valid as of June 2025*
Moving to Spain for your studies is an exciting adventure—but before you can start sipping sangria in Barcelona or strolling through Madrid, there’s one crucial hurdle to clear: getting your student visa. If you’re applying from within the UK, the process can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact steps I took to successfully apply for my student visa from the UK, including tips on documentation, appointments, and post-arrival procedures. Whether you’re planning a short-term course or a full academic year, here’s how to make your application smooth and stress-free.
At the end of this blog you’ll find links to all the sites and services mentioned.
Collecting Your Documents: What You’ll Need and Where to Find It
On your consulate’s website, you will find a PDF of the visa checklist of all documents you need and further information about those documents, but as an overview:
- National Visa Application Form – Completed and signed (downloadable from your consulate’s website)
- Recent passport photo
- Passport – Valid for the entire duration of your stay
- Letter of acceptance – From your Spanish school or university
- Proof of funds – 6 months’ worth of bank statements (printed and stamped); minimum €600/month (£510)
- Proof of UK residence – Usually included in your bank statements
- Health insurance or GHIC card
For long-term visas, you’ll also need:
- ACRO Police Certificate
- Medical certificate
- Apostille stamps for these documents – Required for UK-issued documents (not needed for documents issued in Spain)
- Translation of these documents by a sworn translator – Unless already in Spanish
Getting all your documents together may take up to 3 months depending on the speed of processes. I managed to gather all of mine within around a month. If you do find yourself with questions about your documents and the visa appointment or process, your consulate’s website will have many emails for different queries to be answered. I highly recommend emailing as opposed to calling as, from experience, I have found that those who answer the phone have a mission to send you elsewhere and hang up on you as fast as possible – very disheartening if you have waited for their specific opening hours just to call. Certain consulates will be better at responding to emails than others.
I applied from Edinburgh and they would respond to my email either the same day or only 1-2 working days after – however, I have known people who applied from Manchester that never received any response from their emails. I’d recommend, even if you are applying from a different consulate, unless your query is about the consulate itself, ask through the Edinburgh consulate any queries on documentation as you are guaranteed a faster response since they seem to be less busy than the other two consulates.
Booking and Attending Your Visa Appointment: What to Expect
Once you have all your documents available, head to your consulate’s website to find the link needed to book your visa application appointment. It should be through the BLS website connected to your consulate. Availability of appointments will differ depending on the time of year as well as which consulate you are assigned to – those who are applying from Edinburgh will have better luck getting an appointment faster than those in Manchester or London. Booking fees will cost £14.50.
Arriving at your appointment, ensure you have all your documents prepared. Make sure to have read well your consulate’s visa requirements. Certain consulates can have different rules in comparison to others, for example, with Edinburgh’s consulate, if you do not yet have your ACRO/medical certificate ready in time, you can post these documents later to the consulate after your appointment. This, however, is not the case for Manchester’s consulate where you must have all documents ready on the day. The cost of your appointment will be £68.65 for visas under 180 days and £345 for visas over 180 days.
When I attended my visa appointment, it was a very quick process. I handed in all my documents and had my photo taken in the consulate. They charged me the fee and told me I’d receive my application decision as well as my documents I’d handed in within 4 weeks. I was lucky enough to receive an approved application within 1 week.
After Approval: Final Steps Before and After Moving to Spain
Once you’ve received your approved visa, if you applied for no longer than 6 months, your process is finished! You should have a stamp in your passport which approves your stay for the full duration. If you have applied for the long-term visa, you will have a stamp in your passport approving your stay for 90 days, during which time you need to begin the process of acquiring your TIE card from within Spain once you move. You must make sure your passport is stamped upon entry, or else your TIE could be denied. Once you have this TIE card, your full duration of your visa will be approved and your process will finally be complete.
Navigating the Process with Confidence
Applying for a Spanish student visa from the UK requires patience, organization, and a fair bit of paperwork—but it’s entirely doable, especially if you start early and follow your consulate’s specific instructions. With this guide, I hope the process feels a little less daunting. Soon enough, you’ll be settling into life in Spain, ready to start your journey with one less worry on your plate.
Links to Sites and Services:
London Consulate: https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/londres/en/Paginas/index.aspx
Manchester Consulate: https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/Manchester/en/Paginas/index.aspx
Edinburgh Consulate: https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/edimburgo/en/Paginas/index.aspx
ACRO Certificates: https://www.acro.police.uk/s/acro-services/police-certificates
Medical Certificates: https://medicalcert.co.uk/
Translation Service: https://www.traductoresjuradosbarcelona.com/
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