Passport and Visa Information

It is extremely important that you take care of getting or renewing your passport it as early as possible. Passports must be valid for six months beyond the date of your departure from Spain.

U.S. Department of State Passport Information »

Obtaining the visa for Spain can be a lengthy and frustrating process. You must allow enough time for the processing of the visa and for your personal visit/interview to the consulate office.

Spain uses the Schengen visa which is valid for 24 European countries. American citizens planning to study in Spain for a semester need a Schengen visa. Link to the visa application are on the webpage of each consulate.

• The visa for Spain must be processed by consular jurisdiction, or the consulate which has jurisdiction over the state in which the applicant resides.
• Visas must be applied for in person at a consulate facility. Some consulates will let a student appoint someone to represent him/her to turn in the application, but all require it to be picked up in person.
• Each consulate has its own "rules" for the application procedure.
• In some cases there may be delays of week issuing visas and/or the personal appearance interview.

View a list of consulate generals and the states under their jurisdiction »