Visa application for Spain

If you are one of these students, you may need to apply for a visa, which will allow you to stay in Spain for a certain period of time, in order to take a course at an authorized educational institution, in a full-time programme (at least 20 hours of 60 minutes per week) leading to a certificate of studies. Our school is authorized, as we are accredited by the Spanish Instituto Cervantes since 2002. You can obtain information regarding the visa application requirements (tourist visa, study visa etc.) from the Spanish embassy in your home country. Addresses of Spanish Embassies worldwide can be found at the website of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

VISA SCHENGEN < 90 days (TYPE C)

• The Schengen visa is a short-term or temporary entry permit for visits of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
• For this visa any of our intensive Spanish courses (group courses or individual programmes) is suitable.
• You can also find information regarding accommodation in Granada on our website.
• The total amount of course and accommodation must be paid in advance.
• You can register directly through our website.
• Send us also a scanned copy of your passport.
• Following the latest change in the Spanish immigration law in 2024, from May 2025 you will NOT be able to apply for your student visa directly in Spain with your Schengen visa. This is only still possible, if you enroll for higher education studies.

STUDY VISA > 90 days (TYPE D)

• Contact the Spanish embassy in your home country and ask about the requirements.
• If the Spanish course lasts more than 90 days, you may need a study visa. This type of visa will be issued for the exact duration of the course.  In case you want to extend the visa, you can do so at the foreign immigration office in Granada providing all required documents.
• For this type of visa, the application implies that the student has to submit certain documentation.
• If the Spanish course has a duration of > 180 days, the candidate usually receives a Schengen visa issued for a maximum period of 90 days and within a period of 180 days. In this case, the student arrives in Spain and has to apply for the foreigner's identity card (TIE) within one month of arrival.
• This type of visa of > 180 days is usually oriented to continue with higher studies in Spain after having finished the Spanish course.
• The TIE card will be valid for the course duration (a maximum of 1 year and can be extended for a second year) and up to several years, in case of studying a grado superior, grado universitario or a master at a Spanish university.
• We recommend that you include an official A2 Spanish certificate (e.g. SIELE GLOBAL certificate) in the application documents for the student visa. The consulates may require it or may value positively previous knowledge of Spanish.
• You should also make your visa application and documentation preparation at least 4-6 months before the start of the programme. 
• You must be admitted to an authorized educational center for a full-time programme from Monday to Friday (at least 20 hours of 60 minutes per week). We recommend you to book our Intensive 20 course with 20 lessons of 45 minutes per week (= 15 hours of 60 minutes) + 5 hours per week of self-studies, exam preparation tutorials and exams.
• We offer a study period up to 48 weeks on all 6 Spanish levels (A1/A2/B1/B2/C1/C2). Important: The course duration should more or less cover your stay until the next study period. If you start as a beginner you might need about 48 weeks to reach the highest Spanish level C1/C2. Anyhow, the B2 certificate already allows you to continue with your university studies after finishing the course with us. In that case we recommend a course duration from 32 to 36 weeks.
• We add a non-teaching period to the duration of the programme. These vacations allow you to have a longer residence permit to cover school closures, student holidays and/or time to organise the next enrolment in higher education studies.
• The programme always ends with the official SIELE GLOBAL exam from the Instituto Cervantes.
• Check our long term course prices here!
• Residential address in Granada
  You need a residential address in Granada for your visa application. We send you a provisional address together with the admission documents. This is NOT a reservation. Once you have obtained your visa, confirm if you need to reserve an accommodation through us. Sometimes we have single rooms with use of kitchen facilities available in one of our school apartments. The price is: 350 €/month.
• Further requirements:
  Age: 18 years.
  Graduation certificates.
  Criminal record.
  Medical certificate.
  Medical insurance covering your stay in Spain.
  
  You can book your ASISA MEDICAL INSURANCE online through us with UNIVERSITAS MUNDI at a reduced price (approx. 270 € per year ). During the process you have to upload a copy of your passport and our admission letter. You pay by credit card. The period must cover from one month before the start of your course in Spain until two weeks after the end of your programme.
• Proof of sufficient funds to cover stay (bank statements). For the sustainability of expenses, it is necessary that you have a monthly sum of 100% of the IPREM. For 2025, this amount corresponds to 600 € per month.
• The study visa allows students to work part-time or in a temporary position for the duration of the Spanish course. The maximum amount of hours cannot exceed 30 hours per week, and the job must not interfere with the candidates studies. In this case, a company must apply for a work permit for you at the Immigration Office. The employment contract cannot exceed the duration of the study visa.

Booking procedure in case of study visa (Type D):

• You can register directly through our website. Choose starting date, the course Intensive 20 + Study Visa and the course duration. The course duration should cover your stay until the next study period.
• Let us also know, if you need a provisional accommodation address in Granada. Once you have obtained the visa confirm, if you finally need to reserve an accommodation through us.
• Send us a scanned photocopy of your passport.
• Send us your CV, as we need to know for which higher education studies (grado universitario, master, formación profesional, doctorado etc.) you want to enroll after finishing the course with us.
• Your booking will be confirmed as soon as possible and we will send you a pro-forma invoice for the full course amount by e-mail.
• We only accept payments of the full amount by wire transfer to our BBVA bank account or by credit card.
• Once the course payment (or a proof of payment) has been received, we will send you all the course documents (acceptance letter, course programme, a provisional accommodation address) by email.
• These documents have to be presented at the Spanish Embassy in your home country in order to apply for the visa.
• When you have obtained the visa, inform us regarding your final course starting date. Courses start every Monday for all levels.

Wire transfer:

Escuela Montalbán

European Union/SEPA:
Bank name: Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)
SWIFT-BIC: BBVAESMMXXX
IBAN: ES50 0182 0463 09 0201638304

Other countries:
Bank name: Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)
Address: C/ Alhamar, n° 12-14
City: 18005 Granada
Country: Spain
SWIFT-BIC: BBVAESMMXXX
Account number: 0201638304

Important: In the case of wire transfers please include your name and the course dates. All bank charges have to be paid by the student. Please send us a proof of payment by email.

REFUSAL OF VISAS OR CANCELLATIONS

In case of visa refusals, we will reimburse the full payment, retaining a cancellation fee of 200 € and the costs of mailings and bank charges. Students provide us with the written confirmation from the Spanish Embassy. This should be send by email to Escuela Montalbán. The document must be the refusal resolution that puts an end to the administrative process. The school will contact the embassy to verify the authenticity of the documents.

Students who start but do not finish their programme will not be reimbursed for their course and/or accommodation fees under any circumstances.

The arrival and departure days and participation in our courses by non-European citizens will be checked by the local Foreign Immigration Office.