Applying for a visa

IMPORTANT NOTICE These guidelines are aimed to help you through the application process for your visa to travel to Spain and participate in the program. However, we strongly encourage visa applicants to confirm all the information with their local Consulate. Visa applications are consulate matters and only the information provided by them is valid. We offer guidelines but please refer to the instructions set by your local Consulate of Spain for exact procedures and requirements for your visa application.

General Info and Guidelines

Once you receive your Letter of Acceptance, your placement in Spain has been officially assigned. Now it's time for you to apply for your visa. You must apply for a visa before leaving for Spain. Know that you will be applying for a student/study visa with certain requirements for this type of visa waived because of your participation in NALCAP.

Visas are issued by the Consulates General of Spain in the U.S. under the jurisdiction of the MInistry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, not the Ministry of Education. Visas are consular matters and as such we have no authority over their rules, regulations and policies. Please study carefully all the instructions for your visa application and direct all questions pertaining to visas to your local Consulate General of Spain.

The guidelines below have all the necessary information on how to apply for a visa and they will take you through the process. In addition, you will find important information concerning the steps that you must take once you have arrived in Spain, in order to validate your student visa and secure a residency card.

• How to Apply for a Visa: Guidelines for U.S. Citizens

Although the following information is found in the guidelines, we would like to highlight some important points:

1. You will be applying for a Student/Study Visa. This is the category of visa assigned for the NALCAP program.
2. Please be aware that you will not be able to apply for your visa under any circumstance until you have received your Letter of Acceptance.
3. You may however begin to gather your paperwork such as the background check with its corresponding apostille and official translation as soon as you have PLAZA ACEPTADA status on the PROFEX portal. Please note that these documents are handled by American offices and that the process can be rather long. See our Updates in the Process section for further information.
4. We strongly suggest NOT buying your airline tickets to Spain until you have received the visa and it is in your custody. You can always research flight prices but you shouldn't buy your actual plane ticket until you have your visa in hand. This is due to the fact that at times, visa applications may be delayed and you may find that your travel date has arrived but your visa hasn't and so you cannot travel to Spain. It is truly best to avoid unpleasant surprises. Please do not assume that your visa will be ready by a certain date. You may also want to look into buying flights that accommodate date changes for free.

Consulates General of Spain in the United States

Salto de línea After carefully reading How to Apply for a Visa: Guidelines for U.S. Citizens, please click below on your local Consulate of Spain. You will be sent directly to your consulate's website with complete information on how to apply for a visa at that particular office as well as the required paperwork. Please keep in mind that specific instructions from each consulate overrule any information provided by us.