Apply for a Visa

The following resources are intended for students who plan to study away at NYU Madrid for a semester or full academic year. Students participating in short-term programs should visit our Visa Short-Term Travel page for more information.

The Office of Global Services (OGS) is the resource at NYU for immigration and visa advising. The Immigration & Mobility (“Outbound”) team will help you navigate your visa process throughout the months leading up to your departure. If, after reading through the information below, you have specific questions or uncertainties, feel free to reach out to us directly.

Each student’s immigration process will be different, depending on many variables including citizenship, age, length of stay, and location from which you are applying and your study abroad destination. Failure to obtain the correct visa will prevent you from studying abroad.

If you are an NYU Abu Dhabi student and will be applying in the UAE, please contact NYU Abu Dhabi's Global Education Office for localized assistance. If you are an NYU Shanghai student applying in Shanghai, the OGS will be working with the Shanghai Mobility Team to provide you with assistance.

If you have questions about your visa application or require assistance completing any application forms, please contact OGS or visit us during Advising Hours at the StudentLink Center.

Your Spanish Visa

An official stamp issued by the Spanish Embassy or Consulate outside of Spain affixed to a page inside your passport before you depart for Spain. You must present it to Immigration Control when you arrive in Spain.

All students attending NYU Madrid for a semester or academic year must obtain a Long-Stay Student Visa before traveling to Spain. EU, EEA or Swiss citizens traveling on a valid EU, EEA or Swiss passport, you do not need to obtain a visa. If you do not obtain the correct visa, you will not be permitted to enroll in the NYU Madrid semester or academic year away.

Visas will vary depending on the duration of your stay. Each country has different requirements based on citizenship and purpose of travel.

Visa Application Steps

STEP 1

Obtain Supporting Documents From the OGS

These documents are required for your visa application. The OGS will notify you via email when these documents are ready.

Acceptance Letter (1 English, 1 Spanish)
APUNE Financial Support Document
Proof of Health Insurance

STEP 2

Obtain Criminal History Records and Medical Certificate

Students participating in a Full Academic Year at NYU Madrid are required to obtain Criminal History Records and a Medical Certificate as part of your visa application.

NOTE: Full Year Students Only

Information for getting a Criminal History Records and a Medical Certificate

A medical clearance certificate completed by your doctor.
A background check. You can either obtain:
- FBI Identity History Summary Check – then, get it Apostilled by mailing it to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
  We recommend submitting your FBI summary request electronically. Paper requests take 14-16 weeks to process. Please note if you are participating in an internship while in Spain an FBI Identity History Summary Check may be required by your internship provider. This is the preferred document to be submitted for the criminal history clearance requirement.
- NY State Police Criminal History Report (this can take 3-4 weeks) – then, get it Apostilled by your state’s Department of State. If you do not live in the jurisdiction of the Spanish Consulate in New York, you will need to submit a state police criminal background check of a state that falls in the jurisdiction of the Spanish Consulate where you are applying. Please note: Not all consulates allow a state background check.

REMINDER: Full-year students will be issued an initial visa for 90 days only and are required to obtain a residence permit after arriving in Spain with the guidance of the staff at NYU Madrid.

STEP 3

Determine How You Will Submit Your Visa Application

What is Group Application Submission?

The Spanish Consulate in New York will only accept student visa applications submitted by the university.
The OGS will verify that all of your documents are in order before submitting your application
The OGS will work with the Consulate directly to ensure everything is submitted and processed in a timely fashion;
If you will be in the New York City area, you can drop your application off directly at the OGS. If you are outside the New York City area (but in the United States), you can mail your application directly to the OGS.

REMINDER: Group Processing in New York may take longer than individual processing at other consulates because we must factor time for the OGS to review the documents. In addition, the consulate prefers to return all of the passports at the same time so if one visa is delayed all are delayed. If you will need your passport between DATE and DATE (this varies every semester) we recommend you submit your documents individually.

Group Application Submission With the Spanish Consulate in New York

Submit Your Documents to the OGS

The Spanish Consulate in New York will only accept student visa applications submitted by the University. The OGS will review your application and then submit it on your behalf to the Spanish Consulate in New York.

Live or study in NY Jurisdiction
Surrender your passport to the OGS
Submit your visa documents to the OGS

Individual Submission to the Consulates Outside of New York

Apply Independently for a visa

If you choose not to participate in the Group Application Submission, you will need to submit your application independently. Schedule an appointment with your jurisdiction consulate.

Consulates are in Miami, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Washington D.C
Your Appointment must be within 90 days of the semester or academic year away start date. However, you should go online and reserve your appointment as soon as possible.
Pease visit the consulate's website that you will visit for the application form.

STEP 4

Find Out Where You Will Apply for Your Visa

Use the links listed below to find your consulate's website. Once you have found it, follow the link for Visas and find the information about Study visa for more than 90 days.

NOTE: If you participate in the Group Application Submission you can skip this step!

For students applying within the US

If you do not participate in group processing for your visa application, you will need to schedule an appointment at a Spanish consulate or Embassy outside of Spain.

Consulates are jurisdictional, so you can apply at the consulate or embassy that is responsible for your state of permanent residence or where you go to school. You will need to prove residence through either your Driver's License OR your Student ID.

NOTE: Keep in mind that appointments do book up quickly so you should schedule an appointment in advance.

Links to U.S Consular Websites:

Spanish Consulates in the U.S
Boston | Chicago | Houston | Los Angeles | Miami | NYC | San Francisco | Washington D.C

For students applying outside the US

You can search for a consulate/mission/embassy on the Spain government's website, or simply Google "Spanish Consulate [country]".

Please alert the OGS if you are applying for your visa outside of the U.S as some students may experience difficulties applying outside of their school jurisdiction.

Every consulate does things differently, from hours of operation, to policies and procedures for handling visa applications. Please READ the information on the consulate’s website!

STEP 5

Gather Documents and Submit Your Visa Application

Refer to the document checklist [PDF: 440KB] before you submit your visa application.

Submit Your Documents

Please keep in mind that you will have to surrender your passport for the entirety of the visa process. It can take 3-4 weeks for the consulate to process your visa.

Gather all the required documents and proceed to the consulate at your appointment time/date.
Be on time; It is better to be an hour early than to be a minute late.
Be honest, patient and polite.
There is a visa fee, which varies depending on your citizenship. Check your local Spanish Consulate's website for the rate based on your nationality. You will need to pay the fee with a money order.

If you have any visa-related questions, please email ogs.outbound@nyu.edu

REMINDER: The Spanish Consulates can change their requirements and policies suddenly and without notice. This document has been created to help guide you through the Spanish visa process, but obtaining the correct visa is ultimately your responsibility.

STEP 6

Receive Your Visa

If you participated in the Group Application Submission, the OGS will e-mail you when your passport and visa are ready to be picked up (or mailed due to Covid-19) from our office.
If you applied Individually, you will either be able to pick up your passport and visa or have it mailed to you directly by the Spanish Consulate.

STEP 7

Upload a Copy of Your Visa

Once you receive your visa from the consulate or embassy (remember, it will be inside your passport), you must upload a copy of it to the OGS via your Enrollment Portal. The form will ask you specific questions about your visa to help indicate to us if you have obtained the correct visa type for your travel. These questions include, number of entries (i.e. single entry, multiple entry), visa country of issue (Spain), and validity dates (i.e. the start and end date listed on the visa).