Language School
Spain Student Visa

Yes — a language course at an accredited Spanish school qualifies for a student visa, provided it runs for more than 90 days and at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week. This is the most common type of Spain student visa application.

More than 90 days. Courses of 90 days or fewer fall within the tourist/short-stay allowance and do not require a student visa. For the student visa, your language course must run for at least 91 days.

At least 20 classroom hours per week. Part-time language courses of fewer than 20 hours per week do not meet the minimum requirement. Request the number of weekly hours on your enrolment letter.

Yes — the school must be officially registered and authorised to provide education in Spain. Ask your school for proof of their registration (Decreto de autorización) if you are unsure.

Some applicants combine courses at the same institution to reach the 20-hour minimum. If you do this, the enrolment letter must clearly state the total combined weekly hours.

Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Granada, and Salamanca all have large numbers of accredited language schools with experience in issuing visa-compliant enrolment letters. See our city guides for details.

No — online courses do not qualify for the Spain student visa. The course must be delivered in person at a physical school in Spain.

The Spanish consulate generally requires a minimum of 20 classroom contact hours per week for a language school course to qualify for a student visa. Online classes cannot count toward this minimum. The course must be at an accredited centre.

Yes. The institution must be officially recognised in Spain. For Spanish language courses, this typically means a school registered with the Spanish education authorities, and ideally accredited by Instituto Cervantes as an Examen DELE preparation centre or a recognised member body. Check with your consulate for the specific accreditation requirements they apply.

A Spain student visa for a language course is issued for the duration of the course, subject to the course being 90 days or more. Visas are typically issued for up to 1 year (sometimes up to 2 years for longer programmes). They can be renewed (prórroga) if you continue studying at an accredited school.

Yes, but you would typically need to apply for a new student authorisation (prórroga or modificación) to cover your university studies, as the visa conditions reference specific institutions. Speak with an immigration specialist before making the switch to ensure your immigration status covers the transition period.

Spain student visa holders (including language school students) can work up to 30 hours per week as of recent regulation changes, provided work does not interfere with studies. However, short-course language school visas are sometimes issued on stricter terms — check your specific visa conditions and consult an immigration specialist before accepting employment.