# Applying for a student visa from Spain



## joshjadavies (Jan 22, 2012)

Hola, 
Since pareja de hecho is proving to be far too difficult I'm thinking about applying for a student visa here in Barcelona and doing my masters here. 
Currently I'm here on the work holiday visa which expires in Sept. 
I would like to apply for a student visa next. It seems it can be done from here, I just need to send everything in the mail to Toronto, or is this something I can do at the canadian consulate here in Barcelona?
Otherwise not sure how I would go through the dreadful process of getting the proper medical forms, and crimal background check from here. It was a nightmare when I was in Vancouver 

Anyone know?

Thanks


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

The Canadian consulate has nothing to do with it. Everyone else I know who has tried to get a visa for the first time has had to go home. 

I was easily able to change my permission to be here. Have you talked to extranjería yet?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

joshjadavies said:


> Hola,
> Since pareja de hecho is proving to be far too difficult I'm thinking about applying for a student visa here in Barcelona and doing my masters here.
> Currently I'm here on the work holiday visa which expires in Sept.
> I would like to apply for a student visa next. It seems it can be done from here, I just need to send everything in the mail to Toronto, or is this something I can do at the canadian consulate here in Barcelona?
> ...


I thought you were here on a student visa already :confused2:

anyhow - everything I've ever read says that you have to apply in person at the Spanish Consulate in your home country - I had no idea you could apply once already in Spain..... where did you hear that?


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## joshjadavies (Jan 22, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> I thought you were here on a student visa already :confused2:
> 
> anyhow - everything I've ever read says that you have to apply in person at the Spanish Consulate in your home country - I had no idea you could apply once already in Spain..... where did you hear that?


Nope, I'm here on the holiday working visa. 

I haven't heard it from another Canadian but I know 2 Russians and a Turkish girl that all renewed their student visa from within Barcelona.

I'm not trying to renew anything but I was hoping to not have to return to Canada to apply for the student visa, however maybe it's not possible.


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## joshjadavies (Jan 22, 2012)

elenetxu said:


> The Canadian consulate has nothing to do with it. Everyone else I know who has tried to get a visa for the first time has had to go home.
> 
> I was easily able to change my permission to be here. Have you talked to extranjería yet?


I'll have to do some research I don't what the extranjería is.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

joshjadavies said:


> Nope, I'm here on the holiday working visa.
> 
> I haven't heard it from another Canadian but I know 2 Russians and a Turkish girl that all renewed their student visa from within Barcelona.
> 
> I'm not trying to renew anything but I was hoping to not have to return to Canada to apply for the student visa, however maybe it's not possible.


oh I remember now 


yes, I think you'll find that applying is a different process to renewing....


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## joshjadavies (Jan 22, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> oh I remember now
> 
> yes, I think you'll find that applying is a different process to renewing....


Just for curiosities sake if I was here already with a student visa where do you go to apply for renewal or extension?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

joshjadavies said:


> Just for curiosities sake if I was here already with a student visa where do you go to apply for renewal or extension?


I'm not sure - but I would think the extranjería - you'd need letters from the college & so on I should imagine


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

You would need a renewal. Extranjeria is where you went to get your NIE/TIE. 

Talk to them, and talk to your university asap. You MIGHT be able to change your status from here.


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## joshjadavies (Jan 22, 2012)

elenetxu said:


> The Canadian consulate has nothing to do with it. Everyone else I know who has tried to get a visa for the first time has had to go home.
> 
> I was easily able to change my permission to be here. Have you talked to extranjería yet?


Looks like I'll be going back to Canada in Dec or Jan to apply for a student visa as my youth mobility visa is now expired. I want to buy a round trip ticket from Barcelona to Toronto as it's much cheaper than 1 way tickets.

Any canadians know what the current process times are for student visas, I have no idea what to choose as my return to Barcelona date when I book my flight.

Thanks


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Best think you can do is email the consulate and apply for an appointment. But you've got the holidays to factor in.

Either just figure on not using the return portion of the ticket or get a flexible ticket that lets you change the return date.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

joshjadavies said:


> Looks like I'll be going back to Canada in Dec or Jan to apply for a student visa as my youth mobility visa is now expired. I want to buy a round trip ticket from Barcelona to Toronto as it's much cheaper than 1 way tickets.
> 
> Any canadians know what the current process times are for student visas, I have no idea what to choose as my return to Barcelona date when I book my flight.
> 
> Thanks


It's by no means a given that you'll be granted a student visa though is it? Are you saying that a return ticket is cheaper than 1x1 way ticket or 2x1 way tickets? Unless the former I'm not sure I'd take the chance of buying a return


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

One way tickets are very expensive. I just glanced at a comparison site and the cheapest Madrid/Toronto one way ticket is €100 more then the cheapest return .


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

NickZ said:


> One way tickets are very expensive. I just glanced at a comparison site and the cheapest Madrid/Toronto one way ticket is €100 more then the cheapest return .


wow!

I'm wondering though, whether holding a return ticket might go against his application?

it sounds as if he has already overstayed his current visa as it is - any & all 'violations' can prevent further visas being issued


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

I wouldn't tell the consulate he had a return ticket. Do they require the applicant to show a ticket when applying for the visa? 

I wonder if the people at airport security in Madrid would care.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

NickZ said:


> I wouldn't tell the consulate he had a return ticket. Do they require the applicant to show a ticket when applying for the visa?
> 
> I wonder if the people at airport security in Madrid would care.



well they might - I remember leaving the UK once when my passport didn't have long to run on it & I only had a one-way ticket - they questioned why I didn't have a return....

since I live in Spain I have to renew the passport from here - which of course I did


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Look at one-way student tickets from STA travel or Travelcuts.
I've bought cheap one-way tickets through them!


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## joshjadavies (Jan 22, 2012)

NickZ said:


> I wouldn't tell the consulate he had a return ticket. Do they require the applicant to show a ticket when applying for the visa?  I wonder if the people at airport security in Madrid would care.


I left Barcelona when my mobility visa expired and went to London for 2 weeks. I've now re-entered Spain on a 3 month tourist visa. I am going back to Toronto before this 3 months is up. 

Round trip tickets are cheaper so even if something goes wrong with the visa process it's still cheaper to buy round trip. 

During the visa process you don't have to show proof of a ticket until you've been accepted, or so it says on the website.

I guess I'll just go back and start the process immediately and keep my fingers crossed.


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