Student visa for minors

1.- One Application form (National Visa Application form): Each applicant must complete and sign a national visa application, filling out every section. It can be filled out electronically or handwritten in capital letters. If the applicant is a minor, one of their parents or a duly accredited representative must sign the application.

Please do not forget to fill out numbers 17 (your address, email and telephone number), 28 (complete information related to the university or education center in Spain) and 21 (intended date of entry) on the application form.

The intended day of entry can be, for example, 15 days before the beginning of the studies; in this case, make sure that your insurance policy covers your whole period of intended stay in Spain.

​​2.- One photo: Glued ​or clipped (not stapled) onto visa application form. Photo specifications: Passport-size, color photograph, recent (taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance), printed on matte/glossy paper, taken against a white, light, clear, uniform background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the applicant’s full oval of the face. 

3.- Valid, unexpired passport: Original and photocopy of the page or pages of the passport that contain biometric data. The passport must be valid for at least the requested time of stay and must contain at least two free pages for visas. Passports issued more than 10 years ago will not be accepted.

If the passport does not meet the requirements, it must be renewed before applying for the visa.

4.- Proof of legal residence in the United States. Non-U.S. citizens must also submit proof of legal residence in the United States: A photocopy of the valid U.S. long term Visa or a notarized copy of the U.S. Resident Card (Green card; please do not submit the original document).

F1 student visa holders must submit a photocopy of the I-20 certificate.

B1/B2 visa holders do not qualify to apply for a visa at this Consular Office. They must apply for a visa in their country of residence or country of origin. 

5.- Proof of residence or study in the consular district.  The applicant must be a legal resident or be enrolled in in-person studies in a center within our consular jurisdiction (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina).

​Residence must be proved by one of the following, valid documents: Photocopy of U.S. Driver’s license, State ID, University Student ID. Please do not submit the original document. 

If you do not have a U.S. Driver's license or State ID it is possible to prove residence in our consular district by other documents, e.g. a copy of a lease agreement or utility bill.

6.- Proof of admission in the study program, training or volunteer activity or internship: Please submit the original and a photocopy (or 2 printed copies if it is an electronically-signed document). 

The letter of acceptance or certificate of admission must certify the enrollment as a full-time student. 

The document must be written in Spanish and issued in Spain, by an authorized school or education center:

• ​From a Spanish Private High School/School as a full-time student indicating: Name, address, contact person, telephone and email of the school, full payment of tuition, dates of the program, subjects of study and hours of study per week (20 hours minimum);
• From a Spanish Public High School/School as a full-time student indicating: Name, address, contact person, telephone and email of the school, full payment of tuition, dates of the program, subjects of study and hours of study per week (20 hours minimum). The program must be promoted and financed by one of the following:
• Spanish Public Administration;
• ​Non-profit Association or Foundation;
• Other entities or people other than those who exercise parental authority or guardianship, in accordance with the provisions of Article 93 of the Regulation of Organic law 4/2000, of 11 January, approved by Royal Decree 2393/2004, of December 30th.

The letter of acceptance must indicate proof of accommodation with a family or at an institution, and the organizer’s commitment that the expenses are covered.

​7.- Proof of financial means: The applicant must provide documents certifying that he/she (parents, legal representative or relative that supports him/her) has sufficient financial means to cover the expenses of student’s stay and return.

The minimum required amount is equivalent to 100% of Spain's IPREM (Public Multiple Effects Income Indicator) for the student.

The IPREM indicator changes every year. In 2025 the IPREM is: 100% = 600€ (approx. $700) 

Suggested wording: "I hereby certify that I, [full name of parent of guardian], [mother, father, legal guardian] of [full name of applicant], assume full financial responsibility for his/her round-trip ticket between Spain and the United States, as well as his/her monthly room and board expenses while he/she is in Spain, and any addition emergency expenses that may arise during his/her stay."

The letter can include the Spanish text: “Por la presente certifico que yo, [full name of parent of guardian], [madre, padre, tutor legal] de [full name of applicant], asumo la responsabilidad financiera total de su billete de ida y vuelta entre España y Estados Unidos, así como sus gastos mensuales de alojamiento y comida mientras se encuentre en España, y cualesquiera gastos adicionales de urgencia que puedan surgir durante su estancia.”

If the letter is not bilingual, you must provide an official or certified translation into Spanish.

​

The applicant must attach all of the following documentation to this notarized letter:

• Notarized copy of the parent or guardian’s ID;
• Notarized copy of the student’s birth certificate, demonstrating parental link, or the ruling or decision by which a legal guardian was determined;
  
• The parent or guardian’s three most recent monthly bank statements, showing his/her full name and a final balance that covers the required minimum funds (which must cover the student’s room and board, as well as the cost of the student’s studies or tuition). The bank statements in English do not need to be translated into Spanish.
  

8.- Parental authorization to travel and study from both parents: Notarized written authorization of both parents/custodians to travel abroad and study in Spain, legalized with the Hague Apostille. 

In the parental authorization, parents must expressly state the period of time that the minor is authorized to travel and study in Spain and: Name, last name, DNI or NIE numbers and address of the person (or people) responsible for the minor in Spain. 

If the letter is not bilingual, you must provide an official or certified translation into Spanish.

9.- Notarized copy of parents' (or legal tutors’) passports.  Please add a photocopy of the notarized copies.

10.- Original of the minor's Birth Certificate: The certificate must be legalized with the Hague Apostille and accompanied by an official or certified translation into Spanish. If the country is not part of the Hague Convention the document must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the Spanish Consulate in that country. Please add a photocopy of the document, Apostille and translation.​

11.- Documents of the person responsible and in charge of the minor in Spain: 

• Letter from the school with the information of the person or persons responsible and in charge of the minor in Spain.
• Notarized declaration of the person or persons responsible and in charge of the minor in Spain. It may be the mother and father of the family the student is going to live with.
• Notarized copy of the DNI (Spanish ID) or the passport and NIE of the person or persons responsible and in charge of the minor in Spain.
• Certificate from the Ministry of Justice of Spain stating that the person(s) responsible and in charge of the minor in Spain does not have any sexual misconduct record in the Registry of Sexual Offenders (“Datos del Registro Central de Delincuentes Sexuales").
  

12.- Health insurance: Proof of public or private health insurance contracted with an insurance entity authorized to operate in Spain. The insurance policy must cover all the risks insured by Spain's public health system and must cover the entire period of the stay. It should have no coverage limits (Spanish companies offer unlimited coverage), no grace periods for certain benefits, no co-payments, and no deductibles. Nevertheless, if the policy has a coverage limited to a specific amount, this limit must not be less than 30,000 euros.​

A registry of insurance entities authorized to operate in Spain can be found at the following link: https://rrpp.dgsfp.mineco.es/

Travel insurance is not accepted.

An Insurance card will not be accepted as proof of coverage.

If the applicant is participating in a volunteer program, in addition to the health insurance, he/she must also provide a copy of the organization’s civil liability insurance policy.

WHEN LENGTH OF STAY EXCEEDS 180 DAYS (for stays of more than 180 days, you must submit the document of point 13 as well): 

13.- Medical certificate: Applicants who apply for a visa for a stay of more than 180 days must submit the original and a copy of the medical certificate demonstrating the applicant does not suffer from drug addiction, mental health issues or any diseases that could have serious repercussions for public health in accordance with the International Health Regulations of 2005.

• The certificate must be issued in the 3 months preceding the submission of the visa application.
• The certificate must include a stamp from the issuing Medical Center, doctor’s name and signature, doctor’s License Number and date of expedition.
• The certificate must be written on letterhead paper from hospital/doctor’s office or directly on the provided template. The recommended model can be found here: Medical certificate template
• The certificate must be signed by a Doctor (Physician), not by a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician assistant.​
• If the certificate does not include the text in Spanish, an official or certified translation into Spanish is required. In the case of using the bilingual model from our website, the Spanish translation is not necessary. ​

Please include a photocopy (not notarized) of the medical certificate with your submitted documents.

14.- Disclaimer form (DISCLAIMER.pdf )