The student visa for courses longer than 180 days is, along with the non-lucrative visa, one of the file types Spanish consulates ask the most documentation for — and one of the most often rejected over an untranslated or unapostilled document. This guide gathers the full checklist and flags which documents need sworn translation.
File documents
- Admission letter from a recognised institution in Spain (university, accredited language school, vocational training centre).
- Valid passport, with at least 6 months' validity remaining.
- Sufficient financial means — in 2026, the equivalent of 100% of the monthly IPREM per month of study (€600/month).
- Health insurance with full coverage in Spain, no co-payments or waiting periods.
- Criminal record certificate from the country of origin (or of residence in recent years) — required when the stay exceeds 6 months.
- Medical certificate confirming good health, with the specific reference to the International Health Regulations 2005 — see the full IHR-2005 guide.
- Proof of tuition fee payment, when the institution requires it before the visa.
Spain's new immigration regulation (in force since 20 May 2025) keeps this list, though each consulate may request additional documentation depending on the country.
What needs translating and what doesn't
Documents issued abroad and not in Spanish must be submitted with a sworn translation (by a MAEC-accredited sworn translator-interpreter) and, if the country isn't covered by EU Regulation 2016/1191, with a Hague apostille:
- Criminal record certificate.
- Medical certificate.
- At some consulates, also the admission letter if it's not in Spanish or English (depends on the consulate's criteria).
Usually not required: the passport, or purely financial documentation (bank statements) if already in English — many consulates accept English directly for these, but it's worth confirming before submitting, since criteria vary by consulate.
Criminal record: only if the stay exceeds 6 months
This requirement is often overlooked: if the course lasts less than 180 days, no criminal record certificate is needed. Above that threshold, it is — and the certificate must be translated just like in any other residence procedure. For the US, UK, Canada or France, each country has its own process for obtaining and apostilling it; we cover it in detail in the FBI/ACRO/B3 comparison guide.
Common mistakes
- Requesting a medical certificate without the literal IHR-2005 wording — the consulate rejects it even if the applicant is healthy.
- Not requesting a criminal record certificate, assuming it's "only for work visas" — it's also required for study stays over 6 months.
- Expired certificates: both the medical one (3 months' validity) and the criminal record one (usually 3 months) expire quickly — request them close to your consular appointment.
- Non-sworn translation of the documents that require one.
Related pages
- Medical certificate for Spanish visa: the IHR-2005 explained
- Criminal records: FBI, ACRO and B3 compared
- Spain digital nomad visa
- Sworn translation in Madrid · Sworn translation in Barcelona · Sworn translation in Valencia
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