WorkingRussia
Ivanvisa in 1 month
He applied in spring and the visa came through in a month. He now studies and works part-time in a Valencia bar.
Study and live in Spain legally
A student visa, work while you study and a clear route to residence, all through real studyA student visa, work while you study and a clear route to residence, all through real study. We have laid the whole path out step by step for people coming from outside the EU.
Visa comparison
Why a student visa rather than Digital Nomad
Three differences that make the student visa simpler almost every timeThree differences make the student visa simpler than the Digital Nomad route almost every time.
Student visaDigital Nomad
No income requirement
no regular income to prove — the consulate looks at savings: enough funds in the account, yours or a sponsor’s.
you must prove income of ≈ €2,850/month (200% of the minimum wage, 2026).
If you have no formal contract or provable income
no contract needed.
an official contract with a foreign company, or client agreements and traceable income.
Different income requirements
no high salary and no remote job are required to get or renew the status. You show enough funds to live on and meet the study requirements.
the status is tied to remote work and provable income: about €2,850 a month (200% of the minimum wage, 2026).
Simpler and more predictable at the entry pointA student visa is not tied to income or contracts, and it does not pull you into the tax regime for high employment income. That makes it a simpler and more predictable way into Spain.
Tax noteCollapse
On the Digital Nomad route a tax resident is taxed on worldwide income (IRPF up to 45–54%; the Beckham regime at 24% is mainly for employees). Figures are for 2025–2026, for reference only, and are not tax or legal advice; tax residency depends on your actual situation (including a stay of 183+ days).
The visa
This course requires a student visa D
Only the student visa D (for full-time courses longer than 6 months) gives a TIE card, work while you study and a route to residenceSpain has several visas, but only the student D (for full-time courses longer than 6 months) gives a TIE card, work while you study and a route to residence. Short visas give none of that.
Your option
Student visa, type D
- A TIE card
- Work on a contract and a separate permit
- Grounds to stay and a route to a work permit
Not suitable for moving
Student visa up to 180 days
No TIE card, no way to work, no grounds to stay
Tourist (Schengen)
Up to 90 days in any 180. You cannot study or stay
The visa is issued by the Spanish consulate in your country of citizenship or residence. The final timing and the decision rest with the consulate.
The legal route
What studying opens upWhat studying opens up: a route to living and working in Spain
Full-time education is legal grounds to be in the countryFull-time education is legal grounds to be in the country. From there a legal trajectory opens up. Below is how it works under the law.
- 1
Student visa D
A full-time course over 6 months gives grounds for a visa D
A full-time course longer than 6 months gives formal grounds for a type D visa.
- 2
Work while studying
Up to 30 h/week on a separate work permit
Up to 30 hours a week on an official employment contract and a separate work permit (art. 57 RD 1155/2024).
- 3
A contract in any profession
Not only in hospitality
After vocational training you can work outside hospitality too.
- 4
Modification into a work permit
After the course the card becomes a permit with the right to work
Once the course is finished the student card can be modified into a permit with the right to work, subject to conditions.
A route to permanent residence
Work permit → renewal → long-term residence
From there, subject to conditions: a 1-year work permit → renewal → long-term residence.
A visa built on real study holds up better
The consulate and the inspectorate see genuine study rather than paperwork for a stamp, which is why the visa holds up at renewalThe D visa rests on real education: 640 hours on campus, a course built to the official SEPE standard and, at the end, a diploma naming the programme Certificado Profesional Grado C Nivel 2. That is why it holds up at renewal and modification: the consulate and the inspectorate see genuine study, not paperwork for a stamp.
Legal noteCollapse
Every step depends on meeting the conditions and on decisions by Spanish immigration authorities and the consulate. This describes a legal mechanism, not a guaranteed outcome. Figures are for 2025–2026, are for reference only and are not legal or tax advice; everything depends on your situation.
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5 questions, one minute, and we'll send an assessment for your country. Free
- Whether a visa D is realistic from your countryWhether a student visa D is realistic from your country specifically
- What it costs in full: course, visa, the moveWhat it costs in full: course, visa, the move, with no hidden extras
- Which documents you need and what follows the courseWhich documents you need, and what follows the course: work and life in Spain
- All above board: an accredited instituteAll above board: an accredited institute in Valencia and a legal D visa
Step 1 of 5Residence
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Documents
Documents: what we handle and what you prepare
The institute preparespreadmisión in 2 working days
- Carta de preadmisiónA pre-admission letter on institute letterhead — you book your consulate appointment with it. The rest of the documents follow once the appointment is set.
- Study contract640 hours, dates, full-time format.
- Course programmeHOTR0508 modules with hours (RD 1256/2009).
- Proof of paymentWe format it correctly even when a relative pays for the course, which the consulate accepts.
You preparethe standard consulate package
- A valid passport and copies of all pages
- The visa application form and photographs
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance
- Accommodation booking
- A criminal record certificate
How to apply
How it all goes, step by step
- 1youCourse and first instalmentChoosing the course and the first instalmentyouyour place is heldyour place is heldyour place is held
- 2the institutePackage from the instituteThe document package from the institutethe institute2 working days2 working days2 working days
- 3youBooking an appointmentBooking an appointment (cita previa)youqueue up to 2 monthsqueue up to 2 monthsqueues of up to 2 months, so we start early
- 4youSubmitting at the consulateSubmitting at the consulateyoudocuments + packagedocuments + packageyour documents + the institute package
- 5the consulateThe consulate's decisionThe consulate's decisionthe consulateabout a monthabout a monthabout a month
- 6youVisa and the moveVisa and the moveyouin time for the intakein time for the intakein time for the intake
- 7youTIE and registrationTIE and registrationyouthe first 30 daysthe first 30 daysthe first 30 days in Spain
Finances
How much money to show the consulate
How the finances work: the balance in your account and paying for the course
You show · it stays yoursat least €5,400≈ €600/month × 9 monthsThe IPREM minimum
showing ≠ spending
≠showing ≠ spending
You pay · the course fee€3,690for the whole courseThe only payment to the institute
- Showing more than the minimum is safer for the visa
- No extra charges during the course.
- With a spouse, you both enrol. Children come through reunificationIf you are travelling with a spouse, they enrol on the course alongside you. Each of you holds your own status rather than one that depends on your partner: both can live, study and, if you need to, work. Children come through family reunification and need no course of their own.
- Insurance and the consular fee are paid separately.
You show the money in your account, you do not hand it over. The only real payment is the course.
Who has already done this
Students who have already moved and are studying
They come from Russia, Armenia, Turkey, China and other countries.
StudyingArmenia
Anidocuments with the institute
She put the package together with the institute and arrived right at the start of the intake.
StudyingTurkey
Mertvisa first time
He got the visa first time and moved to Valencia for the autumn intake.
StudyingChina
Lindocuments in 2 months
She spent about two months on the documents and is now on the barista module.
Graduates' stories. The institute does not place students in jobsIndividual graduates' stories. The institute does not place students in jobs: the student looks for work themselves and the outcome is not guaranteed.
FAQ
Frequent questions
Short answers to what people most often ask about the visa, work and status.
Yes, that is exactly what it is built for. The course is full-time, runs longer than six months and carries 20 teaching hours a week, the load the law requires for a type D student visa. The consulate makes the decision.
A refusal is not a dead end. It can be appealed or reapplied for once the reason is addressed. We'll work out what went wrong and prepare again.
Teaching is in English, with translation into five languages: Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian and Chinese.
The Spanish consulate in your country of citizenship or residence decides. The outcome rests with the consulate.
Usually from a few weeks to 1–2 months after submission; timing depends on the consulate and the season. That is why we gather documents early, ahead of the intake.
Yes, but not automatically. The law allows up to 30 hours a week, and a separate work permit is issued for it: your employer or you file the application. The permit is valid within the Valencian Community. Practice that is part of the course needs no separate permit — the student status covers it (art. 57 RD 1155/2024).
A language course is only language: even a long one gives the same student stay but no profession and no route to a work permit, and renewal is limited. Our 640-hour full-time course gives a D visa, a TIE card, the right to work and a profession built to the official SEPE standard (an IEAE diploma).
No, EU citizens do not need a visa and can come and study freely. The D visa matters for people coming from outside the EU.
The course is designed for ages 18 to 35. This is the programme's own limit, not a visa requirement. If you are older, write to us and we'll look at your case separately.
Still have questions? We'll go through them on a consultation.
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The Spanish consulate decides on the visa. This information is for reference and does not guarantee approvalThe Spanish consulate decides on the visa. This information is for reference, is not legal advice and does not guarantee approval.
The visa is the first stepThe visa is the first step. Next comes the profession.
Once the visa is clear, look at the course programme and sign up for the next intake.
Once the visa is clear, look at the course programme and sign up for the next intake.