Which Spanish consulate do I apply to?
You need to apply for your Spanish student visa through the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of legal residence. It’s not necessarily the nearest consulate, the one in your country of citizenship, or the one with the earliest appointment. Applying through the wrong consulate can mean your application is not accepted, wasting time and potentially delaying your move to Spain.
Before booking an appointment, check which consulate has jurisdiction over your current legal residence and what proof of residence it requires.
Checked against every consulate’s own page, .
Find your consulate
Pick where you live and we’ll show your office, how it takes applications and what’s different there.
- Apply where you liveNot where your passport is from
- Hand in 2+ months earlySome offices have 3 to 4 month waits
- You’ll need a long-stay visaPolice check, medical, TIE card
Consulate websites are hard to find your way around, and each office does things slightly differently. Some want you at a BLS visa centre, some want an email, and Sydney only takes applications by post. This guide covers every Spanish consulate in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. For each one you'll find the areas it covers, where you hand in your papers and what's different about it.
We're not lawyers, and consulates change their rules and pages often. Treat this guide as a map, and always check your consulate's own page before you apply.
The rule: apply where you live
Spain's immigration regulation says you apply at the consular office for the area where you live. On top of that, most consulates' own pages also accept people who are studying in person in their area, even if they don't live there, which helps if you're at university away from home. It isn't universal: Houston and Montreal take residents only, so check the “Who can apply” line for your office below.
- Every office asks for proof that you live in its area, such as a driving licence, state ID, utility bill or bank statement with your address. Some want it notarised (New York, Boston, Houston).
- Your passport doesn't decide it. If you're Indian and live in Manchester, you apply in Manchester, with proof that you're legally resident in the UK. Holders of a visitor visa usually can't apply (most US offices refuse B1/B2 holders; Manchester refuses UK visit-visa holders).
- If you've lived in another country in the last 5 years, and your office asks for a police check, you'll need a certificate from that country too, apostilled and translated into Spanish (that part is a national rule). How recent it must be varies by office: most say issued within the last 6 months, Cape Town within 90 days.
- You can't pick an office for its appointments. Washington, Houston and BLS UK all say they turn away applications from outside their area.
Where you hand in your papers isn't always the consulate. In the USA (except Puerto Rico), the UK and South Africa, Spain uses a private company, BLS International, to receive applications. The consulate still decides your visa. In Canada, Australia and New Zealand you deal with the consulate or embassy directly.
You’ll need a long-stay visa
Since May 2025 the visa runs from 1 month before your course to 15 days after it. That means both our programmes (6 or 11 months of Spanish) count as stays of over 180 days. Expect to need a police check, a medical certificate and a year's health insurance. Within a month of arriving in Spain you then apply for your TIE (foreigner's identity card). Depending on the office, the visa in your passport may be valid for 90 days or for a year; either way, the TIE covers the rest of your stay.
Health insurance
It must come from an insurer authorised in Spain, with cover like the Spanish public system and no co-payments or waiting periods. Where a policy has a limit, it must be at least €30,000. Every consulate that mentions travel insurance says it isn't accepted. UK citizens can use their GHIC (all three UK consulates accept it).
Every consulate, country by country
USA: 9 Spanish consulates
9 offices
In the USA (except Puerto Rico) you hand in your student visa application at a BLS International centre, by appointment, in the city of the consulate that covers your state. The visa fee for US citizens is $160, plus a $20 BLS service fee (October 2026).
New York
BLS centreCovers
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 55 W 39th St, 18th Floor, New York
Worth knowing
- Notarised copies of your passport photo page and your proof of residence
- Applications from 6 months to 2 months before your course; allow at least 5 weeks
Boston
BLS centreCovers
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 15 Court Square, Suite 520, Boston
Worth knowing
- A signed disclaimer form and notarised proof of residence
- The acceptance letter must be in Spanish (or translated)
- A medical certificate for any stay over 90 days; the FBI check must be dated within 6 months before you arrive in Spain
- Allow about 8 weeks
Washington DC
BLS centreCovers
DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 1660 L Street NW, Suite 216, Washington
Worth knowing
- The BLS centre takes debit cards only
- Applications from 6 months to 2 months before your course; allow at least 5 weeks
Miami
BLS centreCovers
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina
Who can apply
Residents of its area (its page doesn’t mention students)
Where you hand in
BLS, 3191 Coral Way, Suite 611, Coral Gables
Worth knowing
- The consulate’s own document list is "under construction", so follow BLS Miami’s list
- BLS Miami asks for a disclaimer form and an admission letter translated into Spanish
Chicago
BLS centreCovers
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 121 W Wacker Dr, Suite 1307, Chicago
Worth knowing
- The acceptance letter must be in Spanish
- Applications from 6 months to 2 months before your course; allow at least 4 weeks
Houston
BLS centre or postCovers
Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee
Who can apply
Residents of its area only
Where you hand in
BLS, 2500 West Loop South, Suite 350, Houston, or by post through BLS's paid courier service
Worth knowing
- The school’s letter must show your passport number and at least 20 hours a week; the insurance certificate must be in Spanish
- Houston’s page doesn’t list Spanish courses among its study activities, so talk to us before you apply
- Allow at least 6 weeks
Los Angeles
BLS centreCovers
Southern California (Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties), Arizona, Colorado, Utah
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 5455 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1011, Los Angeles
Worth knowing
- The consulate asks for the visa fee by money order, but BLS no longer takes USPS money orders: check how to pay when you book
- Applications from 6 months to 2 months before your course; allow at least 4 weeks
San Francisco
BLS centreCovers
Northern California (every county not listed under LA), Nevada, Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii and US Pacific territories
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 717 Market St, Suite 425, San Francisco
Worth knowing
- The acceptance letter must be in Spanish, issued in Spain and show 20 hours a week (conditional offers are refused)
- An insurance certificate in Spanish that includes repatriation
- Visa fee by money order only: check how to pay when you book
- You must be in the USA when you apply and while you wait; 5 to 8 weeks
San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Email the consulateCovers
Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, US Virgin Islands
Who can apply
Residents of its area (its page doesn’t mention students)
Where you hand in
There's no BLS centre on the island, so email the consulate (cog.sanjuan.vis@maec.es) before you plan anything
Worth knowing
- The consulate doesn’t publish where student visas are handed in
How to book at BLS in the USA
- Check your state against the list above.
- Go to BLS USA, pick your city and choose Book Appointment. You’ll create an account on the booking site (usa.blsspainglobal.com).
- Choose a National visa appointment, not Schengen.
- Print the appointment letter. If you cancel or miss it, you have to wait 2 days before booking again.
- On the day, bring originals and copies of everything. BLS checks your form, photo and passport, takes the fees and gives you a receipt with a code to track your file on the Spanish government’s tracker.
- Your passport stays with BLS while the consulate decides. Most offices want you to collect it in person.
- Every US office asks for an FBI background check if your stay is over 180 days. It must be fingerprint-based, with a US Department of State apostille and a sworn Spanish translation. State and local police checks aren’t accepted.
- New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington say Spanish courses must be at a school accredited by the Instituto Cervantes.
- Don’t buy flights until you have the visa.
Free download: Spanish visa guide for US citizens
UK: London, Manchester or Edinburgh
3 offices
Since Brexit, UK citizens need a student visa for a Spanish course of more than 90 days. There are three Spanish consulates in the UK, and all three send student visa applicants to a BLS International centre in or near the same city. You can't hand in a student visa at the consulates themselves.
London
BLS centreCovers
Greater London; South East (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Isle of Wight); South West (Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly); East of England (Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk); Jersey and Guernsey; Gibraltar and the other British Overseas Territories
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 20 St Andrew Street, London EC4A 3AG
Worth knowing
- ACRO police certificate for courses of 6 months or more
- Courier return of your passport is optional (£29.99)
- Medical certificates from the UK or Spain only
Manchester
BLS centreCovers
All of Wales; the Isle of Man; Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside; East Riding, North, South and West Yorkshire; Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland; Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS Manchester, Salford (use the address on your appointment letter)
Worth knowing
- ACRO police certificate for stays over 135 days
- Courier return of your passport is compulsory (£29.99)
- The school’s letter must be in Spanish; UK visit-visa holders can’t apply
- BLS says at least 30 working days and up to 60 days
Edinburgh
BLS centreCovers
Scotland; Northern Ireland; Cumbria; Durham; Northumberland; Tyne and Wear; Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees)
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS, 6 Dock Place, Suite 1A, Edinburgh EH6 6LU
Worth knowing
- ACRO police certificate for stays over 180 days; Disclosure Scotland and DBS certificates aren’t accepted
- Your ACRO or medical certificate can be posted on later if it isn’t ready
- Courier return (£29.99) or a prepaid Special Delivery envelope; BLS says up to 3 months
The ones people get wrong: Northern Ireland and Cumbria go to Edinburgh, the Isle of Man and all of Wales go to Manchester, and Jersey, Guernsey and Gibraltar go to London. If you live in Middlesbrough or Redcar and Cleveland, use Edinburgh.
How to book at BLS in the UK
- All three centres use one booking site: uk.blsspainglobal.com. Use the latest version of Google Chrome.
- Register with your passport details, typed exactly as they appear in your passport. You can’t change them later, and the centre can turn you away if they don’t match.
- Confirm your email with the code BLS sends you, and agree to the camera check (BLS calls it "liveness detection").
- Log in, fill in the visa application online, then book a slot at your centre.
- Print the application form, the appointment letter and the document checklist.
- Go to the centre with the originals and a photocopy of every document. Track your file with the code on your receipt; the consulates don’t answer status emails.
- A few booking tips: book one appointment per person (each family member registers with their own passport), don’t book twice, cancel any slot you won’t use, and never pay a third party for an appointment.
- Costs (October 2026): visa fee £345 for a stay over 6 months (2026 fee list); BLS service fee £14.85; ACRO police certificate £70 (ACRO); FCDO apostille £45 (GOV.UK; ACRO certificates can’t get the cheaper e-apostille). The optional BLS premium lounge (£100 London, £90 Manchester, £60 Edinburgh) doesn’t make the decision any faster.
- The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is accepted as health insurance at all three offices.
Free download: Spanish visa guide for UK citizens
Canada: Ottawa, Toronto or Montreal
3 offices
In Canada you apply in person at the embassy or consulate, by appointment. There's no visa centre. The visa fee is CAD 145.50 at all three offices (October 2026).
Ottawa (Embassy)
Online bookingCovers
Ottawa and Gatineau
Who can apply
Residents of its area (its page doesn’t mention students)
Where you hand in
74 Stanley Avenue, Ottawa; book on the online calendar on the Embassy’s page
Worth knowing
- The Embassy says the average wait for an appointment is about 4 months, so book early
Toronto
Email appointmentCovers
Ontario (except the Ottawa area), Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
Email cog.toronto.visnac@maec.es with the subject line "First name;Last name;STUDY VISA APPOINTMENT" and the details the page lists
Worth knowing
- Visa fee by money order or bank draft only
- A medical certificate from every applicant; apply at least 60 days before you travel
Montreal
Email appointmentCovers
Quebec (except Gatineau), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador
Who can apply
Residents of its area only
Where you hand in
Email cog.montreal.vis@maec.es with the subject line "Visado de estudios - Solicitud de cita", attaching your passport, proof of address and admission letter (under 10 MB)
Worth knowing
- Emails that don’t follow the format get no reply
- For stays over 6 months you’ll need an RCMP criminal record check based on fingerprints, apostilled by Global Affairs Canada and translated into Spanish.
Free download: Spanish visa guide for Canadian citizens
Australia: Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne
3 offices
Each Australian office works differently, so check yours carefully. The visa fee for Australians is AUD 710 in Sydney and Melbourne (official pages, 2026); Canberra asks you to check the amount with them.
Canberra (Embassy)
Email appointmentCovers
ACT and Queanbeyan
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
In person; ask for an appointment at emb.canberra.sc@maec.es
Worth knowing
- The Embassy doesn’t publish its fee: ask when you book
Sydney
Post onlyCovers
New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
By post only, with an A4 registered or Express Post envelope addressed to yourself. No applications over the counter
Worth knowing
- Pay by money order
Melbourne
Email appointmentCovers
Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
In person by appointment: email cog.melbourne.visappt@maec.es with the details the page lists
Worth knowing
- Ask for your appointment at least 3 months before you travel
- Post isn’t accepted
- For stays over 180 days you’ll need an AFP National Police Check with fingerprints, apostilled and translated into Spanish.
Free download: Spanish visa guide for Australian citizens
New Zealand: Wellington
1 office
The Spanish Embassy in Wellington covers all of New Zealand, plus Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Kiribati.
Wellington (Embassy)
In personCovers
New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Kiribati
Who can apply
Residents of its area (its page doesn’t mention students)
Where you hand in
Level 11, i Centre, 50 Manners Street, Wellington. Phone 04 802 5665 to arrange your appointment
Worth knowing
- The Embassy’s visa page is only in Spanish and doesn’t say how to book
- For a police check, get a Ministry of Justice conviction record. Have it authenticated by the DIA Authentication Unit, not by a JP or solicitor, and translated into Spanish (govt.nz).
Free download: Spanish visa guide for New Zealand citizens
South Africa: Pretoria or Cape Town
2 offices
In South Africa you apply at a BLS International centre, by appointment, booked at southafrica.blsspainglobal.com. BLS says appointments are usually set about two weeks after you ask. The visa fee is R1,775 plus a R333 BLS service charge, paid by card only (October 2026).
Pretoria (Embassy)
BLS centreCovers
Gauteng, Free State, Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga, Lesotho
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS Pretoria, Landmark Building, 13 Umgazi Street, Menlo Park
Worth knowing
- Police clearance certificate up to 6 months old
Cape Town
BLS centreCovers
Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
Who can apply
Residents, or people studying in person in its area
Where you hand in
BLS Cape Town (The Tower Building, 2 Hertzog Boulevard) or BLS Durban (Silver Oaks Building, 36 Silverton Road, Musgrave)
Worth knowing
- Police clearance certificate issued no more than 90 days before you apply
- You’ll need a SAPS police clearance certificate apostilled by DIRCO.
Free download: Spanish visa guide for South African citizens
Other countries: how to find your consulate
If you live somewhere else, Spain's Foreign Ministry lists every embassy and consulate in its official directory.
- Find your country. The names are in Spanish even on the English page (Filipinas, México, Reino Unido).
- Open each office in that country and look for its jurisdiction page ("Demarcación") to see which regions it covers.
- On that office’s study visa page, the "Place of submission" line tells you whether you apply at the consulate or at a visa centre.
Three countries we often hear from:
- India: the Embassy in New Delhi covers the north and east (including Madhya Pradesh), and the Consulate in Mumbai covers the west and south (including Chhattisgarh). Both use BLS India, which says you must have lived in the area for at least 6 months. Your police clearance comes from the Regional Passport Office, and it needs a Ministry of External Affairs apostille, as does your medical certificate.
- The Philippines: visas are handled in Manila. The consulate’s study visa page says to apply at the consulate, but a later consulate notice and BLS Philippines say applications go to BLS in Makati or Cebu. Check with the consulate before you book.
- Mexico: each consulate works differently. Mexico City uses BLS Mexico, Guadalajara books through a link on its own study visa page, and Monterrey books by email (cog.monterrey.vis@maec.es).
Already in Spain?
If you're in Spain as a visitor (visa-free or on a tourist visa), you can't switch to a student visa for a Spanish course from inside Spain. Since May 2025, Spain's immigration rules only let people apply from Spain for this kind of course if they already hold a Spanish residence permit (see the Ministry's information sheet).
Everyone else applies at the consulate for the place where they live, before travelling. For our trainees, that means getting your student visa at home before you come for the CertTESOL. You can’t apply in Barcelona after the course.
You may read older advice online saying you can apply within your 90 days. That isn’t true for Spanish courses.
If you already hold a Spanish residence permit, you may be able to apply at the Oficina de Extranjería in Barcelona or online, at least 2 months before your course starts. Getting the study stay cancels a temporary residence permit, so talk to us first and we’ll point you to a lawyer.
Avoid appointment scams
Booking a consulate or BLS appointment is free; you only pay the fees at your appointment. Sites that sell appointments, or claim a special deal with the consulate, aren’t official, and both BLS and Spain’s consulates warn against them (Consulate in Mexico City). Reach BLS by clicking through from your consulate’s own study visa page, and check the address ends in blsspainvisa.com or blsspainglobal.com.
How we can help
Our student visa programme starts with the 4-week Trinity CertTESOL in Barcelona. You then study Spanish for 6 or 11 months at our accredited partner Spanish school, 20 hours a week (09:30 to 13:30), with occasional teacher development workshops. You can work up to 30 hours a week once your employer gets a work permit for you. We’ll help you both with the paperwork.
We give you timely, detailed guidance on gathering the paperwork your consulate asks for, and answer your questions along the way. Email coordination@tefl-iberia.com, or read our guide to teaching English in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply at any Spanish consulate?
No. You apply at the one that covers where you live (or, at most offices, where you study in person). Applications from outside an office’s area are turned away.
Can I apply from Spain?
Not for a Spanish course if you’re in Spain as a visitor. You can only apply from Spain if you already hold a Spanish residence permit.
How early should I apply?
At least 2 months before your course starts; that’s the legal minimum. Some US offices accept applications from 6 months before. In Ottawa, appointments wait about 4 months, and Melbourne asks you to request one 3 months before you travel.
Do I go to the consulate or to BLS?
In the USA (except Puerto Rico), the UK and South Africa, you hand in your papers at a BLS International centre. In Canada, Australia and New Zealand you deal with the embassy or consulate (Sydney by post).
How long does it take?
The legal deadline for a decision is 1 month from a complete application, and it can be extended. US consulates suggest allowing 4 to 8 weeks; BLS in the UK says up to 2 or 3 months. Don’t book flights until you have the visa.
Can someone hand in my application for me?
Some offices accept an authorised representative, but many want you to collect the visa in person. Check your office’s page.
Checked 17 October 2026 against Royal Decree 1155/2024 (BOE), the Spanish embassies and consulates directory, each office’s study visa page (linked above), and BLS USA, BLS UK and BLS South Africa. Consulate pages change often, so always check your own office’s page before you apply.