Student Visa Support

Get expert assistance on all your study permit, work permit, and visa needs in Spain.

Living and Working in Barcelona Has Never Been Easier

If you are a European citizen or have a European passport you are free to work in Spain without a visa. If you are a non-EU citizen you will need a visa to live and work in Spain. You can do the one month TEFL course on a tourist visa, but if you are planning to stay in Barcelona for longer than three months you won’t be covered by your tourist visa.

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You have two options for processing a student visa:

If you are a new teacher:

Complete the Trinity CertTESOL course plus 6-12 month of the Developing Teacher course.

If you want to extend/renew your student visa:

Trinity CertTESOL:

1550€

Developing Teacher:

120€ /month

Find out more about our Developing Teacher course

See our dates and fees page for more information.

What makes our visa service different?

Before you set off:

Detailed guidance on how to gather all the necessary paperwork.

Help completing the Spanish application form.

Special discount on health insurance for US applicants.

Courier delivery of your school enrolment letter.

Fast response from coordinators with years of experience in processing student visas.

96% success rate in processing student visas and minimal rejections.

Once you are in Barcelona:

We will book your TIE appointment for you (read more about the TIE here). These appointments are notoriously hard to come by and we’ll save you a lot of hassle.

A contact from the school will personally accompany you to the foreign office to help with paperwork and translations.

The school will give you ongoing guidance on how and where to get all the necessary documents to get your student card (TIE - Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero).

Appointment booking and accompaniment to appointments have an additional cost of 150€.

What documents do I need?

The Spanish consulate requires the following documents:

Passport, valid for 6 months beyond your stay in Spain.

Spanish student visa application form (downloadable pdf)

2 x passport photos.

Official invitation from Spain (you get this from the school once you are accepted onto the course).

Criminal background check.

Proof of course payment in full.

Medical certificate.

Medical insurance.

Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay.

Proof of address in your home country.

Got Questions? Ask Us Anything.

If you would like to discuss the process in more detail you are welcome to contact coordination@tefl-iberia.com with questions or book an appointment to talk at the school / video call.

If you would like to read about recent, first-hand experiences we highly recommend joining the Barcelona TEFL Teachers’ Association page on Facebook . It is a very active online community with tons of non-EU teachers and TEFL trainees sharing their experiences. If you use their search function on the top right-hand corner of the page to search, for example, ‘student visa’, you’ll find lots of active discussions.

Frequently Asked Questions

View More FAQs

How many hours can I work if I have a student visa?

Officially up to 20 hours per week.

How long does it take to process a student visa?

It varies from country to country but on average you should give yourself 2 months from start to finish.

Can I extend my student visa from within Spain?

Yes, if you have a long-term visa (7 months or more) you can extend from within Spain by signing up to further courses.

Can I combine courses to process a visa?

Yes, you could do 6 months of Spanish and 6 months of the Developing Teacher course, for example.

Can I process a visa from within Spain?

Yes, the Spanish government recently changed the rules on this and it is now possible. You can come to Spain on a tourist visa then within your first month decide if you'd like to stay long term and process a student visa from Spain.

I already have a student visa with a different school. Can I renew with TEFL Iberia?

Yes, but your previous course must be related to teaching or Spanish. You need a certificate of completion from your old school (certificado de aprovechamiento) and an enrolment letter from us to take to the administration office.

Can’t I just apply for a straight-forward work visa?

Nowadays it is very difficult. The sponsorship process is a large commitment for an employer and it is very hard to find a company willing to take it on. Even if you do, you would have to involve costly immigration lawyers and prove that someone from the EU can’t do the job, which is extremely difficult.

Can I leave the EU to reset my tourist visa?

Yes, but you would have to leave the EU for a minimum of 3 months.

How easy is it to find private classes in Barcelona?

Very easy, we show you exactly how to do it on the TEFL course.