Student Visa Programmes

Our Student Visa Programmes allow you to live and work in Spain whilst you study.

Living and Working in Barcelona Has Never Been Easier

Are you from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or any other non-EU country? You can still make your dream of teaching in Spain a reality with our student visa programme! A 1-year student visa will allow you to work up to 30 hours per week, so you can teach English, learn Spanish and enjoy everything Barcelona has to offer.

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You have two options for obtaining a student visa

If You Want To Get Qualified As A Teacher

Trinity CertTESOL + Developing Teacher & Spanish programme

This programme is for you if you want to get qualified, continue to work on your professional development as a teacher and achieve fluency in Spanish with 10 hours/week of lessons! The package includes:

1 month Trinity CertTESOL course
11 months Developing Teacher & Spanish
10 hours/week of Spanish lessons from professional, qualified teachers
Flexible Spanish course schedule
Weekly teacher training workshops
Access to job opportunities before they hit the market
Access to our large database of lesson plans
Support from our experienced visa coordinator
Assistance in gathering all your documents, applying for the visa and bureaucracy once you arrive in Barcelona

Total: 4500€ (Save €150!)

Note: you must do 12 months if you want to qualify for a long-term visa and be able to work. You will also have the option to extend if you wish.

All courses must be paid in full in order to apply for the student visa.

If You Are Already Qualified As A Teacher

Developing Teacher & Spanish programme

This programme is for you if you are already qualified and continue to work on your professional development as a teacher, as well as achieve fluency in Spanish with 10 hours/week of lessons!

The package includes:

12 months Developing Teacher & Spanish
10 hours/week of Spanish lessons from professional, qualified teachers
Flexible Spanish course schedule
Weekly teacher training workshops
Access to job opportunities before they hit the market
Access to our large database of lesson plans
Support from our experienced visa coordinator
Assistance in gathering all your documents, applying for the visa and bureaucracy once you arrive in Barcelona.

Total: 3000€

Note: you must do 12 months if you want to qualify for a long-term visa and be able to work. You will also have the option to extend if you wish.

All courses must be paid in full in order to apply for the student visa.

Find out more about our Developing Teacher & Spanish Programme

See our dates and fees page for more information.

Spanish Visas Explained

Spanish bureaucracy can seem daunting but we’re here to make it as simple as possible for you. There are many different types of visa available, but the one that is best adapted to the needs of an English teacher is a long-term student visa.

In order to qualify for a long-term student visa you must sign up to a course that is at least 20 hours/week and 7-12 months long. At TEFL Iberia we have created the Developing Teacher and Spanish Programme to meet this requirement.

20 hours per week of study

We keep this as flexible as possible so as to not interfere with your work commitments. All the classes take place in the morning, as most English teaching work is in the afternoon. You can also take regular study breaks to give you time to focus on working, travelling and enjoying Barcelona.

Enrol in a recognised school

TEFL Iberia is accredited by Trinity College London and offers a variety of courses that qualify for the student visa in Spain.

12 months of study

In order to qualify for a long-term student visa, you should enrol in a course that is 7-12 months long. You can do a shorter course in order to get a short-term visa, but you won’t be able to work, and you won’t be able to renew your visa from Spain. If you’d like to read more about different types of Spanish visas and their requirements, check out our detailed guide.

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 TEFL Iberia students

Fast delivery of your school enrolment letter.

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 alot 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).

Student card (TIE) and housing register (empadronamiento) booking and accompaniment to appointments have an additional cost of 160€.

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.

Enrolment letter from the school (you get this from us 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 . It is a very active online community with tons of non-EU teachers and TEFL trainees sharing their experiences. If you use its 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

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

Officially up to 30 hours per week.

How long does it take to process a student visa?

It varies from country to country but you should give yourself 3 months to gather all of your documents, get an appointment at the consulate and get your visa approved.

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 process a visa from within Spain?

Yes. If you arrive in Spain as a tourist, you can apply for a student visa, as long as you submit your application within 30 days of arriving.

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.