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Legal Formalities

EU students

If you are from a European Union member state (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden or the United Kingdom) or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you are entitled to free movement and residence in Spain.

However, all EU citizens wishing to reside in Spain for a period of more than three months must register with the Central Registry of Foreign Nationals to receive a registration certificate and a Foreigner Identify Number (NIE).

You should apply for this document directly at your local police station:

  1. Barcelona residents should go to the police station in Rambla Guipúscoa, 74, Barcelona, having made a prior appointment on the following website (Servicios\Extranjería\Cita previa extranjería\Acceder al procedimiento\Barcelona\Certificado UE\Entrar)
  2. Foreign nations living outside Barcelona should apply in person at the local police station in their town or city, without making a prior appointment.

You will need the following documents:

  • Application form
  • Passport or identity card (original and copy)
  • ESCI-UPF registration (original and copy)
  • European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or private insurance policy (original and copy)
  • Statement of Financial Resources proving that students have sufficient economic funds during their stay in Spain. Participation in an EU study exchange programme is viewed as sufficient proof.

For further information, please visit the spanish Home Office website

Students from outside the EU

Once in Barcelona, international students are encouraged to register their contact details with their Embassy or Consulate in Spain.

Suppose you are a student from outside the EU, the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland and wish to stay in Spain for over 90 days. In that case, you need to obtain a student residence permit, which authorises you to remain in Spain for the duration of your course and, if you wish, to travel within the EU and to any countries that have signed agreements on the free movement of people with Spain or the EU.

Steps for obtaining a student residence permit

Before you arrive in Spain: student visa

Before arriving in Spain you must obtain a student residence visa (visado de estancia por estudios) from the Spanish consulate in your country of origin or legal residence. You can find your consulate on the website of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

To apply for a visa, you need proof that you have been accepted on an ESCI-UPF course, among other documents. This proof of acceptance will be sent to you by ESCI-UPF once you have been accepted.

You should make sure that you apply for a student visa (Type D). The other types of visas will not enable you to apply for a Foreigner Identity Card (TIE).

Note: remember that your student visa is only valid for study at the university where you have been accepted for the period of time stipulated in the acceptance letter. This means that if you choose to study at a different educational institution after obtaining your visa, you should contact the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country of residence to find out whether or not you need to take any further steps before travelling to Spain.

During your first month in Spain: TIE (Foreigner Identity Card)

If your authorised stay is longer than six months, you must apply for your Foreigner Identity Card within one month of entering Spain.

You should apply for this document directly at your local police station:

  • a. Barcelona residents should go to the police station in Rambla Guipúscoa, 74, Barcelona, having made a prior appointment on the following website (Servicios/Extranjería/Cita previa extranjería/Acceder al procedimiento/Barcelona/Expedición de tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (huella)/Entrar).
  • b. Foreign nationals living outside Barcelona should apply in person to the local police station in their town or city, without making a prior appointment.

You should read the following documents:

For further information (in Spanish), visit: