Stay Permit
Stay
The concept of "stay" refers to residing in Spain for a period of less than ninety days. Once this time is up, in order to remain in Spain it is necessary to apply for an extension of this stay or a Residence Permit.
If the foreign national has crossed the border with a visa and this visa is for less than three months, the stay can be extended to cover these three months.
If on the contrary, the foreign national has entered Spain without a visa, an application can be made to prolong the stay for 3 months if the stay can be justified under exceptional circumstances.
To apply for an extension, an official application must be presented personally by the interested party to the Foreign Nationals Department of the National Police:
There are foreigners who need a visa for travelling in Spain. To be eligible, they must provide evidence of sufficient resources for their stay and the availability of accomodation while in the country.
This is established by a Letter of Invitation which can be applied for at the Foreign Nationals Department at the National Police police station, by a Spanish national or a foreigner who resides legally in Spain and with the corresponding authorisation can invite a foreign person to come to Spain having undertaken to provide accomodation for this person.
The person who applies for the visa must also present a return ticket with a fixed return date which does not go beyond the maximum period of stay stipulated by the Spanish authorities.
Students
This Student Visa allows foreign nationals to reside in the country while they carry out their studies. The duration will be limited to the length of the course of study.
Among other requisites, applicants must have been accepted at the teaching centre to carry out their studies, and have sufficient economic resources to pay for their studies, their stay and return to the country of origin.
The foreign person whose coming to Spain has like only or main aim the study or to make works of not remunerated investigation or formation labor, in any teaching institution or scientific Spanish, public or deprived will have the student consideration, officially recognized.
The duration of the authorization of stay by the Department of the Interior will be equal to the one of the course for which it is registered. The authorization will be prorogued annually if the holder demonstrates that he continues reuniting the required conditions for the expedition of the initial authorization and that fulfills the requirements demanded by the training center which it attends, having itself verified the accomplishment of the studies.
Application can also be made for authorisation to carry out work compatible with the course of study being undertaken.
Also, if a foreign national has resided in Spain for three years for the purposes of study, has completed the course and has not received any scholarships from public or private organisations within cooperation and development programmes, application can be made for a Work Permit on the presentation of an offer for work from an employer.