What documents do I need for a Spanish student visa?
For a long-term (over 6 months) Spanish student visa you need: your acceptance letter, a valid passport, an apostilled and translated ACRO police certificate, a medical certificate with the consulate's wording, proof of funds (100% of IPREM per month, about €600/month), health cover (the free GHIC is accepted in London), a passport photo, and the signed national visa application form, all submitted in person at a BLS appointment at least 2 months before your course.
The checklist, in the order to do it
- 1. Acceptance letter from your Spanish institution (full-time programme, enrolment fee paid)
- 2. Passport valid 1+ year with 2 blank pages, issued within 10 years
- 3. ACRO police certificate, postal version (stays over 6 months)
- 4. Medical certificate with the required wording, under 3 months old
- 5. FCDO apostilles on the ACRO (and medical if your consulate requires it)
- 6. Sworn Spanish translations of the certificates and their apostilles
- 7. Proof of financial means (IPREM minimum)
- 8. Health insurance: free GHIC or private no-co-payment policy
- 9. Passport photo on white background
- 10. National visa application form, completed and signed
- 11. BLS appointment: submit everything and pay about £360 in fees
- 12. Collect the visa, travel, then TIE card within 30 days of arrival
Why the order matters
The chain ACRO, then apostille, then translation runs sequentially and takes 4-8 weeks on standard services, so those start first. The medical certificate can't be older than 3 months and the ACRO older than 6 at submission, so neither can start too early either. Getting the sequencing right is most of the difficulty, and it's exactly what a dated, personalised plan solves.
Streamline the whole process
Visado puts every step in the right order for your course date and walks you through them one at a time. Nothing missed, nothing late.
Start my free planFrequently asked
Do I need all documents translated into Spanish?
The ACRO and medical certificates (with their apostilles) need sworn translations. Standard UK documents like bank statements are commonly accepted in English, but confirm with your consulate.
How early should I start collecting documents?
3 to 4 months before the course starts. Earlier than that and validity windows (3 months for medical, 6 for ACRO) start working against you.
Is this checklist the same at every UK consulate?
The core is the same; details like GHIC acceptance and medical apostilles vary between London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Always check your own consulate's current list.