THE VISA PROCESS:
2026-2027
Spanish student visas
ALL U.S. Fulbright ETAs and Master’s Candidates MUST APPLY FOR A STUDENT VISA.
Please remember that the Fulbright Program does not provide any additional funds for any aspect of the visa process, including for fees for fingerprinting, background checks, Apostille, or travel to the Consulate.
Please note that you cannot apply for your visa from Spain and it is extremely difficult to have a Spanish consulate outside of the U.S. agree to process a U.S. citizen’s student visa. If this is your situation, please email your main contact at the Commission as soon as possible to discuss your options.
You will NOT be using instructions to apply through the third-party company BLS.
Fulbright finalists have special permission to process their visa applications through Consulates. Please follow the instructions in the Visa Spreadsheet specific to your consulate. Do NOT apply until you have the complete visa materials, including the components in purple sent from the Commission.
Once you receive your visa, whether you have gone to pick it up in person or it has been mailed to you, it is extremely important that you upload it to your fulbright.es portal so that the Commission can review it.
Please note that all Spanish Consulates in the U.S. recommend that you wait to purchase your flight to Spain until your visa has been approved and you have it in your possession. If you must purchase your tickets before you have your visa in hand, make sure you book tickets with flexible dates and a favorable cancellation policy.