Estudiando en España (Studying in Spain)
Barsha Paudel got her graduate studies in Economics from Spain. And ever since, she has constantly been fascinated by the Spanish language that she recently started taking the language course in Nepal. But, on a sad note, as a side effect of constant exposure to excessive football, she has stopped following this sporting activity completely.
Guide to Study-Visa Application for Spain
*
A few days after I started preparing for my visa application, I discovered that securing a study-visa to Spain was more tedious and time-consuming than for other countries. One reason it took me time to get oriented to the whole process was because I couldn’t locate any source of information, either formal or informal.
Zaragoza city , Spain
I first visited the Spanish Consulate in Kathmandu to discuss the visa process at length. I gathered some information from this office, and followed the procedures as advised. After I finished what I could do in Nepal, I corresponded (in email) with the Spanish Embassy in Delhi to fix an appointment to submit my application. Later I realized that I was very late to have initiated the email correspondence and also that I didn’t ask the right questions. I had no option but to submit my application (in person) without prior appointment, which I did after paying the application fee.
Time
I had started preparing for the application about 3 months prior to the start of my classes, and it took me slightly over 2.5 months to secure the visa. So, I highly recommend potential applicants to start preparations with plenty of time in hand, at least 3-4 months in advance.
Location There is no Spanish Embassy in Nepal, only a consulate. Some basic steps can be performed here, but to obtain the visa you must go to the Spanish Embassy in Delhi.
Language
Documents can be submitted either in English or Spanish only.
Documents
The applicants must be careful with the translation, attestation and in some cases, notarization of documents. Among other generally required documents (like visa application form, academic certificates, birth certificate, etc.), some applicants might also be required to furnish other documents depending on their circumstances. Police-clearance certificate usually expires in 15 days. In 2011, proof of residence in Spain and a Spanish health insurance were also among mandatory documents. In my case, I had the apartment contract for a whole year and my scholarship covered my health insurance too.
Spanish visa is non-convertible; meaning you can’t turn your business/tourist/work visa to study visa. So, make sure you mark it very distinctly in your application that you want a study visa. Such Type-D visa (also known as study-visa) has a maximum validity of 90 days.
Medical Clearance Certificate
Right around 2011, the Embassy had specified a few hospitals around New Delhi from where to get medical clearance certificate from. Medical clearance certificates from hospitals in Nepal were not valid. For that reason, I had to get the certificates again from one of those hospitals in Delhi even though I had certificates from both Bir Hospital and T.U. Teaching Hospital.
Fee
The visa application fee is INR.3889
Passport
The Embassy only keeps a photocopy of the passport, and visa-applicants are required to bring the passport with them every time they visit the Embassy. I was asked to report to the Embassy in 15 days.
Tracking
You can’t track your visa application. If the need be, the Embassy will get in touch with you in that time.
Skyline of Barcelona city
Personal Anecdotes
In my experience, I found the Spanish Consulate in Kathmandu to be quite sluggish and inefficient. Moreover, the Consul’s frequent unannounced travels and the Embassy staff’s lack of information and interest cost me a lot of time. Even after 3 months of new regulations about medical clearance certificates being implemented, the Consulate was completely unaware of it. I spent a month waiting to attest my documents, and had to prepare police clearance certificate twice because it expired after 15 days. For these reasons, I think maintaining a direct personal correspondence with the Embassy will be preferable. And, also make sure you ask for the latest information and clear all your confusions.
Interestingly, the rarity and generosity of the scholarship I had won worked against me during the visa application. Though I had submitted three documents about the scholarship (signed scholarship contract, official document from the scholarship granting organization and admission letter from the university), the Embassy officials, after a 15-day assessment of my application, produced a slip which stated that the documents were not sufficient proof of my winning the scholarship. They demanded another specific document addressed to me and signed, stamped, sealed by the head of my university and scholarship granting organization. The catch was the time limit, a mere 7 working days for me to write to the school, for them to prepare the document and send it to the Embassy via post.
Writer with her friend at The Fundació Joan Miró, a famous museum of modern art honoring Joan Miró located in Barcelona
Rule of thumb
My rule of thumb was to maintain calmness and confidence while talking to the Embassy officials. The day I had been invited to collect my visa, I was actually handed that slip. I tried assessing the situation with as much normalcy as possible but never hesitated to reason logically. In case of situations demanding other documents or proof, the Embassy was supposed to inform me in advance. But, I hadn’t received any notice. So, I asked for a 10-working-day time-frame to furnish the document in email, not in post because that was next to impossible. Reasoning worked like charm.
After wandering about for nearly 2 hours, I found a cyber-café in Delhi and wrote my university a long descriptive email. Ten days later, my university furnished the documents directly to the Embassy on my behalf. The Embassy then called me to inform that I could collect my visa.
My two cents
-
I highly recommend that you talk in English with the embassy officials.
-
Stay in regular touch with your university.
-
Your visa process for a fall course always coincides with long summer vacations at your university, so do ask for an emergency contact from the university.
-
Finding a cyber café or photocopy center in Delhi isn’t easy. Hence, make proper provisions for it before travel.
-
After you submit the documents, it will be in your best interest to email the embassy sometime inquiring about your visa-application before you make that long travel to Delhi.
-
Due to strict EU regulations regarding immigrations, you might be refused visa for simple reasons. In that case, you can file an application demanding to re-open your previous visa application for once.
-
Avail yourself of all these information about what your rights are and what you are supposed to do in case of unexpected results.
Once you enter Spain
You must register yourself at the local police station where they will issue you a National Identity Card (called N.I.E) which will serve as both your valid identity and visa then onwards.
Writer and her friends waiting for mo:mo in a Nepali Restaurant in Spain
General Information:
-
Spanish Consulate
Right behind the premises of Dwarika’s Hotel in Battisputali, Kathmandu
Tel: 01-447-0770 / 3724 / 9488
- Embassy of Spain in India 12, Prithviraj Road, New Delhi- 110011
Tel: +91-11-41293000 Fax: +91-11-41293020 Email: emb.nuevadelhi@maec.es ; emb.nuevadelhi.vis@maec.es Public Hours: Monday- Friday; 9.00-12.00 hours Submission of applications: Monday-Thursday; 9.00-12.00 hours.
-
For tourist, business or transit visa, you may also file the application to Spain Visa Application Centre (http://www.vfsglobal.com/spain/india/contactus.html) in New Delhi.
The writer’s experiences of visa application are from 2011. So, readers are kindly informed that some of the information in the article might possibly be outdated. The writer requests the readers to verify the information at their end.
****
Image Sources: Banner Image: Shutterstock
Feature Images: Barsha Paudel
Heading Image: www.studentuniverse.com
Categorised in: Your Say
i am working in a hotel since 2010.i have academic level +2 in management major subject HM securing 2nd division with 50.10 percentage due to some family reason i quit my higher study. with out good education no body could achieve their aim regarding this i want to get international qualification so can i apply to study in spain for BHM level