Applying with the Group for the Spanish Visa

Spanish Student Visa: Applying through the Middlebury Group Process

When applying through Middlebury’s group process for the Spanish student visa, you must submit all application materials to Middlebury by May 1 in person or by mail. If you are mailing your materials to Middlebury, this means sending everything in a trackable package several days in advance of this deadline (aim for April 20). 

Send to: 
Nicole Chance 
356 College Street
Sunderland Language Center
Middlebury, VT 05753
Phone: +1.802.443.5847

Complete the visa application form (hard copy)
1. Last name as it appears in your passport
2. Leave blank if your name has not changed since birth (married women use your maiden name, if different)
3. First, middle names as they appear in your passport
4. Date of birth: written two-digit day, two-digit month, four-digit year (ex. 15-03-1985)
5. Place of birth means city and state
6. Country of birth
7. Current nationality, then list your nationality at birth, if different, then list any other nationalities you hold
8. Gender—male or female as stated in your passport. There is currently no “X” marker on the visa application form, despite “X” markers in valid passports. If that doesn’t change and is your situation, leave the question blank.
9. Marital Status
10. None of you are minors, leave blank
11. Unless you are a grad student who has been recently living in Spain, you do not have one—leave blank
12. Type of passport is “ordinary passport” (unless your parents are diplomats or you’re in the military, in which case, you might have a “diplomatic” or a “service” passport)
13. Your “travel document” is your passport and your passport number is the nine-digit number in the upper right corner of the ID page (of a US passport). 
14. Date of issue (use same format as for date of birth throughout this form).
15. Valid until—give the expiration date.
16. Issued by: whatever country issued your passport
17. Use your home address, even if outside the consulate’s jurisdiction AND email address
18. US citizens should check “no.”  Otherwise, check yes and list your current residency status and validity.
19. Current profession: “student.”
20. Principal purpose of journey: “studies.”
21.Date you plan to enter Spain. Use the actual date you plan to travel, even if you haven’t bought your ticket—it must be at least one day prior to the program start date, which we list on your calendar as your arrival date. If you will be going a week early to look for an apartment, include this additional week. 
22. Number of entries: “multiple” or “more than two”
23. Applicant’s address in Spain, including phone and email for the following questions:

Madrid: Grads and Undergrads taking courses anywhere in Madrid
Middlebury College School in Spain
Calle Prim, 19 Primera Planta
28004 Madrid SPAIN 
Tel: +34 91 319 8188 Fax: +34 91 310 0036
Contact: Patrícia Rodriguez
Email address: prodriguez@middlebury.edu

Córdoba
Universidad de Córdoba
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Plza. Cardenal Salazar, s/n
14071 Córdoba, SPAIN
Tel: +34 629 838 979
Contact: Kim Griffin
Email address: kgriffin@middlebury.edu

24-25. Leave blank (unless you’re a grad student who does have an NIE—this is like your social security number, so if you already have one, write it here)
26. The “Data of individual resident…” section does not apply to you.  Leave all questions blank.
27. The “Data of employer or company…” section does not apply to you.  Leave all questions blank.
28. This “Data of educational establishment” section is the one you need to complete.
Name of educational institution in Spain:
Middlebury College in Spain: Madrid/Córdoba (indicate YOUR site)

Address:
Middlebury College School in Spain: Madrid/Córdoba (indicate YOUR site)
Calle Prim, 19 Primera Planta; 28004 Madrid SPAIN (regardless of site—this is our official program address)
Telephone: 011.34.91.319.8188
Email address: prodriguez@middlebury.edu

Official 2026-27 dates will be available here. DO NOT USE THE DATES HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR FLIGHT; however, please use the following program dates on your application, regardless of your individual travel plans.

FALL 2026

  • Undergraduates in Madrid (UAM, UC3M or Sede Prim): August 28, 2026-January 8, 2027 (134 days—the form is asking you to input the number of days) **UAM students will have exams into January; Sede Prim and Carlos III will finish in December
  • Undergraduates in Córdoba: September 7, 2026-January 18, 2027 (134 days—the form is asking you to input the number of days) 

ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-27

  • Undergraduates in Madrid (UAM, UC3M or Sede Prim): August 28, 2026-June 4, 2027 (281 days—the form is asking you to input the number of days)
  • Undergraduates in Córdoba: September 7, 2026-June 18, 2027 (285 days—the form is asking you to input the number of days)
  • Graduates in Madrid: August 28, 2026-June 4, 2027 (281 days—the form is asking you to input the number of days)

30. The place (city and state) you are when signing the form—use a city within the consulate’s jurisdiction.
31. Original signature required—print the form before signing/dating in blue ink.

Assemble all additional requirements. START NOW—the letter of enrollment, proof of finances (if you need a parent’s information), and the medical certificate can take weeks to procure.

Explanation of the Requirements
**DO NOT STAPLE ANYTHING** Use paperclips if needed, or just make a stack. 
National visa application form: Each applicant will complete all sections and sign one application form. 

Passport + copy: Your passport must be valid at least one year after the start of your studies and at least three months after the end of your studies, have at least two blank facing visa pages (the ones that say “visa” on them), and be in good condition. Your passport will remain at the BLS office/consulate the entire time your visa is processing. You may not leave the country while they have your passport, so do not plan international travel during processing. Every consulate requires a photocopy of your passport as well. Be sure all edges of the passport are visible (center the passport facedown where the 8 ½ x 11” paper would fit on a photocopier, put a blank sheet of paper on top, then ensure all four edges are visible). 

Recent color photograph: A recent (taken within six months) passport-sized photo (on photo paper from a place like the UPS store or Walgreens—do not try to print these yourself), in color, with a light background, taken from the front, without dark glasses, reflections, or clothing that hides the face. Write your name on the back of the photo and glue it to the application form (do not trim it to fit the box exactly—the photo you need is bigger than the box).

Visa fee: US citizens must pay $160; other nationalities $106 for the visa itself. In addition, BLS charges a $25 processing fee. US citizens should include a check payable to Nicole Chance for $185 or Venmo the same amount to @nicole.chance.6 (2591 are the last 4 digits of the cell). Nicole will ask for postage to be paid/mailing envelope sent closer to August (it’s too early to buy them now) for anyone who will not be on campus in August. 

NOTARIZED COPY of proof of residence in the Boston consulate’s/BLS jurisdiction: You need to show proof that you live or go to school in MA, ME, NH, RI, or VT.  If you both live and go to school in Boston’s jurisdiction, either one is fine. If you only go to school in their jurisdiction (one of the states above), you need a notarized copy of your student ID AND a notarized letter of enrollment from your college. These cannot be the national clearing house letter that many schools use, as it does not show your address in the jurisdiction. Ask your registrar or dean (whoever prepares these at your school) for the letter in enough time to get the original signed and notarized document from them. Nicole will request these for all Middlebury students (including grad students, who need to be sure to have uploaded their photo for their Middlebury ID), so Middlebury students do not need to ask for the letter of enrollment yourselves, but you do need to turn in a copy of your student ID—I will notarize them all. Boston requires a credit card statement or bill in your name in lieu of your driver’s license if it’s your permanent address that you’re using, so if you’re applying with the group, but your school isn’t located in this jurisdiction, send Nicole a notarized bill or credit card statement with your address in one of the states above.

U.S. immigration status (not applicable for U.S. citizens): notarized copy of your green card OR valid U.S. student visa and I-20, both notarized.

Certificate of admission issued in Spain by any authorized university or school: This verifies enrollment as a full-time student in Spain. Middlebury will provide this and match it with the other materials you turn in.

Proof of the availability of financial means. Original and copy, to cover the expenses of stay and return to your country, and, where appropriate, those of your relatives. For the applicant’s support, a minimum amount of $700 per month, to include 30 days prior to the start and 15 days after the program dates. 
Please provide one of the following:

  • Personal bank account statements showing at least $700 per month of stay ($4,200). Transfer money into your account before the end of February if you want to avoid having to show a parent’s information.
  • Proof of financial aid or scholarship for at least $700 per month for room and board. (Ask your financial aid office to prepare this letter for you, if applicable. Nicole will procure these for Middlebury students on financial aid sufficient to cover their living expenses in Spain and email those who qualify and do not need to provide any documentation.)
  • Notarized letter from one parent or legal guardian assuming full financial responsibility for at least $700 per month for room and board, along with the parent’s notarized passport copy, bank statements (checking or savings, past three months, every page, nothing redacted except the account number—must show final four digits—these do not need to be notarized), and the applicant’s notarized copy of their birth certificate. Template for letter from parent—use both the English and Spanish to avoid having to pay for an official translation:

    I [name of parent or guardian] hereby take responsibility for air tickets between the United States and Spain and for all monthly accommodation and living expenses of my child  [full name of the child] during their stay in Spain, as well as any emergency that may arise during it.

     Yo [nombre del padre o tutor] por la presente asumo la responsabilidad de los boletos aéreos entre los Estados Unidos y España y de todos los gastos      
     mensuales de alojamiento y manutención de mi hijo/hija [nombre completo del niño] durante su estancia en España, así como cualquier urgencia que 
     pueda surgir durante la misma.

Whatever you use, I need one copy of every page in addition to the originals. 

Health insurance. Nicole will purchase insurance for everyone studying in Spain and will have this letter to match with your other application materials.

Medical form. Use this  medical certificate template and have it signed by a medical doctor (no other type of provider). Ask your doctor to complete ALL blanks, including your name in both the English and Spanish sections, their information, and then the place the doctor is located in the “In” blank, as well as date at the bottom. This does not need to be notarized; provide the original (faxes/scans are not acceptable) and a copy. 

Apostilled, Translated FBI Background check (For students studying abroad more than one semester only): 
I highly recommend getting digital fingerprints. While more expensive, the chance of them not being accepted (for smudging, etc.) are much lower and the processing time is much faster. The apostille takes so long to process that you need to save the time while you can, else you risk spending any money you might have saved on fingerprinting for an apostille service agency—though if you end up needing one of those, previous students have used this one: https://www.sespanish.com/. 

Step 1: Start here to apply for the FBI background check (which they refer to as an Identity History Summary Check) on-line: https://www.edo.cjis.gov/#/do-info You start by inputting your email address and then you complete the request—be sure to select the option to send fingerprints digitally—and pay your fee ($18). Once you do, you’ll receive a barcode by email.

Step 2: Call a US post office near you that offers digital fingerprinting services and book an appointment to get fingerprinted. Take with you a copy of the email you received from the FBI. Fees for digital fingerprinting vary, but should be ~$50 at a USPS location. The post office in Middlebury provides digital fingerprinting by appointment only—call 802.388.2681.

You can also get fingerprinted abroad, though I highly recommend spending the extra money and getting digital fingerprints, though they’ll cost much more in Europe (~$200) than in the US (~$50). Usually you simply do not have the time to waste sending the physical card through the mail, and dealing with US customs when they inevitably get hung up. 

Step 3: Receive the results of the FBI check by email in 2-4 business days. Be on the lookout for this email because you need to start the apostille process as soon as possible. 

Step 4: Print the results of the FBI background check (all pages, even that first one that has very little information on it) and follow these instructions to apply for the apostille: 
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/replace-certify-docs/authenticate-your-document/requesting-authentication-services.html

Step 5: Contact a professional translation service (like www.rushtranslate.com) to get a certified translation of the background check itself. You do not need the translation to be notarized nor apostilled, and the apostille itself doesn’t need to be translated (so you can be getting the translation and the apostille of the FBI background check results at the same time). 

Those of you who have lived abroad in the past five years also need a background check from that country. To get a background check from Spain, start here: https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/seul/ko/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Spanish-Criminal-Record-Checks.aspx

Authorization form for Nicole, signed and notarized: I’ll have copies of the authorization forms in my office for those of you dropping off your materials in person and you can get it notarized from 3-5pm on Thursday, April 30. Those of you mailing your forms should get this notarized.

BLS disclaimer form, signed: I’ll have copies of the disclaimer forms in my office for those of you dropping off your materials in person. Those of you mailing your forms should include it (no requirement to be notarized).

Return mailing envelope: If you will not be on the Middlebury campus in August, please make a plan to get me a pre-paid mailing label in early August (it’s too early now). Alternately, I can buy postage for you and you can Venmo me. When we’re sure of the fees, we’ll settle up. 

Additional Information if you’ll be out of the US when you need to apply for your visa:
If you’ll be out of the country when you need to be applying for the visa (or have me apply for you), consider a second US passport.  Those of you in Spain (yes, you, NALCAP participants) need an appointment to apply at the Embassy in Madrid: https://evisaforms.state.gov/Instructions/ACSSchedulingSystem.asp. The documents needed are explained here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/second-passport-book.html.

[Updated 3/26/2026 NC]