Study in Spain from India

Studying in Spain from India: 8 things to know

Spain suits Indian students who check that their course is an official Máster Universitario: Madrid’s public UPM charges €84.07 per ECTS for most master’s, and graduates get a 24-month job-search permit.

1. Only the Máster Universitario is an official degree. A university's own title (título propio, now usually Máster de Formación Permanente) still gets a study visa, but it can never be homologated or declared equivalent in Spain, and whether it qualifies for the post-study job-search permit is unconfirmed: confirm with the Oficina de Extranjería before applying.
2. A 3-year Indian bachelor's is legally enough for a Máster Universitario if the university finds it equal in level to a Spanish Grado and it gives master's access in India. Each university checks (UC3M: "three or more years"; UAM Erasmus Mundus: "at least 180 ECTS"). No homologation is needed to apply.
3. Public fees are set by each region, and non-EU students pay more. Madrid public (UPM): €84.07 per ECTS for most master's (about €5,044 for 60 ECTS), €154.80 for qualifying engineering master's. Catalonia (UPC): €45 per ECTS (€2,700 for 60 ECTS). Some programmes set their own price (UC3M marketing: €13,500 a year). Private: IE University €36,000 + €1,200. Check the course's own fee.
4. Funds: €600 a month in 2026 (100% of IPREM; €7,200 for 12 months), plus €450 a month for the first family member and €300 for each other one. Money for tuition does not count.
5. Visa through BLS, at least 2 months before the course starts. Fee INR 9,599 + BLS INR 1,802. The consulate decides within 1 month once the stay is approved.
6. Health insurance must be a full Spanish-style policy: no co-payments, no waiting periods, no limits, not travel insurance, starting on the day of entry.
7. Work: up to 30 hours a week, automatically, within the region where the stay was granted. Going over 30 hours ends the stay.
8. After graduating: a 24-month job-search / start-up permit, not extendable. The Ministry says it does not allow work; a job means switching to a work permit.

How do Spanish universities and master’s degrees work?

Only the Máster Universitario (60, 90 or 120 ECTS, with a thesis) is an official degree, listed in the RUCT register. A university’s own title (título propio) can never be homologated or declared equivalent in Spain.

• Degrees: Grado (bachelor's, 240 ECTS, 4 years) · Máster Universitario (60, 90 or 120 ECTS, with a thesis) · Doctorado. Official titles are listed in the RUCT register. A bare "Master in …" title is used by both official and own-degree programmes: the register decides.
• Títulos propios: the university's own titles (Máster de Formación Permanente 60–120 ECTS; specialisation and expert diplomas). They may be taught in person, hybrid or online.
• Doctorate students use the research residence visa, not the study visa.
• Language: most official master's are taught in Spanish or a regional language (Catalan, Valencian, Basque, Galician). Check the programme's own language field; a percentage split (e.g. 80% Spanish, 20% English) means only partly English. Some programmes ask for Spanish B2.
• Admission: each university sets criteria and places; there is no national master's quota or portal. Some run an earlier round for non-EU applicants.
• Regions matter: public fees and the work area are set per autonomous community.

Can I apply with an Indian degree, and is a 3-year bachelor’s accepted?

Yes: a 3-year Indian bachelor’s is legally enough for a Máster Universitario if the university finds it equal in level to a Spanish Grado and it gives master’s access in India. Each university checks.

• Master's: degree equal in level to a Spanish Grado and giving master's access in India (decided by the university). Final-year students may apply at some universities (UC3M), with admission conditional on finishing.
• Grades: Spain marks 0 to 10. The Ministry's free online converter (DENM) gives the Spanish equivalent of a foreign average.
• English: set by each programme, e.g. UC3M C1 (IELTS 7.0–8.0), UAM B2 or TOEFL 79, IE TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7. UC3M and IE waive the test for a bachelor's taught in English (with proof).
• Tests: IE asks for ieGAT, GMAT or GRE.
• Recognition in Spain: homologación (for a regulated profession) or declaración de equivalencia (academic level), €166.50 each, on legalised documents with an official translation. Not possible for a título propio.
• Bachelor's from Class XII: homologate Class XII (academic stream) to the Spanish Bachiller at the Ministry of Education (fee; legalised, translated certificates), then a UNEDasiss accreditation (February to November; valid 2 years). Not every university accepts UNEDasiss.

How do I apply to a Spanish university?

You apply on each university’s own portal; there is no national master’s portal, and rounds and deadlines differ. Some universities run an earlier round for non-EU applicants.

• Apply on each university's portal; rounds and deadlines differ. IE has rolling admissions (no deadline, decision in 1–3 weeks, offer valid for that intake and the next).
• Fees seen: application €100–150 (IE €150, not refundable); UC3M seat deposit €1,500, refunded only if the university cancels the programme.
• Usual documents: degree and transcripts, CV, personal statement, references, English certificate, passport. Degrees from outside Europe must be apostilled for enrolment, with an official Spanish translation where asked.
• The visa needs proof of admission and of the enrolment fee paid. If enrolment opens later, a sworn statement to enrol is accepted; instalments count once enrolled.

How much does it cost, and how much money must I show?

Public fees are set by each region and non-EU students pay more: €84.07 per ECTS at Madrid’s UPM for most master’s, €45 at Catalonia’s UPC. You must show €600 a month (2026), and tuition money does not count.

• Tuition: per ECTS credit, first enrolment; repeats cost more. The fees on this sheet are examples: check the course's own fee. A student on a study stay stays in the non-EU tier (a study stay is not residence). Andalusia (Sevilla) prints €13.68 per credit with no non-EU tier shown; whether non-EU students pay the same is unconfirmed: check with the university.
• Other charges: administrative fees, a degree-issue fee (e.g. €218.15), school insurance.
• Proof of funds: €600 a month (2026); family €450 / €300. Grants and scholarships count; tuition money does not. Mumbai asks a sponsor's letter, PAN card and 6 months' bank statements signed and stamped by the bank. Whether an Indian education loan counts is unconfirmed: confirm with the consulate before applying.
• Scholarships: universities run their own; no Spanish government programme for India was found.

How do I get a Spanish student visa from India?

You apply for a national study visa through BLS at least 2 months before the course starts, in New Delhi or Mumbai depending on where you have lived for the last 6 months. The fee is INR 9,599 + BLS INR 1,802.

• Long-stay authorisation for higher studies, applied for with a national study visa at BLS. Full-time programmes only; university studies in person or hybrid (not online). Minimum age 17.
• Jurisdiction follows where the student has lived for the last 6 months: New Delhi (north, east, north-east, Rajasthan, MP, UP and others) or Mumbai (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and others).
• Fee: INR 9,599 + BLS INR 1,802.
• Documents: form, photo, passport valid 1 year (Delhi: issued within 10 years, 2 blank pages), admission and fee payment (Mumbai: letter with start and end dates and total cost), funds, insurance, police clearance (Regional Passport Office, MEA apostille) for stays over 180 days, medical certificate (MEA apostille), proof of residence in the jurisdiction. All documents apostilled. Translations differ by mission: follow your own mission's checklist (New Delhi or Mumbai). Delhi accepts police and medical certificates in English; Mumbai asks for a sworn Spanish translation.
• No language certificate is listed for the visa.
• Timing: apply at least 2 months before the start; the stay is decided within 7 days and the visa within 1 month (Mumbai: longer if an interview or documents are requested). Collect within 2 months.
• Refusal: appeal to the consulate within 1 month, or to the Madrid High Court within 2 months.
• Applying inside Spain: an adult legally in Spain may apply there for a higher-studies stay, at least 2 months before the course and before the current stay ends.
• Family: spouse or partner and children can join a higher-education student, with funds (€450 / €300 a month), insurance and proof of the relationship. In India the family applies after the student's visa is granted. Family members cannot work during the studies or the job search.

When should I start preparing?

Start about 12 months before a September/October intake: shortlist and get the MEA apostille on your documents from September to December, and lodge the visa at least 2 months before the course starts.

Can I work while studying, and what happens on arrival?

You can work up to 30 hours a week, automatically, but only in the region where your stay was granted. For a stay over 6 months, you get the TIE identity card at the police within 1 month of arrival (€16.08).

• TIE within 1 month of arrival at the police, by appointment, if the stay is over 6 months: fee €16.08 (€19.30 on extension). Until then the valid visa allows travel and re-entry. Documents to bring: confirm with the police station when booking.
• NIE (foreigner number) comes automatically with the study stay; banks ask for it.
• Padrón: everyone living in Spain registers at their town hall. Madrid: appointment, passport or TIE, a rental contract of at least 6 months (or the householder's authorisation). A new address goes to the police within 1 month.
• Housing: university halls and colegios mayores, managed apartments, shared flats. A shared-flat room in Granada about €200–300 a month; median whole-flat rent (2024) about €869 in Madrid, €900 in Barcelona.
• Renting: deposit 1 month's rent, extra guarantee at most 2 months (1 for a temporary rental); agency costs cannot be charged to the tenant. The rules changed in October 2026: confirm the current rules before signing.
• Emergencies: 112. The Embassy of India in Madrid asks Indian students to register with it, and warns that calls showing its number and asking for money are fraud. The stay covers the whole official length of the degree, plus 15 days; each year's enrolment must be shown. Extensions: up to two, each up to 1 year, requested in the 2 months before expiry.
• Work: employee or self-employed, automatic, up to 30 hours a week, only in the same autonomous community (and bordering towns). Over 30 hours ends the stay. Curricular internships need no extra permit. A student who works is covered for health through Social Security.
• Attendance: some programmes make attendance compulsory with in-person exams (e.g. UC3M).
• Changing course needs a new study-stay authorisation. Each year's enrolment must be shown to keep the stay.

Can I stay and work in Spain after graduating?

Yes: graduates get a 24-month job-search / start-up permit, not extendable, but it does not allow work. A job means switching to a work permit, which you can do once the degree is obtained.

• Job-search / start-up permit: 24 months, not extendable, for graduates of at least EQF level 6 (the Ministry asks for at least a Grado). Apply online from 60 days before to 90 days after the study stay ends; decided in 20 days (no answer = granted). Needs insurance and funds (€600 a month, half if housing is prepaid). No work on this permit (Ministry). Family who came with the student may stay, without work.
• Switch straight to work: once the degree is obtained (not before), without a visa; while it is processed the graduate may work over 30 hours: employee (contract; 1-year permit), self-employed, or work-exempt residence; not for holders of development-cooperation scholarships. The family can then get family reunification, which allows work.
• EU Blue Card: a degree of at least 3 years and a job offer of at least 6 months; the salary floor is 80% of the normal threshold for graduates within 3 years of their degree. The euro threshold is unconfirmed: confirm with the Unidad de Grandes Empresas before applying.
• Long-term residence: after 5 years of legal residence. For EU long-term residence, study years count at 50%; for the national route this is unconfirmed: confirm with the Oficina de Extranjería.
• Citizenship: after 10 years; the previous nationality must be renounced. India ends Indian citizenship on taking another.
• Regulated professions need homologación. Back in India: AIU equivalence (online); AIU's view of a título propio is unconfirmed: confirm with AIU before applying if the degree is needed in India.

Common mistakes Indian students make

The costliest mistakes: choosing a título propio because the page says “Master in …”, counting tuition money as funds, and assuming the job-search permit allows work.

1. Choosing a título propio because the page says "Master in …".
2. Applying for the visa late (at least 2 months before; up to a month after approval).
3. Wrong insurance (travel cover, co-pays, limits, calendar-year policies).
4. Counting tuition money as funds.
5. Applying in the wrong jurisdiction (it follows 6 months' residence).
6. Missing apostilles or the translations the mission asks for.
7. Passport too old or valid for less than a year.
8. Working over 30 hours, or in another region.
9. Expecting the spouse to work.
10. Missing the TIE month, the extension window or the post-study window.
11. Assuming the job-search permit allows work.
12. Paying a deposit for a flat not seen, or a rental contract too short for the padrón.