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Spanish Visa Information

Saint Louis University offers a Spanish visa group appointment to the Consulate of Spain in Chicago to streamline the visa application process for SLU students going to SLU­-Madrid.

Using the Spanish Visa Group Appointment 

Please note: The following information is only intended for students from SLU's St. Louis campus using the SLU visa group appointment and studying abroad for one semester or academic year. Non-SLU study abroad and SLU-Madrid permanent students may contact admissions-madrid@slu.edu for additional visa support.

To use SLU’s Spanish visa group appointment, you must:

  • Be enrolled at Saint Louis University or another higher education institution from one of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin. Only students who have a Student ID from an institution within these states are eligible to use the Chicago consulate.
  • Be accepted to SLU­-Madrid.
  • Have paid the SLU-Madrid 225 euro confirmation fee.
  • Have a passport that is valid for six months beyond the end of your semester at SLU-Madrid.
    • Check the academic calendar for exact program dates.
    • If necessary, renew your passport.
    • Take note: You will have to send your passport away for up to four months while the visas are being processed. If you’re going to need your passport during that time (approximately April through July for fall semesters and September through early December for the spring semester), you will have to file your visa on your own.
San Ignacio Hall (SIH) at SLU-Madrid

Main entrance of San Ignacio Hall at SLU-Madrid

Requirements

You must submit your completed forms to the Office of International Services by the deadline. For students who are not at SLU when using this group appointment, this means your paperwork must be received by the deadline, not just postmarked. These dates are non­-negotiable.

Submission Materials 

Please note that the documents required to apply for a student visa may change, but here is a list of what is generally required. Each consulate has their own requirements which may vary from consulate to consulate. Your study abroad counselor and your consulate are your best resources of information. 

  • Two copies (one-sided) of the Application for National Visa Form. Fill out the appropriate application, then print two copies (one-sided). SLU students will receive a template via email that they may copy. 

  • Pay the 225-euro SLU Madrid confirmation fee.

  • Pay the SLU visa group appointment fee via SLU Marketplace.

  • Two passport­-style photos. These can be taken in the Office of International Services for free, or at your local post office or many chain pharmacies for a small charge. Glue (do not staple) these photos to your visa applications.
  • Your original passport, with at least six months’ validity after your program ends.
  • Non­-U.S. citizens must also have a U.S. Visa with I­20/IAP­66 or Alien Registration Card.
  • Two copies of your passport’s photo page.
  • A copy of a photo ID that proves you live within the Chicago consulate’s region (for current SLU students, your student ID is acceptable).
  • Proof of admission to SLU­-Madrid and proof of insurance. If you’re a current SLU student, we’ll take care of this part after you pay your 225 euro confirmation fee. If you’re not a current SLU student, SLU­-Madrid will send you these letters.
  • Evidence of funds —  either a notarized letter from your guardians that proves you will have enough money to afford living in Spain or a letter provided from the university showing that your scholarship amount supersedes the minimum amount for the Chicago Consulate. In both cases the amount should be over 700 euros per month.
  • Proof of housing accommodations. If a student is staying with a SLU Madrid arranged host family, this letter will be provided. If a student is making their own arrangements, student must provide lease agreement in Spanish. It may take time to procure these documents from a Spanish landlord so prepare in advance.  
  • A notarized visa authorization form.  This form allows a SLU employee to be your legal representative at the Chicago consulate. It will be emailed to SLU students. Please note that this form cannot be signed or dated until you are with a notary.
  • (Optional) A visa return information form. Including this form with your USPS envelope, pre-paid, stamped, and self-addressed, helps the Office of International Services confirm where to mail the visa once it is processed. We recommend a permanent address to make sure you get the visa and passport back before you leave for Madrid.
  • An acknowledgment form. Students using the visa group appointment must acknowledge that they will not be able to redeem their passport from the consulate until their visa has been completed.     

It is strongly recommended that students use the SLU group appointment. Make sure you review the specific documents required for your consulate as requirements may vary. You’ll also need to make an appointment with your consulate — many of them require in-­person meetings — to turn in your visa application. It is important to do this early, as many consulate appointments fill up quickly. If you can’t get an appointment, you can’t get a visa — and SLU cannot intercede on your behalf.

Long­-Term Programs

If you’re attending SLU­-Madrid for more than one semester, you’ll need a different visa. Follow the steps laid out above, but you’ll need a few more pieces of paperwork.

  • FBI Background check that is authenticated with the Apostille of the Hague Convention. 
  • Doctor's statement indicating that you have been examined and found free of any contagious diseases. This statement must include your name exactly as it appears on your passport, be dated within the past three months, be signed by an M.D. and be printed on the doctor’s letterhead.