Moving from a language course to a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programme may require a new initial authorization rather than a standard extension.
Many international students taking a language course in Spain assume that once they are admitted to a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programme, they can simply extend their existing student authorization.
Spanish immigration rules, however, distinguish between language-related training activities and higher education studies. The correct procedure may therefore change when the student begins a different type of programme.
Spanish and co-official language courses are generally classified as training activities. The course and educational centre must comply with the requirements established under Spanish immigration regulations.
Bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctoral programmes are classified as higher education. Applicants must be admitted to a recognised higher education institution and meet the relevant immigration requirements.
A long-stay authorization granted for a language course may be extended when the applicable conditions continue to be met. However, language-course authorizations are not intended to be renewed repeatedly for an unlimited period.
When a language student is subsequently admitted to a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programme, the application should not normally be treated as a routine extension of the previous authorization.
The applicant will generally need to apply for an initial long-stay authorization for higher education studies. Updated evidence of admission, enrolment, financial resources, health insurance and other supporting documents will be required.
Applications filed from within Spain are subject to two important timing requirements. As a general rule, the application should be submitted at least two months before the applicant’s current lawful status expires and at least two months before the new programme begins.
Applicants must therefore consider both the expiry date of their current lawful status and the official starting date of the new course.
Where fixed admission or enrolment dates make it impossible to apply two months before the course begins, supporting evidence from the educational institution should be included to explain the circumstances.