Student visas abroad: Spain and 18 more countries compared

How student visas work for people from the US, Canada and the UK. Spain in detail (the full-time test, the 2026 money rule, working 30 hours, extensions and staying on after you graduate), then the money test and work rights in 18 more countries.

A student visa is often the easiest long stay to get. Most countries ask for the same four things: a place on a course, proof you can pay your way, health insurance and a clean record. The big differences are how much money you must show, how many hours you can work, and whether you can stay on after you graduate. Spain lets students work up to 30 hours a week and gives graduates up to two years to look for a job, so this guide starts there.

The figures below are the 2026 rules from official pages. They change often, so check the date on anything you read.

How student visas work

• Admission first. You apply for the visa after a recognised school or university accepts you. Some countries want tuition paid before you apply.
• A money test. You show savings, a scholarship, or a sponsor’s support for living costs. Tuition usually comes on top.
• Health insurance for the whole stay, in most countries.
• Limited work. Most countries cap your hours in term time. A few allow no work at all.
• A stay, not a settled life. Student time often counts only partly, or not at all, toward permanent residence or citizenship.

The route finder shows the routes you may fit. The visa cost calculator adds up the official fees.

Spain student visa

Spain’s route is the long-stay authorisation for studies (autorización de estancia de larga duración por estudios). The rules are in Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025. See the Spain student route for the full entry.

Does my course count as full-time?

Your course must be a full-time programme at a recognised institution. Spain measures full-time by credits, not class hours. You must be enrolled in at least 90% of the course’s credits, or 90% of the programme if it has no credits.

• University degrees can be in person or hybrid.
• Other higher-education courses must be at least 50% in person.
• University “own” degrees (títulos propios) count, as well as official degrees. So do vocational training master’s degrees.
• The institution must be recognised in Spain. Officials can check it on Spain’s official registers of universities and schools.
• You must have paid your enrolment or registration fees.
• You must be over 17 for higher-education study.

A 60-ECTS master’s therefore meets the test if you enrol in at least 90% of its credits and the university is recognised. Ask the university for a letter that states the credits you are enrolled in.

Spanish-language courses are a separate category. They count only at official language schools (escuelas oficiales de idiomas) or centres accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, taught in person. You must be 18 or over, and the course cannot be in your own native or official language.

How much money do I need?

You must show 100% of IPREM, Spain’s benchmark income index, for each month of your stay. IPREM is EUR 600 a month in 2026 (SEPE).

• Tuition money does not count. Funds set aside for course fees are left out of the test.
• Prepaid housing can lower it. The rule allows less if you prove your accommodation is paid for the whole stay. It does not set the lower figure, so ask the consulate.
• What counts as funds: savings, grants and scholarships, and a valid job contract or firm job offer.

Other documents

• Health insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain, with cover similar to the national health system’s basic services, for the whole stay. If you work and register with Social Security, that registration counts instead.
• A passport valid for at least one year.
• A criminal record certificate if you are an adult and will stay more than six months. It must cover every country you lived in over the last five years.
• A medical certificate showing you have no disease with serious public-health effects.

Apply for the visa at the Spanish consulate that covers where you live. If you are already in Spain legally, you can apply for a higher-education study authorisation there instead. A registered university can also file it for you.

Can I work on a Spanish student visa?

Yes, if you are in higher education. Your study authorisation lets you work as an employee or self-employed with no extra permit, as long as the work fits around your studies.

• Up to 30 hours a week. Going over the limit is a ground for losing your authorisation.
• In your region. The work right covers the autonomous community that granted your authorisation, plus bordering towns.
• Internships that are part of your course need no separate permit.
• Other study categories, such as language courses, need a separate work authorisation.
• Family members on your stay cannot work.

The non-lucrative visa is different. It allows no work at all.

How long it lasts and how to extend it

• A higher-education degree: your authorisation lasts the official length of the degree. If it runs longer than a year, you show proof of enrolment at the start of each academic year.
• Other courses: the length of the course, up to one year.
• Margins: it can start up to a month before your course and runs 15 days past the end.

To extend (a prórroga), apply online in the two months before your authorisation expires. You file with the foreigners’ office (oficina de extranjería) of the province that issued it, yourself or through a representative.

• What you show: you still meet the study rules (admission and fees paid), the money test, health insurance and a valid passport, and you have no criminal record in Spain.
• Length: each extension covers the course you are enrolled in, up to one year.
• How many: up to two extensions for higher-education and secondary students. Language-course students get one, and must pass the course or hold (or have registered for) a DELE or SIELE Spanish diploma.
• On-time filing keeps you legal until the decision.
• Late filing is accepted up to three months after expiry, but you may be fined.
• Silence means no. If you hear nothing within one month, the extension counts as refused.

Staying on after you graduate

You have two main routes, both applied for from inside Spain without a new visa.

• Switch to a work permit. Once you hold your degree or certificate, you can apply for an employee, self-employed or other residence permit. Apply in the two months before, or the three months after, your study authorisation ends or you graduate. Once your application is accepted for processing, you may work full time until the decision. The new permit lasts one year at first. This switch is closed to people whose studies were funded by a development-aid or humanitarian scholarship.
• Look for a job or start a business. Graduates at bachelor’s level or above (European Qualifications Framework level 6) can stay up to 24 months to find a suitable job or start a business. It cannot be extended. Apply online from 60 days before to 90 days after your study authorisation ends. You show your degree, health insurance and a signed statement of your funds. The office must decide within 20 days. If it doesn’t, the permit counts as granted.

Bringing family

Your spouse or registered partner and your children can join you on a higher-education stay. They need at least 90 days left on your authorisation, plus enough money and health insurance. They cannot work.

Money test and work rights in 18 more countries

“Not confirmed” means the official pages we read don’t state whether students may work. Ask the consulate before you count on a job.

France

You need resources of at least EUR 877.50 a month from savings, a scholarship or parental support. US applicants apply through Campus France’s “Études en France” platform before the visa appointment. You may work up to 964 hours a year, which is 60% of full time, and your employer must declare you to the prefecture. You validate the visa online within three months of arrival and pay a EUR 100 tax.

Germany

German missions ask for EUR 992 a month, or EUR 11,904 for the first year, usually in a blocked account. The Residence Act lets students work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. US, Canadian and UK citizens can enter visa-free and apply in Germany within 90 days.

Ireland

US and Canadian citizens register for Stamp 2 on arrival, with no entry visa. You need EUR 10,000 on arrival for courses over eight months, or EUR 833 a month for shorter ones. Your course must be on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes. You may work 20 hours a week in term and 40 hours a week from June to September and from 15 December to 15 January. UK citizens need no permit, under the Common Travel Area.

Netherlands

Your Dutch university or university of applied sciences applies for you. You need EUR 1,130.77 a month in 2026. You may work 16 hours a week, or full time in June, July and August, and your employer needs a work permit (TWV) for you.

United Kingdom

For US and Canadian citizens. You need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from a licensed sponsor. Show course fees plus GBP 1,529 a month in London or GBP 1,171 elsewhere, for up to nine months, held for 28 days in a row. At degree level you may work 20 hours a week in term, or 10 hours below degree level, and you cannot be self-employed. The Graduate visa lasts two years if you apply by 31 December 2026, and 18 months from 1 January 2027 (three years after a PhD).

Mexico

For courses over 180 days. The San Diego consulate asks for USD 1,310 a month in income over three months, or an average balance of USD 13,636. Other consulates may ask for different amounts. Student status does not include work rights.

Costa Rica

You need proof of enrolment, an apostilled birth certificate and an apostilled criminal record. The official page does not state a money figure. The route is not for people who want to work.

Ecuador

You apply online. You need income or funds of at least one basic wage (SBU) a month: USD 482 in 2026. Students up to 21 can use their parents’ means, and a scholarship covering study and living costs also counts. The visa lasts the length of your studies, up to two years.

Uruguay

You apply in Uruguay. You show enough money for living and housing costs, and a family member can support you. No amount is set. The residence lasts up to a year and can be renewed.

Argentina

For full-time students at schools registered with the immigration office (DNM). You must be in Argentina: you start online in RaDEX and then attend an appointment. Part-time students don’t qualify.

Brazil

For courses or exchanges longer than 90 days, with at least 15 hours a week. You show money for the whole stay, but no fixed amount is published. Part-time work that fits your course is allowed. You register with the Federal Police within 90 days of arrival.

Australia

You need a Confirmation of Enrolment and student health cover (OSHC). Show AUD 29,710 a year for living costs, plus course fees and travel. You may work 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session. Since 2 October 2026, new rules limit applying from inside Australia and bringing a partner or children, unless you are exempt.

New Zealand

You need an offer of place, tuition paid and NZD 20,000 for each year of study, or NZD 1,667 a month for shorter study. You may work up to 25 hours a week in term and full time in scheduled holidays, depending on your visa conditions.

Canada

For US and UK citizens. Outside Quebec, show CAD 23,448 a year for living costs for applications from 1 September 2026, plus tuition and travel. Quebec sets its own figures. You may work up to 24 hours a week off campus in term and unlimited hours in scheduled breaks.

United States

For Canadian and UK citizens. Your school issues Form I-20 and sets the funds you must show. You may work up to 20 hours a week on campus while school is in session. Off-campus work needs separate authorisation. Since 15 September 2026, F-1 students are admitted for a fixed period tied to the I-20 dates, up to four years, instead of “duration of status”.

Thailand

The ED visa needs an acceptance letter from a Thai school, university or approved language school. It starts as a 90-day visa and is extended in Thailand while you study. You may not work.

Malaysia

Your institution applies through Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS). You need health insurance throughout your studies and a medical check within seven days of arrival. You may work only in semester breaks or holidays longer than seven days, up to 20 hours a week, with Immigration approval.

Indonesia

The E30B visa is for students admitted to an Indonesian university. It lasts one or two years. You may not work.

What catches people out

• Tuition money doesn’t count toward living costs. Spain and most countries test living money separately from fees.
• Full-time means credits in Spain. Enrol in at least 90% of the programme, or the course may not qualify.
• Working over the cap can cost you the visa. Spain’s 30-hour limit, France’s 964 hours and Australia’s 48 hours a fortnight are conditions, not guidelines.
• Spain’s silence rules cut both ways. No answer to an extension in a month is a refusal. No answer to a graduate job-search permit in 20 days is an approval.
• Missing the switch window. Spain’s graduate permits have fixed windows around the end of your studies. File inside them.
• Student years may not count toward residence. Spain treats study as a stay, not residence. Ireland doesn’t count Stamp 2 time toward citizenship. Check before you plan around it.
• Old figures linger online. France raised its monthly figure to EUR 877.50, Canada raised its figure on 1 September 2026, and Spain’s figure moves with IPREM. Use the current year’s number.
• Americans keep filing US taxes. A student job abroad still goes on your US return (see US taxes when you move abroad).

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Confirm every requirement with your university’s international office and the consulate or immigration office that will decide your application.