Spain Visa Submission Types

Group Visa submission

A Group Visa Submission allows USAC to submit a student’s visa application on their behalf. A Group Visa Submission prevents students from having to make an individual appointment with the Consulate or BLS International. It therefore saves students the cost of traveling to the consulate/BLS. USAC does not charge any fees for participation in a Group Visa Submission. However, the student is responsible for covering all fees associated with submitting their application for a Group Visa Submission, such as the consulate’s visa application fee, mailing/shipping costs, notarization of documents, BLS processing fees, etc.

Group Visa Submissions are not offered for every consulate. For consulates where a Group Visa Submission is not offered, students need to apply individually and submit their application to the appropriate consulate based on jurisdiction.

USAC currently offers Group Visa Submissions for students whose address as listed on their State ID or Student ID places them in the jurisdiction of the Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York Spanish consulates. The Chicago and New York consulates accept Student IDs only as proof of jurisdiction for Group Visa Submissions.

Deadlines to submit materials to USAC for a Group Visa Submission will be confirmed in the Group Visa Guide on students’ USAC Gateway account.

Coordinating Group Visa Submissions with consulates is a complex process; USAC’s ability to submit group visa applications in each jurisdiction may change with little notice and is outside of USAC’s control. Group Visa Submission deadlines are set by the consulates and not at the discretion of USAC. USAC has no control over visa requirements, processing times, whether a visa is granted, or communication with a consulate. If the status of a Group Visa Submission changes, students will be notified as soon as possible via USAC Student Gateway and/or by their Program Advisor.

Participation in a Group Visa Submissions requires passports stay at the consulate for the entire processing time. USAC will not request a passport back from the consulate for any reason. USAC does not recommend international travel prior to the start of the program.

Individual Visa submission

Students who apply to USAC after the Group Visa Submission deadline may not be able to participate in a Group Visa Submission and should be prepared to apply for their visa individually or consider a future term or a different USAC program. Individual appointments at BLS Centers are extremely limited and can be hard to secure. Consulates highly prefer students participate in a Group Visa Submission (if offered) as these applications are prioritized by the consulate.

Enrolled students: Further information, resources and guidance will be provided by USAC Program Advisors and will be posted to Gateway. This will include Visa Guides, which will be available about 4 months prior to the program start. USAC Program Advisors will also be available to provide guidance if anything is unclear.

Certain consulates and BLS locations require students to schedule an appointment and appear in-person to submit their application and/or pick up their visa. Requesting an appointment with specific consulates or BLS centers requires additional time and planning on the student’s end.

Students should refer to the Consulate General of Spain’s website and review their respective consulate’s guidelines on visa submission requirements and processes. If a student is required to personally travel for their visa application/pick-up, this will be at the student’s own expense.

USAC has no control over visa processing times, appointments, communication with the consulates, the granting of visas, or visa requirements.