Spain

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don't need a visa – you enter with an ID card or passport. If you stay longer than 3 months, you have to register your residence. You then get a registration certificate for EU citizens (certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión) with your NIE number – you'll need it when renting, at the bank and for work.

Students from outside the EU/EEA coming for longer than 90 days need a long-term stay authorisation for higher education (autorización de estancia de larga duración por estudios) and a student visa. You apply at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence at least two months before your studies begin; if you are already legally in Spain, you apply at the immigration office in the province where you will study. You will need, among other things, a passport valid for at least a year, your admission letter with proof that you have paid the registration fee, a medical certificate, a criminal record certificate (for stays over six months), health insurance and proof of funds of 100% of the IPREM (Spain's public income reference index) per month – a lower amount can be accepted if you have paid for your accommodation in advance. If you stay longer than six months, you must apply in person for your foreigner identity card (TIE) within one month of arriving. The authorisation is valid for the length of your programme. Note: the ministry's page does not give the IPREM in euros, and the figure changes with the state budget – check the current amount with the consulate before you apply.

Health insurance: if you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Students from outside the EU need public or private health insurance with cover similar to the Spanish national health system – it is a condition of the stay authorisation.