⚠️ Legalisation is in transition — read this first
Algeria's legalisation regime is changing mid-2026, and it is the single most important thing to get right. Algeria deposited its accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on 5 November 2025, but the Convention only enters into force for Algeria on 9 July 2026. In practice this means:
- Documents dated before the 9 July 2026 cutover generally still require full consular legalisation via the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — the older multi-step chain, not an Apostille.
- From 9 July 2026, the single Apostille applies to Algerian public documents instead.
- Either way, every foreign public document must also carry an official Spanish translation.
May 2025 reform — RD 1155/2024
All Spanish student visas now run on one national framework — RD 1155/2024 (in force 20 May 2025). It requires: a passport valid for at least 1 year from the application date, with at least 2 blank pages and issued no more than 10 years ago; an admission letter plus proof that tuition has been paid in full at an authorised (Instituto Cervantes / SIELE / SACIC-accredited) school; funds of 100% IPREM = €600.00/month (€7,200/year, frozen 2023–2026); and health insurance from a Spanish DGSFP-authorised insurer (minimum €30,000, no copayments, no waiting periods). For stays over 180 days you also need a criminal-record certificate and a medical certificate. The Extranjería office in Spain decides the stay authorisation within 30 days, and the consulate issues the visa within 1 month of a favourable authorisation.
Jurisdiction — is Algiers your consulate?
The Algiers Consulate General covers central and eastern Algeria — specifically the wilayas that are not assigned to the Oran consulate. Spain's other post in Algeria is the Consulate General in Oran (Orán), which covers the western wilayas of Orán, Mascara, Sidi Bel Abbés, Tlemcen and Tinduf. If you reside in one of those five western wilayas, you file in Oran, not Algiers.
Apply where you reside, not the nearest post. Confirm your jurisdiction on exteriores.gob.es before filing. Residents of the Oran demarcation (western Algeria) cannot file their study visa in Algiers.
How to file — directly at the consulate (no BLS)
Algiers changed its national-visa channel at the end of 2025. Study visas are no longer routed through BLS.
- Since 14 December 2025, national visas — studies, work, non-lucrative residence and family reunification — are filed directly at the consulate, with no BLS and no prior appointment
- Filing is Sunday to Thursday, 11:00–14:00, in strict first-come order — arrive early
- Schengen visas (tourism, business, medical) still go through BLS — this direct channel is for national visas only
- Bring your originals and photocopies, sorted in checklist order
Verify the current channel at filing. A later Algiers notice moved certain family-reunification categories to BLS from 17 April 2026. The study category is confirmed as direct-consular as of December 2025, but channels here change frequently — check the consulate's current notice before you travel to file.
Document checklist (study visa)
For full-time study lasting more than 90 days. Bring originals and photocopies of every document.
1
National visa application form
Completed and signed, with recent passport photographs (white background).
2
Valid passport
Must be valid for at least 1 year from the application date, have at least 2 blank pages, and have been issued no more than 10 years ago. Include a photocopy of the biographical page.
3
School acceptance letter + proof of PAID tuition
From an authorised (Instituto Cervantes / SIELE / SACIC-accredited) school, confirming your admission and that tuition has been paid in full. A letter confirming admission or a deposit only is not sufficient (RD 1155/2024).
All schools on this site hold Cervantes accreditation. Enrol through us and save €500 on a 12-month course, or €250 on shorter courses. Enrol and save €500 →
4
Proof of funds — 100% IPREM
You must show 100% IPREM = €600.00/month (€7,200/year) for the duration of your stay. This figure is frozen at €600.00 for 2023–2026.
5
Spanish health insurance
Full cover from a DGSFP-authorised Spanish insurer, minimum €30,000, with no copayments and no waiting periods. Verify the insurer on the DGSFP register (rrpp.dgsfp.mineco.es). Standard travel or Schengen policies are not accepted.
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6
Criminal record certificate Stays over 180 days
Covering the countries you have lived in, issued no more than 3 months before the application. Must be legalised (or apostilled once the Convention is in force) + officially translated into Spanish — see the legalisation section below.
7
Medical certificate Stays over 180 days
Issued no more than 3 months before filing, containing the standard wording of the 2005 International Health Regulations (that the applicant has no disease posing a public-health risk). Requires legalisation/Apostille + sworn Spanish translation.
8
Legalisation + Spanish translation of foreign documents
All foreign public documents must be legalised or apostilled (depending on the document's date — see below) and carry an official Spanish translation.
Use a MAEC-accredited sworn (jurado) translator. Local translation agencies are commonly rejected by Spanish consulates. Every foreign document must carry both the correct legalisation and the sworn Spanish translation.
Legalisation — the correct route by document date
Because Algeria's Apostille accession only takes effect on 9 July 2026, the route depends on when each document is dated. Follow this sequence:
1
Obtain the original document
Criminal record and medical certificate from the competent Algerian authority. Any home-country documents from their issuing institution.
2
Legalise Documents dated before 9 Jul 2026
Documents predating the cutover generally require full consular legalisation via the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — the older multi-step chain, not an Apostille.
3
Apostille Documents dated from 9 Jul 2026
From 9 July 2026, Algerian public documents take a single Hague Apostille instead of consular legalisation.
4
Official Spanish translation, then submit
Have the legalised/apostilled document translated by a MAEC-accredited sworn translator, then submit the original + legalisation/Apostille + Spanish translation, plus photocopies. The criminal record and medical certificate must be no more than 3 months old at submission.
Verify per document. The precise application of the 9 July 2026 cutover is still settling. If a document falls near the changeover date, confirm with the consulate (cog.argel.leg@maec.es) which route it will accept before you pay for legalisation or an Apostille.
Fee, processing, visa validity and the TIE
The visa fee is the €80 equivalent — the official Argel practices page states "the visa fee equals 80 euros" ("la tasa de visado equivale a 80 euros").
The stay authorisation is decided by the Extranjería office in Spain, which has 30 days to decide (in practice this can take up to around two months). Once a favourable stay authorisation is granted, the consulate issues the visa within 1 month.
For stays of more than 6 months, you must apply for your TIE (foreigner's identity card) within 30 days of arrival in Spain, at the provincial police station.
Frequently asked questions
Do I file my student visa through BLS in Algiers? +
No. Since 14 December 2025, national visas including study visas are filed directly at the consulate, with no BLS and no prior appointment, Sunday to Thursday 11:00–14:00 in strict first-come order. Only Schengen (tourism/business/medical) visas still go through BLS. Channels here change often, so verify the current arrangement before you travel to file.
Do my documents need an Apostille or full legalisation? +
It depends on the document's date. Algeria's Hague Apostille accession only enters into force on 9 July 2026. Documents dated before that generally still need full consular legalisation via the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; documents dated from 9 July 2026 take a single Apostille instead. Either way you also need an official Spanish translation. Verify the route per document, and ask the consulate if a document falls near the changeover.
I live in Oran — can I apply in Algiers? +
No. The Algiers consulate covers central and eastern Algeria — the wilayas not assigned to Oran. Residents of the western wilayas of Orán, Mascara, Sidi Bel Abbés, Tlemcen and Tinduf file at the Consulate General in Oran. Apply where you reside, not the nearest post.
How much is the visa fee? +
The €80 equivalent. The official Argel page states the visa fee equals 80 euros. Confirm the exact amount and accepted payment method at filing.
Does my acceptance letter need to prove I've paid the tuition? +
Yes. Under RD 1155/2024 the admission letter must confirm that tuition has been paid in full at an authorised (Cervantes / SIELE / SACIC-accredited) school. A letter confirming admission or a deposit only is not sufficient.
How early should I apply? +
Apply 3–4 months before your course start date. The stay authorisation is decided in Spain (up to around two months), and the consulate then issues the visa within 1 month. Start the criminal-record and legalisation chain first — it has the longest lead time, and the legalisation-in-transition rules can add extra steps. Time-sensitive documents (criminal record, medical certificate) expire after 3 months, so don't prepare them too early.