The 2024 reform — RD 1155/2024
Spain's student-visa rules changed under Royal Decree 1155/2024, and the Tánger study-visa page already uses the reformed 180-day / TIE phrasing. The core rules: your passport must be valid for at least 1 year from the application date; your acceptance letter must confirm tuition has been paid in full at a school authorised to teach Spanish (Instituto Cervantes / SIELE / SACIC); you must show funds of 100% of the IPREM = €600.00 per month (€7,200 per year); and health cover must be from a DGSFP-authorised insurer. The stay authorisation is decided by Extranjería in Spain, in principle within 30 days.
Tánger Consulate General jurisdiction
The Consulate General in Tánger covers the Province of Tánger and the zone of Arcila (Asilah). You must apply at the post responsible for the place where you are legally resident in Morocco — not the geographically nearest one.
Live elsewhere in Morocco? Other provinces fall under Spain's Consulates General in Tetuán, Casablanca, Nador, Agadir, Larache or the Embassy in Rabat. Confirm your consulate on exteriores.gob.es before booking — a file lodged at the wrong post will be refused.
Document checklist — long-stay student visa
For Spanish language courses and other full-time study lasting more than 90 days. Foreign documents must be legalised or apostilled and accompanied by an official (sworn) Spanish translation. Submit originals plus photocopies of everything.
1
National visa application form
The long-stay national visa form, completed and signed. One form per applicant.
2
Passport photograph
Recent biometric photo, white background, 3×4 cm.
3
Valid passport
Original + photocopy of the biographical page. Under RD 1155/2024 it must be valid for at least 1 year from the application date.
4
School acceptance letter + proof of paid tuition
Admission to a school authorised to teach Spanish (Instituto Cervantes / SIELE / SACIC), confirming the programme and that tuition has been paid in full. Admission or a deposit alone is not sufficient (RD 1155/2024) — and without proof of paid tuition the visa is not released.
All schools on this site hold Cervantes accreditation. Enrol and save €500 →
5
Proof of sufficient funds
Evidence of 100% of the IPREM — €600.00 per month (€7,200 per year) for the duration of your stay. The IPREM figure has been frozen for 2023–2026. Bank statements or a sponsorship undertaking are commonly accepted.
6
Spanish health insurance
Full-cover policy from a DGSFP-authorised insurer, with minimum €30,000 cover, no copayments and no waiting periods. Travel or Schengen policies are not accepted.
Check any insurer on the DGSFP register at rrpp.dgsfp.mineco.es.
7
Proof of accommodation in Spain
Signed lease, hotel booking, or a letter from the school confirming where you will stay.
8
Criminal record certificate Stays over 180 days
Required for stays over 180 days if you are over 16. In Morocco this is the Bulletin n°3 (National Centre of Criminal Record / first-instance courts; online portal casierjudiciaire.justice.gov.ma), covering every country you have lived in over the last 5 years. Each certificate must be apostilled and carry a sworn Spanish translation, and be no more than 3 months old at submission.
9
Medical certificate Stays over 180 days
Required for stays over 180 days. Issued using the standard wording that you are free of any disease with serious public-health implications under the 2005 International Health Regulations. Where the consulate maintains an approved-doctor list, use it. No more than 3 months old, with sworn Spanish translation.
Non-Moroccan residents must additionally show a valid Moroccan residence permit proving they live within the Tánger jurisdiction.
Apostille + sworn translation — the correct sequence
Morocco is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so foreign public documents (criminal record, medical certificate, diplomas) are certified with an Apostille, not full consular legalisation. Follow this exact order:
1
Obtain the original document
Criminal record = Bulletin n°3 via casierjudiciaire.justice.gov.ma or a first-instance court. Medical certificate from an approved doctor.
2
Get the Apostille
Moroccan Apostille authorities include the King's Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, public prosecutors at courts of first instance, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice, and the walis/governors of prefectures and provinces.
3
Sworn Spanish translation
Have the apostilled document translated by a MAEC-accredited sworn (traductor jurado) translator. Local translation-agency versions are frequently rejected by Spanish consulates.
4
Submit
Original + Apostille + sworn Spanish translation, plus photocopies of each. Criminal-record and medical certificates must be no more than 3 months old at submission.
After the visa — the TIE
- The visa is issued within 1 month of a favourable stay authorisation from Extranjería.
- For stays over 6 months, the visa is valid for 365 days.
- For stays over 180 days, you must apply for the TIE (foreigner's ID card) within 30 days of arriving in Spain, at the provincial police station.
- Stays of 180 days or less do not require a TIE.
BLS submission tips
- Applications are lodged through BLS International at Rue Ibn Zaydoun, Imm. La Giralda 2, Tánger — book only through the official BLS website.
- The visa fee is around €90 (paid in the dirham equivalent); confirm the exact Tánger amount at filing.
- Children under 12 are no longer accepted at the BLS Tánger centre — check current arrangements before travelling with a minor.
- Bring originals and photocopies of every document; each applicant needs a separate file.
- Prepare time-sensitive documents (criminal record, medical certificate) last — they expire within 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Who applies at the Tánger consulate? +
Residents of the Province of Tánger and the zone of Arcila (Asilah). If you live elsewhere in Morocco, another Spanish post handles your file — Tetuán, Casablanca, Nador, Agadir, Larache, or the Embassy in Rabat. Confirm on exteriores.gob.es before booking.
How much is the student visa fee? +
Spain's shared national study-visa template states the fee equals 90 euros, paid in the dirham equivalent. Because the exact amount can vary at the counter, verify the Tánger-specific figure when you file.
Do I need a criminal record and medical certificate? +
Only for stays over 180 days (and, for the criminal record, if you are over 16). The Moroccan criminal record is the Bulletin n°3. Both certificates must be apostilled, translated by a sworn Spanish translator, and be less than 3 months old at submission.
How much money do I need to show? +
100% of the IPREM: €600.00 per month, i.e. €7,200 per year. This figure has been frozen for 2023–2026. Show enough to cover the full length of your stay.
Will standard travel insurance be accepted? +
No. You need a full-cover policy from a DGSFP-authorised insurer with at least €30,000 of cover, no copayments and no waiting periods. Travel and Schengen policies are rejected. You can verify an insurer on the DGSFP register at rrpp.dgsfp.mineco.es.
What happens after I arrive in Spain? +
For stays over 6 months the visa is valid 365 days, and for stays over 180 days you must apply for your TIE (foreigner's ID card) within 30 days of arrival at the provincial police station. Stays of 180 days or less need no TIE.