International students: useful information

EU students

If you are a citizen of a Member State of the European Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and Cyprus) or Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, you have the right to free movement and residence in Spain.

In any case, all EU citizens who reside in Spain for more than 3 months must apply for registration in the Central Register of Foreigners. This registration will involve the issuance of a certificate of registration and will include a foreigner identification number (NIE).

To process it you will have to go to the Police Station of the town where you live:

A) If you live in Barcelona, ​​at the Police Station located at Rambla Guipúscoa, 74 in Barcelona, ​​requesting a prior appointment through the page websites  (Access the procedure > Barcelona > Accept > Authorization request > Accept > Enter)

B) If you live in a town other than Barcelona, ​​directly to the Police Station of the town where you live.

Necessary documents:

• Application form
• Valid passport or identity document (original and copy)
• Receipt of registration (original and copy)
• European Health Card or private health insurance (original and copy)
• Responsible declaration of sufficient resources (Model). Participation in study exchange programs of the European Union is considered sufficient accreditation for the justification of financial means.

For more information visit the Ministeri de l'Interior website.

Students from outside the EU

When you arrive in Barcelona, ​​we recommend that you register atEmbassy or Consulate from your country to Spain.

If you are a student from outside the European Union (EU), the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland, to be legally in Spain for more than 90 days, you need to obtain a residence permit for studies, which will allow you to stay in Spain for the duration of your studies and, in addition, you will be able to travel, if you wish, within the EU and the countries that have signed agreements with Spain or the EU for the free movement of people.

Procedures to be carried out for your study stay:

Before your arrival in Spain

Before arriving in Spain, you must process a "study visa" at the Spanish consulates in your country of origin or legal residence. You can consult the corresponding consulate on the website of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

To process the visa you need, among other documents, proof of having been accepted into a study program at the TecnoCampus. You must apply for this accreditation at rrii@tecnocampus.cat.

The visa must be for studies (type D). Any other type of visa does not entitle you to the subsequent processing of the Foreigner's Identity Card.

Important: Please note that the student visa is only valid for studying at the university where you applied for admission and the period set out in the letter of acceptance. Therefore, if you have decided to study at a different educational institution after obtaining a visa, you should contact the Spanish diplomatic mission or consular office in your country of residence to find out the steps you need to follow beforehand. to travel to Spain.

During the first month of your effective entry into Spain: TIE (Foreigner's Identity Card)

a) If your authorized stay lasts longer than 6 months, you must personally apply for the Foreigner's Identity Card at the Police Station within one month of your effective entry into Spain:

            I) If you live in Barcelona, ​​at the Police Station located at Rambla Guipúscoa, 74 in Barcelona, requesting an appointment through the page websites (Access the procedure > Barcelona > Accept > Authorization request > Accept > Enter)

            II) If you live in a city other than Barcelona, directly at the Police Station of the town where you live.

Necessary documents:

• Necessary documents and place of presentation
• Download Application Form
• Information on the registration process of l'Barcelona City Council.

b) If you are a non-EU student but have come from a stay in a European Union country (eg Erasmus Mundus):

More information:

• http://www.mir.es/extranjeria-28/regimen-general-189/estancia-201#Estancia
• https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/procedimientos/index/categoria/34 

Two months before your card expires: renewal

The card is valid for one year and can be renewed if your studies continue.

You can carry out the renewal procedure with a maximum of two months in advance and, in any case, before it expires. Since the entry into force of Law 39/2015, renewal applications must be submitted electronically or in person (if you need it, at the OMA we can review the documents before you send it):

a) Electronically, through the websites of the Foreign Office.

b) Personally:

            I) In thePost office from Via Layetana to Plaça António López, s/n; 08002 Barcelona (ORVE SYSTEM, CODE EA0017715)

            II) In the General Registry of the Street Government bergara or the Street Majorca.

                        -  Documents and procedure

                        -  Form

                        -  Fees form (mark point 1.3. Amount of 17,15 euros)

More information:

• https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/procedimientos/index/categoria/34

If you have to travel and your card has expired: Return authorization

If you have to leave Spain and your card is in the process of being renewed, you can request an authorization that allows you to re-enter the country, as long as your card has already expired. This authorization allows you to leave and re-enter the country within 90 days.

Return authorization is only valid for direct entry into Spain. If you are returning via another country in the Schengen area (connecting flight), you must check in advance whether you need a visa and process it before taking the flight.

This authorization must be processed directly at the police station, by prior appointment:

a) Residents in Barcelona city: At the office of the National Police Force at Calle Mallorca, 213 (corner Enric Granados) in Barcelona, ​​with prior appointment obtained through the web www.mpt.gob.es/servicios/extranjeria.html

b) Foreign citizens residing outside Barcelona capital, to obtain the return authorization, will have to go in person directly, without the need for an appointment.

• Documentation and procedure
• Download Form
• Fees must be paid at the Police Station. The form is provided at the police station itself at the time of making the request. 

More information:

• https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/procedimientos/index/categoria/34

If you want to work during your studies: Work permit

If during your stay you have to carry out internships in public or private non-labor entities that are part of the study plan for which you have been granted the authorization to stay and that take place within the framework of collaboration agreements between these entities and the UPF, it will not be necessary for you to process any work authorization.

Outside of this case, if you want to combine studies and work (on your own account or for someone else) you do need a work permit, with the following conditions:

• The working hours cannot coincide with the school hours (part-time or full-time if it lasts a maximum of three months outside the school period).
• The income obtained cannot have the character of a resource necessary for the stay, nor will it be considered in the framework of the procedure for extending the stay.
• The validity of the work authorization will coincide with the duration of the contract and cannot be longer than the duration of the authorization to stay for studies.

More information about the required documents and the application procedure:

• https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/procedimientos/index/categoria/34
• Download Application Form

Useful links

• Catalan Employment Service (SOC)
• Office of virtual procedures of the Generalitat de Catalunya

If you are already studying or want to study at the TecnoCampus, live outside Mataró and need accommodation, from Serveis Campus we bring you various proposals.

Click here to discover them!

Medical coverage

Any student coming to TecnoCampus must be covered by health insurance.

If you are a Spanish or foreign citizen with a residence permit in Spanish territory, you must have valid health insurance in Catalonia (National Health System or private mutual society).

If you are a citizen of a Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, and you are entitled to social security coverage in your country, you can apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), to the relevant public health authorities in your home country. Although the TSE gives European citizens access to medical benefits during a temporary stay in Spain, it is not an alternative to travel insurance. The TSE does not cover private health care or expenses such as the flight back to your country of origin or the loss or theft of your belongings. The TSE does not cover expenses if you travel for the express purpose of receiving medical treatment.

If you are a citizen of a country outside the European Union, of the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you should ask if there is an agreement between the social security system in your country and Spain (this is the case in some Latin American countries). If this agreement exists, you can obtain a document from the corresponding authorities in your country authorizing you to receive free medical care in Spain.

If your case does not match any of the above  or you cannot obtain the document from the relevant authorities of your country of origin, before coming you will need to take out private health insurance to cover your entire stay in Catalonia.

All international students, including Erasmus students, must have full coverage for any risks during their stay in Spain and TecnoCampus will check that at least accident and repatriation insurance has been taken out to supplement the TSE. These are the minimum requirements although we recommend greater health coverage.

The health system

Catalonia has a wide range of health centers and hospitals. The public health system has universal and free access, as well as guarantees a good quality of care:

• The Primary Care Centers (CAP) are the first place you should go when you have a health problem. They offer health and social care. To be able to access their services for free, you must have a TSE cardholder.
• Public hospitals. You only need to go there in case of an emergency. If it is a common health problem you should first go to your referral CAP. The health staff of the CAP, if they deem it necessary, will refer you to the Hospital. To be able to access their services for free, you also need to be a TSE cardholder.

At the same time, there are private hospitals and clinics in the city. If you have purchased private health insurance, check the documentation to find out which hospitals or clinics you are assigned to.

If you are in an emergency, call 112, the emergency telephone of any kind.

Mataró

Mataró is the capital and the largest population of the Maresme region with a population of more than 120.000 inhabitants. It is located on the coast, between Cabrera de Mar and Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, about 30 kilometers northeast of Barcelona.

The main feature of the town is its port, which is one of the most important on the Maresme coast, and also has several beaches in the city.

The N-II coastal motorway follows the same path as the original Roman road and is close to the archaeological remains of the Roman villa of Can Llauder.

Mataró is famous for many activities in which you can participate. The main meeting places to stay with friends are the beach, the mall or the main street of the city center called La Riera, where there are all kinds of shops, cafes and restaurants. You can't miss the city's nightlife either. Mataró has a party area near the TecnoCampus where you can go out to nightclubs such as Cocoa, Miracle, Classic or Clap.

Catalunya

Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain with a millennial history and its own language, Catalan, which is its offical language as well as the Spanish. With a population of 7,5 million, it is a dense and highly developed territory that leads the Spanish economy and is also a reference in Europe.

Catalonia is an industrially active and enterprising country that promotes the culture of effort as an inherent value of the ability to work. These characteristics, together with the quality of infrastructures and services, make Catalonia an ideal destination in the business world.

At the university level, Catalonia represents a point of reference in Spain. There are currently 12 universities: 7 public, 4 private and 1 virtual. All of them have official recognition and are gaining ground internationally. The academic offer includes around 1000 official university degrees, belonging to the different branches of knowledge: arts and humanities, sciences, health sciences, social and legal sciences and engineering and architecture.

Catalonia's university offer is a reflection of its society: multidisciplinary, multidimensional and multilingual, where they share the experiences of citizens from all over the world.

Catalonia has been and is a host country, and throughout history, it has lived in contact with all the peoples of the Mediterranean. This multiculturalism has made it a benchmark and maintains it as one of the areas with the most economic, social and cultural influence.

On the other hand, the richness and diversity of its geography make Catalonia a territory to enjoy all year round. The Pyrenees, the Costa Brava, Barcelona, ​​Montserrat, the Ebro delta or the plain of Lleida are some of the most emblematic places that allow all kinds of leisure, cultural, etc. activities.

As a student you will be doing a mobility you may be interested in being part ofESN.

Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is an international non-profit student organization. Its mission is to represent international students, thus offering opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development under the principle of Students Helping Students.

In Barcelona there is theESN Barcelona UPF, an association created by student volunteers, who help you resolve any questions about your mobility.

Here you will find the Pocket Guide 2024-2025 with useful information