How much money do I need for a Spanish student visa?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Spain's immigration regulation requires monthly funds equal to 100% of the IPREM for the student, plus 75% for the first family member and 50% for each further one. SEPE lists the monthly IPREM at €600; consular guidance for 2026 gives €600, €450 and €300 a month. The student's amount doesn't apply if accommodation is prepaid for the whole stay.

Key facts

What	The source says	Source
Student	100% of the IPREM for each month, enough for living costs and the trip home	RD 1155/2024, art. 35.h.1º
Prepaid housing	The 100% amount doesn’t apply if you prove accommodation is paid in advance for the whole stay	RD 1155/2024, art. 35.h.1º
First family member	75% of the IPREM a month	RD 1155/2024, art. 35.h.2º
Each further family member	50% of the IPREM a month	RD 1155/2024, art. 35.h.2º
Tuition money	Doesn’t count towards these amounts	RD 1155/2024, art. 35.h
IPREM value	€600 a month, €7,200 a year (fixed by Ley 31/2022, the 2023 budget law)	SEPE, Cuantías anuales
2026 amounts	€600 (student), €450 (first family member), €300 (each further one) per month of stay	Washington guidance, point 7

What the law says

Spain’s immigration regulation (Real Decreto 1155/2024) requires you to have enough money for your living costs and your return trip without relying on social assistance, and enough for any family members who come with you (art. 35.h). The amounts are tied to the IPREM, Spain’s public income reference index:

for you: 100% of the IPREM for each month, unless you prove your accommodation is paid in advance for the whole stay;
for the first family member you support: 75% of the IPREM a month;
for each other family member: 50% of the IPREM a month.

Money spent, or to be spent, on the cost of your studies or mobility programme doesn’t count.

The law accepts resources from, among other sources, grants, aid and scholarships; a valid job contract or a firm job offer when your authorisation lets you work; and a declaration that the school running an exchange programme, a trainee host or a volunteering organisation takes charge of you.

The 2026 figure

SEPE, the public employment service, lists the monthly IPREM at €600 and the annual IPREM at €7,200, citing Ley 31/2022 as the law that fixed it. The Spanish consular section in Washington applies this for 2026: €600 per month of stay for a student alone, plus €450 for one accompanying family member and €300 for each additional one.

How consulates ask you to prove it

The Washington consular section accepts, among others: your three most recent monthly bank statements with a final balance that covers the minimum; documents showing scholarships, loans or other aid; a statement from the university or school if it takes full financial responsibility; or a notarised letter from a parent or guardian taking full financial responsibility, with their ID, the student’s birth certificate and their three most recent bank statements. The Washington page says its content is guidance only and that the regulations in force when you apply are what count.

Health insurance is a separate requirement (RD 1155/2024, art. 35.i).
Family members can only join students in higher education (RD 1155/2024, art. 56.1).

Sources

Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, art. 35.h (consolidated text, BOE) checked 2026-10-25
SEPE (Spanish Public Employment Service): Cuantías anuales, monthly and annual values of the SMI and IPREM checked 2026-10-25
Embassy of Spain in Washington DC, Consular Section: Study Visa, point 7 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.