This is a very difficult topic because everyone has some information, but not all.... and there are so many posts on it, but I thought I would try anyways...

I came over here on my tourist visa, so I have 3 months. I now have about 1 month left of my tourist visa. Was thinking about extending, had my friend who speaks fluent spanish call the police station where you have to apply. They told her that you CAN apply for the extention, BUT you MOST LIKELY will be denied UNLESS you have an "exceptional" excuse ie: illness... If you are denied, (and you most likely will be) you will have 15 days to leave the country.
I also called the US Embassy and the lady told me the exact same thing. That I PROBABLY would be denied an extention, and have 15 days to leave the country. (after my 90 days is up).
I am planning on staying in Spain up until mid-July. Then I plan to travel, parts of the trip outside of the EU. Then I want to return to Spain in August and finish out my program for another year.

1st question: Should I leave now to a non-EU member country and party for 72 hours, and extend my visa that way for another 3 months?
--How many times can one, "leave the EU" and come back to Spain for 3 months? ie: every time the experation date is near, just plan another trip...
--If I do that, in June I will begin my new TOURIST VISA, and in August I will have to plan another "trip" out of the EU for September through November.

2nd question: Should I ignore the extention and take my chances with traveling around and hoping to get let back in with no hassles or problems?
--One "source" told me that I really had 6 months here legally, so not to worry....

Has anyone out there dealt with this, and gone through with one of these options and had success or failure?

AHHH!!!

Thanks,
Caroline

You do NOT have 6 months legally- not consecutively anyways. You have 6 months legally THROUGHOUT the year! If you're planning on continuing a study abroad, just apply for the extension. As long as the program is full time, you apply for a Student visa you have to show proof of enrollment of the program... however, it sounds like you do not have a student visa to begin with- you are there on a regular courtesy 'tourist visa' (no paperwork necessary, just your passport). To apply for the student visa you may have to return to the US to do it. Still not a big deal, proof of enrollment, a bit of paperwork, but it gets processed rather quickly. However, even applying for an extension while in spain will take up to at least 6 months.

LEaving the EU while an option, if you do it often for a couple of days to return, you're going to eventually set off flags at immigration upon your return to Spain. Then you're at the mercy of the mood of the person who deals with you. They may let you in, but then again, they may send you packing back home!

Nobody can tell you whether or not you should skirt around the laws, or guarentee what will happen or won't for that matter if you do. You know what the possibilities are, its up for you to decide. With all the trips you're planning to and from spain to try to extend the visa, why not do it right, go home, apply for the visa- with a plane ticket you could get them to process it even in one day- do it right, then go back with no worries. Just make sure you get the application from the spanish consulate in your area and all the paperwork ready that you'll need and that's it!

As far as what people are telling you... Spain is getting much stricter with immigration also. What worked a year, two or even 6 months ago will not necessarily be true now.

Ok Im about to freak out here becuase I have to get my Student Visa Extension and yes it is a ¨Student Visa¨ I Know i have 6 month. Next month on the 15th my visa expires but I read on the paper I got at the Consulet in the U.S to get a extension all you need is police record from where you live in spain. In the U.S I needed the paper from my school in Spain saying I was taking classes there. So if anyone has gotten the extension please if that is all I have to do and am I correct about only going to the police station and who do I give all this too ? The Spanish Embassy? Im freaking out here becuase i hear people saying you will be denied unless your sick or what or it takes 6month. I wanted to go to Rome on the 14th and returning and then going to vist the U.S on the 19th but my classes start on in Oct so Im trying to take care of this before I go to Rome. So if someone can help me out. You would be a life saver.

vadingo99--

To me, it sounds like you need to apply for student residency, not for a visa extension. Remember, in Spain a student visa is only for entry. Once you are here, you are required to apply for residency if you are staying beyond the scope of the visa. You are supposed to do so within 60 to 90 days of entering the country, so if I were you, I'd get to the comisaria asap. If you are in Madrid, it's the one at General Pardinas.

Check out this thread (the visa/residency stuff starts on page 3):

Cheapest way to study in Madrid

A few pages in, you will find a blow by blow account of how to apply for student residency. Incidentally, I just started the renewal process for my student residency this year. I found out when I did that I should have applied 60 days before my residency ran out. They still accepted my renewal, but reprimanded me and told me it would be a minimum of two months before I heard anything back. I had to provide:

1. proof of attendance and passing grades for last year's program--I used my diploma and grade report.

2. proof of health insurance--I provided a copy of my sanitas card.

3. proof of enrollment for the coming year--I used the "reserva de plazo" that Complutense provided with all the requisite stamps and squigglies.

4. proof of funds in a Spanish account--I gave them a copy of my "libreta" showing 3000 Euros in the account.

5. a copy of my passport and the entry and exit stamps.

6. three passport photos

Mariposita

Thanks that is a help. That sounds similar to what I did for my visa application process at home. I think I can get my student residency card. I was going to do that anyways so I will get to that and I have all my other papers from before. What if you didn´t pass the last semestar? I am signing up for October but I didn´t take the exam for my last class which was only a month long in July. I have a certificate you think that will make a big diff?

You have to pass your classes to renew your student residency. But you don't have your residency yet, just a student visa, which was for entry into the country.

I think they will only give you residency for the amount of time that you requested when you got your student visa. We requested a year and got it. Some people I know have gotten six or 9 months.

You'll need to provide either a statement from the school that you have paid for classes for the duration of this period. Or, you will need to show them an official document from the school saying that you have reserved a place for the duration.

For any future classes, I would take the exams. They ask for this when we went to renew our residency. So if you get residency and decide to try to keep it going, you'll need to have some documentation showing that you passed the classes, there's a good chance they would turn down any future extensions.

Hope this helps. We're still waiting to see if ours gets extended... It was not possible to get all of the right paperwork that I needed from Complutense (being August and all--they don't issue letters of invitation until late September), so I had to work the system a bit...

I´ve got one too.

As the embassies are closed for the day I'm seeking information on work visas for Canadians.

I´m trying to arrange Spanish work visas for some Iranian partners of ours. One guy has Canadian citizenship, so I assume the process of obtaining a visa will be slightly easier for him.

Does anyone know what work visas are available to Canadians?

How long it takes to get on?

And, will this visa allow him to visit other EU countries?

Any information much appreciated.