With a cultural and historical mix of the civilizations of the Romans, the Moors, and its own, Spain features a diverse mix of castles, cathedrals, and old cities. It is an eclectic and creative country, known for the modernist art of Dali and Picasso, the world-famous and widely replicated tapas culture, and featuring the living architecture of Gaudi in beautiful Barcelona.
As a former colony of Spain, Filipinos wouldn’t be as culture shocked compared to other non-Hispanic countries. Strolling through the streets of Barcelona and Madrid could give off a familiar feeling like one was strolling through the Old Town Vigan or Intramuros.
With partner schools in Madrid to name a few, Filipino international students have a lot to choose in pursuing their international studies.
We have 1 Spanish school and universities on our website that you can search and apply from!
Spain is a great destination for Filipino international students thanks to its rich culture and top universities. There are a handful of reasons why Filipinos should study in Spain.
Spain's exceptional education system is ranked 12th in the QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings 2018.
Spain is the kind of country where Filipino students can enjoy a great holiday while earning a valuable degree program. Aside from a host of some of the best universities worldwide, there’s always something to do in the Kingdom of Spain.
Filipinos on a student visa are allowed to work in Spain for up to 20 hours per week. Students can also request for a special work permit that allows them to work up to 4 hours per day. The special permit is quite useful for students who want to earn additional money.
The special work permit also allows students to work full-time up to 3 months when classes aren’t in session.
Filipinos can get several types of financial support in Spain, from loans, scholarships granted by both the public and private sector of Spain, and various grants.
A student visa in Spain allows you to study, reside, work or do research in the country for periods exceeding 90 days.
You must first schedule an appointment at the embassy. At your appointment, the embassy will be asking for the following documents:
For high school graduates, unless you have acquired the International Baccalaureate Diploma, your former studies will have to be validated by the Spanish institution. However, once students complete a semester at a Philippine University, transfer to the Spanish system can be granted
Filipino students who have completed a Bachelor’s Degree can enroll in a Masters program in Spain without prior validation, thanks to the Agreement for recognition of studies between CHED and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport.
Filipinos in Spain regard themselves as the most integrated foreign community in Spain according to the latest data from the Spanish Institute of Statistics (INE). This is due to the many similarities between both countries concerning issues such as family, social life, food, celebrations, traditions, music, etc. All Spanish universities have International Students Offices which will advise each student on how to get involved in academic and social activities.
It is very difficult to determine the number of filipinos living or studying in Spain because after two years of legal residence with a work permit, Filipinos can apply for dual nationality. This means that they do not appear in the statistics as foreigners, but as Spaniards.
However, there is an estimated 40,000 filipinos in Spain, mainly in Madrid, Barcelona and Andalucía. Concerning students, a large amount of those who enroll in Spanish universities hold dual nationality as well: they do not need a visa, and universities do not count them as foreigners. A very conservative estimation would show around 300 filipinos study in Spain every year.If a student wants to take courses in Spanish, minimum level B2 is required. However, most universities offer 100% English programs. Since English is an official language in the Philippines, most Spanish universities will not require accreditation of the level of English. There are also bilingual programs (50% English, 50% Spanish). Universities offer one/two month inmersion programs for those interested in taking these courses.
Students are allowed to work part-time as long as their activity is compatible with their course of study. They should apply for a work authorization at the office for foreigners. There are large number of opportunities for part time jobs in the areas of language tutoring (English) as well as in hotel/restaurant services. Most universities show job offers through their offices for student information.
A Diploma from a Spanish University is automatically recognized by all countries included in the European Higher Education Area (49 so far). Due to the Agreement for recognition of studies between CHED and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, recognition in the Philippines is easy as well. Knowledge of Spanish will allow graduates to find a job in Latin American countries or in the US (where the number of Spanish speakers has reached 40 million)
Spanish universities produce top graduates in areas such as engineering, biochemistry, nanotechnology, medicine, nursing, Hotel Management, Tourism, Culinary Studies, Law, International Coperation and Development, Gender Studies and Business Administration.