Q: Will I get a dedicated counselor for the entire application and visa process?
A: Yes. Once you sign up with Focus Education, you will be assigned a dedicated counselor who will guide you through the entire process.

Q: Does Focus Education have any special relationship with Irish institutions?
A: Yes. Focus Education has relationships with a number of Spanish institutions, giving you the benefit of improved turnaround times for application processing and assessment.

Q: How will Focus Education help me?
A: Focus Education has been sending students to Ireland and other countries for the last 5 years. Focus Education has trained counselors who have got experience and expertise to assist students. We provide you with:

• professional counseling and information on various courses and institutions
• Application Forms - Brochures - Guides etc.
• Admission Assistance
• Visa Counseling
• Travel and accommodation arrangement
• Procuring Residential Facilities
• Student Loan

Q: What are the housing options available?
A: Officially there are only three categories of accommodations in Spain-- hoteles (hotels), pensiones and hostales. In fact, rooming establishments go by a variety of names. Some of the name differences are due to regional regulation and custom.
Pensiones - A well-used rooms, no-air conditioning, shared bathroom. Guest rooms may be small, have a sink but lack a towel, and they don't take credit cards. Most likely staff will not speak much English. Never the less, I have been told some very nice, economical, pensions do exist in Spain, you will likely find them outside of Madrid and Barcelona. You can find pensiones for one person as low as 15 € per night during the off season. A couple during high season can pay 40 € or more. Pensiones and hostals are often only around the corner from more expensive hotels.
Hostels- Generally known as youth hostels but families can often stay too.
Hostales - Generally have nicer rooms than the pensiones. Some hostales are very nice (One of Spain's best hotels, the Parador of Santiago de Compostela is actually called the Hostal de Dos Reis Catolicos.) and like pensiones are usually family owned. Some hostales have private baths, generally with towels but no washcloths; a few have air-conditioning. You are more likely to find staff that speaks English at a hostal than a pension.
When traveling alone, I generally tried to find hostales to spend the night. Rates run from 12 € to 120 + euros, depending on quality. You are more likely to find nice hostales, at a reasonable cost, in the smaller cities.
Note: Many Hostales and Pensiones lock their doors at night and lack room locks that automatically unlock from the inside.
Hostales Residencia -Basically same as above. I have heard two explanations for the "residencia" label; Explanation No. 1, a hostal that doesn't have a restaurant. Explanation No. 2 and the one that makes the most sense to me, the hostal is promoting long-term renting of the rooms.
Hoteles - (Hotels) All rooms generally have private bathrooms, can be very luxurious, and most have air-conditioning--a must for summer traveling.
Paradores de turismo - a state-run chain of high-class hotels, converted mansions, castles, monasteries and palaces. Price approx. 75 € and up. To include one of these in your visit, do make reservations early; it is not unusual for paradores to be booked up 6 months in advance.

Q: What do I need to be able to study in Spain?
A: A passport, which complies with official regulations, signed and valid for at least six months.
A visa. You can apply for a student visa at the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in your country.
If you want to study in an official, certified program at a Spanish university leading to a degree, you must have documentation of your academic qualifications officially recognized in Spain. These documents are not required for Spanish language and culture courses or for any program not leading to a university degree.

Q: Do I need a high level of Spanish to study at a Spanish university?
A:Yes, in most universities you will have to take a test to confirm your linguistic ability. Universities may also consider the student's résumé to verify your ability.

Q: What other requirements are needed to study at a Spanish university?
A: If you have not studied at a university, you must submit the relevant documentation to the Ministry of Education in Spain to confirm your secondary education. All the documents that you submit must be official and issued by the appropriate authorities in accordance with the legal regulations of your country. If you are from a country which has signed the "Hague Convention", a document which has been certified with a conformant "apostille" will be accepted for legal use. If you are from a Member State of the European Union or a country which has signed the "European Economic Area Agreement", you will not be required to provide any such form. For every other country, documents must be legalized through diplomatic channels. The confirmation of these entrance requirements is carried out by the "Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia", (UNED).

Furthermore, if you are coming from a country which is not one of the Member States of the European Union or does not have a bilateral agreement with Spain in terms of education, you will have to pass a series of aptitude tests to be able to study at a university in Spain. These are called "Pruebas de Aptitud para el Acceso a la Universidad (PAU)”. There are specific entrance exams for foreign students, organized by the UNED. If you have already studied at a university in your own country and you wish to continue your studies in Spain, you must apply for a partial validation for the part of your degree you have taken so far.

Q: How long does the process of authorizing and validating of my studies in Spain take?
A:Approximately three months from the time you apply to the final decision.

Q: What requirements do I need to be able to do a Masters in a Spanish university?
A:You must have a university degree and in some cases, you will need to authorize it with the equivalent Spanish degree through the "Ministry of Science and Innovation".

Q: How long does it take to study for an Undergraduate Degree and for a Masters in Spain?
A:It takes 4 or 5 years to study for an Undergraduate Degree and from 7 months to 2 years to study for a Masters.

Q: If I satisfy the entrance requirements for a Spanish university, can I enroll in any degree course through Focus?
A:Not in all cases. Each university has its own entrance requirements and limited quotas for admissions of foreign students.

Q: How much does it cost to do a Degree or a Masters in Spain?
A: A Degree at a public university costs, on average, 1,000 euros per academic year.
A Degree at a private university costs, on average, 6,300 euros per academic year.
A Masters costs from 4,000 to 30,000 euros, depending on where you study, for how long you study etc.

Q: Is it possible to get a grant for my studies?
A:Although it is not impossible, a grant is very difficult to get.

Q: What will the weather be like?
A:Mainland Spain is the second highest country in Europe and experiences three climatic types: continental (temperate clear, hot summers; cold winters), maritime (more moderate cloudy summers; cool partly cloudy winters along the coast) and Mediterranean (hot, dry summers; cool, wet winters). Droughts can be an issue for Spain.

Q: What is the currency in Spain?
A: The currency in Spain is the euro. Please review the current exchange rate for the euro.
Tipping: Round up the bill in restaurants. Tip taxi drivers 10% of the fare.

Q: How to obtain a grant to study in Spain?
A: As a foreign student, you are entitled to apply for certain kinds of grants to study in Spain. Here we give you information on some of the programmes that may be of interest to you. When seeking a grant to study in Spain, remember that there are a wide variety of institutions that offer financial assistance for studying. Some of these are reserved for foreigners residing legally in Spain (this is the case of most of the grants awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport: http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/catalogo-servicios/becas-ayudas-subvenciones/para-estudiar/universidad.html. In any event, remember always to check the requirements for each one). A good option if you're planning to come and study in Spain is to look into the MAEC-AECID grants for foreigners offered by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (a part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation). 

Q: How or where do I change money?
A: Exchanging money is a very simple process. You just take your cash to cash exchange point and they will calculate the exchange rate and make the exchange which generally takes less than five minutes. You can use small private companies, American Express, or banks. Exchange rates do vary so it may be best to look around before you exchange large amounts of money. Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) can be found all over Barcelona and usually give the best exchange rates and most of them accept cards from around the world.

Q: Can I apply for permanent residence?
A: Yes

Q: Will Focus Education help me with pre-departure formalities?
A: Yes. Focus Education will organize a pre-departure orientation program which will help you in your transition to life as a student in the Spain. The program will address topics ranging from cross-cultural issues to ticketing, medical insurance, foreign exchange rates, documents you should take with your while traveling to the Spain, arriving to college or university, orientation at college or university, insurance policy, airport pick-up and accommodation booking, etc.

Q: What are the tuition fees?
A:Fees for tuition at public universities are set by education bodies at a regional level, so these vary around the country.

• In all areas, however, the costs are much lower than in the UK, ranging from about £400 to £1,000 per year. Private universities are much more expensive.
• There are very few scholarship opportunities for foreign students in Spain, and a database of those available can be found at Universidad.es. Student loans are generally not available to international students who’ve moved to the country to study.
• Many students work part-time while studying and no extra permission is needed to do so, but it will be harder to find work if you don’t have adequate Spanish skills.
• Universities usually offer some accommodation, either on or off campus, and some also help arrange homestays with local families for students wishing to improve their language skills. Flat-sharing is also common among students and many stay in hostels or use sofa-surfing sites when they first arrive in Spain and then seek more permanent housing.

Q: What is the living cost?
A: The cost of living in Spain varies greatly by area, with the cost being much higher in the urban centres (e.g., Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona) than in the rural Spanish villages and towns. Living costs for a student could range from €850–€1,300 per month for food, accommodation, and other general living expenses. Of course, living costs also vary depending on individual students’ lifestyle choices, the type of accommodation, and area in which they live. These costs do not include tuition fees. To obtain costs of tuition, students must contact the actual institution they are planning to attend.
The cost of consumer goods and services in Spain is below average in comparison with other European countries. As a guide, average costs include:

• One litre of milk: £0.86
• A pint of local beer: £2.50-£4
• Single bus fare: £1.20
• A can of coke: £0.43
• A coffee and a pastry for breakfast: £1.60
• Inexpensive meal in a restaurant (without wine): £10

Q: What is the process for applying for a student visa?
A: While most student visa requirements are similar from consulate to consulate, the student must check their consulate's website for the exact requirements. All students intending to study in Spain for more than 180 days will be required to obtain a "Certification of absence of police records." Students have one of two options for fulfilling this requirement:

1. Submit a state-issued Criminal Background Check from the state of residence (students should perform an online search of “Criminal Background Check” with their state of residence to get instructions on how to obtain the Background Check). The state Criminal Background Check must also be verified with an Apostille from the Secretary of State's office of the issuing state.
2. Submit the FBI Background Check. FBI Background checks can take 8-10 weeks to be processed and returned to students, so early submission is essential.

Q: What are the requirements to obtain a student visa?
A: While most student visa requirements are similar from consulate to consulate, the student must check their consulate's website for the exact requirements.

Q: Is batch processing (a single institution submits visa applications on behalf of its students) possible?
A: At this time, it is possible to submit student visa applications in a batch process at all of the Spanish Consulates in the United States. However, since regulations are constantly changing, we encourage you to check with your consulate prior to making the decision of doing batch processing.

Q: Does a student have to appear in person at the consulate to obtain a student visa?
A: At this time, all Spanish Consulates allow for study abroad advisers, parents, and/or custodians to apply on behalf of the student as long as certain requirements are met. Each consulate may have its own requirements for this process so students are encouraged to check their consulate's website for specific information. In addition, the consulate may deny the request for someone else to apply in the student's behalf. Therefore, the possibility of a personal appearance by the student at any consulate may still be required.

Q: Does the student have to complete any additional procedures once overseas?
A: Students who are studying in Spain for more than 180 days will be given a 90-day student visa to enter Spain. Once in Spain, the student must go to the nearest police station and “exchange” their 90-day visa for a residency permit. Please note that this does not apply for students studying in Spain for less than 180 days.

Q: How long does a student visa take and when should my student apply?
A: The websites of the Spanish Consulates in the U.S. state that processing a student visa could take up to two months. Since the student can apply for a visa up to three months before their departure date, we recommend applying for a visa as soon as they can, without exceeding the three-month rule.

Q: Can a student obtain a student visa once overseas?
A: At this time, all students engaged in a course of study lasting more than 90 days must obtain a student visa prior to entering Spain. Visas are not awarded once the student is in Spain.

Q: Can a student extend his/her visa in country (for a second semester, for example)?
A: Unfortunately, at this time, students going to Spain cannot change their visas once they're abroad. Therefore, the student must return to the United States (although he/she may be allowed to go to another country outside of the Schengen area) and renew his/her visa. In general, and depending on the Consulate, students may submit a visa application from abroad to the appropriate Consulate. However, in some cases, students may be required to appear in person in order to retrieve their visas. Please contact your Consulate for more information.

Q: Can foreign students work in Spain?
A: Basically, foreign students cannot carry out any profitable activity, but it will be allowed if it does not limit the studying aims.