This guide is specifically designed for Profex applicants in the NALCAP program, but the information is useful for applicants of the auxiliary program through many other organizations.
You will be applying for a student visa. The requirements on the Montreal consulate page are correct. It is your responsibility to double check the webpage linked below when completing your application.
The consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Spain in Montreal includes the provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec (except Gatineau), and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Full Official Guide from NALCAP
(This is just general info. To get specifics, check the Montreal webpage below)
This page was last updated on June 21, 2025. Small changes to visa requirements can and do occur, so please double check everything on the official websites below.
Montreal Consulate Official List of Requirements
Montreal Consulate Contact Page
Fighting Bureaucracy – Home
My Journey to Residency
- Important Dates and Deadlines
- Criminal Record Check Timeline
Step 1: Fingerprints and Criminal Record Check
Step 2: Getting the Apostille
Step 3: Getting the Translation - Visa Application Form
- Photograph
- Passport
- Carta de Nombramiento + Proof of Financial Means
- Medical Certificate
- Proof of Residence in the Consular District
- Visa Application Payment
- Making an Appointment
- Collecting the Visa
Before submitting!!! (Check List)
Important Dates and Deadlines:
Program start: October 1st
Visa Processing Time: 3-6 weeks usually
Acceptance letter (Carta de Nombramiento): Around June
Suggested visa application dates: Immediately after receiving acceptance letter and before August 1st (There are often backlogs at consulates, so the earlier, the better.)
Expiration date of documents (the expiration date pertains to the date of your visa appointment):
Medical certificate – 3 months
Criminal record check – 6 months
Visa photograph – Recent (aim for 6 months or less)
Suggested start time: After you receive “Plaza Aceptada” status and after April 15th
In past years, the apostille has taken up to 3 months to process. START EARLY!
Once you have collected all the necessary documentation, you can attend an appointment for your visa application.*
*The application method can change throughout a year. Make sure to check the sources.
Your bottleneck will be the FBI background check. The FBI background check is only valid for 6 months, so after you start, the timer starts. If the document expires, you have to apply for a new one. All of the other documents can be collected in the meantime. I will give an organized timeline for the entire process.
I received my “plaza aceptada” status mid May, but you can start your background check earlier. (This will prevent you from encountering issues getting your documents on time, but with the risk of wasting your money if you aren’t accepted into the program or receive a very late placement)
Criminal Record Check Timeline
Fingerprints and Criminal Record Check
Getting the Apostille
Getting the Translation
Visa Application Form
Photograph
You need “a recent, passport-size, colour photograph, taken against a light background, facing forward, without dark or reflective glasses, or any garments concealing the oval of the face.”
I recommend paying for extra copies in case the original is damaged.
You can get this done at various pharmacies, retail stores, and select shipping centers: CVS, Wal-Mart, and FedEx (among many others). Don’t try to do it yourself. Just pay for the service because there are many requirements.
A simple mistake that really made my visa appointment stressful: I got my picture done at a supermarket. In my picture a few stray hairs went out of frame in the picture. This made the passport photo invalid, so I had to quickly get another one taken at the CVS across the street from the consulate during my visa appointment.
Passport
Carta de Nombramiento + Proof of Financial Means
Medical Certificate
Proof of Residence in the Consular District
Visa Application Payment
Making an Appointment
Collecting the Visa
Check List
Before sending your application, go through the entire check list (here)
“I did everything right, and I only suffered a lot. At least I have my visa.”
Jane Doe
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