MAEC-AECID, Fundación Carolina, La Caixa, and Erasmus+ are four distinct Spanish scholarship systems funding students from different regions and fields. Here is what each covers and how to apply correctly.

 

Spain Has Four Different Scholarship Sources Funding Thousands of International Students Every Year. Here Is How Each One Works

Spain is the third most popular study destination in the world, and yet it consistently gets less scholarship coverage than Germany, the UK, or the US in the places most international students look for information. That gap is partly because Spanish scholarships are spread across four genuinely different systems: the Spanish government, the EU through Erasmus+, private foundations, and individual universities. Each source operates independently with its own eligibility rules, application portals, timelines, and coverage. Knowing they exist is not enough. You need to understand which one is built for someone in your specific situation.

This guide covers the four main scholarship systems for international students in Spain in 2026, along with the student visa requirements for non-EU applicants who secure a place and need to live legally in Spain for their studies.

Why Study in Spain

Before getting into the scholarships, a quick note on why the numbers make sense. Public universities in Spain charge significantly less than comparable institutions in the UK, US, or Australia. Bachelor’s programs at public universities typically run between 900 and 2,500 euros per year, while master’s programs sit between 1,500 and 5,000 euros. Private universities cost considerably more, ranging from 6,000 to 20,000 euros annually, but even private options are often cheaper than equivalent programs elsewhere.

Spain is also home to genuinely strong academic institutions. IESE Business School in Barcelona ranked fourth in the 2026 Financial Times Global MBA Ranking, and Esade Business School appears in the top ten of the same ranking. IE Business School and ESCP Business School both operate campuses in Madrid. Beyond business, Spanish universities across engineering, humanities, medicine, and architecture have long-established international reputations.

The added dimension is lifestyle and language. Spain offers an extraordinarily rich cultural environment, a Mediterranean climate, and a student life that is harder to replicate in colder, more expensive northern European alternatives. For graduates who want their degree to include both an internationally recognized credential and a genuine international living experience, Spain consistently delivers on both.

The MAEC-AECID Scholarship: Spain’s Government Program for Students From Developing Countries

The Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación and the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo, known together as MAEC-AECID, runs Spain’s main government scholarship program for international students from developing countries. This is the closest thing Spain has to a flagship national scholarship for applicants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The MAEC-AECID scholarship covers tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, and health insurance for the duration of the program. It is specifically aimed at postgraduate and research-level applicants rather than undergraduates, and the eligible fields tend to align with development priorities including public administration, international relations, health, agriculture, environment, and technology.

Approximately 250 scholarships are awarded annually through this program. That number is not large, which is part of why the scheme receives less mainstream attention than the size of its benefits might suggest. But the competition is also less overwhelming than programs that attract thousands of applicants from across the world, and applicants whose profiles genuinely match the development-focused criteria stand a real chance.

Applications typically open in January for entry the following September, with a deadline in March or April. Results are announced between June and July. All applications go through the AECID online portal directly. The official scholarship information and application link is available at aecid.es.

One important note for applicants: Spain’s official government scholarship page for international students, where AECID programs are listed alongside other Spanish government funding, is becaseducacion.gob.es. If your search brings you to a third-party site instead of either of those two official domains, verify the information independently before submitting anything.

Fundación Carolina: The Scholarship Designed Specifically for Latin America

Fundación Carolina exists specifically to strengthen educational and cultural ties between Spain and Latin America. If you are from a Latin American country, this is the program most directly built for your situation.

The foundation awards approximately 500 scholarships per year and funds postgraduate study at Spanish universities across a wide range of fields. Coverage typically includes tuition fees and a living stipend, though the exact package varies by the specific program and partnership in a given year.

Unlike MAEC-AECID which spans multiple regions, Carolina is explicitly Latin America focused, which makes the competition more targeted. Brazilian applicants, in particular, should note that Portugal and Brazil’s historical relationship means competition from Brazil for Spanish scholarships can sometimes be routed toward Portuguese institutions instead, but Fundación Carolina remains a primary route specifically for Spanish universities.

The application process runs through the Fundación Carolina portal, and deadlines vary by scholarship category within the program. The foundation runs multiple calls throughout the year, some open only to nationals of specific countries and some broader across the region. Applications that are strongest tend to come from candidates who have a clear research or professional development goal, a genuine connection to their country’s needs or development priorities, and a well-structured motivation statement that goes beyond a generic desire to study abroad.

For the 2026 cycle and current application status: carolinafoundation.com

La Caixa Foundation Scholarships: For Postgraduate Students at Spanish Research Centers

The Fundación La Caixa, one of Spain’s largest private foundations, runs a postgraduate fellowship program that differs from the government and Carolina programs in both structure and target.

La Caixa specifically funds doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers at Spanish universities and research centers, along with a smaller program that sends Spanish students to study abroad at leading international institutions. For incoming international applicants, the relevant track is the 35 doctoral fellowships offered annually for international students to pursue PhD research at Spanish institutions affiliated with the La Caixa network.

Coverage is generous by private scholarship standards. Fellows receive a monthly allowance for ten months of the academic year, an initial one-off payment to cover computer equipment and academic materials, and in some cases research travel funding. Exact allowance amounts are confirmed each cycle on the foundation’s website.

The La Caixa scholarships are highly competitive and weighted heavily toward academic excellence and research potential. A strong academic track record, a clearly defined research proposal, and supervisor or institutional backing from a qualifying Spanish research center all contribute to a successful application. The program is not suitable for students looking for a scholarship to fund a general master’s degree with no research focus.

Official program information and applications: fundacionlacaixa.org

Erasmus+: For Students Already Enrolled at Partner Universities

Erasmus+ works completely differently from the three programs above. It does not accept applications directly from individual students regardless of where they are from. Instead, it funds study mobility for students at universities that have bilateral Erasmus+ agreements with Spanish host institutions.

In practical terms, this means you can only access Erasmus+ funding if you are already enrolled at a university in an EU country, an EEA country, or a country that participates in Erasmus+ as a partner nation, and if your home university has a valid exchange agreement with a Spanish university in your specific field. If both conditions are true, your home institution’s international office nominates you for the exchange, and the Spanish host university confirms your acceptance.

Monthly Erasmus+ grants for study in Spain typically range from 300 to 450 euros per month, depending on the cost-of-living difference between your home country and Spain. Students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds can receive a top-up of 150 to 250 euros per month on top of the standard grant. Crucially, you do not pay tuition at the Spanish host university during your exchange period. You continue paying your home institution’s standard fees, and the Spanish university waives its fees for Erasmus+ incoming students.

For most applicants outside Europe, Erasmus+ is not directly accessible without already being enrolled at a qualifying university. However, students at African or Asian universities that have negotiated Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility agreements with Spanish institutions may also be eligible for funded exchange under the International strand of the program. Check with your home institution’s international office to find out whether your university has active Erasmus+ agreements with Spanish partners.

Deadlines for Erasmus+ nominations vary by home institution, but are typically February to April for entry in the following September. All applications go through your home university’s international office rather than directly to the Spanish institution.

University-Level Scholarships: The Option That Varies Most

Beyond the four main systems above, Spanish universities offer their own institution-specific scholarships ranging from full tuition waivers for exceptional applicants to partial fee discounts based on academic merit or financial need. The University of Salamanca, the University of Barcelona, the University of Madrid, and the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya all run their own international student scholarship programs with varying coverage levels.

For applicants who do not fit the profile for the four main programs above, researching the specific scholarship offerings of your target university in Spain directly is genuinely worth doing, since these institutional awards sometimes have lower competition than national-level programs and are often based on the same academic application materials you are already preparing.

SEPIE, Spain’s Service for the Internationalisation of Education, maintains a central resource for scholarship information across multiple Spanish programs. Their website at sepie.es is one of the more reliable aggregators for checking what is currently available across different funding sources.

The Student Visa Process for Non-EU Applicants

If you are not an EU or EEA national and your study program lasts longer than three months, you need a Spanish student visa before traveling. Here is how it works and what you need.

You apply at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence, not through any online portal. The application must be submitted in person, and Spanish consulates typically recommend applying eight to twelve weeks before your intended course start date since processing can take four to eight weeks in some cases.

For the student visa application you generally need your passport with at least one year of validity beyond your intended stay, a completed and signed visa application form, two recent passport-sized photographs on a white background, your official admission letter from the Spanish university confirming your enrollment, proof of financial means covering approximately 700 to 850 euros per month for the duration of your stay or a scholarship letter that demonstrates this funding is covered, private health insurance specifically valid in Spain with coverage of at least 30,000 euros for the full stay, and your academic certificates and transcripts with certified Spanish or English translation. For programs taught in Spanish, proof of Spanish language proficiency at B2 or C1 level is typically required. For English-medium programs, IELTS or TOEFL scores are the standard requirement.

For stays longer than six months, you will also need a medical certificate confirming you do not have any condition that could cause significant public health consequences, and a criminal record check certificate from your country of residence.

The visa fee for most non-EU and non-EEA applicants sits between 60 and 140 euros, though US applicants pay approximately 145 euros, UK applicants pay around 395 euros, and Canadian applicants approximately 95 euros.

After arriving in Spain, if your visa does not already function as a residence permit, you need to register for a Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero within the first 30 days. You also need to complete padrón registration with your local municipality, which serves as your official address record and enables you to access local services. International students in Spain are permitted to work part-time during their studies, though the specific number of hours allowed is defined in your visa conditions.

Planning Your Application Calendar

For the 2026 to 2027 academic year, here is roughly when to act. Research scholarships and universities from now. Prepare your documents including transcripts, language proficiency evidence, motivation letter, CV, and recommendation letters. Most Spanish scholarship calls for September 2026 entry are either already closed or closing very soon, which means the current focus for most readers should be on building toward the 2027 intake starting in October 2026.

For the 2027 intake: AECID typically opens in January 2027, Fundación Carolina runs multiple calls throughout the year starting from October 2026, La Caixa doctoral fellowships open on a separate annual cycle, and university-specific scholarship applications often follow the general admission calendar with April to June deadlines for September 2027 entry.

Final Word

Spain is not a country where one single scholarship covers everything for everyone. The funding landscape is genuinely spread across government, foundations, European institutions, and individual universities, and the right door depends entirely on your region of origin, your level of study, and your academic field. What Spain does offer, once you navigate to the right program, is a combination of genuine funding support, world-class institutions, and a living experience that justifies the effort of the application. Find your program, find your scholarship source, and start your preparation at least six to eight months before any deadline you are targeting.