Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleSpain eases visa rules for students affected by US restrictions, allowing them to study and work part-time in Spanish universities.
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain on Tuesday said it had approved expedited access to its universities for foreign students barred from entering the U.S. to study by President Donald Trump's administration.
Students who can't complete their studies in the United States due to visa suspensions will be able to switch to Spain instead, the Migration Ministry said in a statement. The visas will also allow the students to work part-time, the ministry said.
Trump has clashed with several top-level U.S. universities accusing them of becoming bastions of antisemitism after large-scale student protests advocating for Palestinian rights amid the Gaza war. In his clash with Harvard, he has frozen funding for investigations and threatened to remove its tax-exempt status, prompting several European nations, including Spain, to increase research grants to attract talent.
While Trump has sought to limit immigration into the U.S., Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is actively encouraging it, touting its economic benefits.
Spain ranks third among the top choices for students in the U.S. seeking to study abroad, behind the United Kingdom and Italy, according to the Open Doors website, and at least 20,000 apply for visas each year to pursue part of their academic studies in Spain.
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo and Corina Pons; editing by Charlie Devereux and Aurora Ellis)
Spain has approved expedited access to its universities for foreign students who have been barred from entering the U.S. due to visa suspensions.
Students unable to complete their studies in the U.S. can switch to Spain, where the new visa rules facilitate their entry into Spanish universities.
While the Trump administration sought to limit immigration, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain is actively encouraging it, highlighting its economic benefits.
Spain ranks third among the top choices for students in the U.S. seeking to study abroad, following the United Kingdom and Italy.
At least 20,000 students apply for visas to study in Spain each year, according to data from the Open Doors website.
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