A lot of times, people think that it is too expensive to venture off somewhere far away. At times, it is true, but with this program, they pay you! It is an incredible opportunity to live in a new country, to explore the city, culture, and traditions, and learn a new language. With this program, you will get paid between 700- 1000 euros a month for rent and food. This may not seem like a lot, but the cost of living in Spain is much cheaper than the United States.
I was able to find a room in a nice apartment with water, electricity, Wi-Fi, and all other utilities for only 350 euros a month. There are some that are also less expensive, but it depends on the location. Mine is in the capital of Sevilla. Also, the food is very affordable. A café con leche y tostada con queso (Coffee and cheese sandwich) can be as low as 3,75€. I can't even get a Starbucks drink for that low of a price, let alone a whole meal that keeps you full for five hours. That leaves you with around 350€ for food every month!
Now, obviously there will be some expenses and I have recorded everything as I began the application process all the way until I reached Sevilla (so this over a few months time span).
The visa application itself has a lot of steps and here are some of them and their costs:
Fingerprints for background check: $50
Physical by an MD: $87
-If you have medical insurance, you can get this done at your doctor's office. If not, I did it an urgent care called Concentra and that was how much it cost me.
Visa Application Fee: $160
- This needs to be done by money order, they do not accept cash or card. I got my money order from USPS.
Apostille: $26
Translation of Apostille: $74
-After getting the apostille, you need to get it translated. The translation cost was only $45, but due to COVID-19 and the mail system not being reliable, I decided to pay an additional $23 so that I can get it overnight. Also, the deadline for my application was approaching. I would be careful as who you chose to translate the document, because the Consulate General of Spain has specific ones they recommend. They need to be a "Sworn Spanish Translator." For me, I contacted Monica Fuente who had it done the next day and was so helpful.
Passport Photos: $6
- Make sure these are done within six months. I tried to submit the same ones I used the year before to study in Cordoba and they were not accepted. I got mine done at COSTCO.