Population: 46.7 million
Capital: Madrid
Demographics: Each region of Spain boasts its own unique ethnic heritage. Today, 88% of Spain's population was born in Spain, and 12% are foreign-born, especially from former Spanish colonies. Additionally, 68.5% of the population define themselves as Catholic, 26.4% as non-believers or atheists, and 2.6% as other religions.
Current political leader(s): Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (President of the Government), and King Felipe VI (The Crown)
Type of government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Regional Membership: Spain is part of the EU and the Schengen region (see more)
Currency: Euro
Common foods: seafoods, pinxos, paella, Iberic ham (jamon iberico)
Culture: Read more about the Spanish culture, including daily customs, traditions, and annual events.
Student Voices on Spanish Culture
The daily schedule was rather different and took a bit of getting used to, but it was interesting to live in a completely different mindset for a few months.
The emphasis that the Spanish put on their relationships with their family and friends is truly incredible. I also loved the relaxed and more laid back lifestyle they had.
I appreciated that you could start a conversation with anyone in the elevator in an apartment building or sitting on a park bench. Most people I encountered were open to communicate and friendly. They were not rushing from place to place. I also enjoyed the time spent at the dinner table talking after meals.
Communication is more direct, more passionate.
Castillian Spanish is the official language of Spain, with several other regional languages spoken by locals such as Catalan, Valenciano, Galician, and Basque.
Since Spain is a popular tourist destination in Europe, it is common for locals to speak English, especially in larger cities. Restaurants and hotels tend to be the most accommodating with language access.
Language learning prior to departure: As a University of Illinois student, you have access to library resources (such as Rosetta Stone and Libguides). You may also want to consider free sources, such as Duolingo to learn basic phrases, or to refresh your language skills prior to departure.
It is each students responsibility to independently verify the visa information below and ensure they apply and secure the appropriate documentation to travel and stay in their host country for the duration of their program.
Students studying in Spain for more than 90 days will require a visa. Programs less than 90 days do not require a visa.
Important notes about the process of obtaining a visa:
Students will need to travel to the Spanish Consulate in Chicago in order to apply in-person.
Schedule your appointment right away, even if you do not have all your documents together. Your appointment must be within 90 days before your program start date, but as far out as possible.
Visas can take up to 4-6 weeks for processing.
Be flexible on the appointment date, and make your appointment a priority.
To read more on passport and visa terminology see the Passports & Visas page on the Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange website.
Cell phones
Check with your service provider about purchasing an international plan. However, these can be expensive, and most have found getting a local Spanish number may be useful for safety and communications purposes.
Prepaid SIM cards might be the most useful option for longer stays and will be available for purchase once you arrive in Spain.
Most pay-as-you-go plans will have data options for internet use at various rates.
Reference mobile plans and providers in Spain.
Make sure you have the Duo Mobile app set up on your phone. If you get a new SIM card, use the passcode options instead of PUSH, or go to UI Verify website to enter your new phone information.
Internet
Internet infrastructure in Spain is widely available, and you will likely have internet access through your housing if you are staying in student dormitories, in an apartment, or with a host family.
Students will likely have WiFi or computer access provided by their respective host institutions for academic purposes on school grounds.
WiFi may not be available for free in as many locations as you may be accustomed to.
Electricity
An important distinction between a converter and adapter is that a converter converts the voltage, while an adapter makes your device fit into the local outlet.
Voltage is not the same as in the United States. For that reason, it is recommended that you do NOT bring appliances such as hair dryers or hair straighteners with you, unless you also purchase a voltage converter. Some host families have bathroom appliances for students to borrow during their homestay that have left from previous students. Cell phones and laptops will not need a voltage converter.
Spain uses type C and F outlets, so you will need a universal plug adapter. You can purchase one prior to arrival or after you arrive on-site. Below are pictures of the outlets in Spain.
Using Money Tips
Cash is the most common medium for in-person and smaller payments in restaurants, bars, shops, and among street vendors.
Credit and debit cards are acceptable for use during larger transactions, online payments, and group outings.
Unlike in the United States, it is highly uncommon, and sometimes considered rude, for a group to split a check. Before spending money, students should have more than one means of payment available, and communicate with their group members in regards to bill splitting outside after paying.
Major banks in Spain include, but are not limited to, Bankia, Santander, and Caixa. Ask your program directors in Spain for best bank recommendations in your city.
Banking Tips
If you plan to utilize a US credit or debit card while in Spain, be sure to notify your bank that you will be using it abroad and find out how much of an international surcharge will be added for each card swipe.
If the international ATM asks whether you want your currency converted into dollars, keep it in the local currency to prevent extra costs.
It is recommended that you travel to Spain with enough Euros to last you several days. It is not recommended to convert US dollars to Euros at the airport upon arrival because of high currency exchange fees.
Many US banks will allow you to exchange dollars for Euros in advance of your trip at little to no cost, but your local bank may need to order Euros in advance. Give yourself 2 weeks prior to departure to exchange currency
Student Voices on Money
If you plan to travel the majority of the weekends, you are bound to spend more than you expect.
Plan a budget. so important.
I knew I was planning on travelling but I only had a vague idea of how much I would spend, plus some spontaneous trips came up, so it is sometimes better to overestimate how much you will spend.
Something that helped me out a bit was finding the bank that charges the cheapest fee per transaction, and taking out a certain amount of cash for the next 2 weeks (at least). This limits your spending whenever one goes out to eat or for drinks.
Bring a couple hundred Euros cash, but then just use a debit card with low withdrawal fees to get cash if needed. You can use cards basically everywhere, but all students should get Venmo because you are always splitting costs with others.
Check to see your bank's rates for foreign transactions ahead of time, use ATMs with low/zero convenience fees. Otherwise some people withdrew a lot of cash, enough for the whole trip--I just didn't feel comfortable doing that.
I got a specific credit card that had no additional fees abroad. It was very helpful to use, especially with all of the online purchases (flights, hostels, excursions).
Get an AlsaPlus account for the buses so you can save money on trips in Spain when using the bus.
I personally thought i saved enough, which I did, but I didn't think I was going to spend as much as I did. I personally traveled every single weekend to different places, which adds up, and so does all of the housing and everything. I traveled solo for a bit, but I also traveled with friends which helped in terms of cost because we would split everything.
With my bank, I did not have to pay any ATM fees so I was able to take out cash whenever I needed. However, most people had to pay ATM fees so the best thing is to either bring a decent amount of Euros with you in the beginning, and then use your credit card for the majority of purchases, saving the cash you have for only when necessary.
Check if your bank has a global alliance so you can withdrawal money without a fee.
Get a travel credit card (like Chase Sapphire).
Geography
Spain is situated on the Iberic peninsula in the southwestern region of Europe, with land bordering Portugal, France, Morocco, Andorra, and Gibraltar
Climate
Spain is home to a Mediterranean climate, which cycles through hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
Temperatures in the peak summer season can reach up to 40+ degrees Celcius (100+ degrees Farenheit).
Packing
Some items to pack might include: sun protection items, long pants and/or dresses (adults usually do not wear shorts despite the hot weather), light or multi-layer jacket, and rain gear.
For more packing tips, visit the Pre-Departure Checklist page.
Traveling within Spain
Bus: Travelling within Spain is fairly accessible between cities primarily via bus. Alsa.es is an excellent website to purchase bus tickets between Spanish cities at an affordable price, and this bus service offers buses every hour to few hours, almost 24/7.
Metro & Taxi: Within a single city, it is common to travel via metro (and most affordable to get a multi-ride metro pass), as well as via city bus or taxi. Select cities utilize an app called "Quiero un Taxi" to call taxis from anywhere in the city using a smartphone, but the majority of cities in Spain will have a specific taxi hotline that you can use to order one.
Air: You may also consider the option of flying between smaller cities via small national airports, but national flights tend to be more expensive than bus tickets (despite saving travel time) for the same trip.
Ride Share: Another inexpensive ride sharing service similar to that of Uber and Lyft is BlaBlaCar, which can be utilized to travel between cities close to each other. This is typically not recommended for longer trips across the country or across an autonomous region.
Bikes: Larger cities in Spain will have a bike sharing system in place similar to that of Veoride at Illinois. You can download the app associated with said bike sharing service and use it as you would here on campus.
Flights
Large international airports: Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD), Barcelona Airport (BCN), Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), Malaga Airport (AGP)
Smaller national airport locations: Alicante, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Valencia, Sevilla, Bilbao, Tenerife, Granada, Almeria, etc.
Common domestic airlines: Iberia, Vueling, Air Europa, Ryanair, Norwegian, Volotea
Each student faces different barriers and unique challenges based on their identity. Note that how you identify in the United States may not be how you choose to identify abroad because of the local social culture. We encourage all students to reflect on the different aspects of their identity and consider how they may play a role in their study abroad experience. To help with this thought process:
Visit the State Department Webpage for Spain
Check out Diversity Abroad resources
Student Voices on Identity & Inclusion
Spain is very liberal. If you're LGBTQ+ , you'll have no problem in places like Barcelona and Madrid, Granada is a smaller town so they gay community is small.
I felt very safe. The only thing I would say is that gender roles are still kind of present and male entitlement is something that is still needing to be worked on in the country. As long as you are away of your surrounding, you will be fine.
Be open minded about how you will be treated. There are going to be people that will treat you differently based on how you look depending on what country you go to. But regarding diversity, I would say people in Europe are much more inclusive that in the US.
I come from a Korean background and many people would come up to me and speak other Asian languages which I did not understand. I was uncomfortable at first, but I did understand that they do not have lots of Asian people in their community, so I was a unique sight.
Be yourself. I'm Jewish, and I was definitely nervous my first time going to Spain, but honestly, not a single Spaniard I encountered had a problem with me. Be open, and realize that you probably will be asked questions, and sometimes stared at (but that happens to everyone... especially if they can tell you're American... Spaniards just stare a lot) but I felt that it's a pretty accepting country.
I am a bisexual woman and that was not the norm where I was. I did experience some homophobia which is something to be aware of but the overall program was still worth it.
I valued learning what it was like to be a minority. Both in looks and language. It gave me a perspective that is hard to come by in Wisconsin.
At first I didn't know how I was going to fit in because I am Mexican and my skin is darker, but I wasn't that bad. I love to smile, and when I go running or walking I would just smile at people, and they don't really smile back. But when I went to Southern Spain like Cadiz everyone would smile and say hi to me.
I felt the institution and city (Bilbao) was very open-minded. The school provided me with many resources upon request for local LGBTQ organizations.
The Illinois Safety & Security page gives important wellness tips, along with using your insurance and the emergency phone number. Be sure to become familiar with it.
Also, check out the U.S. Embassy page. and the Department of State website.
If your host provider or university doesn't automatically enroll you, consider enrolling yourself in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) with the U.S. Department of State. Registration in STEP will allow you to get alerts on the latest safety and security information. In addition, the information you provide enables the U.S. embassy or consulate to contact you in an emergency.