Welcome to Spain!
Spain has an impressive history. It is not just a European country occupying a good portion of the Iberian Peninsula. The fact that Spanish language is spoken worldwide gives some hints about the international past of the nation. Spanish people influenced heavily South America, so much that they exported their genes and their religion. But let’s focus on Spain, one of the two most attractive countries in the world for tourists along with Italy, according to a famous survey.
Spain offers a warm Mediterranean climate, good food and a vibrant social life. Day life is quite different from what you would expect from a European country because of the wrong time zone that Spain has. In the 40s Francisco Franco, in solidarity with Adolf Hitler, adopted the Central European Time zone, which is not the right one due to the western location of the country. Hence, be prepared to 10pm sunsets and late dinners. In Denmark it could happen to dine at 6pm, in Spain even at midnight!
That is great, however, if you love nightlife. Tourism to Spain is boosted because of this peculiarity. You could really live the night without worrying too much about the next morning, because activities start late. Having said that, Catholicism is quite popular in Spain, along with football, which is by far the most followed sport.
What are the best universities in Spain for semester students?
Are you still undecided whether or not Spain might be an appealing destination for you? On wearefreemovers you can find a selection of 16 academic institutions offering you the possibility of spending a semester or a full academic year in Spain. Let’s check some statistics about them.
Here you can see the positions of the Spanish institutions among the world’s best universities rankings.
| NAME | QS | THE | ARWU | CWUR | CWTS | Eduniversal palmes | U.S. News & World Report's Best Global Universities Rankings | Webometrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona | 287 | 152 | 301-400 | 393 | 834 | 3 | 180 | 257 |
| Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona - Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies | 287 | 152 | 301-400 | 393 | 834 | 3 | 180 | 257 |
| Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Master level) | 311 | 801–1000 | 901-1000 | 807 | 748 | 4 | 756 | 460 |
| Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Undergraduate level) | 311 | 801–1000 | 901-1000 | 807 | 748 | 4 | 756 | 460 |
| Autonomous University of Madrid | 200 | 301–350 | 301-400 | 280 | 322 | - | 188 | 213 |
| Universitat de Barcelona | 183 | 198 | 151-200 | 133 | 170 | 2 | 90 | 93 |
| IE University (Undergraduate level) | 327 | - | - | 1756 | - | 5 | - | - |
| Universidad de Granada | 501-510 | 601–800 | 201-300 | 333 | 278 | - | 295 | 173 |
| Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | 451 | 801–1000 | 501-600 | 534 | 425 | - | - | 270 |
| University of Deusto - Bilbao Campus | - | 601–800 | - | - | - | 4 | - | - |
| University of Deusto - San Sebastian Campus | - | 601–800 | - | - | - | 4 | - | - |
| Universidad Pontificia Comillas - Faculty of Law | 651-700 | - | - | 1540 | - | 3 | - | - |
| HTSI - School of Tourism & Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi (Undergraduate level) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Universidad de Alicante (EU students) | 801-1000 | 1001+ | 601-700 | 842 | 697 | - | 994 | 501 |
| Universidad de Alicante (non-EU students) | 801-1000 | 1001+ | 601-700 | 842 | 697 | - | 994 | 501 |
| Universidad de Malaga | - | 1001+ | 701-800 | 670 | 639 | - | 864 | 401 |
| Universidad Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | - | 801–1000 | 801-900 | 1141 | 1052 | - | 1167 | 804 |
| Universidad Rey Juan Carlos | 1001+ | 1001+ | 901-1000 | 975 | 1001 | - | 1089 | 742 |
| Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (Education, Dentistry, Medicine, Physiotherapy, Nursing) | - | 601–800 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (Humanities, Business Administration and Management, Law, Communication Sciences, School of Architecture) | - | 601–800 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| University of Oviedo | 801-1000 | 801–1000 | 401-500 | 483 | 517 | - | 543 | 435 |
Spanish universities enjoy favorable mentions among the world’s most renown universities rankings. Excluding HTSI – School of Tourism & Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi, which could be considered a niche institution, all the other ones are mentioned in at least one of the rankings chosen by wearefreemovers. There seem to be no outliers, with every member of the list having a nice level of international recognition. For sure you have an ample choice, and Spain is a great country too!
Costs and fees
Spain is an affordable country. Monthly costs of living for a single person are close to 600€. Keep in mind that, as a student, you could have access to various discounts which can include food, travel, and accommodation expenses.
When it comes to university’s fees, Spain is not that expensive, with a median 3250€/semester for free mover students.
How can I get a Spanish visa as a free mover?
You should first get a health insurance that is visa-compliant. We suggest Adlesas, as it is the number one provider in Spain, and has good ties with wearefreemovers
Which Spanish cities are available to free movers?
Currently there are many cities that accept free movers in Spain. Have you ever dreamt of studying in Barcelona or any other city in Spain? Here you can find institutions divided by city:
