Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel Documents
Getting There
AFS Orientations and Activities
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 15 years 0 months and 17 years 6 months old at the start of the program
- Have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
Program Description
As with all AFS high school programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family while attending a local host school. Learn about life in Spain.
Students are placed throughout Spain. Most placements (approx. 60%) are in urban areas. 30% are classified as suburban placements and the remaining 10% are rural.
Language
Spain is a multicultural and multilingual country and for this reason you will likely be placed in a region of Spain where Spanish is not the primary language. Depending on your placement, your host family and community may speak Catalan, Galician, Valencian or Basque. However, Spanish-language study is compulsory in all schools and many people are bilingual so you will still have the opportunity to practice your Spanish. But keep in mind that 70% of the students hosted in Spain are placed in bilingual communities where Catalan, Basque, Galician or Valencian is the primary language spoken in school and by your hostfamily.
The ability to speak these languages, or Spanish, is not a prerequisite for the program but we suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Vegetarians
Applicants who require a vegetarian diet will be difficult to place and may not be accepted.
Please carefully review the following Spain Placement Realities Statement (PDF).
Visa and Travel Documents
In order to participate in this program, you must have a U.S. passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay.
In addition to your passport, you will need a student visa to enter and reside in your host country.
The visa application process for Spain is detailed, time-consuming, and costly. It involves collecting a number of documents including a police background check, a statement of good health from your physician, and official academic transcripts from the last 4 years (transcripts must be notarized, officially translated, and legalized with apostilles), among other documents.
All Spain consulates require an in-person appointment in order to apply. Be prepared to travel to your regional consulate if necessary.
The current visa fee is $100, not including the cost of obtaining, translating, notarizing, and mailing the required documents, nor the cost of traveling to the consulate. Please note that these fees and requirements are determined by the consulates and are subject to change.
AFS USA will provide you with detailed visa application instructions in the months prior to your departure.
Getting There
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between New York and Madrid, the capital city of Spain. After you collect your luggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to the arrival orientation site in the outskirts of Madrid.
After the orientation, you and the other students placed in your region will travel by bus or train (or by plane, if you are hosted off the mainland) to your host community where you will be met by your host family.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Madrid. This will be a 1day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective.
Within the first 2 weeks, you will have another orientation, organized at the local level. This will last for 1-2 days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first weeks and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible.
You will also be offered a 1-2 day mid-stay orientation about halfway through your stay. Once again, this will be a time to meet with staff and volunteers, evaluate the first half of your experience, and gain more tips to aid your cultural adjustment.
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Spain. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.
