Visa Information and Entry/Exit System (EES)

Documents you need to travel in Europe

  • All student visas should be taken care of with the BUSA office / Spanish consulate in Boston prior to departure for Madrid. The BU Madrid office is not able to assist students with any visa issues that arise while in Spain.

  • Students must arrive in Spain with the appropriate visa. Students who arrive without a valid visa will not be permitted to attend classes until proper immigration status has been secured.

    • U.S. citizens may remain in Spain (or the Schengen Area) for up to 90 days without a visa; remaining beyond this period is illegal and requires departure from the Schengen Area.

  • Students who do not have American or EU passports and want to travel outside the Schengen zone must check the entry requirements of their destination country.
  • Students with EU passports must obtain a Certificate of Registration as a European Union Citizen within three months from the date of entry into Spain.
    This document certifies the registration in the Central Register of Foreigners of citizens of a European Union Member State to reside in Spain for more than 3 months.

Entry/Exit System (EES)

The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of many of the European countries using the system.

  • For the purpose of the EES, ‘non-EU national’ means a traveller not holding the nationality of any European Union country or the nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.
  • ‘Short stay’ means up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This period is calculated as a single period for all the European countries using the EES.
  • If you arrive at a border crossing point for the first time since the EES started,

For more information: Entry/Exit System (EES)