Hi Folks,

My son is late getting to Spain for a semester abroad because his student visa has not arrived yet. Are there options for obtaining it once you have entered Spain without a visa?  The program is only 3-1/2 months long.  What are the penalties/risks of being in the country without a visa?  Any bright ideas?
Thanks in advance for your help.

tony p,
My son applied for his barcelona student visa in san francisco the first week of july 2007..  His classes have started and free dorm room has 2 weeks gone now and still no visa.  He had to pay $300 for his ticket because he couldnt go yet.  We are waiting everyday now hoping something will happen, like his visa.  Its been the hardest on me, his mother.
I have tried to find another way but it seems we have to wait.
anyway good luck to your son and mine also.
G

Thanks for the encouragement; I am happy to say that Sandy’s visa arrived yesterday, and he will be leaving for Seville tomorrow.  I can certainly sympathize with you, knowing how anxious we have been.  One thing that may have helped was that we got the emergency contact number for the Consulate and called them every day to check on the status.  We also contacted the offices of our U.S. senators and representatives to ask them to inquire on our behalf.  Not sure if any of this helped, but good luck to your family too!

Tony Preiss