I just finished renewing my residency permit, so I thought I’d share my experience with getting a bank certificate of deposit for my visa last year. I hope this helps future students coming to Spain. This part of the process was a real headache for me; there was so much conflicting information, and it took me several trips to the bank to finally get it right.
Deposit Amount and Duration
First, let’s talk about the most common question: money. How much do you need to deposit, and for how long? The official requirement is that the funds must cover all your study and living expenses for your first year in Spain. A safe standard, especially considering the possibility of a bank account freeze, is to calculate it based on the IPREM. The formula is roughly: 100% of the monthly IPREM for living expenses + monthly tuition fees. To put it simply, preparing a deposit of around 200,000 RMB is a safe bet. The funds should be frozen for at least 3 months; I’d recommend making sure the freeze period lasts until you receive your visa after submitting the application. And definitely avoid depositing a large lump sum right before applying, as this will look suspicious on your bank statements.
Which Bank to Choose?
As for which bank to choose, any of the major banks in China, like Bank of China, ICBC, or China Construction Bank, will work. I personally used Bank of China because they are experienced with international services, and the bilingual (Chinese-English) certificate of deposit they issue is in a standard format that Spanish embassies and consulates recognize. The most important thing is to clearly tell the bank teller that you need it for a student visa application. They’ll know the correct procedure and ensure all the necessary information is printed on the certificate.
Certificate of Deposit vs. Bank Statements
These are two different documents, but both are very important! It’s worth understanding the system, including things like Spanish deposit insurance.
- Certificate of Deposit: This is the document that shows your funds are frozen. It’s used to prove to the visa officer that you have a large, static sum of money that won’t be moved.
- Bank Statements: This is typically a printout of your last 6 months of account transactions. Its purpose is to show that the source of your funds is legitimate and not just borrowed for the visa application. Therefore, it’s best to maintain regular income and expenditure records in your account.
Here is a simple table to help you understand the difference:
| Item | Certificate of Deposit | Bank Statements |
|---|
| Purpose | Proves you have sufficient funds | Proves the legitimacy of the fund source |
| Format | A single certificate freezing funds | Transaction details for the last 6 months |
| Key Points | Sufficient amount, reasonable freeze period | Consistent transaction history, no large, sudden deposits/withdrawals |
A few final tips: it’s best to have the deposit in the applicant’s own name. If it’s in your parents’ names, you will need to provide extra notarized and authenticated documents proving your relationship, which is much more of a hassle (and you should also be mindful of the deposit limit). Also, make sure the Pinyin spelling of your name on all documents is exactly the same as on your passport! Attention to detail is key. I wish you all the best in getting your visas, and see you in Spain!
