Ah, the Visa. I would definitely recommend getting on top of this as soon as possible as there are a lot of documents to get ready and the postal system isn't always the quickest.
I applied for the 180-day National Visa as a student doing an internship for the Ministry of Education.
To apply for the Visa, you have to send your documents to your local Embassy/Consulate. These documents are: photocopy of proof of residence, acceptance letter from school, photocopy of AND original passport, application form AND photocopy (both with glued-on passport-style photos), and a money order of $620 (I didn't know what a money order was, but it's essentially a check that you make at the post office).
I posted my application to the Spanish Consulate in Melbourne, from Melbourne, on the 11th of October and it was received on the 26th of October. I was asked to provide paid bookings of my first night in Spain as well as my flights in and out of the Schengen Area, as well as proof of funds for 'set up costs' (it was never specified how much they were looking for, however, they were happy with my bank statement).
My Visa was approved on the 4th of November and I was then asked to post a self-addressed envelope to the consulate for them to mail my passport back to me. I'll be honest, I can't remember exactly when it arrived in the mail, but it wasn't more than 2 weeks. Make sure you check the Visa page in your passport for the Número de Identidad Extranjero (NIE) (your Spanish ID number). If the Embassy/Consulate didn't issue you with one, then you'll have to do a seperate application form requesting the NIE.
Notes:
- I was very nervous about sending my actual passport in the mail, so I made sure to purchase registered post.
- Although I had to book a flight out of the Schengen Area, I booked one from Madrid to Edinburgh so I could still stay in the EU on a 90-day tourist Visa after my time in Spain comes to an end.
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