Before you book

Which visa do you need?

A starting point for your research, country by country, for the nine destinations where we work with schools. Which permission you need depends on your passport, the destination, how long you study and the type of course. Every route here links the official page where you confirm it.

Start here, decide on the official site

This page is a starting point for your research, not the answer. Immigration rules, fees and financial thresholds change frequently and without notice, and they differ by consulate and by your nationality. Nothing here is legal or immigration advice, and some of it may already be out of date. Every route below links the official page it comes from: read this to know what to look for, then confirm every number and requirement on that official site and with the consulate that covers where you live.

What changes the answer

Before you compare paperwork, look at four things: your passport, the destination, how long you will study and the type of course. Short courses can often be done on a visitor route, which is cheaper and faster but never allows work. Longer courses normally need a study permission. The right to work varies by country, by course and by the visa granted, and it is never something to assume: the same course length can mean different documents for different nationalities.

United States

Big change to the F-1 from 15 September 2026

DHS published a final rule on 17 July 2026 that ends Duration of Status for F-1 students. It takes effect on 15 September 2026, so it is not in force yet. From that date, instead of staying as long as you remain enrolled, you are admitted for a fixed period: the length of the programme on your Form I-20, up to four years, plus a 30-day grace period. Staying longer will require an extension of stay filed with USCIS, with biometrics, rather than just an updated I-20. If your course starts near that date, check the rule before you apply.

Federal Register

Depends on your nationality

Chile is the only Latin American country in the US visa waiver programme: Chilean passport holders travel on an ESTA and need no visa for a short trip. Every other nationality in the region needs a visa, and most applicants need an interview at the consulate.

Your course

Short course, recreational and incidental to the trip

Route: B-1/B-2 visitor visa, or ESTA for Chilean passports
Cost: US$185 for the B-1/B-2. With ESTA, check the current fee
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: Visitor status only covers study that is short, recreational and incidental to the visit, and that earns no credit. There is no hours-per-week test that makes it automatic: if the main purpose of your trip is to study full time, the F-1 route is the correct one, whatever the timetable says. A visitor visa is often already issued for 10 years, so many students already hold one.

Confirm this route: travel.state.gov, visitor visa

Your course

Full-time study, including language schools

Route: F-1 student visa
Cost: US$185 visa fee + US$350 I-901 SEVIS fee
Work: On-campus work may be possible, up to 20 hours a week

What it asks for: Acceptance at an SEVP-certified school, which issues Form I-20, the I-901 SEVIS fee paid before the interview, proof you can cover a full year of tuition and living costs, and ties that show you will return home. On-campus work is a possibility the visa allows, not a job you are guaranteed, and at a language school the openings can be few: do not budget on it.

Confirm this route: ICE, I-901 SEVIS fee

Worth knowing

Book the interview as early as you can, because waits in Latin America can reach months between May and August. Keep your money in accounts you have held for a while: large sudden deposits raise questions. Confirm the school is SEVP-certified before paying anything.

Official source: travel.state.gov

United Kingdom

The 20-hour rule does not apply to language schools

You will read everywhere that a UK Student visa lets you work 20 hours a week. That limit is for degree-level courses at a qualifying higher education provider. Below degree level the limit is normally 10 hours a week, and on other study routes there is no right to work at all. An English course is not a degree, so do not plan your budget around 20 hours. Check the exact conditions printed on your own visa.

GOV.UK, work conditions

Depends on your nationality

Since 25 February 2026 most of Latin America travels to the UK on an Electronic Travel Authorisation instead of a visa. Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize and Guyana are among the eligible passports: the ETA costs £20, lasts two years and covers multiple trips. If your passport is not on the list, you apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead. Check the official list before assuming either way.

Your course

Up to 6 months

Route: ETA, or Standard Visitor visa where required
Cost: From £20 (ETA) or £135 (Standard Visitor)
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: The ETA is applied for online and usually decided quickly. If your passport needs the Standard Visitor visa instead, it is applied for online with the study purpose selected, then biometrics at a visa centre, with decisions usually in about three weeks. Either way the course must be at an accredited institution, and neither route can be extended.

Confirm this route: GOV.UK, ETA

Your course

English course of 6 to 11 months

Route: Short-term Study visa
Cost: From £228, plus the healthcare surcharge where it applies
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: This route exists specifically for English courses longer than six and up to eleven months. It covers the course plus 30 extra days. It cannot be extended and you cannot switch to the Student visa from inside the UK: you would have to go home and apply again.

Confirm this route: GOV.UK, study English

Your course

Over 11 months

Route: Student visa, only if the course and sponsor qualify
Cost: From £558 + health surcharge, normally £776 a year
Work: Not automatic, see conditions

What it asks for: A CAS reference from a licensed student sponsor, which not every language school is, plus maintenance funds held in the account for 28 days in a row before you apply. Before you plan on this route, confirm with the school that it is a licensed sponsor and that your course is eligible for it. Work rights depend on the level of the course and the type of sponsor, and are lower than the 20 hours usually quoted, or nil.

Confirm this route: GOV.UK, Student visa

Worth knowing

The short routes never allow work and never allow an extension, so if there is any chance your plans grow into a longer course, sort the route out before you travel rather than after. The UK now issues digital eVisas, so create your UKVI account and keep access to it before you fly.

Official source: GOV.UK

Canada

A language course alone does not let you work

The well-known rule allowing international students to work off campus does not apply to students enrolled only in English or French as a Second Language. If ESL or FSL is your whole programme, you cannot work off campus without a separate work permit, no matter how many hours a week you study or how long the course is. If someone told you otherwise, check the official page before you count on that income.

Canada.ca, work off campus

Depends on your nationality

Chilean passport holders are visa-exempt and travel with an eTA when flying. Brazilians and Mexicans normally need a visitor visa, but may qualify for an eTA instead if they have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past ten years or currently hold a valid US non-immigrant visa, and are arriving by air. Arriving by land or sea always needs the visa. Run your own passport through the official checker rather than trusting a list.

Your course

Up to 6 months

Route: No study permit needed, eTA or visitor visa to enter
Cost: Depends on your entry document, use the official checker
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: No study permit is needed for a course of six months or less, as long as it is not part of a longer programme. Requirements are lighter: funds for the stay, the school's acceptance letter, ties to home, and biometrics where required. No living-cost threshold and no provincial attestation letter. The course has to finish inside the period you are authorised to stay.

Confirm this route: Canada.ca, entry requirements by country

Your course

Over 6 months

Route: Study permit, plus a CAQ in Quebec
Cost: CA$150 for the study permit
Work: Not for ESL or FSL-only students

What it asks for: An acceptance letter from a designated learning institution, a provincial attestation letter in most provinces, and proof of living costs plus first-year tuition. The living-cost figure is updated by IRCC, so take it from the official page on the day you apply rather than from any guide. If your study permit is approved and you need an entry document, Canada issues it as part of the same process: there is no second application fee for it.

Confirm this route: Canada.ca, study permit

Worth knowing

For a course of six months or less you skip the study permit, the attestation letter and the living-cost threshold entirely, which makes short language courses much simpler in Canada than the paperwork around longer ones suggests. If you are thinking of extending later, decide before you travel: switching from visitor to a study permit from inside the country is not something to count on.

Official source: Canada.ca

Australia

Depends on your nationality

The ETA (subclass 601) is not available to Latin American passports: it covers Europe, Canada, the US, Japan, Singapore and a few others, and Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico are not on that list. For a short course you apply for the Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead. The free eVisitor is for EU citizens only.

Your course

Up to 3 months

Route: Visitor visa (subclass 600), tourist stream
Cost: From AUD 250
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: A visitor visa can allow up to three months of study, which is enough for an intensive course of 4, 8 or 12 weeks. It needs an ImmiAccount application, funds for the stay and ties to home. If the main purpose of the trip is to study for longer, use the student route instead.

Confirm this route: Home Affairs, Visitor 600

Your course

Over 3 months

Route: Student visa (subclass 500)
Cost: From AUD 2,050 for ELICOS, AUD 2,500 standard
Work: Usually 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session

What it asks for: A confirmation of enrolment from the school, overseas student health cover, the Genuine Student requirement, and evidence of financial capacity. Note the fee: Australia raised the standard student visa charge to AUD 2,500 on 1 July 2026, but created a lower tier of AUD 2,050 for ELICOS and non-award courses, which is what a standalone English course normally is. A standalone ELICOS application is also treated differently from other courses on English test evidence, so do not assume you must sit a test.

Confirm this route: Home Affairs, current visa pricing

Worth knowing

Funds must look stable and genuinely available: a large deposit that appeared last week needs an explanation, and the financial capacity figures are updated periodically, so read the current table rather than a number from a guide. If you are under 18 you must meet the official welfare and accommodation requirements, which can be a provider-approved arrangement (CAAW) or an eligible guardian: confirm which one applies to you before applying.

Official source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

New Zealand

Depends on your nationality

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay are all on New Zealand's visa-waiver list: their citizens travel on an NZeTA rather than a visitor visa, and can study a short course of up to three months. Other nationalities apply for a visitor visa. The waiver list changes, so check it against your own passport before booking.

Your course

Up to 3 months

Route: NZeTA for visa-waiver passports, or visitor visa
Cost: NZeTA from NZD 17 in the app or NZD 23 online, plus NZD 100 levy. Visitor visa from NZD 441
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: As a visitor you may study one or more short courses totalling up to three months in a 12-month period, which covers a course of 4 to 12 weeks. The NZeTA is requested online or in the app before you fly; the International Visitor Levy is usually charged on top.

Confirm this route: Immigration NZ, visa-waiver list

Your course

Over 3 months

Route: Fee Paying Student Visa
Cost: From NZD 850
Work: Not automatic, see conditions

What it asks for: An offer of place from an approved provider, tuition paid, maintenance funds, insurance and the rest of the official checklist. On work: an English student may be granted up to 20 hours a week only when the course meets specific conditions, for example a full-time course of at least 14 consecutive weeks at a university or Category 1 provider, or a full-time course of at least 24 teaching weeks together with an acceptable English test result. It is not granted for every language course, and what counts is the condition printed on the visa you receive.

Confirm this route: Immigration NZ, working on a student visa

Your course

Working Holiday, where your passport has a scheme

Route: Working Holiday visa
Cost: Varies by scheme
Work: Yes, that is the point of it

What it asks for: Some passports have a working holiday agreement with New Zealand. Age limits, quotas, opening dates and fees are set per country and differ a lot, so there is no general rule. The main purpose of the trip has to be the holiday, and you can study for up to six months within it. Check the scheme for your own passport before treating this as an option.

Confirm this route: Immigration NZ, working holiday

Worth knowing

Two things save money here. Prepaid accommodation is deducted from the maintenance funds you must prove, so a homestay booked through the school directly lowers the requirement. And an approval in principle lets you pay tuition only after the visa is approved, so you are not out of pocket if it is refused.

Official source: immigration.govt.nz

Spain

Courses up to 90 days need no student visa

A course of up to 90 days is done on a normal short stay, the same entry as tourism. Most Latin American nationalities need no visa at all for Spain, and no enrolment letter or bank statements are required to enter. Only nationalities on the Schengen visa list (in Latin America: Bolivia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Haiti) apply for the Schengen Type C visa.

exteriores.gob.es

Depends on your nationality

One rule catches Latin American students out on the long route: the language you go to study cannot be the mother tongue or an official language of the country you are a national of. A Colombian, Mexican or Argentine student cannot use Spain's long-stay study route for a Spanish course. It is available for other languages, and the short stay of up to 90 days is unaffected.

Your course

Up to 90 days

Route: No student visa. Visa-free entry, or Schengen short-stay visa depending on your passport
Cost: No visa fee if you are exempt. Check the current fee if a visa is required
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: Most Latin American nationalities (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile and others) enter the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days: a short course in Spain is done on a normal tourist stay, with no enrolment letter or bank statements required. Border officers may still ask about funds, accommodation and your return flight. Students from Bolivia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador or Haiti do need a Schengen short-stay visa, applied for with purpose-of-trip documents, proof of funds and accommodation, a return flight and travel medical insurance of at least €30,000. From late 2026, visa-exempt travellers are also expected to need the ETIAS electronic authorisation, so check before you fly.

Confirm this route: exteriores.gob.es, consular services

Your course

Over 90 days

Route: Estancia por estudios, long-stay study authorisation
Cost: Varies by nationality and consulate. €80 for Brazilians at the São Paulo consulate, August 2026
Work: Not automatic, see conditions

What it asks for: For a language course the rules are specific: it must be taught in person, at an Escuela Oficial de Idiomas or at a centre accredited in Spain by the Instituto Cervantes (or the equivalent public body for a co-official language), and it cannot be your own country's mother tongue or official language. You also need funds equivalent to the monthly IPREM, which is updated periodically, and health insurance from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain with cover comparable to the Spanish public system. For stays over six months a criminal record certificate is also required. On work: it is not automatic for a language course. Higher education can carry the right directly, other categories need a further authorisation, and where it is granted the work must be compatible with the studies and within the legal limit.

Confirm this route: Ministerio de Inclusión, formative activities

Worth knowing

As a rule the application should be filed at least two months before the course starts. Insurance is where applications fail: check with the consulate that will handle yours exactly what the policy must cover, because a generic travel policy is often not enough. And the TIE residence card is not needed for every long stay: it applies when the stay is longer than six months, and then you have one month after arriving to apply for it.

Official source: exteriores.gob.es

France

Your course

Up to 90 days

Route: No student visa. Visa-free entry, or Schengen short-stay visa depending on your passport
Cost: No visa fee if you are exempt. Check the current fee if a visa is required
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: Most Latin American nationalities enter the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days, so a short course in France is done on a normal short stay. Whether you need a short-stay visa depends on your passport, not on the fact that you are studying. Use the France-Visas assistant to check your own case. From late 2026, visa-exempt travellers are also expected to need the ETIAS electronic authorisation.

Confirm this route: France-Visas, short stay

Your course

Over 90 days

Route: Long-stay visa, category confirmed on France-Visas
Cost: From €50 through Études en France, or €99 in other cases
Work: Not automatic, see conditions

What it asks for: Acceptance from an accredited school, proof of housing, health cover and civil documents with certified translation. Note the funds: for long-stay student visa applications filed from 1 August 2026, France-Visas raised the minimum to €877.50 a month, up from €615. Do not assume a language course automatically goes through Études en France or requires a Campus France interview: the procedure depends on your country of residence, the course and the institution, so confirm the category on France-Visas first. Work is not automatic either: the 964 hours a year applies when the student status you are granted carries the right.

Confirm this route: France-Visas, student

Worth knowing

Where the Études en France procedure does apply to you, it takes time on its own, so start it before you think you need to. A temporary address for your first three months is accepted as proof of housing, which means you do not have to sign a long lease from abroad.

Official source: france-visas.gouv.fr

Italy

Depends on your nationality

Italy is stricter than most about long language courses. Italian consulates in Brazil indicate that the study route for an Italian course is meant for an advanced, full-time course, and can require you to already have some Italian, with guidance pointing to around B1. Do not assume that buying a long beginner course is enough to obtain the long-stay visa: ask the consulate that covers where you live before you pay for anything.

Your course

Up to 90 days

Route: No student visa. Visa-free entry, or short-stay study visa depending on your passport
Cost: No visa fee if you are exempt. Study visas are charged differently from tourist visas, so check with the consulate
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: Most Latin American nationalities (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile and others) enter the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days, so a short course in Italy is done on a normal short stay. Students from Bolivia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador or Haiti do need a visa, applied for with purpose-of-trip documents, proof of funds and accommodation, a return flight and travel medical insurance of at least €30,000. Do not assume the general €90 Schengen tourist fee applies: a short-stay study visa is treated separately in the Italian fee tables. From late 2026, visa-exempt travellers are also expected to need the ETIAS electronic authorisation.

Confirm this route: vistoperitalia.esteri.it

Your course

Over 90 days

Route: National study visa, Type D
Cost: From €50
Work: Up to 20 hours a week, 1,040 hours a year, with the study permit

What it asks for: Enrolment, accommodation, health cover and proof of financial means. The financial figure depends on the applicable table and the consulate handling your case, so take it from them rather than from a guide. Work rights come with the permesso di soggiorno per studio, which you apply for after arriving, within the official deadline.

Confirm this route: Consolato Generale d'Italia, São Paulo

Worth knowing

Two things to sort out early. Ask the consulate that covers where you live for its own checklist, because Italian consulates differ noticeably from one another on the language route. And once you arrive on a long-stay visa, you must apply for the permesso di soggiorno within the official deadline: it is not optional and it is easy to miss.

Official source: vistoperitalia.esteri.it

Portugal

Depends on your nationality

There are CPLP arrangements that can change the procedure for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries, but they are not a blanket exemption and they do not apply the same way to every route. The best known one, replacing proof of means with a notarised term of responsibility, is associated with the residence visa for study of a year or more; on a temporary stay visa for a shorter course the financial requirement normally still applies. Confirm the category and the current document list on the official visa portal before you assume anything is waived.

Your course

Up to 90 days

Route: No student visa. Visa-free entry, or Schengen short-stay visa depending on your passport
Cost: No visa fee if you are exempt. Check the current fee if a visa is required
Work: No work allowed

What it asks for: Most Latin American nationalities, Brazilians included, enter the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days, so a short course in Portugal is done on a normal tourist stay. Border officers may still ask about funds, accommodation and your return flight. Students from Bolivia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador or Haiti do need a Schengen short-stay visa, with purpose-of-trip documents, proof of funds and accommodation, a return flight and travel medical insurance of at least €30,000. From late 2026, visa-exempt travellers are also expected to need the ETIAS electronic authorisation.

Confirm this route: vistos.mne.gov.pt

Your course

90 days to 1 year

Route: Temporary stay visa for study, where that is the right category
Cost: €110, except where an exemption applies
Work: Not automatic, see conditions

What it asks for: Enrolment or admission at an eligible institution and course, means of subsistence, accommodation, insurance and the rest of the official checklist. Means of subsistence are calculated as a percentage of the Portuguese minimum wage under the rules for your category, rather than being a single fixed figure, so use the official page. Any right to work depends on the visa or residence permit actually granted: do not assume it.

Confirm this route: vistos.mne.gov.pt, temporary stay

Your course

Over 1 year

Route: Residence visa, category depends on the institution and the course
Cost: €110, except where an exemption applies
Work: Not automatic, see conditions

What it asks for: Portugal has separate categories for higher education, non-higher education and vocational training, so a long language course does not automatically fall under the degree-level residence visa. Identify the correct category for your institution and course, then follow that checklist. It becomes a residence permit with AIMA after arrival. Proof of accommodation is accepted in more than one form: there is no universal rule requiring a registered 12-month lease, and no universal rule rejecting short-term bookings, so check the list for your category.

Confirm this route: vistos.mne.gov.pt, residence

Worth knowing

Start from the category, not from the fee. The most common mistake here is preparing the documents for the wrong route, because Portugal splits study into several categories that look similar from outside. Confirm which one your course falls under on the official portal, then collect that list and only that list.

Official source: vistos.mne.gov.pt

Not sure which route fits your plan?

Tell us your nationality, the country you want and how many weeks you plan to study, and we will point you to the right official route. We cannot apply on your behalf, and the decision is always the consulate's.

Talk to us

Checked against official government sources on 2026-08-17. Fees, financial thresholds, work limits and nationality lists move, sometimes overnight: always confirm on the official site linked under each route before booking flights or paying fees.