Study Abroad in Salamanca: Living Abroad

Visas—Very Important!

Students must obtain a student visa to study in Spain. Students are responsible for obtaining the visa and may need to travel to a Spanish Consulate at their own expense to apply and pick up their passport/visa in person. Additional information about visas will be provided once accepted into the program.

Non-U.S. Citizens: If you are NOT a U.S. citizen traveling on an American passport, you are responsible for informing yourself of any requirements necessary to study in Spain and to visit Morocco, London and/ or Portugal as well as acquiring a visa with ample time to participate in these excursions.

University Activities Program

The University is a center of activity for Salamanca. Its plays and concerts draw students and residents alike, and its cinema has an ever-changing program of art films and new releases. Because of the small size of the community (180,000), students can wander into the city center easily, finding other students who will talk over the latest political happenings or discuss poetry over a glass of wine or a late night cup of coffee at a local café.

Students can use the University sports facilities (for free) and partake in social activities (for a small fee) such as hiking, horseback riding through the Charro (Salmantine) countryside, flamenco lessons, salsa lessons, ballroom dancing, Sevillana dance classes, pilates, fitness, judo, karate, fencing, yoga, etc. More information on the University of Salamanca’s sports activities can be found at www.usal.es/deportes.

University of Salamanca Mountaineering Club, the Grupo Universitario de Montaña (G.U.M.) organizes fantastic hiking, skiing and mountain climbing excursions which AIFS students often choose to participate in for a very reasonable student fee. Please consult the following website for more information on what G.U.M. plans during your semester and photo galleries of past trips: www.gumsalamanca.com.

The University as well as the city of Salamanca also offers a monthly program of cultural events such as concerts, art exhibits, opera, theater, ballet and much more.

Volunteer Opportunities

If you are willing to make a serious commitment, volunteer work can be arranged by the AIFS staff. It is an excellent way to integrate in the local community. We offer our AIFS students the opportunity to give English language workshops as an after-school activity for school children in a Spanish public grade school. This activity requires a commitment of one hour per week plus workshop preparation time. At the end of the semester the Spanish public school will provide participating students with a certificate stating the hours completed – making this an interesting opportunity for Education majors. Please note that depending on course selections, academic scheduling conflicts may prevent some students from participating in volunteering opportunities.