Checklist

What do you have to bear in mind, when you go to Madrid as an exchange student? You are already enrolled, but there are still many things to consider!

1. Residence permit

a) If you are a student from the EU states you don’t need a residence permit.

b) If you come from another country, you have to apply for a visa at the Spanish embassy or the consulate before your departure. Be careful to apply for the correct visa, as a tourist visa is only valid for 3 months and you are not considered as student with it.

2. Accommodation

How can you keep track of the housing market in such a big city as Madrid? Don’t panic, at this website we have collected and compiled a list of accommodation possibilities for you. You will find halls of residence, flat share rooms and apartments, offered by serious agencies and universities. If you want to do the search on you own, be careful not to fall for fraudulent agencies, who claim to be licensed and ask for unnecessary fees (for address lists) and too much money for the accommodation.
…to the link list “accommodation for students”

3. Insurances

Which insurances are important before you start your stay as a student in Madrid?
If you have the following, you are well insured:

• Health insurance (absolutely elementary!!!)
  
• Accident insurance (a sensible supplement)
  
• Travellers’ third party liability insurance
  (Important if you are not insured with your parents; if there exists a private liability insurance via your parents, make sure there is a world-wide coverage)

4. Cost of living

The living costs in Madrid are comparable with those of other large European cities. It is not cheap to live in Madrid, but you would have to pay more in London or Scandinavia. Most of the large German cities or Vienna are only slightly more expensive. You should expect monthy expenses of 500 € plus. It all depends on various factors: a large part of the costs is determined by the rent you have to pay, and of course it is up to everyone how much he spends for food, spare time, etc. You should also bear in mind that there are more expenses in the beginning, e.g. paying the deposit.

5. How to arrive in Madrid?

The airport of Madrid-Barajas is the largest airport in Spain. It is situated approx. 12 km from the city centre and you can reach it with the metro line 8.
Many low cost carriers offer direct flights to Madrid. The prices, however, depend on the season, airports of departure and arrival and particularly on the booking date.
Find your cheap flight now with Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com), easyjet
(http://www.easyjet.com), AirBerlin (http://www.airberlin.com) etc.

Here you find the largest Spanish airlines (for cheap inland flights and maybe a bargain back home):

• http://www.iberia.es/OneToOne/v3/home.do - Iberia: with a lot of destinations in Europe and around the world
  
• http://www.air-europa.com/en/default.html - Air Europa
  
• http://www.spanair.com/en/ - Spanair: lots of European cities. Reasonable prices.

You have also the opportunity to search for special youth and students rates:

• www.statravelgroup.com - STA Travel: This travel service for students offers flights, accommodation and travel insurances, etc. A fee of 7,00 € is added for flight prices below 150 € (without tax).

Airlines that offer youth- as well as student rates:

• Iberia: Youth rate up to 24 years, student rate up to 29 years; you need an international student ID (ISIC), which can be issued at your university, various travel agencies, etc.
  
• Lufthansa: Youth rate up to 24 years
  
• Spanair: Youth rate up to 24 years
  
• Air France: Youth rate up to 24 years

At http://www.isic.org/sisp/index.htm you can get more information about the international student ID (ISIC): You can search for ISIC offices and various discounts in the respective countries.

If you finally landed in Madrid, it is fairly easy to reach the centre, as you can take the subway (metro line 8). If you have too much luggage and are not quite in the mood for carrying all of it, it is more comfortable to take a taxi. The taxi ride from the airport to the city centre costs approx. 20 €.