Important Information about Visas, Invitation Letters and Enrolment
Welcome to the Language Centre of the University of León. In order to help you with the admission process and with obtaining your study visa, we provide the following enrolment instructions and rules.
Please read this information carefully before completing your enrolment.
1. Visa Planning and Recommended Timeframes
Visa processing times at embassies and consulates may vary significantly depending on the country of origin. To ensure that you arrive on time, we recommend following these planning guidelines:
Recommended application timeframe: We advise you to start the consular procedures generally between 3 and 6 months before the course begins.
Countries with delayed or lengthy processing: For students from countries with high-demand consular procedures or longer resolution times (such as several countries on the African continent), it is essential to request the Invitation Letter and start the visa process at least 6 months in advance.
Issuing of the Invitation Letter: It will be issued after receiving payment of the place reservation fee (50% of the total price) and a legible copy of your valid passport.
Failure to obtain an appointment at the consulate does NOT justify date changes or refunds, so we recommend having the appointment before requesting the Invitation Letter.
Final payment: Once the Invitation Letter has been issued, the remaining amount for the first course must be paid at least 2 weeks before classes begin.
2. Policy on Date Changes and Invitation Letter
Once the Invitation Letter has been issued, enrolment date changes are not permitted.
3. Cancellations and Strict Refund Policy
Any refund or cancellation request must be processed in writing:
| Request timeframe |
Invitation letter |
Refund condition |
Non-refundable costs |
| More than 3 weeks before the course starts |
Invitation Letter has NOT been issued |
The amount paid will be refunded minus costs |
200 € |
| More than 3 weeks before the course starts |
Invitation Letter HAS been issued |
Only in the event of an official visa refusal (providing the official decision/document from the Embassy), minus costs |
500 € |
| Less than 3 weeks before the course starts |
Any case |
No right to a refund of 50% of the fee for the affected course |
50% of the fee for the affected course |
Clarification about linked enrolments or subsequent courses:
If a student notifies their withdrawal or non-attendance less than 3 weeks before the start of a course, 50% of the enrolment fee is non-refundable in all cases.
If the student also requests a refund for subsequent courses (which are within the more-than-3-weeks notice period), that refund will be processed without any other costs according to the requirements indicated for each case (depending on whether or not an Invitation Letter has been issued).
Important note: Without presentation of the official refusal document issued by the Embassy or Consulate, there will be no right to a refund under any circumstances.
4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I request a new Invitation Letter for other dates if my visa is delayed?
Yes. However, course dates are not changed and enrolments already formalised are not compensated.
To obtain a new Invitation Letter, you must enrol for the next available academic period and pay the corresponding 50% of the fees for that new enrolment in order to obtain the new Invitation Letter.
What happens if my visa does not arrive on time and there are less than 3 weeks before the course starts?
Notifications made less than 3 weeks before classes begin entail the retention of 50% of the fees for the affected course (the amount equivalent to the reservation fee/first payment made), with loss of the right to a refund. For this reason, we recommend that students from countries with lengthy consular procedures process their Invitation Letter 6 months in advance.
Contact
Do you have questions about your enrolment?
Write to us at idiomas@unileon.es and we will help you with the process.