GET SET GUIDE FOR MERIT UPC INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Register

Transcription

1 GET SET GUIDE FOR MERIT UPC INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Register

2 Barcelona June 25 th Dear student, By means of this brief guide, we would like to give you some important information you will need in order to prepare your stay in Barcelona. We will try and assist you through three key issues, which are the registration, housing in Barcelona and basic tourist information that we hope will be useful to you. Finally, we would like to remind you that we will be pleased to help you with any problem that might arise before your arrival at UPC and once you are here. Welcome to Barcelona!! MERIT Master Board

3 1. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES: VISA AND LEGALIZATION PROCEDURES A). Visa Procedures: In this section we would like to give you some instructions in order to apply for your student visa. 1. Go to your closest Spanish embassy or consulate and find out their requirements. Each Spanish embassy or consulate in each country has its own procedures and requirements. Therefore, they can request different things depending on the country you come from. WE HAVE TO INFORM YOU THAT IN MOST EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES THERE ARE BIG DELAYS AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFICULTIES WHEN APPLYING FOR STUDENT VISAS. THEREFORE, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU START ALL THE PROCEDURES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. The following documents are usually requested: Application form to MERIT Master Document that states MERIT Master fees Admission letter to MERIT Master Criminal records certificate from your home country Some certificate or document stating that you have enough economic resources for your stay Some certificate or document about your health and/or travel insurance The address of your accommodation in Barcelona Some of these might not be requested and others that are not in this list might be needed for your visa application. That is why we advice you to contact directly with the Spanish diplomatic representation in your area. 2. After going to the Spanish Consulate or Embassy, us with some urgent confirmations: a- Have you already obtained your visa? Yes/no

4 If your answer was no: a.1 - Did you already start the procedure to get your student visa? (yes/no) a.2 - When did you go to the Embassy to process it? (date) a.3 - Which is your visa application number? (reference number) a.4- When are you supposed to get your visa? b- When are you planning to come to Barcelona? Did you already book your (flight?) ticket? (yes/no and date of arrival in Barcelona) Please, we kindly ask you to inform us REGULARLY after the different steps taken. This will help us know the status of your visa application. You can do so by ing the MERIT Master Secretary at merit.@tsc.upc.edu B). Legalization: Non-European students coming to Spain must legalize their bachelor diploma, academic transcript and a letter stating that their BSc degree is of at least three years duration and that it gives access to a master programme in their home country (you can request a sample letter from us). Legalization is the process through which the Spanish authorities recognize international certificates as authentic and it is a requirement to study at high education level. The length and difficulty of the legalization process depends on your home country, because the requirements vary form one country to another. In any case, the procedure has two parts: one that has to do with the national authorities in your home country and a second one depending on the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Spain. The instructions are the following: In order to legalize education certificates issued in countries that have signed the Andrés Bello Agreement (1), you must get your diploma verified by ALL the following authorities: - Education Ministry of the country where you completed your studies. - Foreign Affairs Ministry of the country where you completed your studies. - Embassy or consulate of Spain in the country where you completed your studies. (1) Andrés Bello Agreement signatory countries: Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Paraguay, Peru In order to legalize education certificates issued in countries that have signed the La Hague Accords (2), you must get your diploma verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country

5 where you completed your studies. In this case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must attach the La Hague Apostille to your diploma in order to get it legalized. (2) Signatory countries of the La Hague Accords are the following: Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bosnia Herzegovina Botswana Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Colombia Cook, Islands Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Estonia Fiji Finland France Germany Granada Greece Honduras Hong-Kong Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italia Japan Kazakhstan Latvia Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia Malawi Malta Marshall Islands Mauricio Island México Monaco Montenegro Namibia New Zealand Niue Island Norway Panama Poland Portugal (*) Rumania Russia Saint Lucia Saint Vicente and the Grenadines Samoa San Cristóbal and Nieves San Marino Serbia Seychelles Islands Slovakian Republic Slovenia South Africa Spain Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands (*) Tonga United States of America Trinidad y Tobago Venezuela Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom (*)

6 In order to legalize education certificates issued in countries that are not in the previous situations, you must complete the following steps: a. Get your diploma verified by the local authority responsible for your country. You can find the list of countries and their competent authorities in the following website: b. Once this verification has been obtained, you must get it validated by the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in your home country.

7 2. HOUSING IN BARCELONA Accommodation is one of the key issues for international students travelling abroad. In the case of Barcelona, finding a suitable place in certain periods can be very hard. The academic year begins in September for most of the Spanish Universities, so it becomes essential to book accommodation in advance. As far as long-term accommodation is concerned, there are two main options in Barcelona: 1. Staying at a Residence Hall 2. Staying at a shared flat with other students Some considerations about both options: 1. Residence Hall: Advantage: More comfortable. Disadvantage: Less independent than an apartment. Price: a single room with a kitchen costs from 450 to 800 euros/month (approx). 2. Shared Flats: Advantage: you can benefit from the experience of being with other students from different areas in Catalonia or from other countries. The flat can be closer to the city centre (depending on the area where you choose your apartment) and may be a little bit cheaper. Disadvantage: It is not as easy and automatic as booking a room in a residence hall, because you have to look for it yourself. This can be done through "Barcelona Housing Service for Students (BHSS)" by paying a fee (see contact details below).

8 Price: it depends on the area, flat conditions and the expenses that are included. The average price is around 350 euros/month for a single room. Please find a list of useful websites for both options on the following page: Residence Halls: -> This company has a residence hall on our campus, which is called Torre Girona Shared Flats: The best option in order to find a shared flat is Barcelona Housing Service for Students: BARCELONA HOUSING SERVICE FOR STUDENTS Web: info@bcn-housing-students.com Address: C/ Torrent de l'olla, 219; Barcelona Phone: ; Fax: FINDING ACCOMMODATION IN BARCELONA CAN BE VERY HARD IN CERTAIN PERIODS OF THE YEAR, SO PLEASE START YOUR VISA PROCEDURES SOON.

9 3. GETTING STARTED AT UPC The first thing you need to do at UPC is enrol in the MERIT programme. Please find below the instructions to register for the first term of the academic year : Registration Period: September 5 4h through the 6 th, 2013 Things that you need to bring: your passport, two pictures (passport-sized) and the originals of all the documents you submitted in your application. Furthermore you need to bring a letter, issued by your university, stating that the BSc degree that you have obtained is of a minimum duration of 3 years and that the degree gives you access to a Master Programme in your home country. Location: MERIT Office. Address: UPC Campus Nord Building D4, Office 207, C/Jordi Girona, 1-3, Barcelona. We recommend that you enter the Campus through the entrance at street Carrer de Sor Eulàlia d Anzizu, because through this entrance you get direct access to the D-Buildings. Afterwards, you need to find out about the legal requirements you must complete as an international student in Spain

10 It is extremely important that right at the beginning of your stay at UPC you complete some legal requirements that will allow you to obtain a visa extension. To let you know about them, the nice staff at UPC International Mobility Office (OMI) hold some information sessions aimed at international students that we recommend you attend. In those sessions, besides the explanation on the legal procedures that you have to complete, they will also provide you with practical information on language courses and different services offered by the University. When you arrive at the university, please send an to merit.assistant@tsc.upc.edu to inquire about the dates for these sessions. OMI s address is the following: OFICINA DE MOBILITAT INTERNACIONAL (OMI) UPC CAMPUS NORDC/JORDI GIRONA, 1-3, BUILDING BIB (LIBRARY), BARCELONA Tel: Fax: oficina.mobilitat.internacional@upc.edu

11 4. HOW TO REACH THE CAMPUS Where are we? UPC has two campuses in Barcelona. We are located at CAMPUS NORD (Northern Campus), at Les Corts district. The address is: UPC CAMPUS NORD Calle Jordi Girona, 1-3 (Esquina con Sor Eulàlia d Anzizu y con Dulcet) (Located on the corner of Sor Eulàlia d Anzizu and Dolcet Streets) UPC Campus Nord How to get to the Campus From the airport: By taxi: The ride from the airport costs around 20 and the trip takes from 10 to 20 minutes. By train or metro: Trains leave the airport every 1/2 hour. The train terminal is located at the airport (ask for its location at any information desk). Get off at Estació de Sants (Sants Station) and, once there, take the underground (line 3, green, direction Zona Universitària). Get off at Palau Reial station and then walk for about 10 minutes.

12 By bus: You must take a blue bus called Aerobus right outside terminal A, B or C at the airport. Get off at Estació de Sants (Sants Station) and then, take the underground (line 3, green, direction Zona Universitària). Get off at Palau Reial and walk for about 10 minutes. From the city center: By taxi: The ride from the city center costs around 10 (night rate) and the trip takes about 10 minutes. By metro: The closest underground station is Palau Reial (line 3, green, direction Zona Universitària.) UPC is about 10 minutes far on foot from the metro station. By bus: There are plenty of buses running through the campus area. You can take bus number 7, 33, 67, 68, 74, 75, 167 and get off at Palau Reial, on Avenida Diagonal Street Undergroung L3 Palau Reial Underground L3 Zona Universitària UPC Campus Nord

13 How to find us on Campus The Campus is organized as a matrix of buildings with rows denoted in capital letters (A to D) and columns denoted in numbers (1 to 6). We are located in D3, D4 and D5 buildings. The MERIT office is located in the D4 Building, second floor, office 207. Please have a look at the Campus Nord Map: MERIT Office ETSETB (Telecomms school) TSC Department OMI International Mobility Office (OMI is in the same building as the library)

14 5. BASIC TOURIST INFORMATION If you arrive in Barcelona before the Welcome Day and you have booked your accommodation, the first thing we recommend you to do is to check the area where you will be living. Getting familiar with your neighbourhood is important in order to learn basic things such as the location of the closest metro and bus stops, bakeries, supermarkets, pharmacies and so on. Once this is clear, you should get yourself a metro travel card and start exploring the city. Now, there are different kinds of travel cards, which vary in features and price, and which can be bought at any metro station. These are the most frequently used within the city of Barcelona: Single Ticket -> Valid for a one-way trip by metro or bus. It costs 2. T-10 -> Valid for ten trips by bus or metro. You can switch from any bus to a different one or from the metro to any bus within 1 hour and 15 minutes paying only once. It costs 9,80. T-50/30 -> Valid for 50 trips by metro or bus within 30 consecutive days. You can switch from any bus to a different one or from the metro to any bus within 1 hour and 15 minutes paying only once. It costs 39,20. T-Mes -> Valid for an unlimited number of trips by metro or bus within 30 consecutive days. It costs 52,75. T-Jove -> valid for unlimited number of trips by metro and bus within 90 consecutive days. Only students under 25 years-old can buy it and it costs 105,00 There are some other travel cards which you can check at the Barcelona Transportation website: You can also find metro and bus maps at the same website:

15 BARCELONA METRO MAP UPC Campus Nord

16 Approximate prices for other common products: Bread (baguette) 1,20 Coffee 1,30 Soft Drink 2,00 Cinema 9,00 Newspaper 2,00 Menú del día (daily lunch menu) 10,00 Now you are ready to visit the city! Barcelona has many interesting things to see and a good way to start could be getting some information about them at the closest Tourist Information point. There are quite many of them, but these are the most popular ones: Plaça Catalunya -> Plaça Catalunya, 17. Open from 9am to 9pm. Sants -> Plaça Països Catañans, s/n. Open from 8am to 8pm. Sagrada Família -> Plaça Sagrada Família. Open from 10am to 8pm. Rambla -> La Rambla, 115. Open from 9am to 9pm. In all these offices you ll be able to get transportation maps, details on the highlights of the city, opening hours of museums and monuments, entertainment and any kind of tourist information that you wish. Another option is to go directly to OMI at UPC, where they will also provide you with some useful material which will help you a lot: a guide on living in Barcelona, some brochures on places to go, an English-Catalan dictionary, some maps of the city, bus and metro maps, cultural information, language courses, etc. At this stage you probably have already heard about Plaça Catalunya, Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Milà, the Gothic Quartier and so on. Now the only thing left is to choose what to see first Please keep in mind that in Barcelona, as in all other big cities in our days, there is a risk of being robbed. Please keep that in mind always when you leave your residence. Turn your back pack into a front pack (means that you should carry it on the front of your body instead of your back). We really hope you have a great stay here and we invite you to come for a visit whenever you feel like it.