Your Journey to SLU-Madrid as a Degree-Seeking Student
No matter where you are in the admissions process with Saint Louis University-Madrid, we want to be sure you're on the right track.
Below is a timeline for the months leading up to your enrollment at SLU-Madrid. You can find dates for deadlines, notification periods and Madrid campus closures. Don't forget to reference previous months to ensure you haven't missed any important steps.
September
- Application opens for fall. Submit yours via Common App or SLU app.
November
- Application review begins.
- Nov. 1 (National holiday): Madrid campus closed.
December
- Dec. 1: Admissions decisions are released on a rolling basis. View your status at any time in your Billiken Gateway, our admissions portal.
- Dec. 6 (National holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- Christmas week: Madrid campus closed.
January
- First week of January: Madrid campus closed; reopens Jan. 7.
- Research the Spanish student visa process at your nearest consulate and get an appointment, if necessary.
February
- Feb. 1: SLU's priority deadline for FAFSA.
- Feb. 20-21 (Winter break): Madrid campus closed.
March
- March 1: Rector's Scholarship application deadline.
- Begin collecting visa documentation. If you will apply for a student visa from a Spanish consulate in the U.S., apply now for an FBI background check.
- Consider your housing options and make necessary plans or confirmations. You must pay the confirmation fee before accessing the SLU-Madrid host family database.
April
- Financial aid packages begin to load into MySLU (U.S. citizens and residents only).
- April 14-20 (Holy Week): Madrid campus closed.
May
- May 1: Accept our offer of admission by paying your confirmation fee. After May 1, confirmation is on a rolling basis.
- May 1: Application deadline for students needing a visa for Spain.
- May 1 (National holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- May 2 (Local holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- Attend your visa appointment.
- Mid-May: SLU group visa deadline for students who qualify. Exact date to be confirmed.
June
- Attend your visa appointment.
- Send final transcripts and official test scores as soon as they are available.
- Complete pre-registration items.
- Class registration begins for new first-year and transfer students.
July
- Attend your visa appointment.
- Send final transcripts and official test scores.
- Complete pre-registration items.
- Class registration continues for new first-year and transfer students.
August
- Aug. 1: Application deadline for European Union passport holders.
- Send final transcripts and official test scores.
- Complete pre-registration items.
- Class registration continues for new first-year and transfer students.
- Aug. 31: Tentative Fall 2025 arrival date and housing move-in.
- Late August: Fall 2025 Orientation for new students.
- Sept. 1 (tentative): First day of class at the Madrid campus.
January
- Apply for FAFSA (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) using SLU's FAFSA code 002506.
February
- Feb. 1: SLU's priority deadline for FAFSA.
- Feb. 20 and 21 (Winter break): Madrid campus closed
March
- Application opens for spring. Submit your application via Common App or SLU app.
April
- March 14-20 (Holy Week): Madrid campus closed.
May
- May 1 (Local holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- May 2 (Local holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- May 15 (Local holiday): Madrid campus closed.
June
- Ensure that you have a valid passport. In order to confirm attendance, students must submit passport information (Spanish students may submit their DNI number). Your passport’s validity should cover the entire course of study, plus an additional three months. Research the Spanish student visa process at your nearest consulate and get an appointment (for October or early November).
- U.S. Students: Apply for an FBI Criminal Background Check as soon as possible, choosing electronic submission and getting your fingerprints taken electronically.
- Consider your housing options and make necessary plans or confirmations.
July
- Collect visa documentation and book a visa appointment for October or early November if your consulate has an appointment stipulation.
- July 25 (Local holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- July 31 (Local holiday): Madrid campus closed.
September
- Sept. 1: Spring 2026 Application completion deadline for students applying for a student visa to Spain.
- Attend your visa appointment.
October
- Oct. 1: Accept our offer of admission by paying your confirmation fee and submitting your passport information. Passport information will be used for your visa and residency documents; do not enter any false or incorrect information. Note that you cannot confirm your attendance without a valid passport.
- Attend your visa appointment.
- Send final transcripts and official test scores.
November
- Nov. 10: (National holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- Attend your visa appointment (early November).
- Send final transcripts and official test scores.
- Class registration begins for first-year and transfer students.
- Complete pre-registration items.
December
- Dec. 1: Spring 2026 application completion deadline for European Union passport holders.
- Dec. 8 (National holiday): Madrid campus closed.
- Send final transcripts and official test scores.
- Class registration continues for first-year and transfer students.
- Complete pre-registration items.
- Christmas week: Madrid campus closed.
January (tentative)
- Jan. 9: Tentative Spring 2026 first-year and transfer arrival date and housing move-in.
- Jan. 11: Spring 2026 Orientation sessions for new degree-seeking and study abroad students.
- Jan. 12: First day of class.
Ready to Apply?
The first step to becoming a SLU-Madrid student is applying for admission. We're on the Common App, or you can apply via SLU's online portal.
SLU-Madrid is proud to be SAT/ACT test optional. If you choose not to send SAT/ACT scores, you will not be disadvantaged in the admission process.
Already Been Admitted?
¡Bienvenidos! We're thrilled that you've been admitted and hope you'll choose to embark on an adventure that will allow you to deepen your understanding of the world and your place within it.
Both your Billiken Gateway and our Information for Admitted Students page list everything you need to know to help you enroll: how and when to confirm your attendance by paying the confirmation fee, housing options and important information about applying for a student visa for Spain.
Visit the Information for Admitted Students Page
Do You See Yourself at SLU?
Deciding where to go to college is a big choice, and we're here to help. Chat with a current student or join us for a virtual information session. If you're in Madrid, click here to schedule an in-person visit!