To enter, stay in or travel through the whole of the Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Iceland and Norway), non-European students must obtain a long-term visa (over 90 days) for study purposes and valid for one year. To do so, proof of admission and financial support for the duration of your studies must be provided. Note that the long-stay entry visa (over 90 days) only gives access to the country that issued the visa and the opportunity to travel through other Schengen countries to enter that country, in which case it is known as a "National Visa" (NV)
A tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa in any country of the European Union.
In France and Spain, non-European students residing in these countries for more than 3 months must obtain a student residency permit (which is different from a visa) within two months of their arrival.
To apply for a student visa, the following documents are generally required:
The visa application is submitted and issued in your country of residence at the embassy or consulate of the host country –preferably as early as possible.