Non-EU citizens in possession of a student visa awarded by the Spanish diplomatic services of their country of origin must register at the Oficina de Atencion al Cuidadano (OAC) of their local council as early as possible after their arrival in Spain. This then enables them to apply for their student card or residence permit - documentation which is required for any stay in Spain of over 90 days in duration – at the relevant police station.
The offices of the OAC are also important for EU students; as well as processing registration documents, they also deal with vehicle registration documents and provide information about various community services such as libraries and civic centres.