Casa de Velázquez - Casa de Velázquez Artistic Fellowships

What you get

You will receive a monthly payment for 12 months: 3,600 EUR if you stay in the accommodation provided on site, or 4,600 EUR if you find your own accommodation. If you live on site, you will also be provided with a private studio at the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid to work on your own creative project. You may also apply for a production grant to cover the costs of the works created during your stay. The residency runs from 1 September to 31 July of the following year. It is organised by the Académie de France in Madrid, which welcomes around 30 artists each year to enable them to further develop their work in Spain and Portugal.

Who can apply

• Who it is for: You are an artist – whether a recent graduate or an established artist – and would like to develop a creative project in Spain or Portugal.
• Your background: You hold a higher degree in art or can demonstrate a significant body of work for the selection panel to assess.
• Discipline: All art forms are open. You must name one main discipline when you apply: drawing, engraving, sculpture, painting, architecture, musical composition, choreography, photography, cinema or video.
• Age: You are over 18.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are eligible. If you are a national of the EU or the Schengen Area, you must provide proof that you are registered as an artist or author in your country of residence. If you are not an EU citizen, you will need a residence permit allowing you to carry out gainful employment in France or another EU Member State, as well as recognised artist status in your country of residence.
• French: You have a good command of French. Your entire application process and the interview will be conducted in French.
• Applying alone: Only individual applications will be considered; group projects will not be accepted. You may apply a maximum of three times in your lifetime, across all disciplines.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the Casa de Velázquez online portal. The application period for the year 2027–2028 begins on 19 October 2026 and ends on 27 November 2026 at 13:00 Madrid time. A selection panel will draw up a shortlist in March. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to Paris in April for a brief face-to-face interview, which will be conducted entirely in French.

How realistic are your chances?

Only 12 core places are offered each year, and as applicants come from all over the world, competition is fierce. Two factors significantly narrow down the pool of applicants. Firstly, you must put together a complete application pack and sit an interview in French. Secondly, you need a clear, well-defined artistic project with a connection to Spain or Portugal. If you have a good command of French and your portfolio and project are compelling, you will be competing against a smaller group of applicants than the open-nationality policy might suggest.