Homologation of foreign higher education degrees to official Spanish university degrees or Master's degrees that give access to a regulated profession in Spain

Please read carefully the following information of interest in relation to the procedure for homologation of foreign qualifications

GENERAL INFORMATION

Deadline for submitting applications: PERMANENTLY OPEN

A procedure reserved for qualifications enabling regulated professional activity in Spain. You can consult the professions regulated in Spain in the Annex to Spanish Royal Decree 889/2022, of 18 October.

Description

By means of this procedure, you can apply for recognition of higher education qualifications awarded by institutions abroad as equivalent to official Spanish Bachelor’s or Master’s degree qualifications providing access to professions regulated in Spain. It also allows you to check the processing status of your record.

Intended applicants

Holders of qualifications from non-Spanish official higher education institutions.

Requirements

The procedure entails payment of fee 107.

Further information

Recognition of foreign qualifications as equivalent to Spanish qualifications providing access to regulated professions will entail the possibility of undertaking the relevant regulated professional activity under the same conditions as holders of enabling Spanish qualifications.

PROCESSING

Submission of applications

This procedure is processed by electronic means. Applications are processed strictly in order of receipt date and duplicate applications will be rejected.

Processing of applications

The Recognition of Equivalence application for your qualification is processed via the “Procedures” tab on the Ministry of Universities website, selecting the “University Qualifications” option.

To submit your application, please click the “Access the Procedure” button at the bottom right of the screen and access the processing area. You can identify yourself using the cl@ve system; the processing page includes all the information on the necessary requirements. You also have the option to identify yourself with a user name and password. To do so, you must create a user name beforehand on the website.

It has several different tabs for completing the requested information. Please prepare the documentation to add to your application; the digital procedure will require the necessary documentation for your case. You can save a draft of your application and progressively add your documentation before submission.

Before submitting the application, you must pay the fee via one of the methods indicated on the website.

Once you have submitted your application by pressing “send”, it will also be recorded in the General Public Administration Register, and the system will generate proof of submission to this register.

Once your application has been registered, you will be able to consult your record.

FEE PAYMENT

PAYMENT METHODS:

Payment for equivalence applications can be made online, or you can submit a receipt from a completed model 790-107, mechanically certified or with an authorised signature proving the payment, or accompanied by sufficient proof of payment or transfer to the aforementioned restricted account.

    - Online payment

You can pay the fee by bank transfer or credit card, provided that the chargeable person has a Tax ID Number (NIF/CIF) or Foreigner ID Number (NIE), and provided that the banking entity in question has acceded to the corresponding agreements with the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) on payment of fees charged to an account or made by card.

You can make online payment:

  • On your own behalf: Applicants have identified themselves via Cl@ve and have a NIF/CIF/NIE.
  • On someone else’s behalf (you must meet all the requirements below):

             -  You, as a representative, have identified yourself via Cl@ve.

             -  You also have a NIF/CIF/NIE.

             -  Your Power of Attorney was granted via the Electronic Register of Powers of Attorney.

                Provision of a document certifying representation will not be sufficient.

     - Payment in Spain

Model 790-107 - Fee for Recognition and Declaration of Equivalence of Qualifications and Academic Levels, and for Validation of Foreign Qualifications and Studies

This form can be submitted at any bank, savings bank or credit cooperative acting as collaborating entities for tax collection.

Sheet 3 will remain at the banking entity.

Sheet 1, mechanically certified by, or with the authorised signature of the banking entity proving the payment, must be submitted alongside this application.

Sheet 2 will be given to the applicant by the banking entity, as a receipt.

    - Payment abroad

The fee must be paid by means of a payment or transfer to the Ministry of Universities’ restricted account for fee collection abroad:

IBAN: ES16 9000 0001 2002 5310 8022.

BIC: ESPBESMMXXX.

REGISTERED ADDRESS: Calle de Alcalá, 48, 28014 Madrid (Spain).

In every case, the sum established for the fee will be the payable amount into the aforementioned restricted account; this is regardless of the costs that the applicant may incur from the entity issuing the transfer. These transfer costs, or any other bank commission fee, if applicable, will always be charged to the applicant and may not be deducted from the sum paid into the restricted account for the fee.

DOCUMENTATION FOR SUBMISSION

    1. Requirements

    1.1. Official Recognition

All documents submitted must be official and issued by the relevant competent authorities, in accordance with the legal system of the country in question.

    1.2. Legalisation

In certain cases, original documents must be duly legalised (please see article 13.1 of Royal Decree 889/2022, of 18 October).

Legalisation is an administrative process granting validity to a foreign public document. It checks the authenticity of the signature on the document and the acting capacity of the authorised signatory of the document.

Therefore, legalisation entails recognition of the educational authority signing the documents, either via the Ministry of Education of the country of origin or via another institution. The Ministry of Education representative’s signature must then be recognised via diplomatic channels (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Spanish Consulate in the country of origin) or via the Hague Convention.

    1.3. Sworn Translations

Documentation must be accompanied, if applicable, by its corresponding official translation into Spanish.

Official translation and interpretation from a foreign language into Spanish and vice-versa must be certified by the Office for Language Interpretation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and completed by a holder of the Sworn Translator-Interpreter qualification awarded by this Ministry, as established in the sixteenth additional provision of Spanish Law 2/2014, of 25 March, modified by the fourth final provision of Spanish Law 29/2015, of 30 July.

In order to provide information to citizens, the Office for Language Interpretation, the highest Government Administration body for language translation and interpretation, periodically produces and publishes a list of all the Sworn Translators-Interpreters appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, indicating the language(s) that they have been authorised to translate and interpret.

The latest update is available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation website, following this link: Sworn Translators-Interpreters

    2. Necessary documents for applications

Your application must be accompanied by the following documentation:

1. A document proving your identity and nationality, issued by the competent authorities in your country of origin, or by the competent Spanish authorities for Foreign Affairs. In the case of Spanish citizens, your national identity document or authorisation to verify the identity details held for you by the Administration.

2. The qualification associated with your Recognition of Equivalence application, or a certificate proving its issuance, and, if applicable, the corresponding official translation.

3. The academic certificate for the studies completed to obtain your qualification, including (amongst other points) the official duration of your study plan in academic years, the subjects taken and the total number of teaching hours for each subject, expressed in hours or (European) ECTS credits, and, if applicable, the corresponding official translation.

4. The procedure entails payment of fee 107.

5. Accreditation of the linguistic proficiency necessary for undertaking the corresponding regulated professional activity in Spain (see Article 13.2 of Spanish Royal Decree 889/2022, of 18 October).

6. Depending on the Regulated Profession, you may need to submit other documents, in compliance with the current legislation for each profession (see section 3. Specific documentation).

7. Affidavit in which the applicant declares the accuracy of the details provided.

The aforementioned documents are essential for starting the procedure.

    3. Specific documentation

In the following cases, in addition to the aforementioned documentation for opening your record, you must submit the specific documentation below:

    • Recognition of Equivalence of qualifications providing access to the regulated professions of Doctor or Nurse

If the qualification to be declared equivalent was obtained more than 6 years prior to the application submission date, as a mandatory requirement you must submit documentation proving your professional activity as a self-employed doctor or nurse who is not affiliated or supervised, or continuous training for at least 3 of the past 5 years.

If qualification holders live in a country different to that where the qualification was issued and cannot prove their professional activity in the country where the qualification was awarded, in addition to the documents proving their professional activity as a self-employed doctor or nurse, applicants must provide an accrediting certificate from the institution and a copy of the Recognition of Equivalence of their qualification authorising them to work as a doctor or nurse in the aforementioned country of residence.

    • Recognition of Equivalence of qualifications providing access to the regulated professions of Early Years or Primary School Teacher

For applicants from non Spanish-speaking countries applying for Recognition of Equivalence of the profession of Early Years or Primary School Teacher, a certificate is required to prove that they have C1-level linguistic proficiency in Spanish, in accordance with Ministerial Orders ECI/3854/2007 and ECI/3857/2007, respectively, rather than B2 level.

For applicants from Spanish-speaking countries applying for Recognition of Equivalence of the profession of Early Years or Primary School Teacher, a certificate is required to prove that they have B1-level linguistic proficiency in a foreign language, in accordance with Ministerial Orders ECI/3854/2007 and ECI/3857/2007, respectively.

    • Recognition of Equivalence of qualifications providing access to teaching professions

If the qualification to be recognised as equivalent is not enabling for professional activity, a correctly-legalised certificate must be submitted proving this authorisation and the corresponding teaching ages and subjects.

    • Recognition of equivalence of qualifications providing access to technical professions

If the qualification to be recognised as equivalent is not enabling for professional activity, a certificate proving authorisation must be submitted.

    • Other professions

For applications for Recognition of Equivalence of a specific, official Spanish Master's degree qualification, in accordance with article 8.2 of Spanish Royal Decree 889/2022, of 18 October, with the requirement of holding a specific, official Spanish Bachelor’s degree for accessing training, and prove that you have this specific qualification:

     ° For Recognition of Equivalence to the profession of General Healthcare Psychologist, you must submit a Bachelor’s degree qualification in Psychology.

     ° For Recognition of Equivalence to the profession of Solicitor or Barrister, you must submit a Bachelor’s degree qualification in Law.

For applications for Recognition of Equivalence of Master’s degrees that, in accordance with article 8.2 of Spanish Royal Decree 889/2022, of 18 October, with the requirement of holding a Bachelor’s degree qualification (Teacher of Mandatory Secondary Education, Advanced Secondary Education, Vocational Training or Languages) for accessing training, you must prove that you hold this qualification, or submit a certificate of qualification equivalence in the area and field corresponding to the qualification required for accessing the Master's.

DEFINITIVE RESOLUTION

Resolutions on Recognition of Equivalence of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications will be formalised via an Official Letter, issued by the Ministry of Universities’ General Sub-Directorate of Qualifications and Monitoring and Management of University Education. All Official Letters will be sent in digital format and will be digitally signed.

REGULATIONS

Spanish Royal Decree 889/2022, of 18 October

     - Date of publication in the Official State Gazette: 19-10-2022

FREQUENT QUESTIONS