If you hold a foreign university degree and you want to practise a regulated profession in Spain, one of your first steps is to check whether you need to apply for homologación before the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The procedure is handled electronically.
You will need to submit your degree certificate, your academic transcript and further documents depending on your profession. Where they are in another language, they must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish where required. Depending on the country of issue, they may also need to be apostilled or legalised.
Before you start, it is worth working out which procedure applies to you and in what order to prepare the paperwork, so you avoid unnecessary cost and steps.
Homologación, equivalencia and convalidación: which one do you need?
You will see these three Spanish terms everywhere and they are not interchangeable. Getting this wrong is the most expensive mistake in the whole process, because people apostille and translate documents for a procedure that was never the right one.
- Homologación: recognises a foreign degree against a specific Spanish degree that qualifies you to practise a regulated profession.
- Equivalencia: recognises the academic level of your degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s), but does not carry the same professional effects as homologación.
- Convalidación: recognises studies completed abroad so you can continue studying at a Spanish university.
Regulated professions in Spain include medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, architecture, engineering and teaching, among others. If your field is not regulated, many Spanish employers will accept your degree with a sworn translation, without any ministerial procedure at all.
So before you apostille or translate anything, confirm which procedure applies to your case.
Where and how the application is made
Recognition of foreign university degrees is applied for before the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and the procedure is carried out electronically.
Non-university qualifications, such as secondary school or certain vocational courses, follow a different procedure. If you are looking to have A-levels, a High School Diploma or an IB recognised, that is a separate route through the Ministry of Education.
Documents you will need
Requirements vary by qualification and profession, but these are the documents you will generally have to prepare:
- a document proving your identity and nationality;
- your degree certificate, or a document confirming it has been awarded;
- your academic transcript;
- proof of payment of the fee;
- and, for certain professions, additional documentation.
Before assembling your file, check the specific requirements for the profession you are applying for.
NIE or DNI when applying from abroad
The rules do not generally require you to hold a Spanish NIE or DNI in advance in order to apply. What they require is proof of identity and nationality by means of a document issued by the competent authorities of your country of origin.
There is an important difference between creating your user account on the electronic portal and continuing with the procedure. You can register using your passport, but the Ministry is currently requiring a valid DNI or NIE in certain files in order to continue.
You can also act through an authorised representative, following the requirements set out for representation.
This matters a great deal if you are applying from the UK, Ireland or further afield and have not yet moved to Spain. Check which identification methods the portal currently accepts before you begin, because it may change your timeline: obtaining a NIE from outside Spain goes through the Spanish consulate and takes its own time.
Translating your degree and academic transcript
If the documents you have to submit are written in another language, they must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish.
That applies to your degree certificate, your transcript and any other document you are asked for. Yes, English counts: Spanish administrative procedures are conducted in Spanish, and a degree from a British, Irish, American or Australian university needs a sworn translation like any other.
It matters that the translation corresponds to the complete document you will actually be submitting, particularly where it needs an apostille or legalisation.
Apostille and legalisation: Brexit changed things
Whether your academic documents need to be apostilled or legalised depends on the country where they were issued.
For these procedures, degrees and academic documents issued in the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland are exempt from legalisation or apostille.
This is where holders of British degrees need to pay attention. The United Kingdom is no longer an EU or EEA member, so that exemption does not apply: a degree from a UK university generally needs an apostille, issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The same applies to degrees from the United States, Canada, Australia, India or South Africa, each through their own competent authority.
For documents from other countries, an apostille may be needed, or legalisation through diplomatic channels, or an exemption may exist under the applicable conventions. Check what applies to your country before you start.
Apostille first, translate second
Where an apostille or legalisation is needed, you apostille or legalise first and have the sworn translation done afterwards.
The reason is simple: the apostille forms part of the document, so it has to appear in the translation too.
- Original document Obtain your degree certificate and transcript from your university.
- Apostille or legalisation Only if your country requires it. EU, EEA and Swiss academic documents are exempt for this procedure; UK documents are not.
- Sworn translation Of the complete document, apostille included where it carries one.
- Recognition application Through the Ministry’s electronic portal, with the fee paid.
Fees and timescales
The application is subject to an administrative fee, and the amount may be updated over time. Depending on your case, you may also have the cost of the apostille or legalisation and of the sworn translation.
As for how long it takes, the real duration varies with the qualification, the documents submitted and any requests for further information during processing.
Which is exactly why it pays to submit a complete, properly prepared file from the outset.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply from outside Spain?
Yes, the procedure is carried out electronically. Before starting, check which identification methods the portal accepts and whether you need a NIE or DNI, or an authorised representative, in order to complete the process.
Does my UK degree still need an apostille after Brexit?
Generally yes. The exemption from legalisation applies to academic documents from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and the UK is no longer in any of them. British degrees are normally apostilled through the FCDO before being translated.
Does a sworn translation expire?
A sworn translation does not carry a general expiry date of its own. What matters is that it corresponds exactly to the document you are going to submit.
Do I have to translate the apostille as well?
Yes. If the document carries an apostille, the apostille forms part of that document and its content must also appear in the translation.
Can every foreign university degree be recognised?
No. Homologación relates to official Spanish degrees that qualify holders to practise a regulated profession. In other cases a declaration of equivalence or a convalidación may be the right route.
Our work is the sworn translation of your documents: we do not process recognition applications or file them with the Ministry on your behalf. You can see the details of the service on our academic translations page.
This guide is for information only. Specific requirements are set by each authority and can change, so always confirm with the body receiving your documents before starting a procedure.