Degree homologation in Spain: procedure, timescales and documents

Homologación, equivalencia and convalidación: how they differ

Spain has three different procedures for recognising foreign university education, and they are the ones people confuse most often. They are governed by Real Decreto 889/2022 [1].

The definitions are given in article 2 of the regulation, the effects in article 5; the ministry’s page confirms the distinction [1][2][4]. None of the procedures grants other qualifications of the Spanish system: article 5.4 expressly rules out deriving other degrees from it [1].

Whether you actually need homologación of your degree in Spain

The answer depends on your purpose, not on the country that issued the degree. If you will work in a profession that in Spain requires an official Spanish qualification, you need homologación. The list of professions is in the annex to RD 889/2022; the ministry divides it into healthcare, technical and teaching professions: doctor, nurse, pharmacist, architect, engineer, school teacher [1][3].

If the profession is not regulated, or you want to continue studying, sit a competitive exam for the civil service or prove your level to an employer, an equivalencia to Grado or Máster level will do. For admission to a master’s programme it is usually not needed: the university checks the level itself, see master’s degree in Spain: how to get in [1][4].

Specific exceptions:

• Lawyer and procurador: homologación of a foreign degree is not possible; you can request convalidación of some subjects or equivalencia, but it does not give the right to practise or to the master’s degree that grants access to the profession [5].
• Medical specialist (especialista sanitario): professional recognition of specialities is handled by the Ministry of Health, not by the universities ministry [5].
• Secondary school teacher: you need a Grado through equivalencia and the master’s degree that grants access to the profession: you either complete it in Spain or apply for homologación habilitante if you have a foreign teaching degree. The combinations are explained in the ministry’s FAQ [5].
• Degree from an EHEA (EEES) country: another route is also possible, professional recognition under Directive 2005/36/CE [5].

Which degrees will not be accepted

Article 4 of the regulation lists what is not recognised [1]. In practice these points matter.

• Universities’ own degrees (títulos propios) and continuing education (formación permanente).
• Levels other than Grado and Máster. Doctorado is decided by the university under a separate procedure.
• Studies you completed wholly or partly in Spain at a centre without authorisation to teach, or a programme that had not actually been implemented at the foreign university when the degree was issued.
• A degree on which a decision has already been issued for an identical application.
• A degree you are processing at the same time through convalidación at a Spanish university (the ministry’s FAQ allows this combination for equivalencia, but not for homologación) [1][5].
• A degree obtained through credit for work experience or non-official courses for more than 15% of the programme’s credits.

Minimum requirements on the ministry’s page: a Grado of at least three years and 180 ECTS, a Máster of at least one year and 60 ECTS, or the equivalent. Degrees shorter than three years are usually not recognised; convalidación remains for them [5]. If an application falls under an exception, it is not examined on its merits and the fee is not refunded [5].

Documents for degree homologación

The basic set of documents is the same for homologación and equivalencia [1][5]:

• a document proving identity and nationality;
• the degree certificate or a certificate of its issue;
• academic transcript: official length of the programme, subjects, hours and ECTS credits (for equivalencia the diploma supplement can be used);
• proof of payment of the fee;
• a declaración responsable on the accuracy of the data; a letter of authorisation if a representative applies.

The degree certificate and academic transcript are submitted legalised or with a Hague Convention apostille and with an official translation into Spanish. Legalisation is not required for documents issued by authorities of EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEE) and Switzerland; the European Higher Education Area (EEES) is wider than this list, and documents from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan or Ukraine need an apostille [1]. In detail: apostille on diplomas and certificates, sworn translation.

For homologación only, you add:

• proof of Spanish at B2 level or higher if you are not a national of a country where Spanish is official. Accepted: DELE B2, a certificate from an official language school, a university certificate that at least 75% of the programme was taught in Spanish, or a certificate that your previous education was in Spanish [1][5];
• documents proving the right to practise this profession in the country that issued the degree, where applicable [5];
• for pre-school and primary teachers: C1 Spanish for applicants who are not from Spanish-speaking countries [5].

Applying step by step

1. Choose the procedure. If you need both the profession and the academic level, you can file both applications for one degree; each has its own fee [5].
2. Check the exceptions in article 4 and the ministry’s page for your profession [1][3].
3. Prepare the apostille, translations and language certificate.
4. Pay the fee. The sede offers electronic payment; alternatively, modelo 790 code 107 at a bank, or a transfer from abroad to a Bank of Spain account, in which case the exact amount must arrive in full regardless of bank charges [2][5].
5. Submit the application electronically. You need a digital certificate or a login with username and password; keep that access method, as you will use it to check the application later [1][5].
6. Keep an eye on your account. Requests arrive there, and you must reply the same way [1][5].
7. Get the credencial. It is downloaded from the sede in digital format with an electronic signature [1][5].

How long degree homologación takes in Spain

The time limit is suspended between a request for missing documents and your reply [1]. The actual time depends on the profession, the workload and the number of requests: the regulation guarantees a ceiling, not an average duration. We did not find statistics on processing times in official sources.

How much homologación costs

The fee under tasa 107 is €166.50 per procedure: homologación and equivalencia are paid for separately. You can pay it in the sede, at a bank with modelo 790-107, or by transfer from abroad [2][5]. If the application is declared inadmissible, the fee is not refunded [5]. The fee may change, so check it on the portal on the day you apply. The cost of the apostille, translations and language exam is separate.

What the Ministry decides and what conditional homologación means

There are four kinds of decision: homologación, equivalencia, refusal or conditional homologación [1]. Conditional means you are asked to complete requisitos formativos complementarios: a placement, an exam, a project or courses at a Spanish university that offers the relevant degree [1]. The time limit for this is four years, and the Resolución of 26 May 2025 extended it by another two years for procedures pending on the date it entered into force [6]. After a conditional homologación you cannot apply again for the same degree, even if the time limit has expired [1].

The decision can be appealed with a recurso de reposición or directly in the contencioso-administrativo court within two months of notification, or of the day on which refusal by silence took effect [1].

Specifics for citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine

The degree goes through the apostille and translation under the general rule; the procedure for Russia: apostille on diplomas and certificates. A language certificate is needed if you are not a national of a Spanish-speaking country [1][5].

The regulation provides relief for beneficiaries of temporary protection: the procedure can be started with a declaración responsable without the full set of documents, the fee is not required until the end of the instrucción, and the time limits for corrections do not apply until the proposed decision. But the documents are still needed before the decision [1]. On the status: temporary protection for Ukrainians.

A higher education degree from other CIS countries is assessed under the same rules; we did not find any specific exceptions for these countries in the regulation.

Common mistakes

• Applying for homologación where equivalencia is needed, and vice versa. For a regulated profession, equivalencia does not replace homologación [5].
• Not checking the minimum length: a degree shorter than three years is not recognised, so consider convalidación [5].
• Applying for homologación and at the same time for convalidación of the same degree: this is a ground for inadmissibility [1][5].
• Losing access to the sede: checks and requests go through the same login method you used to start the application [5].
• Underpaying the fee when transferring from abroad: if the amount is not complete, processing of the application will not start [5].
• Ordering a translation from an unverified translator: an official translation into Spanish is required [1].

When you need an individual review

You need a consultation if the profession is regulated and you are unsure about the list, if the degree was obtained at several universities or partly in Spain, if you also want to move towards a work permit or residence permit, or if the ministry has issued a conditional decision. Which procedure to file, and in what order, depends on your documents and profession.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona will help you identify the procedure, prepare the apostille and translations, put together the documents and submit the application through the sede on your behalf under a letter of authorisation, and then support you in answering requests. To book: consultation; documents: document service. If you need the degree for employment, the steps are described in the route card for work, and a general overview of residence grounds is on the residence permit in Barcelona page.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.