Master's Degree in Spain for Foreigners: Steps and Documents

How a foreigner can get into a master’s in Spain: the general procedure

The route is the same for most programmes: choose an official master’s, check the degree requirements with the university, apply, get admitted, pay for your place, gather your visa documents and apply at the consulate. The visa rules come in at the end, but their deadlines determine when you need to start.

We did not find a single website for applying to all master’s programmes in Catalonia: the Generalitat runs a single pre-registration system for the Grado [7], while for master’s programmes, judging by the publicly available pages, you apply to each university under its own rules. The exception is the teacher training master’s, for which the Generalitat publishes its own page [2].

Do you need homologación of your degree to enrol in a master’s?

No. Homologation (homologación) is needed to work in a regulated profession, not to continue studying. For a master’s, the regulation provides for two cases [1].

First: the degree was issued by a university in an EEES country (European Higher Education Area) and gives access to master’s study in that country. Second: the degree is from a system outside the EEES and is equivalent to a Spanish Grado. In that case, homologación is not needed, but the university checks what level of education it certifies, and the issuing country must allow access to postgraduate programmes with it [1].

Being admitted this way does not mean your degree has been recognised. The university accepts it only for the purposes of the master’s [1]. In practice, after the master’s you will have a Spanish master’s qualification, but your earlier degree remains foreign unless you separately obtain homologación or equivalencia.

A declaración de equivalencia to Grado or Máster level is a separate application to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The Ministry states that it may be required for civil service competitions, for hiring by private companies and for admission to further study [4]. The fee is listed on the Valida-TE portal [8]. You do not need it to apply for the master’s itself. More on homologation: degree homologation in Spain.

Which documents universities ask for

There is no single list. Article 18.5 of the regulation leaves it to universities to set specific admission requirements and, where needed, bridging courses, which cannot exceed 20% of the programme’s credits [1]. So take the list of documents from the programme’s website, not from other people’s reviews.

An example from an official source, not a general list: for the teacher training master’s, the Generalitat asks for your degree certificate and an academic transcript with grades (legalised and translated for degrees from outside the EEES), a certificate from your university stating that the degree gives access to master’s study in the issuing country, and, where required (the page says “si escau”), a B1 certificate in Catalan or Spanish for foreign degrees [2]. If you do not provide the Ministry’s certificate of grade equivalence, your admission score for this programme is 5.000 [2]. These are the conditions of one programme, not of master’s study in general.

Most programmes will also ask for your passport, a cover letter or CV, and proof of the language of instruction, but these items vary between programmes, and we have not found an official list that brings them together. Check the university’s website.

Apostille and translation of your degree

For degrees from outside the EEES, universities and authorities require legalisation (the Hague Convention apostille) and a translation into Spanish [2][4]. For the visa, the consulate in Moscow asks for the same for any foreign documents, with the translation done by a sworn translator [6]. The process: apostille on degrees and certificates, what an apostille is, sworn translation.

For the same teacher training master’s, the Generalitat specifies that degrees from EEES universities are submitted without legalisation but with a translation, while degrees from outside the EEES need legalisation and a translation [2].

The EEES is wider than the European Union, so check whether your country and university belong to it on the programme page before you apply; for the visa, the consulate in Moscow asks for an apostille or legalisation of foreign documents in any case [6]. Order apostilles and translations early. They are part of your preparation before the visa, and other people’s accounts of how long things take are no substitute for checking: universities need the documents by their admission deadline, and the consulate requires you to apply two months before the start [3].

Official master’s and título propio: how they differ

Official master’s degrees (Máster Universitario) can be checked in the RUCT register, where universities, centres and qualifications are recorded [3]. A university’s own programmes (títulos propios) lead to a qualification awarded by the university itself, not an official state one.

For a student visa, the regulation accepts both: “higher education” includes university programmes leading to the own qualifications of recognised universities [3]. But a títulos propios qualification cannot be recognised through homologación or equivalencia, and it does not replace an official Máster for a regulated profession [4]. If you need to work in a regulated profession, choose an official programme and check the details in the rules for that profession.

How admission relates to the student visa

A master’s counts as higher education: for the visa you need admission to an institution recognised in Spain, payment of the matrícula and a full-time programme, meaning you are enrolled in at least 90% of the credits [3]. You must apply for the visa no later than two months before your studies start, so admission and payment must be in place beforehand [3]. The process in detail: student visa for Spain: applying step by step.

The visa documents are covered in the article documents for a student visa, and the means in the article means for a student visa. If you are already in Spain lawfully, the regulation allows you to apply for a higher education authorisation from within the country: two months for a decision, and no reply means refusal. A university on the register can apply on your behalf online under a fast-track procedure of 15 days [3].

You can work while doing a master’s: for higher education, permission to work is included automatically if the work is compatible with your studies and does not exceed 30 hours a week [3]. More: can you work with a student permit.

Common mistakes

• Starting with homologación when what you need is a university application: homologation is not required for admission [1].
• Going by the requirements of another programme or another university: the list is set by the university [1].
• Not checking that your degree gives access to master’s study in the issuing country: this is a condition of Article 18 [1].
• Ordering the apostille and translation in the last month, when the visa application is due two months before the start.
• Not checking the mode of study. The programme does not fit the permitted in-person or hybrid mode of study or other requirements of Article 52. For university programmes, Article 52.1.a allows in-person or hybrid study as set by the curriculum and university legislation; the threshold of 50% in-person classes applies to other higher education. A fully online programme cannot be assumed to qualify [3].
• Taking a reservation deposit for payment of the matrícula without checking with the consulate: the regulation refers to “derechos de inscripción, matrícula o documento equivalente” [3].

When you need an individual review

You need an individual review if you are not sure that your degree gives access to master’s study in the issuing country, if you want to work in a regulated profession, if you are moving with your family, or if you are already in Spain on another basis. Your legal status depends on your case.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona explains the procedure and helps you prepare your documents, translations and visa application. We do not select programmes or universities. Book: consultation; service: student visa and estancia; deadlines and the order of steps are set out in the study route card, and the page Residence permit in Barcelona compares other grounds for residence.

Frequently asked questions

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