Foreign Degree Recognition in Spain (Homologación)

Homologación, equivalence and recognition of partial studies are not the same thing, and choosing the wrong procedure means losing months and starting over. We identify which one you need according to what you want to do with your qualification, prepare the documentation and follow the file.

What we check in your case

• Which procedure applies to you: homologación, equivalence or recognition of partial studies.
• Whether the profession you want to practise is regulated in Spain, which is what determines whether you need homologación.
• Which documents have to be legalised, by Hague apostille or through diplomatic channels depending on your country.
• What needs a sworn translation into Spanish.
• Whether your qualification and your academic transcript are complete, because that is where these files most often get stuck.

Homologación, equivalence or recognition of partial studies

They are three different things and confusing them costs months.

Homologación makes your qualification equivalent to an official Spanish one that gives access to a regulated profession. Equivalence recognises it at an academic level and in a field of knowledge, without making it equivalent to a specific qualification. Recognition of partial studies applies to studies you want to continue at a Spanish university.

Which one you need depends on what you are going to do with the qualification, not on which sounds better.

Timeframes

These are long and highly variable procedures, especially for regulated professions, and they do not depend on us.

What does stop them dragging on even further is filing a complete file by the right procedure from the start: a good share of delays come from corrections that could have been avoided.

How we handle your case

1. We study your objective (to practise, to continue studying or to evidence your level) and the right procedure follows from that.
2. We handle the sworn translations, which is the part that takes longest.
3. We file the application with the competent ministry or body and pay the fee.
4. We respond to any corrections requested, which in homologación are frequent.
5. We let you know about the decision and, where applicable, we arrange the credential.

Official sources

• Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities

Frequently asked questions

Do I need homologación or will equivalence do?

It depends what you want it for. Tell us what you are going to do with the qualification and we will tell you which applies to you at the consultation.

Do you handle the sworn translation?

Yes. It is the part that gets most stuck and we handle it.

How long does it take?

It varies a lot depending on the qualification and the body, and nobody can guarantee you a date. What we do is make sure it does not drag on because of the file.

My qualification is secondary school, not university.

We handle that too.

I am still outside Spain, can you help me?

Yes. We handle it by video call and online documentation, you do not need to be here.