The Ministry of Universities is the Department of the General State Administration in charge of resolving requests for homologation, equivalence declarations and validation of university studies from foreign educational systems.
A Royal Decree on the homologation of foreign degrees has recently been published, updating the procedures and requirements in order to speed up the procedures. The main novelty of this regulation is the intense and global digitalization of the creation of the Commission for Technical Analysis of Homologations and Declarations of Equivalence, which aims to reduce the waiting time for the processing of the files. It is also committed to the digitalization of the process so that applicants for homologation or equivalence can consult the status of their file.
The royal decree, published in October 2022, aims to regulate the conditions, requirements and procedures for the recognition of higher education degrees obtained in foreign educational systems in relation to the corresponding official university degrees in Spain.
Two specific procedures are established for this purpose:
a) The homologation of degrees obtained in the framework of foreign higher education systems to an official Spanish university degree to an official Spanish university degreewhen this degree is a) The homologation of degrees obtained in the framework of foreign higher education systems to an official Spanish university degree, when this degree qualifies and leads to the exercise of a profession regulated by the regulations in force for this purpose in Spain.
b) The declaration of equivalence of degrees obtained in the framework of foreign higher education systems to an official Spanish academic level of University Degree and Master's Degree, without this entitling the holder to practice a regulated profession in Spain..
The procedure for the validation of foreign university studies or periods thereof, carried out within the framework of foreign university and higher education studies, for official university studies being taught in the Spanish university system is established.
Difference between applying for recognition, homologation or equivalence of higher education degrees?
What degrees can I homologate?
If you wish to practice a regulated profession in Spain, you must apply for homologation, since the declaration of equivalence at degree and academic level does NOT have professional effects.
Approval can be requested for those included in the following list:
- Physician
- Veterinarian
- Nurse
- Physiotherapist
- Dentist
- Pharmacist
- Speech therapist
- Optician-optometrist
- Podiatrist
- Occupational Therapist
- Dietitian-nutritionist
- General Health Psychologist
- Civil Engineer
- Mining Engineer
- Industrial Engineer
- Aeronautical Engineer
- Agricultural Engineer
- Forestry Engineer
- Naval and Ocean Engineer
- Telecommunications Engineer
- Architect
- Technical Mining Engineer
- Technical Engineer of Public Works
- Aeronautical Technical Engineer
- Technical Agricultural Engineer
- Forestry Technical Engineer
- Naval Technical Engineer
- Industrial Technical Engineer
- Telecommunications Technical Engineer
- Technical Engineer in Topography
- Technical Architect
- Teacher in Early Childhood Education
- Teacher in Primary Education
- Teacher of Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching
- Lawyer
- Attorney at Law
Which degrees can I apply for equivalency?
The equivalence to a degree grants the foreign degree the same effects as the degrees that are included in the area and specific field of training to which the equivalence has been declared.
Those who wish to apply for equivalence must apply for the recognition of a diploma related to an recognition of a qualification related to a non-regulated professioni.e. professions that are not included in the list in this blog.
Some of these cases are: Journalism, Business Administration and Management, Arts, Humanities, Biological Sciences, Physical, Chemical and Geological Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Information Technology, Engineering not mentioned in the regulated ones, Agriculture.
Where can I apply for the homologation or declaration of equivalence of my university degree?
The application is submitted electronically at the Electronic Headquarters of the Ministry of Universities. In this way it is duly registered, and you will be able to monitor the processing of your file from the very beginning.
Homologation- Electronic Headquarters Ministry of Universities:
Declaration of equivalence- Electronic office of the Ministry of Universities:
What documentation should I attach to the application?
Applications for both homologation and declaration of equivalence must be accompanied by the following documents:
a) Document proving the identity and nationality of the applicant.
b) In the case of residents in Spanish territory, declaration by the person
applicant authorizing the verification and verification of his or her identity.
c) Degree whose homologation or declaration of equivalence is requested, or the certification of its issuance.
d) Academic certification of the studies carried out by the applicant for
the degree, stating, among other things, the official duration of the degree, in
academic years of the study plan followed, the subjects taken, the academic load, and the
timetable for each of them and, if applicable, the corresponding ECTS credits.
(European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
e) Proof of payment of the corresponding fee.
f) Responsible declaration in which the person concerned declares the truthfulness
of the data provided, as well as being in possession of the original documentation.
required in the requested procedure.
g) Any other additional document depending on the studies carried out.
