Practical guide for foreign researchers in Spain 2006

9. Validation and recognition of foreign university degrees

9.1. Validation of foreign university degrees

There are currently two different modalities for the validation of foreign higher education degrees (these are not incompatible and can be applied for simultaneously or successively):

• Validation of a degree of the Catalogue of Official University Degrees: validation of a specific degree, for example, a Degree in Pharmacy.
• Validation of an academic grade: validation of a generic academic title: Graduate-level Grade or University-level grade, but not a specific degree.

Validation gives the foreign degree the same effects (both academic and professional) throughout the national territory as the Spanish degree or academic grade it is validated with from the date the corresponding credentials are granted and issued.

The foreign titles eligible for validation must have official validity, prove the full completion of the corresponding higher education cycle (including the practice period, if necessary for its granting) and be issued by the relevant authority in line with the legislation of the State whose education system these studies belong to.

The following titles are considered to have official academic validity in the country of origin:

- Those granting academic grades of higher education integrated in a determined education system.
- Those considered as equivalent titles by the relevant authorities of the country they are given.

Will not be liable for validation:

- Foreign titles without official academic validity in the country of origin.
- Titles corresponding to foreign studies carried out, totally or partially, in Spain, at centres that are not authorised for this type of education.
- Titles whose education suspended by the foreign title subject of validation are not effectively implemented in the foreign university or higher education institution at the time the title was issued.

The procedure starts at the request of the person interested (model published as annex of Order ECI/3686/2004, of 3rd November, BOE of 15th November), and must be accompanied by the following documents:

- Certified copy of the document that proves the applicant’s identity and nationality.
- Certified copy of the degree subject to validation or the supporting certificate of its expedition.
- Certified copy of the academic certification of the studies completed for the granting of the title, which must indicate the official duration (in academic years) of the followed study plan, the subjects given and the credit hours for each one of the subjects.
- Proof of payment of the corresponding fee.

Documents issued abroad must meet the following requirements:

- They must be official documents issued by the relevant authorities according to the legal regulations of the country in question.
- They must be presented legalised via diplomatic way or through the Apostille of The Hague Accords. This requirement is not required for documents issued by the authorities of EU member States or signatories of the European Economic Area Agreement.
- They must be accompanied, whenever necessary, by its corresponding official Spanish translation.

The resolutions on the validation of foreign degrees will be adopted prior motivated report (reasoned) issued by the corresponding technical committees assigned by the Secretary General of the University Coordination Council.

Positively valued are:

- Similarity between the levels of education required to access higher education abroad and in Spain.
- The duration and credit hours of the training period necessary for the granting of the foreign degree subject to validation.
- Similarity between the academic levels of the foreign degree and the Spanish degree subject to validation.
- The contents of the study programme completed for the granting of the foreign title.

The resolution is passed by the Ministry of Education and Science. When applying for the validation of a specific degree of the catalogue, this application can be granted, denied or remain subject to the completing of additional academic requirements. In this case, the requirements will be established in the resolution and can consist of: the approval of an aptitude test, the execution of a practice period, the execution of a project or work, or the attendance to tutored courses. When applying for the validation of a generic academic grade, the application can only be granted or denied.

The validations granted are formalised trough credentials issued by the Subdirectorate General of Degrees, Recognitions and Validations of the Ministry of Education and Science.

9.2. Validation of postgraduate titles and academic grades

Since 1^st March 2005, the vice-chancellors of the Spanish Universities have the competence to grant validation of the current degree and grade of Doctor, the new official titles of Master and Doctor established (except for the Master degrees which have their own general guidelines approved by the Government, and which will form part of the Catalogue) and the new academic grade of Master (after renewal of the Catalogue of Official University Degrees).

The person interested must send an application to the vice-chancellor of the university of his/her choice. The motivated resolution will be adopted by the university’s vice-chancellor, prior reasoned report of the relevant body in postgraduate study matters. The resolution can be favourable or unfavourable. It favourable, the granting of the validation will be proven by means of credentials issued by the vice-chancellor of the university.

9.3. Professional recognition of EU degrees by EU Directives

The EU Directives for the professional recognition of EU degrees is based on the articles of the Constitutive Treaty of the European Community concerning the freedom of establishment and the free delivery of services. For this freedom to be effective, a series of orders have been approved, which shape a recognition system of professional qualifications between the Member States of the European Union. These guidelines, set up mainly by a series of Directives, have been replacing the Spanish legal system through several other Royal Decrees.

This recognition has an exclusively professional effect, which means it authorises the practice of a specific profession in the State of reception, but has no academic effects whatsoever.

This set of rules is exclusively applied to citizens of the 25 Member States of the EU, the signatory States of the European Economic Area Agreement that are not members of the EU (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and Switzerland.

The Directives are currently grouped into two categories:

- Sectoral Directives. Are based on the harmonisation of training and determine the minimum requirements for each professional sector. They allow for the direct recognition of degrees through an established procedure. Each Directive indicates a list of the degrees of the different States that are liable for recognition. These Directives affect the following professions: doctors and specialist doctors, general care nurses, midwives, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists and architects.
- Directives for which a general system of recognition has been established. Unlike the sectoral directives, there is no previous coordination of the degrees. The system is based on the principle of mutual trust, which means that if a professional is fully qualified for the practice of a profession is his home State, he must also be recognised to carry out that profession in the host State. Nevertheless, in case there are differences between the study programmes for the granting of the degrees of each State for the practice of a same profession, they are compensation mechanisms foreseen, such as an aptitude test or a traineeship period.

The competences for the recognition are distributed among the ministry departments, depending on the profession in question.

Directive 2005/36/CE of the European Parliament and the Council (of 7th September 2005), published on 30th September 2005, on the recognition of professional qualifications, completely modifies and rewrites the previous system. The new Directive must be adopted by the Member States before 20th October 2007.

9.4. Partial validation of foreign university studies

Partial validation is the official recognition of the validity, at academic effects, of higher studies carried out abroad (completed or not, or with the degree granted) with regard to partial Spanish university studies that allow completing those studies at a Spanish University.

The Spanish university, at which the interested person wishes to continue his/her studies, is responsible for validating the foreign studies by Spanish university studies. This validation is defined by the criteria established by the University Coordination Council.

The effects of the validation of partial studies are, normally, only academic and allow to continue the studies in the Spanish education system. These studies can be culminated with the granting of the corresponding Spanish university degree once the applicable study plan has been successfully passed. The Spanish degree will have all corresponding effect without distinctions.

9.5. Agreements of recognition for academic purposes with Germany and Italy

This recognition of degrees and university studies derives from the bilateral agreements with Germany and Italy. Only for academic purposes, it complements the systems of validation (for academic and professional purposes) and of recognition (only for professional purposes).

9.6. Information Centres and Information Points

In Spain:
- Ministry of Education and Science

- For the addresses of the Autonomous Regions and the Provincial Directorates of the Ministry of Education, please visit the following web page: http://www.mecd.es/mecd/jsp/plantilla.jsp?area=organizacion&id=88

- Web page about validation and recognition of foreign degrees and studies in Spain:
http://www.mecd.es/mecd/titulos/convalidacion.html

- The universities can offer information on the processes concerned.

Outside Spain:

- Regional Ministries of Education and Science of the Spanish Embassies. To find out where they are located and to contact them, please visit:
http://wwwn.mec.es/educa/jsp/plantillaAncho.jsp?id=3&area=internacional

- Consular Offices of the Spanish Embassies. Visit the web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for more information:
www.mae.es

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