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Official recognition of foreign higher education degrees is regulated by Royal Decree 285/2004, dated 20 February (published in the Official Spanish Gazette (BOE) on 5 March), modified by Royal Decree 309/2005, dated 18 March (BOE published 19 March). There are currently two different methods (which are not incompatible and may be requested successively or simultaneously):
The recognition grants the foreign degree, from the date on which it is recognized and the corresponding credential is issued, the same effects (academic and professional) as the corresponding Spanish degree or academic level, throughout the entire country.
Foreign degrees that may be recognized are those that are officially valid, accredited by full completion of the corresponding higher education cycle, including, when applicable, the practical period necessary to obtain it, issued by the corresponding authority in accordance with the legislation of the country whose education system includes said studies. Degrees with official academic validity in the country of origin are those that grant higher education academic levels integrated into a certain education system and those recognized as equivalent to the former by the corresponding authorities in the country in which they are received.
Official recognition will not be given to foreign degrees that do not have official academic validity in the country of origin, nor those corresponding to foreign studies completed, in whole or in part, in Spain when the centers are not authorized to give that education, or when the studies covered by the foreign degree to be recognized are not effectively implemented at the foreign university or higher education institution when the degree was issued.
The procedure begins by request of the affected person (form published as an annex to Order ECI/3686/2004, dated 3 November, published in the BOE on 15 November), accompanied by the following documents:
Documents issued abroad must comply with the following requirements:
Resolutions on official recognition of foreign degrees will be handed down following a reasoned report issued by the corresponding technical committees designated by the Secretariat General of the University Coordination Board, assessing the connection between the academic levels required to access the studies leading to obtaining the foreign degree and to access the Spanish degree, the duration and number of hours in the training period required to obtain the foreign degree to be officially recognized, the connection between the academic levels of the foreign degree and the Spanish degree for which official recognition is requested and the educational content completed to obtain the foreign degree.
The resolution is handed down by the Minister of Education and Science (by delegation to the Technical Secretary General of the Department). When official recognition is requested for a specific degree in the catalog, it may be granted, rejected or subject to completion of complementary training requirements (to be determined in the resolution; they may include: passing an aptitude test, completing a practical experience period, completing a project or work, or attending tutored courses). When the application is for official recognition of a generic academic level, it may only be granted or rejected.
Official recognitions that are granted are formalized by a credential issued by the Office of Degrees, Validations and Recognitions at the Ministry of Education, Social Policy and Sports.
Since 1 March 2005, Spanish University Presidents are authorized to validate the current Doctor's degree and level for the new official Master's and Doctor's degrees that may be established and for the new Master academic level.
The procedure begins with an application from the affected person, submitted to the President of the University of their choice. The resolution will be handed down by the University President following a reasoned report from the competent entity for post-graduate studies. The resolution may be favorable or unfavorable for the requested recognition. The official recognition, when applicable, will be certified with the corresponding credential issued by the University President.
Eliminating obstacles to the free circulation of people and services between the Member States is one of the objectives of the European Community, as set forth in article 3.1.c) of the Constitutional Treaty. This elimination represents, for citizens of the Member States, the possibility of exercising a profession, either self-employed or employed by others, in a Member State other than the one in which they obtained their professional qualifications. To this end, article 47.1 of the Treaty establishes that Directives shall be adopted for mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other training qualifications.
The effects of this recognition are purely professional; in other words, they provide authorization to exercise a specific regulated profession in the host country. In general, there are no academic effects.
These degree recognition regulations apply only to the citizens of the 27 European Union Member States, the non-Union European Economic Area Agreement signatory States (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), and Switzerland.
Professional qualification recognition in the European Union is currently regulated by European Parliament and Council Directive 2005/36/EC, dated 7 September 2005, modified by Directive 2006/100/EC.
It is important to define the free provision of temporary or occasional services and recognition for establishment in another Member State.
Official recognition is provided regarding the academic validity of higher studies completed abroad, whether or not they lead to a degree, as regards partial Spanish university studies making it possible to continue those studies at a Spanish University.
Recognition of foreign studies in relation to partial Spanish university studies is granted by the Spanish University at which the individual in question wishes to continue their studies, in accordance with the criteria established by the University Coordination Board.
The effects of the partial studies recognition are, in general, academic only, as they make it possible to continue studying within the Spanish education system. These studies may culminate, when appropriate, in obtaining the corresponding Spanish university degree, once the applicable course curriculum has been completed. This Spanish degree will enjoy full official recognition, without any distinction whatsoever.
This recognition of university degrees and studies, for purely academic purposes, as a complement to the correspondence (academic and professional effects) and recognition (professional effects only) systems, are derived from bilateral agreements with Germany, Italy and France.
In Spain:
Ministry of Education, Social Policy and Sports
Centro de Información y Atención al Ciudadano (Information and Citizen Support Center)
Sección de Información Educativa (Education Information Section)
C/ Alcalá, 36. 28071 Madrid
Tel.: 902 21 85 00
For inquiries, send an e-mail through the following web page:
http://www.mepsyd.es/mecd/jsp/plantilla.jsp?id=21&area=atencion
NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centre)
Ministry of Education, Social Policy and Sports
Subdirección General de Títulos, Convalidaciones y Homologaciones (Office of Degrees, Validations and Recognitions)
Paseo del Prado 28 - 28014 Madrid
Points of contact:
Internet :
Outside of Spain:
