How to confirm a diploma in Spain: a complete guide to homologation

Confirmation (nostrification) of a foreign diploma in Spain depends on the goals of the applicant and the nature of the study. Spain distinguishes three recognition procedures:homologation(homologación),declaration of equivalence(declaración de equivalencia) and convalidación(convalidación). Homologation equates the diploma to the Spanish official (Grado/Master) and gives the right to a regulated profession. Equivalence confirms the level of education (Grado/Master) only in academic terms, without professional rights. Convalidation transfers the credit for completed courses (for continuation of studies).

To apply you need certified copies of the diploma and application with grades, an apostille (or consular legalization) and an official translation into Spanish.The application is submitted exclusively online through “Electronic Office” Ministry of Universities (universidades.sede.gob.es). When submitting, you must pay a fee (tasa 790/107) of 166.50 € and attach the receipt.

The Ministry of Universities (Ministerio de Universidades, formerly Ciencia/M°Educación) processes requests within 6 months. The result is that a “credential de homologation” (certificate of homologation) or a “certificate de declaration de equivalencia” is issued. The decision can be: directly positive, conditional (with the requirement of further study/practice for up to 4 years) or negative. In the case of a conditional decision, it is necessary to complete specified courses or practice (up to 4 years), after which a final credential is issued.In case of a negative decision, an appeal is available (recurs reposición) within 2 months. or court.

For regulated professions after academic homologation, you should contact the appropriate department (Ministry of Health, Justice, Transport, etc.) to obtain professional accreditation. A list of competent authorities by profession is available on the website of the Ministry of Education.Often a profession exam, experience or membership in a trade union is required.

Language exams may also be required. For work in a regulated profession, you usually need Spanish at least level B2; DELE certificate (Cervantes Institute) confirms language proficiency. For immigration/naturalization, the Spanish system requires DELE A2 and CCSE (constitution test). DELE/CCSE exams are organized by the Cervantes Institute (lists of centers and costs are on the Cervantes website).

Below is a detailed action plan, tables and diagrams.

1. Types of recognition of diplomas and their differences

Type recognition	Description/purpose	Effect	Applicability
Homologation (homologación)	Official equalization of a foreign diploma with Spanish official (Grado or Máster), allowing you to practice a regulated profession.	The diploma receives all the effects of Spanish (academic prof.). The right to practice a regulated profession.	For diplomas giving access to a regulated profession (medicine, engineering, law, etc.). Mandatory if you need a prof. activities in Spain.
Equivalence (declaración de equivalencia)	Recognition of the level of education (Grado/Master) only academically, without assigning the right to prof. activity.	The diploma is equivalent to Spanish in level (Bachelor/Master). The profession does not open.	If the goal is to continue education or confirm the level without work according to the regulations. Or when a diploma leads to something else. prof., then use instead of homologation.
Convalidation (convalidación)	Counting individual foreign courses or years of study into the Spanish program.	Scientific credits are recognized; allows you to continue studying at a university without repeating the same subjects.	When the diploma does NOT need to be “converted” into Spanish, but certain subjects need to be credited for studying in Spain.

For example, a bachelor’s degree from the CIS in an unregulated specialty can be considered academically equivalent (equivalence), but will not provide a license for the profession. For a doctor, homologation is necessary (opens the right to practice medicine), and in addition – registration in the medical register and a licensing commission.

2. Required documents and formats

For homologation/equivalence, Spanish legislation requires (all documents with apostille/legalization and translation into Spanish):

Document	Requirements
Passport/ID	Copy of ID (or NIE/ID). Document proving nationality and identity.
Diploma/certificate of education	Certified copy of diploma (original for verification). With certificate of degree. Apostille (or consular legalization) certified translation into Spanish.
Diploma supplement/statement of grades (Suplemento)	Official transcript of all completed courses, disciplines and grades with an academic seal. The number of years, hours or ECTS credits is indicated. Apostille translation. If there were conv. loan more than 15%, attach a certificate about this.
Exam certificate (if there is no diploma)	If the exams are passed without issuing a diploma, you can attach a certificate of completion or a certificate of passing the exams.
Payment receipt fee	Duty payment receipt (model 790, code 107) in the amount of 166.50 €. You can pay by bank card or transfer (IBAN is listed on the website).
Power of attorney (if through a representative)	Notarized permission and passport of the representative.
Others: additional certificates or letters	If necessary – work book, proof of experience, credits for practice, etc. (requested by the authority).

Documents from countries party to the Hague Convention are apostilled (issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the court of the country); of the rest – consular legalization at the Spanish Embassy. The translation must be from a sworn translator (in Spain or certified by the Spanish consulate). Confirmation of the legitimacy of universities/programs is also required.

For convalidation(course credit), similar documents are usually required: diploma (if available) and full transcripts, but submitted through the university (see the requirements of the specific Spanish university).

3. Where and how to apply

Homologation/equivalence applications are submitted online through the Electronic Office of the Ministry of Universities (portal “Valida-TE”). You must register through the Cl@ve systems or have an electronic signature. Algorithm:

If the application requires additional information, the authority gives 10 working days to correct or provide it (otherwise the application is cancelled). Next, the case is transferred to ANECA (report for ≤3 months) and a decision is prepared.

You can also submit it in paper form (by mail or in registers: “Registro” offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, local education offices, Central Register of MEISP at C/Los Madrazo 17, Madrid). However, from 2022, everything is transferred to electronic form: even when submitted “on paper,” the materials are digitized.

After submitting the application, it can be tracked online (section “Consultar estado expediente”).

4. Language requirements and exams

Spanish language: to homologate professions with client practice, you must confirm sufficient knowledge of Spanish. Typically, DELE certificates of at least B2 or C1 are required, depending on the profession.

For naturalization (for reference): by law you need to confirm your knowledge of Spanish at A2 (DELE) and pass the CCSE exam (constitutional/socio-cultural knowledge). CCSE and DELE are conducted by the Cervantes Institute (see calendars, centers and prices on the Cervantes website). For example, the minimum DELE prices by level are indicated in PDF on the Instituto Cervantes website (≈130-195 €/exam in 2026). The CCSE exam costs approximately 85 € (more details on the Cervantes website).

Where to take: Most countries have Cervantes centers; in Russia this is the network of the Spanish Center (Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc.). You can register online at examenes.cervantes.es.

5. Regulated professions and their characteristics

If the diploma is related to a profession regulated by Spanish law, separate procedures must be followed:

• Competent authority: Each profession is assigned to a ministry (Health, Justice, Economy, etc.). For example, doctors and nurses – the Ministry of Health, lawyers – the Ministry of Justice, engineers – the Ministry of Transport or the Ministry of Industry, etc. The website of the Ministry of Education publishes complete lists with links to the relevant departments.
• Additional requirements: In addition to academic homologation, admission to the profession may require: internship in Spain, adaptation courses or exams (for example, an exam on knowledge of industry legislation). In some cases, a European Professional Card (TPE) is possible. In healthcare, in addition to homologation, you need to register in the National Register of Physicians, in the legal profession you need to pass the Spanish “Aptitud” exam, etc. It is recommended to contact NARIC or directly to the competent authority for detailed information on a specific profession.
• Practical advice: often before prof. recognition requires joining the appropriate college (for example, Colegio de Médicos) or confirming the absence of disciplinary sanctions.

Note: For access to study or work in the EU after recognition, it is also worth checking the requirements of the directives (2005/36/EC and 2013/55/EU, imp. via RD 581/2017). For example, EU citizens enjoy freedom of movement without additional procedures (DIR 2005/36/EC).

6. Terms of consideration and possible results

• Deadline: Spanish administrative law sets a period of no more than 6 months for a decision on an application. If the decision is not made within this period, it is considered by law to be a refusal (silencio administrativo negativo). If it is necessary to wait for expert reports (ANECA), the period can be extended, but usually no more than 6 months.
• Results: The decision can be:

• Homologation is fully satisfied – a credencial de homologación is issued (official document equalization).
• Homologation is conditional – additional requirements are indicated (prácticas, exams, courses). After completing them for up to 4 years, a final credencial is issued.
• Declaration of equivalence (declaración de equivalencia) – a certificate of equivalence is issued (does not add professional rights, but confirms the level).
• Refusal – application rejected (incorrect/insufficient documents or impossibility equate).

• Partial convalidation: If homologation is not obtained, it is sometimes possible to count individual courses through convalidation (at the university level). This is convenient, for example, if some academic component is missing.
• Appeals: In case of refusal or partial refusal, you can file a recursus reposición (internal administrative reconsideration) according to Art. 123 of Law 39/2015. An appeal is also available in the court of Administrative Law within 2 months.

7. Cost and possible expenses

Main costs:

Item of expenses	Approximate amount	Note
State duty (tasa 790-107)	166.50 €	For homologation or equivalence (payment online or via Modelo 790). Payment is not refundable in case of refusal.
Translation of documents	≈ 25-50 €/page	Sworn translation (minimum 1-2 pages per diploma). The cost depends on the number of pages.
Apostille/legalization	≈ 10-15 € / document (apostille)	Judicial apostille for The Hague. countries Legalization (consular stamp) is more expensive.
DELE/CCSE exams	DELE: 130–200 € (per level)CCSE: ~85 €	DELE for levels A1-C1 (see Cervantes for prices). CCSE – fixed (for deadlines, see Cervantes).
Other expenses	Depends on the case:	Train tickets to the consulate, notary, bank (if paying in Spain), passport/visa photo, etc. It is possible to pay for the submission of documents (consular fees) and a contribution to the trade union (for example, for a professional license).

If refused, fees are not refunded.

8. Final document

After successful recognition, an official reference document is issued:

• Credential de Homologation– a medallion document with data: name, diploma and to which Spanish title it is equated, details of the decision. In essence, this is the “Spanish equivalent of a diploma” (but they do not issue a diploma, namely a certificate of equalization). The Credencial is signed by an authorized official of the Ministry of Universities. Registration records in RNTU (Registro Nacional de Titulados) confirm legitimacy.
• Certificate of Declaration de Equivalencia– if only equivalency was requested, they issue a level certificate (Grado/Master) in Spanish. It contains data on the foreign diploma and the Spanish level.
• In convalidation the result will be the decision of the university commission (with a mark of credits taken).

For example, examples of credencial forms can be found on the Internet or obtained from requests to the Registro de Universidades (for reference).

9. Practical advice and checklist

1. Checking requirements: Find out if yours applies specialty for a regulated profession (the list is in the Appendix to RD 889/2022). If not, prepare an application for equivalence, and, if necessary, convalidation for study.
2. Collection of documents: Prepare the originals of the diploma and applications. Apostille/legalize them in advance. Provide sworn translation into Spanish. Pay the fee in advance (via Modelo 790-107).
3. Checking bilateral agreements: Go to the website of the Ministry of Education “Reconocimiento de títulos por país” (https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es) and find your country. In the countries of Lat. America often has mutual recognition agreements, which can simplify the procedure.
4. Registration in Seda: Get a digital signature (Cl@ve) or electronic DNI/NIE.
5. Filling out an application: On the portal universidades.sede.gob.es select the appropriate procedure (Homologación or Equivalencia), upload PDF scans of all documents (see instructions). Follow the prompts (model 790 account number, contact, etc.).
6. Payment: If you choose payment by Modelo 790, download and pay the form (see bank address on the website). When paying online, please include the applicant’s name in the payment details. Be sure to attach the receipt to your application.
7. Status control: After sending, track your exp. online (the portal allows “Consulta expediente”). Respond to requests for missing documents within 10 business days.
8. Preparation for additional. requirements: If, after the initial review, you have been assigned “requisites” (courses, experience, exam), immediately check them with ANECA or in the notification. Plan your studies (at a Spanish university under a contract – at your own expense or free courses at universities). Remember: these requirements must be met no later than 4 years.
9. Language: If necessary, take the DELE at the required level (usually B2) in advance. Sign up for your next Cervantes session (see cervantes.es for dates). Please note that DELE certificates are not required for application, but may be required upon completion of the process.
10. Union/exams: Check with the competent ministry whether additional exams are needed (for example, for doctors – MIR; for lawyers – colegiación). Sign up for these steps in advance.

10. Approximate time and outcome

The entire process usually takes from 3-6 months to a decision if the documents are in order. For conditional homologation, you need to add a period for fulfilling the requirements (up to 4 years). Thus, full recognition (including additional training) can last several years.

As a result, you will receive an official certificate of recognition: for homologation – credencial de homologación, for equivalence – certificate equivalencia. This document (with the seal of the Ministry of Institute) equates your foreign diploma to a Spanish title/level. With it you can officially find a job or enter a university on an equal basis with holders of Spanish diplomas.

Sources: official websites of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, BOE Bulletin (Real Decreto 889/2022), Valida-TE portal (ANECA), Instituto Cervantes, as well as legislative acts and regulatory materials (see. links in the text).