Foreign degree recognition in Spain: homologation vs equivalence

Homologating a degree in Spain gives your foreign university degree the same effects as the matching Spanish bachelor's or master's degree, and you only need it to practise a regulated profession such as medicine, nursing, architecture or school teaching. If your degree does not lead to a regulated profession, the route is a declaration of equivalence, which certifies your academic level. Both are filed online with the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and both carry the fee paid with form 790 code 107.

This guide is based on Royal Decree 889/2022 and on the ministry's own pages as checked in November 2026. Every file is different, the ministry can ask you for extra documents, and the rules can change: in 2026 the ministry put a draft royal decree out for public consultation to reform this very procedure. Before you pay anything, check the version in force through the sources at the end.

Homologation, equivalence and professional recognition compared

The names sound alike and the effects are very different. Picking the wrong one is costly, because the fee is not refunded if your application is denied.

With a degree from a university in Argentina, Peru or Colombia, the real choice is almost always between homologation and equivalence. Recognition under the EU directive is designed for qualifications earned inside the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. Equivalence at doctoral level is handled by the universities themselves, not by the ministry.

When foreign degree recognition in Spain means homologation

Homologation only exists for bachelor's or master's degrees that give access to a regulated profession in Spain. The annex to Royal Decree 889/2022 lists them one by one. They include:

• Health professions: doctor, nurse, pharmacist, dentist, physiotherapist, veterinarian, general health psychologist, speech therapist, podiatrist, optician-optometrist, occupational therapist and dietitian-nutritionist.
• Engineering with professional powers: civil, industrial, telecommunications, mining, aeronautical, agricultural, forestry and naval engineering, plus the technical engineering versions and surveying.
• Architect and technical architect.
• Early-years and primary school teacher, and secondary, upper secondary, vocational and language teacher.
• Lawyer and court representative (procurador), where the annex refers to Royal Decree 775/2011 on access to those professions.

If your degree is not on that list, for instance business administration, economics or journalism, there is no homologation and the route is equivalence. Read the annex carefully before choosing: what your degree is called back home does not always match the name of the Spanish profession.

The decision can come back conditional on extra training when the ministry finds gaps compared with the Spanish degree. You then have up to four years to complete it; if you do not, the homologation lapses. The credential, which is the document proving homologation, is issued once you have met those conditions.

Documents for degree recognition in Spain: apostille and translation

The ministry's base list is short. What takes time is getting each paper right in your home country, and doing it from Spain is usually twice the effort. If you have not moved yet, sort it out before you leave.

• A valid identity document.
• Your official degree certificate, or proof that it was awarded.
• An official academic transcript showing the length of the programme, the subjects and their hours.
• Proof of payment of the fee.
• Legalisation or apostille and official translation, where applicable.
• Proof of language skills, where applicable.

Hague apostille for degrees from Argentina, Peru and Colombia

Academic documents issued outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland must be legalised. Argentina, Colombia and Peru are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so legalisation is done with an apostille issued by the authority each country designates. Some countries require a prior step, such as certifying the academic authority's signature before the apostille is added. Check the procedure with your country's foreign ministry.

The ministry spells out a few points that trip people up: a certified copy that is then apostilled is not accepted, an electronic apostille only counts if it carries a working QR or CSV code, and legalisation does not expire.

Official translation and the language requirement

Documents not written in Spanish need a full official translation, by a sworn translator appointed by Spain's foreign ministry, by an official translator in an EU country, or by an official translator elsewhere whose signature has been legalised. The translation must cover the legalisations and it does not expire either. If your degree and transcript are already in Spanish, there is nothing to translate.

Homologation also requires proof of the language skills needed to practise, such as a DELE B2 or an equivalent certificate. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt, which covers Argentine, Peruvian and Colombian nationals.

The fee for degree recognition in Spain: form 790 code 107

As of November 2026 the fee is 166.50 euros, the same for homologation and for equivalence. You pay before filing and attach the receipt to the application. If the application is inadmissible, lapses or is denied, the money is not returned. The ministry accepts these payment methods:

1. By card or account debit inside the online office while you fill in the application. This requires a Spanish NIF or NIE and Cl@ve access.
2. With a printed form 790 code 107 at a collaborating bank, or online if you are a customer of one. There is one form for homologation and another for equivalence, and it always carries the applicant's details even if someone else pays.
3. By transfer from abroad to the ministry account published on its website. If a third party pays, the reference must include your full name and the ID number you used to open the application.

Be careful with international transfers: transfer costs and bank charges are on you and cannot reduce the fee. Plan for the money moving from your home country too; our guide to sending and receiving money covers how that works.

The fee is only part of the bill. Add apostilles and translations, plus several months of living costs in Spain while the file moves. If family support or income from back home keeps you going during that time, it helps to have a clear way to receive it. BNKA explains how that works by country for Argentina, Peru and Colombia, and if part of your savings sits in dollars, what a USD account involves.

How to file for homologation in the online office

The procedure is electronic by law, appeals included. There is no counter and no appointment to book: everything goes through the electronic sub-office of the Secretaría General de Universidades, either by you or by a representative registered in the Electronic Register of Powers of Attorney.

1. Check the annex to see whether your degree leads to a regulated profession, then choose homologation or equivalence.
2. Gather your degree, transcript, apostilles and translations, and scan them complete and legible.
3. Pay the fee through one of the methods above and keep the receipt.
4. Log in to the sub-office. Since February 2026 the ministry uses access with a username, password and two-factor authentication, and publishes a guide to set it up.
5. Pick the procedure, fill in the application, attach your documents and receipt, and sign the responsible declaration.
6. Submit and keep the filing receipt with its date: the decision deadline runs from that filing.
7. Watch for notifications, which arrive at the single enabled electronic address and by logging in to the online office.

An important notice as of November 2026: on 22 October 2026 the ministry announced the closure of the sub-office because of a technical incident, with ongoing procedures suspended and deadlines extended until it is resolved. The same notice says these applications are not accepted through the General Electronic Register. Check the ministry's notices page before you file.

What to do while your recognition is pending

The legal maximum to decide is six months from electronic filing. If it passes with no answer, the application can be treated as rejected through administrative silence, and a decision can be challenged with an optional appeal for reconsideration or in the administrative courts within two months. In the meantime:

• Check «Mis expedientes» often. If you are asked to fix something, the general deadline is 10 working days, and if you do not respond the application is treated as withdrawn. The ministry says you can request an extension with a signed letter and grants 35 additional working days.
• If the decision comes back conditional, start the extra training as soon as possible: the four years are already running.
• Keep in mind that homologation takes effect from the date of the credential. Until then you cannot practise the regulated profession with that degree.
• Be wary of anyone who promises to speed up your file or guarantee a date in exchange for money. Our blog covers the most common traps.

Official sources on degree recognition in Spain

• BOE: Royal Decree 889/2022 of 18 October
• Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities: how to recognise a foreign degree
• Ministry: fee and payment methods
• Ministry: legalisation and translations
• Electronic sub-office: homologation procedure
• Ministry: notice on the electronic sub-office
• Hague Conference: Apostille Convention status table

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