Getting a foreign school diploma recognised in Spain: timeline and tactics

Terms used

• Homologación — The homologación is official recognition that a foreign school title is equivalent to a Spanish one.
• Sede electrónica — The sede electrónica is a public body's official online office for filing applications and paying fees.
• Tasa — The tasa is a public fee charged for an official procedure.
• Modelo 790 — The modelo 790 is the payment form for administrative fees; code 107 is used for homologación.
• Convalidación — The convalidación is recognition of individual courses or subjects already studied, usually handled by the school or region.
• ESO — ESO is Spain's compulsory secondary school, for ages roughly 12 to 16.
• Bachillerato — The Bachillerato is the two-year upper secondary school stage before university, for ages roughly 16 to 18.

Key rules

• Authority: The Ministry of Education decides homologación, and regional education offices can also receive applications.
• Fee: Pay the tasa with modelo 790, code 107, before you file, and keep the proof of payment.
• Timeline: Plan for several months, sometimes longer, before you get a decision.
• Conditional enrolment: Your child can start school with the registry receipt of the filed application while the decision is pending.

Who decides and who can apply

The Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports decides on recognition of foreign school studies (homologación). Its homologations unit handles the files. Regional education offices can receive your application, and in some regions they handle files for pupils living there. The split of tasks can differ by region, so ask your regional education office if you are unsure.

Anyone who has completed foreign non-university studies and holds the title can apply. A parent or legal representative applies for a minor. You do not need to live in Spain, and there is no minimum age. The studies must be complete and official in the country that issued them.

Recognition of individual courses (convalidación) is a different thing. The school or the regional education authority usually handles it.

Where and how to file

Use the Ministry's standard homologación form. The main route is the Ministry's electronic office (sede electrónica), and it works from Spain or abroad. You can also file in person at a public registry, at a Ministry office or at a regional education office. Check the current form and accepted channels on the electronic office before you file.

The process steps and the document list are below. Order translations and legalisation early, because they often take longest.

What it costs

You pay a fee (tasa) before filing. Use modelo 790, code 107, at a bank or online through the electronic office. The amount is set by law and updated from time to time, so ask the Ministry for the current figure before you pay. Keep the proof of payment, because you must attach it.

How long it takes

Plan for several months, and sometimes longer. Delays depend on workload and on whether your documents are complete. In some cases, silence from the Ministry counts as a refusal. Ask the Ministry for current processing times, and answer any request for missing papers quickly.

Starting school while you wait

Your child does not have to wait for the decision to start school. Conditional enrolment admits a pupil to a Spanish school while recognition is pending. It depends on the final decision.

• File your application first and keep the registry receipt.
• Take the receipt and your child's previous school records to the school.
• Ask which document the school or your regional education office accepts as proof of the pending application. The name and form of this document can differ by region.

This matters most for the final years of ESO (compulsory secondary school) and Bachillerato (upper secondary school).

Applying for recognition of foreign school studies, step by step

• Gather the original school documents, get them legalised or apostilled, and order sworn translations where needed: Before you start

• Pay the fee (tasa) with form modelo 790, code 107, at a bank or online through the Ministry's electronic office: Before you file

• Complete the Ministry of Education's standard homologación form and submit it with your documents on the electronic office (the main route), or in person at an administration registry, a Ministry office or a regional education office: After the fee is paid

• Supply any missing documents if the office asks for them: You have about 10 days to supply them once the office asks

• Wait for the Ministry to decide and notify you: Files often take several months, sometimes longer, depending on workload and how complete your documents are

• If approved, request the Spanish title or credential: After the decision

Documents needed to recognise foreign school studies

• The completed homologación application form

• Proof of identity: passport, foreign ID or NIE

• The original or a certified copy of the foreign title or certificate

• The academic transcript listing subjects and grades for the relevant years

• Legalisation of the school documents. Countries in the Hague Apostille Convention need only an apostille from the issuing country. Other countries need legalisation by the foreign ministry, then the Spanish consulate. EU/EEA countries and Switzerland are generally exempt.

• An official Spanish translation of any document not in Spanish, by a sworn translator (traductor-intérprete jurado) or a Spanish consulate abroad. Documents in a co-official language in its own region are generally exempt, and some offices accept English or French.

• Proof of payment of the fee (modelo 790)

• Extra papers such as school curriculum details, if the office asks for them

• UK: certificates of your GCSEs, A-levels or Highers, school transcripts where required, a UK Foreign Office apostille and sworn translations

• US: an official transcript, an apostille from the state's Secretary of State and a sworn Spanish translation

• EU/EEA and Switzerland: the title, transcript and proof of identity, accepted as issued without apostille, plus a Spanish translation unless the language is accepted

• Latin America: the school certificate or transcript and the secondary title, with an apostille for Hague members (including Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil) and a sworn translation if not in Spanish. Some countries, such as Cuba or Venezuela, may still need full consular legalisation.

Checklist

• Choose your channel: the Ministry's electronic office (sede electrónica) is the main route, or file in person at an administration registry, a Ministry office or a regional education office.

• Keep the registry receipt showing your application was filed.

• Take the receipt and your child's previous school records to the school and ask for conditional enrolment while the decision is pending.

Check the current fee and processing times with the Ministry of Education before you file.

Frequently asked questions

Who handles my application, the Ministry or my region?

The Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports processes homologación, but you can also lodge the application at regional education offices. Course convalidación is usually handled by the school or the regional education authority (consejería de educación).

Can I apply for homologación if I do not live in Spain?

Yes, you can apply from abroad, because no Spanish residency or minimum age is required as such. The studies must be completed and official in the country that issued the title.

What proves my child's conditional enrolment while recognition is pending?

The registry receipt showing your application was filed, together with the school's enrolment record, proves it. The exact name of the document can differ by region, so ask the school what it accepts. Conditional enrolment lets your child start school while the decision is pending.