Recognition delayed or refused: what you can do

Key rules

• Silence: If the office does not answer in time, treat it as a refusal and appeal.
• Schooling: Your child does not need to wait for recognition to start school.
• Appeal deadline: Appeal a written refusal within one month, or within three months of the end of the decision period if there was only silence.
• Corrections: Answer any request for missing documents within 10 days.

Your child can go to school while you wait

Recognition is not a condition for school. For compulsory schooling (ages 6–16), the school places your child by age and previous studies. Start the enrolment now and treat the recognition file as a separate task.

Placement is done by the school together with the regional education authority's inspection service. They may do an initial assessment. A child with a clear gap in language or knowledge can be placed one year below their age group. This is meant to avoid losing a year, and children can usually move up once they catch up. If your child is behind in Spanish, ask about reception classes or language support. Exact rules differ by region, so confirm with your regional education authority.

A refusal does not stop schooling either. Your child stays in the year they were placed in, and the school can certify the year based on assessment.

Keep proof that you applied

Keep the registry receipt that shows your homologación application was filed. Give the school a copy. It supports conditional enrolment, where your child is admitted while the application is pending. Their promotion or qualification only becomes valid once recognition is granted. This matters most in the final years of ESO and Bachillerato, and in vocational training. The name and form of the document can differ by region.

How long the office has

The administration has six months from registration of the application to decide. If it asks you for missing documents, the clock stops while you answer. You then have about 10 days to supply them. Missing that window is a common reason for refusal, so answer quickly.

If six months pass with no answer, silence counts as a refusal you can appeal. The office must still issue a written decision, but you do not have to wait for it before you act.

If the file is stalled

1. Check the status in the ministry's electronic office, using your application number and a digital certificate, Cl@ve, or the notification itself.
2. Contact the ministry's homologación information service, or the information office at your Subdelegación or Delegación del Gobierno.
3. If nothing moves, send a complaint through the ministry's Quejas y Sugerencias channel. You can also complain to the Defensor del Pueblo.

University recognition is handled separately, by ANECA or the universities.

If you cannot get a school record

Ask the Spanish embassy or consulate for help. You can also send an official certificate from the education ministry or school archive in the origin country. Some offices accept a sworn declaration with earlier school reports as other evidence of the studies. Confirm with the office handling your file before relying on this. Placement or validation tests in Spain are another option.

Why applications get refused

The usual reasons are:

• incomplete documents
• a missing apostille or legalisation
• a missing sworn translation
• studies not equivalent in level or years
• studies not finished in the origin country
• name or date mismatches
• a school that is not official or accredited
• no reply to a correction request in time

Check these before you file, and again if you are refused.

How to appeal

You have a short time, so note the date of any decision.

• Written refusal: file a recurso de alzada within one month of the notification.
• Silence only: file a recurso de alzada within three months after the decision period ends.
• Courts: you can go to the administrative courts instead, or after the appeal route. The deadline there is two months.

The body that receives the appeal depends on who issued the decision, so check the refusal letter. Because of the short deadlines, consider asking a lawyer or your regional education office for help before you file.

Timeline and deadlines

• The administration decides your application: within six months of the application being registered

• Supply the missing documents if the office asks for corrections: within 10 days of the request

• Treat silence as a refusal and appeal it: once the six months have passed

• Go to the administrative courts instead, or after the appeal route: within two months

Documents you need

• Registry receipt showing your homologación application was filed. It proves your application is pending and supports conditional enrolment.

• Apostille or legalisation on your foreign school documents. Missing ones are a common reason for refusal.

• Sworn translation of your school documents into Spanish. Missing translations are a common reason for refusal.

• Official certificate from the education ministry or school archive in the origin country, if you cannot get the school record itself.

• Sworn declaration and earlier school reports as other evidence of the studies, which some offices accept.

Checklist

• Ask the Spanish embassy or consulate for help if a school record cannot be obtained.

• Ask the school and the regional education authority's inspection service to place your child by age and previous studies while you wait.

• Keep the registry receipt and give a copy to the school to support conditional enrolment.

What to watch out for

• Silence is not an approval: After six months without an answer, the application counts as refused. If you keep waiting, the appeal deadline can run out. Note the date your application was registered, and appeal within three months after the decision period ends.

• Common reasons for refusal: Applications are often refused for incomplete documents, a missing apostille or sworn translation, mismatched names or dates, studies not equivalent to the Spanish title, a school that is not official, or unfinished studies. Check every document against these points before you file, and answer any correction request on time.

• Missing the appeal deadline: A written refusal can only be appealed within one month, so a late appeal may be rejected. Start your appeal as soon as you receive the notification.

• Waiting for recognition before schooling: Waiting for the decision before enrolling can cost your child school time, but a delay or refusal does not stop schooling.

• A stalled file: A file can sit unanswered if no one chases it, and the clock may be paused when documents are requested. Check the status regularly and use the complaint channel or the Defensor del Pueblo if nothing moves.

What if your child must start school while recognition is pending?

Your child does not have to wait for recognition. For ages 6–16, the school places them by age and previous studies, so the school year is not lost while the file is pending.

Enrol now, in parallel

2. Take the receipt to the school secretary and ask for provisional enrolment. Ask which other documents your region requires, because they differ.
3. The school, together with the regional education inspection service, decides the year. It may run a short initial assessment.

What the provisional place means

Your child attends class, is evaluated and can get support as any other pupil. The enrolment depends on the application being filed with the required documents and on the final decision.

Pupils who arrive late or do not speak the language can get help, such as reception classes or language support.

If recognition is refused

• In the compulsory stage, your child keeps their school place. The school assesses them and places them at the matching level. Studies already completed may count as a repeat or a lower year, depending on the assessment.
• For later stages such as Bachillerato, a refusal may mean repeating the year or completing missing subjects.
• You can appeal the refusal.

Check locally

Procedures, support programmes and placement rules are set by each autonomous community. Confirm the exact steps and documents with your regional education authority before you file.

Procedures and documents vary by region, so confirm them with the school secretary or your regional education authority.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child keep going to school if recognition is refused?

Yes, a refusal does not stop schooling, because your child keeps attending in the year the school placed them in. The school can place them again or certify the year after an assessment. Pupils who lack the language can often get reception classes or language support.

How can I check or push a stalled file?

You can check the status with your application number and a digital certificate or Cl@ve in the ministry's electronic office. You can also send a complaint through the ministry's Quejas y Sugerencias channel, or to the Defensor del Pueblo, Spain's ombudsman.

What is conditional enrolment while my application is pending?

Conditional enrolment means the school admits your child while recognition is pending, subject to the later decision. Your proof is the registry receipt showing the application was filed, plus the school's enrolment record.