Transferring to a Spanish degree and getting credits recognised

Terms used

• Traslado de expediente — The traslado de expediente is the transfer of your academic record from one Spanish university to another.
• Cambio de estudios — The cambio de estudios is the route for changing to a different degree at the same university.
• Formación básica — The formación básica is the set of basic-training credits in the first part of a degree, shared within a branch of knowledge.
• Secretaría — The secretaría is the university office that handles student records, applications and documents.
• TFG — The TFG is the trabajo de fin de grado, the final-year project every Spanish degree requires.
• Homologación — The homologación is the separate procedure to have a whole foreign degree recognised in Spain.

Key rules

• Deadlines: Each university sets its own transfer dates, so check the destination university's calendar for your start year.
• Decision first: Wait for the faculty's written recognition decision before you enrol.
• TFG: The final-year project cannot be recognised.
• Non-official studies: Experience and non-official studies can count for up to 15% of the degree's credits.
• Whole degree: Recognising a whole foreign degree is a separate procedure from recognising credits.

The short version

If you are mid-degree, you apply to the new university for a place through its transfer route. You do not simply enrol. Then you ask the faculty to recognise your credits. The faculty's written decision is what counts, so wait for it before you enrol.

There are two routes, depending on where you study now:

• Traslado de expediente: you move your academic record from one Spanish university to another.
• Admission by recognition: you have partial studies, often from abroad, and the destination university admits you based on the credits it recognises.

If you only want to change degree at the same university, the route is the university's change-of-studies process (cambio de estudios). It works in much the same way.

Deadlines

There is no single national deadline. Each university sets its own dates in its annual transfer rules. Most public universities open the window around June to July. Some add a second window in September. Find the destination university's calendar for the year you want to start, and note the dates before you do anything else.

The usual order is:

1. Apply to the destination university in its window.
2. Once you are admitted, ask your origin university to transfer your record.

The timeline below shows these steps.

Quotas and admission

Places for transfers are limited. Universities reserve a share of places for students with partial studies. This is commonly around 1% to 3%, but each university sets its own figure, so ask for the number for your degree.

Expect these conditions:

• You must meet the same entry requirements as for the degree.
• You usually need a minimum number of passed credits. A common requirement is 30 credits from the first year, or some credits of the destination degree.
• If there are more applicants than places, you are ranked by your average grade (nota media del expediente). Sometimes credit recognition also counts.

Minimum credits and quotas differ by university and degree. Check them on the destination university's transfer page or ask its secretaría.

What credits can be recognised

Recognition follows national rules, but each university decides case by case.

• Basic-training credits (formación básica) from the same branch of knowledge: recognised automatically.
• Basic-training credits from other branches: may be recognised if they match subjects in the target degree.
• Other subjects: recognised when the skills and knowledge match.
• Higher vocational training (ciclos formativos superiores): can be recognised under the university's agreements.
• Work experience and non-official studies: can be recognised up to 15% of the degree's credits.
• Final-year project (TFG): cannot be recognised.

If your credits are from abroad

The faculty or a recognition committee at the Spanish university reviews your credits. You apply at its secretaría with your documents. The committee compares content, workload and skills with the target degree. A decision usually takes one to three months, though this varies by university. The documents list below shows what to bring.

Erasmus credits follow the learning agreement you signed before you left.

Recognising credits is not the same as recognising a whole foreign degree. Recognition of a full degree (homologación or equivalencia) is a separate procedure run by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Use it only if you already hold the degree and want it recognised in Spain.

Watch for

• Missing the transfer window. You may have to wait a full year.
• Enrolling before you have the written recognition decision.
• Documents that need legalisation, an apostille or a sworn translation. These take time, so start them early.

Timeline and deadlines

• Apply to the destination university in its transfer window: usually June to July, with a second window in September at some universities

• Once admitted, ask your origin university to transfer your academic record: after you receive your admission

• For foreign credits, submit your transcript, syllabi and translated documents to the secretaría: before the committee reviews your case

• Receive the recognition decision from the faculty: usually within one to three months

Documents you need

• Official academic transcript from your home university, issued by that university

• Syllabi or course descriptions for the subjects you want recognised, so the faculty can compare content and workload

• Proof of your home university, often with legalisation or an apostille

• Sworn translation of your documents if they are not in Spanish or English

Checklist

• Find the destination university's annual transfer rules and note its application dates

• Check that you meet the minimum passed credits and that places are available in your degree

• Apply to the destination university in its window, usually June to July or September

• Request the transfer from your origin university once you are admitted

• Check which of your subjects count: basic-training credits in the same branch, and others by matching skills

Frequently asked questions

Can I get my final-year project (TFG) recognised when I transfer?

No, the final-year project (TFG) cannot be recognised when you transfer, so you will have to do it in the new degree. Experience and non-official studies can count for up to 15% of the degree's credits.

How many places are there for students who transfer into a degree?

Universities reserve a small share of places for transfers, commonly around 1% to 3%, though each university sets its own figure. You often need a minimum of passed credits, such as 30 for the first year, and you are ranked by your average grade.

Is recognising foreign credits the same as getting my foreign degree recognised?

No, recognising credits from a foreign university is a different procedure from recognising a whole foreign degree. Credits are decided by the Spanish university's faculty, while a whole degree (homologación or equivalencia) goes through the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

What happens to Erasmus credits when I move to a Spanish degree?

Erasmus credits are recognised according to the learning agreement you signed before going. Keep a copy of it, because the faculty uses it when it decides.