The Spanish university admission calendar, month by month

Terms used

• Preinscripción — The preinscripción is the application in which you list your preferred degrees and universities before admission lists are published.
• Matrícula — The matrícula is your formal enrolment at the university after you are admitted; missing its deadline loses the place.
• PAU/EBAU — The PAU/EBAU is the university entrance exam taken at the end of Spanish bachillerato.
• Acreditación — The acreditación is the UNED credential that validates a foreign qualification so you can sit the exam and apply to Spanish universities.

Key rules

• Pre-registration: Do not wait for exam results to prepare; the window is short and closes within weeks of opening.
• Enrolment: Each admission list has its own enrolment deadline, and a missed deadline means the place is lost.
• Non-EU qualification: Request the UNED credential first, in its early-year window, before anything else on this calendar.
• Local dates: Exact dates differ by region and university, so confirm them on your region's calendar.

The short version

Admission runs from about February to October. The tightest stretch is June to July: exams, pre-registration, the first lists and enrolment all fall close together. Dates vary by region and university, so use this page for the order and the usual timing, then confirm the exact days locally.

February to May: the credential (non-EU qualifications only)

If you hold a non-EU secondary qualification, you need the UNED credential (acreditación) before you sit the UNED exam or apply to Spanish universities. It is requested online in set windows. One usually falls from roughly February to April for the ordinary cycle. Another falls from roughly May to June for later sessions. Requests are processed in order of receipt, so apply early in the window.

UNED sets the exact dates each year. Check them on UNED's university access pages. If you hold a Spanish bachillerato, skip this step.

Early to mid June: the ordinary exam

The ordinary PAU/EBAU session is usually held over three days in the first or second week of June. Foreign-qualification students sit the UNED exam instead. Its ordinary session is usually in June, and in some years in late May. Each region's universities set the exact days.

Mid June to early July: pre-registration

Pre-registration (preinscripción) for the ordinary round opens in mid June and closes in late June or early July, shortly after the exam results. Don't wait for your results to prepare. Have your documents and your list of degree choices ready before the window opens. Dates vary by region and by university district.

July: first lists and enrolment

• The first admission list usually comes out in early to mid July.
• The second follows about a week later.
• A third usually appears in late July.

After each list you usually have 3 to 5 working days to enrol (matrícula), and if you miss it the place is lost. Deadlines are strict and set per university, so read the date on your own admission notice the day it appears.

July: the extraordinary session

The extraordinary exam session is usually held in early to mid July. Foreign-qualification students normally have a UNED extraordinary session at a similar time. Use it if you failed, or want to raise your mark.

The extraordinary or September pre-registration round opens in mid to late July. It has a short window in July and sometimes a second one in early September.

September to October: later lists and start of classes

Further lists for the extraordinary round follow in September. Many regions publish a final list or waiting-list calls in late September or October. The number of lists differs by region. Each list brings its own short enrolment window, so keep checking until you have a place.

First-year classes usually start between early September and mid October. Most start in the second half of September or early October. If you are admitted late, you may start late.

How to find your own calendar

Search for the university access page of your autonomous community's education or universities department, or the regional admission portal. Open the calendar (calendario) for PAU/EBAU and preinscripción. Then check the "acceso y admisión" page and the academic calendar of the university you want. The national ministry for universities also has an access information page that links to the regional bodies.

The timeline below shows the steps in order, and the planner lets you map your own dates.

Timeline and deadlines

• Request the UNED credential if you hold a non-EU qualification: Usually February to April, with a second window around May to June

• Sit the ordinary exam session (PAU/EBAU, or the UNED exam for foreign students): Early to mid June, usually over three days

• Check the first admission list, then the second and third: First list in early to mid July, the second about a week later, the third in late July

• Sit the extraordinary exam session if needed: Early to mid July

• Check later lists and waiting-list calls: September, and in some regions late September or October

• Start first-year classes: Between early September and mid October, mostly late September or early October

Your admission timeline from credential to first class

Work backward from your first class. For most first-year degrees at public universities, that is the second half of September or early October, and later admissions can mean a later start. Use the steps below, then replace the typical dates with your region's published calendar.

Your dated tasks

How to fill in your own dates

1. Write down your first class date. Use the university's academic calendar if it is published. If not, use the last week of September.
2. Count back to the enrolment deadline. Enrol in July for a September or October start. Put the 3 to 5 working days in your diary the day each list comes out. If you miss the deadline, the place is lost.
3. Count back to pre-registration. Aim to submit in the first days of the window, not the last.
4. Count back to the exam. Plan to sit the ordinary session in June. Keep the July session as your backup, not your plan.
5. Count back to the credential. This is the earliest and least flexible step, and it only applies if you hold a non-EU foreign secondary qualification. Request it in the February to April window. Requests are processed in order of receipt, so a late request can push back everything after it. Spanish bachillerato holders skip this step.

Example

You want to start on 28 September.

• Request the credential in February or March.
• Sit the exam in June.
• Pre-register in the first days of the window, from mid June.
• Check for the first list in early to mid July, and enrol within the 3 to 5 working days.
• If you are on a waiting list, check the later lists in late July and again in September.
• Start classes in late September.

What to check

Exact dates change every year, and each region and university sets its own. Check the credential dates with UNED's university access pages, and the exam, pre-registration and list dates with your region's university admissions office. Once they are published, update the dates in your table.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the official calendar for my own region and university?

Search for the university access page of your region's education or universities department, then open its calendar for the exams and pre-registration. Next, check your chosen university's admission page and its academic calendar.

When do first-year classes usually start?

First-year classes at public universities usually start between early September and mid October. Most begin in the second half of September or early October. If you are admitted in a later list, your start can be later.

Is the extraordinary exam session the same for foreign-qualification students?

Yes, the UNED exam for foreign students normally follows a similar pattern, with an ordinary session in June and an extraordinary one in July. The regional PAU extraordinary session is also in early to mid July. Each university sets its exact days.