University entry from Latin America: extra steps to expect

Key rules

• Documents: You need the school title and the transcript of your final school years, both officially issued.
• Apostille: If your country is in the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille from its designated authority is enough.
• Non-Convention countries: Documents from other countries, such as Cuba, go through your foreign ministry and then the Spanish consulate or embassy.
• Translation: Only documents not in Spanish need a sworn translation.

What you need to prepare

Your school title and your transcript of the final school years both need legalisation, and a translation if they are not in Spanish. The title is the document your country gives at the end of school, for example the Bachiller in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru or Argentina. The exact list differs by country, so check your country's page with UNED, the university you apply to, or both. The documents list below shows what to gather.

Step 1: Get the documents officially issued

Ask your school authority for the original title and an official transcript. Copies you make yourself are not enough. Spanish access rules require officially issued documents that are legalised or apostilled, unless an agreement between your country and Spain exempts them.

Step 2: Apostille or legalisation

Which route you follow depends on whether your country is in the Hague Apostille Convention.

• Country in the Convention: you need an apostille from the authority your country designates, usually the foreign ministry or the education ministry. Most Latin American countries are members, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Panama, Paraguay, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
• Country outside the Convention: you need diplomatic legalisation. First your country's foreign ministry legalises the document. Then the Spanish consulate or embassy does. Cuba is a typical example.

Membership and exemptions can change. Confirm your country's status with the Spanish consulate and with the university or UNED before you start.

This applies to documents issued in Latin America. It does not apply to documents issued in Spain or the EU.

Step 3: Translate if needed

Documents in Spanish need no translation. If a document is in another language, such as Portuguese from Brazil or an indigenous language, you need a sworn translation into Spanish. It must be done by a translator sworn or appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some universities accept Portuguese documents without translation. That is the university's decision, so ask before you pay for one.

Order to follow

1. Request the official title and transcript.
2. Get the apostille or legalisation.
3. Translate, if not in Spanish.

Translate after legalising, so the translator can work from the legalised documents. Ask the university whether it wants the translation to include the apostille or legalisation stamps.

Start early. Each step involves a different office, and you may need to go through your country's ministry or a consulate.

Documents you need

• School title from your country (for example Bachiller), issued by your school authority, with an apostille from the issuing country's designated authority, or consular legalisation if your country is outside the Hague Apostille Convention.

• Academic transcript of your final school years, officially issued and apostilled or legalised in the same way as the school title.

• Sworn translation into Spanish of each document that is not in Spanish, done by a translator sworn or appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents already in Spanish need none.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apostille if my school documents come from Colombia?

Yes, Colombia is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so your school documents need an apostille from the authority that issued them there. This is usually the foreign ministry or the education ministry. Most other Latin American countries work the same way.

What if my country is not in the Hague Apostille Convention?

Your documents then need diplomatic legalisation instead of an apostille. First the foreign ministry of your country legalises them, then the Spanish consulate or embassy does. Cuba is a typical case.

Do Brazilian school documents need a sworn translation?

Yes, Portuguese documents normally need a sworn translation into Spanish by a translator sworn or appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.