Which route into a Spanish degree fits your school qualification?

Terms used

• UNED — UNED is Spain's national distance university, which issues the access credential to students from school systems without direct access.
• PAU — The PAU is the university admission exam, which can raise your admission grade and is required by some universities.
• Acreditación — The acreditación is the UNED access credential, with an access grade, that non-EU students use to apply to Spanish universities.
• Bachillerato — The Bachillerato is Spain's two-year upper secondary school course, the usual route into university.
• Homologation — Homologation is official ministry recognition that a foreign qualification matches a Spanish one.

Key rules

• Direct access: EU, EEA, Swiss and some agreement-country qualifications that give university access at home need no UNED credential.
• UK and US: A-levels and US high school diplomas normally need the UNED credential.
• IB and European Baccalaureate: Both count as equivalent to the Spanish Bachillerato and give direct access.
• PAU: The PAU is optional for many routes, but some universities require it, so ask each one.

The short answer

Your route depends on the school system you studied in. There are three:

1. Direct access. Your qualification already works as a ticket into Spanish universities.
2. Credential plus tests. You need an access credential from UNED, and sometimes the PAU as well.
3. Special treatment. This covers the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the European Baccalaureate.

The decision tool below helps you pick. This page explains what each route means.

Route 1: direct access

You can enter directly if your qualification comes from an EU country, or from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, or from Switzerland. The same applies to some countries with a bilateral agreement. The qualification must give access to university in your home country.

You do not need the UNED credential. You apply through the same admission procedure as Spanish students, using your home-country qualification. If a university asks for it, you also sit the PAU. The PAU is the admission exam that can raise your admission grade.

China is covered by an agreement, but students from China may still need a UNED credential in practice. Check the Ministry of Education's current list of systems and agreements for your country.

Route 2: UNED credential plus tests

If your school system is not covered by direct access, you need the UNED credential (acreditación). UNED issues it for the Ministry of Education. It checks your documents and gives you an access grade.

How to get it:

• Apply online through UNED's access portal.
• Upload your school documents, legalised and translated into Spanish.
• Pay the fee.

Then use the credential to apply to universities. Some also ask for the PAU, so ask each university you want.

UK (A-levels). UK qualifications are still accepted, but the UK is no longer in the EU, so you normally need the UNED credential. A-levels give access if you pass at least two A-level subjects. Many students also sit the PAU, where your subjects can raise your grade.

US high school diploma. The diploma alone is not enough. You need the UNED credential, and for it you show your US school documents plus SAT and AP results. The usual requirement is SAT Reasoning plus AP exams, often two or more. These results do not replace the PAU, but they can improve your admission grade. Check UNED for the current requirements.

Route 3: IB and European Baccalaureate

Both count as equivalent to the Spanish Bachillerato. They give direct access, with no UNED credential. You apply through your regional university system. The ministry's conversion tables turn your results into the Spanish admission grade. The PAU is optional and can raise that grade.

Your IB certificate may need a ministry homologation, which is official recognition. Check this before you apply.

What to do next

Work through the checklist below, then see the documents list for what to prepare. If you are unsure which route applies, ask the universities you want and check the Ministry's current list.

Choosing between options

Which route into a Spanish degree fits your school qualification?

• Direct access: Your qualification is from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, or a bilateral-agreement country, and gives university access at home. You apply like Spanish students, with no UNED credential.

• Special IB or European Baccalaureate treatment: You hold an IB diploma or European Baccalaureate. It counts as equivalent to the Spanish Bachillerato and gives direct access. The PAU is voluntary and can raise your grade.

• UNED credential plus tests: You hold A-levels (at least two subjects passed), a US diploma with SAT and AP results, or another non-EU qualification. You get the UNED credential first, and many students also sit the PAU.

If your country has direct access or you hold an IB or European Baccalaureate, skip the UNED credential. Otherwise apply for it, and add the PAU if your target university asks.

Documents you need

• Your school-leaving qualification from your home country, legalised and translated into Spanish, if you need the UNED access credential (credencial de acceso). This applies to non-EU systems not covered by direct-access agreements.

• For a US high school diploma: your US school-leaving documents plus the SAT Reasoning and AP results UNED asks for. The usual requirement is SAT Reasoning plus two or more AP exams.

• For an IB diploma: the IB certificate, which may need a ministry homologation (official recognition). It gives direct access without the UNED credential.

• For an EU, EEA or agreement-country qualification: the home-country qualification that gives university access there. You do not need the UNED credential.

Checklist

• Check whether your school system is from an EU or EEA country (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), Switzerland, or a bilateral-agreement country. If it is, you have direct access without the UNED credential.

• Check the Ministry of Education's current list of systems and agreements for your country. Students from China and some other countries may still need the UNED credential.

• Apply online for the UNED access credential if your system is not covered by direct access, such as A-levels or a US diploma.

• Ask the universities you want whether they also require the PAU, the admission exam, on top of your credential.

Quick answers on entry with foreign qualifications

Is a US high school diploma enough to enter a Spanish university?

No, a US high school diploma alone is not enough to enter a Spanish university, because you also need the UNED access credential. To get it, you show your school-leaving documents plus SAT or AP results as UNED requires, usually SAT Reasoning plus two or more AP exams. These results can also raise your admission grade, and some universities still ask for the PAU.

Can I apply before I finish school?

Yes, you can pre-register at UNED and sit its tests before finishing school, but any place you are offered is conditional on your completed school title. Final-year students can usually pre-register with provisional or predicted results where the process allows it. Check deadlines with UNED and your target university, as they vary.

Do I have to homologate my foreign school title to enter a degree?

No, most applicants do not need to homologate their foreign school title to the Spanish bachillerato, because the UNED credential validates it for admission. Homologation is a separate Ministry of Education procedure, needed mainly for non-university purposes. Ask your target university if your case still requires it.

How do my IB diploma points count towards the Spanish admission mark?

Your IB total out of 45 is converted to a mark out of 10 using the Ministry of Education table, so 24 points becomes 5 and 45 points becomes 10. IB holders are exempt from the PCE and can enter with that mark, or sit the exams optionally to raise it up to 14 points.