Getting into a Spanish master's with a foreign degree

Key rules

• EHEA degrees: A degree from an EHEA country gives you direct access to a master's.
• Other degrees: A degree from outside the EHEA needs a university level check, not homologation.
• Homologation: You do not need homologation to study a master's, and admission does not make your degree a Spanish title.
• Language: Spanish-taught master's usually ask for B2 Spanish, and English-taught ones usually ask for B2 English, though some programmes require C1.

Do you need to homologate your degree to study a master's?

No. You do not need homologation to study an official master's in Spain. What you need depends on where your degree comes from.

• Degree from a country in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA): it gives you direct access to a master's.
• Degree from outside the EHEA: the university does a level check. It confirms two things. Your degree is at a level equivalent to a Spanish official degree. It also gives access to postgraduate studies in the country that issued it.

The first thing to do is find out whether your degree's country is in the EHEA.

What admission does and does not do

Being admitted lets you study the master's. It does not turn your degree into a Spanish title. It also does not make it valid for working in a regulated profession in Spain, such as medicine, law (to become an abogado) or architecture. For those you need homologation, which is a separate process. The same goes for public-sector jobs that require a specific Spanish degree. Ask the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities about it if you need it later.

How the level check works if your degree is non-EHEA

The usual order is this:

1. Apply through the university's online preinscription and upload your degree and transcript. They must be legalised and, if not in Spanish, sworn-translated.
2. Request the level check. Some universities build it into the application. Others use a separate form.
3. The university reviews your documents. This is usually done by the master's academic committee, the postgraduate office or the international office.
4. The university issues a favourable or unfavourable resolution on your admission.
5. If you are admitted, you enrol.

Make the request when you apply, before enrolment. Many universities charge nothing for the check and some charge a small administrative fee. Procedure, fee and forms differ by university, so read the postgraduate admissions page of the one you choose. The documents list and the step-by-step process below cover the paperwork.

When you might need a grade-average equivalence statement

The declaración de equivalencia de nota media converts your foreign grades to the Spanish 0–10 scale. You do not need it to be admitted to a master's, because the university's own check is enough. It matters for competitive processes that score your academic record, such as grants or public-sector selection. Some admission rankings may also ask for it, so check the programme's page.

Language level

Language requirements are set programme by programme. Spanish-taught master's usually ask for B2 Spanish, and English-taught ones usually ask for B2 English, though some programmes require C1. Spanish is normally shown with a DELE or SIELE certificate. English is shown with a test such as IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge. Native speakers and people with a previous degree taught in that language are often exempt, but each university decides. Bilingual programmes may ask for both languages. Check the accepted certificates on the programme page before you book a test.

Applying to a Spanish master's step by step

• Choose the master's and check access requirements, teaching language and the university's calendar: Before you start, ideally several months before the first phase opens

• Start legalising and translating your degree documents: Several weeks before you apply, since the process takes time

• Complete the online preinscription form (the application): First phase usually opens around February–March and closes in April–May; non-EU applicants needing a visa should apply in this phase

• Upload your documents: degree, transcript, ID or passport, CV, motivation letter and language certificates: When you submit the application, before the phase closes

• Wait for the academic committee to rank applicants and publish the decision: Usually a few weeks after each phase closes, online or by email

• Accept your place, often by paying a reservation fee: Usually within 5–10 days of the result; if you miss it you lose the place

• Apply in the next phase if you were not admitted, or stay on the waiting list (lista de reserva): Second phase runs about June–July and a third phase in early September if places remain; you can also appeal to the university

• Complete the matrícula (enrolment) and pay the fees, handing in original or legalised documents if asked: After you accept your place, before the October start

• Use the admission letter to apply for your student visa if you are a non-EU student: As soon as you have the admission letter

Documents for master's admission with a non-European degree

• Passport or ID

• Degree certificate, or proof that you completed the degree, legalised with an apostille if your country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention

• Full academic transcript with grades, legalised in the same way

• Certificate of the grading scale of your university, where available

• If your country is not in the Hague Apostille Convention: legalisation by your foreign ministry, then by the Spanish embassy or consulate there, for the degree and transcript

• Sworn translation into Spanish (or the region's co-official language) of every document not already in it, made by a Spanish traductor jurado; some universities accept English

• A statement that your degree gives access to postgraduate studies in the country that issued it, if the university asks for it

• CV and motivation letter

• Language certificate for the teaching language of the programme

• Recommendation letters, if the programme asks for them

Checklist

• Find out whether your degree comes from a country in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), because EHEA degrees give direct access to a master's.

• If your degree is from outside the EHEA, plan on a university level check instead of homologation, which you do not need to study.

• Ask the university whether the level check is part of the application or a separate form, and whether it charges a fee.

• Request the level check when you apply, before enrolment.

• Wait for the university's favourable or unfavourable resolution on your admission, then enrol if you are admitted.

• Check the programme's admission page for the language level and accepted certificates, such as DELE, SIELE, IELTS or TOEFL.

• Ask the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities about homologation or a grade-average equivalence statement only if you need them for a regulated profession, public-sector job, grant or ranking.

Frequently asked questions

Does admission to a master's make my foreign degree valid in Spain?

No, admission to a master's does not homologate your degree or turn it into a Spanish title. It only lets you study the master's. If you later want to practise a regulated profession such as medicine, law or architecture, you need homologation (official recognition of your degree as a Spanish title).

When do I need a grade-average equivalence statement?

You need a grade-average equivalence statement (declaración de equivalencia de nota media) only for competitive processes that score your academic record. Examples are grants, public-sector selection and some doctorate or university admission rankings.

Does the level check for a non-EHEA degree cost money?

Some universities charge a small administrative fee for the level check, but many charge nothing. You request it when you apply, before enrolment. The postgraduate office of your chosen university can tell you the exact fee.

Can I use my earlier degree as proof of language level?

Yes, many universities accept a previous degree taught in the programme's language as proof, but not all do. Native speakers and people with earlier Spanish-taught studies are usually exempt from the Spanish requirement.