Catalan certificates in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands

Key rules

• Two systems: Catalonia and the Balearic Islands each issue their own Catalan certificates, with separate calls and online registration.
• Levels: Catalonia offers B1, B2, C1 and C2; the Balearic Islands offer A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.
• Mutual recognition: Each region recognises the other's certificates as equivalent by level.
• Job calls: A public job notice can set its own requirements, so check it before you pick a level.

Exam dates, fees, reductions and registration windows change every year, so confirm them on the Generalitat's or the Govern's official language websites before you register.

Which certificate should you sit?

Sit the certificate from the region where you live and expect to use it. Catalonia and the Balearic Islands run related but separate systems, each with its own issuing body, levels, exam calls and online registration. The two regions recognise each other's certificates, so you are not locked in. Even so, a public job call can set its own rule, so read its notice first.

Catalonia

The Generalitat de Catalunya issues the official certificates through its language policy department. There are four levels, matched to the European language framework:

• B1 (intermedi)
• B2
• C1 (suficiència)
• C2 (superior)

There is no A2 certificate in Catalonia. The Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística offers courses and exam preparation.

Exams run in several sessions a year, usually in spring and autumn, with some levels in other months. You register online on the Generalitat's language policy website. The registration window opens several weeks before each session, and the exact dates are set every year.

Fees are set by the Generalitat and rise with the level. Reductions or exemptions can apply to groups such as large families, people with disabilities and unemployed people. The rules and fees are updated every year, so check the current ones before you pay.

The Balearic Islands

The Govern de les Illes Balears issues the certificates. The exams are run by the Junta Avaluadora de Català. The levels are A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. You may still see older names such as A, B, C, D and LA on old certificates or in older job notices.

Exams are held in a few sessions a year, usually spring and autumn, with dates set in each call. You register online through the Govern's website for that call. Fees depend on the level, with reductions for some groups, and they are updated from time to time.

Are the two valid in each other's territory?

Yes. The two regions treat each other's Catalan certificates as equivalent by level, under an agreement between the Generalitat and the Govern. Both are also recognised in Valencia. If you hold one, you generally do not need to sit the other.

Public jobs

Each call for a public job sets the level it asks for, and some set their own requirements for which certificates count. Before you choose a level or register, check the notice. If you hold a certificate from the other region, ask the body running the call to confirm it accepts it.

The steps for registering and sitting an exam are in the process below, and the checklist covers the order to do things in.

How to register and sit a regional language exam

• Find out which level the receiving body asks for: Before you start; the call or regulation states the level

• Choose the body that issues the certificate, such as the Generalitat de Catalunya for Catalan: After you know the level and before you check dates

• Check the exam calendar and register online or in person in the registration window: Windows are fixed, so check them well before the exam session

• Gather valid ID (DNI, NIE, residence card or passport) and any proof of fee reduction or adapted conditions: Before you register; ask for medical or disability papers early if you need adapted conditions

• Pay the exam fee online by card or with a bank form and attach the proof: At registration

• Sit the written and oral parts: On the dates set by the body

• Read your results on the body's website or portal: Usually one to three months after the exam

• Request the certificate if it is not issued automatically, and pay the issue fee if there is one: After the results; the certificate usually follows some weeks to a few months later, and a digital copy may be available sooner

• Send the certificate to the receiving body: Before the deadline in the call

• If you live abroad, check whether an overseas sitting exists, otherwise plan to travel to a centre in the region: Before registration windows open; overseas sittings are limited to certain cities and dates and are not offered every year

Checklist

• Decide whether to sit in Catalonia or the Balearic Islands, based on where you live and where you will use the certificate.

• Pick the level you need from B1, B2, C1 or C2 in Catalonia, or A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2 in the Balearic Islands.

• Check the notice of any job call you are applying to, because each call can set its own requirements.

• Look up the exam sessions for the year on the Generalitat's language policy website, or on the Govern's website for each Balearic call.

• Check the fee for your level and ask whether you qualify for a reduction or exemption.

• Ask the receiving body to confirm it accepts a certificate from the other region if you hold one from there.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Balearic Catalan certificate valid in Catalonia?

Yes, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands recognise each other's Catalan certificates as equivalent by level. This rests on an agreement between the Generalitat and the Govern de les Illes Balears. Certificates from both are also recognised in Valencia.

Which levels can you sit in the Balearic Islands?

In the Balearic Islands you can sit A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. Older certificates carry names such as A, B, C, D and LA, so you may see these in old documents.

Are there fee reductions for Catalan exams?

Yes, both regions offer reductions or exemptions for some groups, such as large families, people with disabilities and unemployed people in Catalonia. The rules change each year. Fees depend on the level, and higher levels cost more.

How many times a year can you sit a Catalan exam?

Both regions hold exams in a few sessions a year, usually in spring and autumn. Exact dates are set every year, and in the Balearics in each call. Register online during the window before each session.