How regional language requirements work in public jobs

Key rules

• Check the call: The call itself says whether the language is a requirement, an eliminatory test or only merit points.
• Merit is not a requirement: Merit points raise your score but do not exclude you if you lack the language.
• EU nationals: EU nationals can apply for civil-servant posts except those reserved for Spanish nationals.
• Other foreigners: Foreigners with legal residence from outside the EU can generally apply only for labour-contract posts.

The short version

In regions with a second official language, a public post treats that language in one of three ways. It can be a required level, an eliminatory test, or merit points. The call for the post tells you which one applies, so read it before anything else. Rules differ by region, by administration and by individual call. This page covers regional and local posts, not state posts.

The three ways a language is used

Required level. You must hold a set level to be admitted. If you don't, you are excluded. Catalonia generally asks for a level that depends on the job group. In the Basque Country and Navarre, posts carry a linguistic profile, which is the language level attached to that specific job.

Eliminatory test. The language is checked in a test, or by a certificate, and failing it ends your application. This happens when the regional law or the call makes a level a condition of access. It is common in Catalonia and for Basque posts with a mandatory profile.

Merit points. The language is only scored in the concurso, the phase where your qualifications and experience earn points. Not having it does not exclude you, but you lose points to candidates who have it. Many Valencian, Galician and Navarrese processes work this way. The Balearics and Valencia use both level requirements and merits. Galicia uses the CELGA test, sometimes with merit points.

How to tell which one applies

The call states whether the language is a requirement or a merit, and whether the test is eliminatory. Wording such as "requisito" or "imprescindible" points to a requirement. "Mérito" points to points only. Work through the checklist below before you apply.

Courts have also limited language levels that are out of proportion to a post's real duties. If a level looks excessive for the job, that can be challenged.

Who can apply

Your nationality decides which posts are open to you.

• EU citizens. Nationals of EU states, and of states with free-movement treaties, can apply for civil-servant posts. Certain family members can too. The exception is posts that involve exercising public authority or protecting the general interests of the state. Those are reserved for Spanish nationals.
• Other foreigners with legal residence. You can generally apply only for labour-contract posts, called laboral posts.

Each call lists its own nationality requirements and may reserve some posts. Check this before you invest time in the language side.

What to do next

Compare how regions differ in the comparison below. If a post needs a certificate you lack, see the "What if" section below.

Choosing between options

How does this public call use the regional language?

• Required level: The law or call makes a certified level an access condition, sometimes with a separate test. Without it you are excluded or fail.

• Merit points: The language is scored in the merit phase (concurso). You can apply without it, but others may score higher.

• Linguistic profile of the post: The post is tied to a set profile, as in the Basque Country and Navarre. You need the profile the post carries.

Read the call: if it makes a level an access requirement, the test is eliminatory; if it only awards points, it is scored.

Public-sector language requirements compared by region

Catalonia is the strictest region on paper, with a set level for every job group. Valencia and Navarre lean most on merit points. The Basque Country, Galicia and the Balearics sit in between and depend on the post or the call. "Required" below means you are excluded if you lack the level or fail the test. "Merit" means it only adds points.

What to watch for

• Your town matters in Navarre. The same job can count Basque as required, as a merit or not at all, depending on the zone.
• Merit points are not equal. In Valencia and Galicia the points are limited and set by each call, so a higher level may add little.
• These rules apply to regional and local posts. State administration posts do not require the regional language.
• Levels and point values change. Reforms and decrees adjust them, and the Balearic rules have shifted between governments. Read the bases of the specific call, and ask the body running it if anything is unclear.

Checklist before applying for a public post that mentions a language

• Find the call's bases de convocatoria, the rules published in the official gazette (the BOE for state calls, the regional diario oficial for regional calls, the provincial bulletin for many local bodies).

• Check whether the language is a requirement or a merit: "imprescindible", "requisito" or "se requiere" means mandatory, while "valorable" means a desirable extra.

• Note the level the post asks for, which often depends on the job group, and whether it is a test, a certified level or merit points.

• Look up which certificates the call accepts, or which regional equivalence list it refers to, and check that yours is on it.

• Find the date proof is due: each call sets its own, and requirements and merits normally must be met on the last day of the application period.

• Ask the call's contact office whether you can attach the certificate, or whether the administration can check it in the official register for you.

• Check whether the call lets you show the level after selection, and within how many days, if you pass the other tests.

What to watch out for

• An eliminatory level can end your application: When the law or the call makes a language level an access requirement, applicants without it are excluded or fail the test. This is common in Catalonia and for Basque Country posts with a mandatory linguistic profile. Read the call before you invest time in the other tests, and find out whether the level is a requirement or only a merit.

• Do not assume a merit is a requirement: In many Valencian, Galician and Navarrese processes the language only earns points. Treating it as a barrier may stop you applying for a post you could win. Check how the call scores the language and apply if you are otherwise eligible.

• A level out of proportion to the post can be challenged: Courts have limited language requirements that are disproportionate to a post's functions. If a requirement looks excessive for the job, ask the call's contact office or get legal advice before the deadline.

What if a job needs a language certificate you lack?

You may still have options, but they depend on the call. Read the call's bases (the convocatoria) before you give up on a post.

First, check whether the language is a requirement

If the advert says imprescindible, the language is mandatory. If it says valorable, it is a desirable extra, and you can apply without it. Each call also sets its own level, accepted certificates and proof deadline, so check all three in the bases.

Option 1: prove the level after you pass

Some calls let you show the level later if you pass the other tests. You may get a set period to submit the certificate, or a chance to take a language test in the next exam round. This is more common for non-teaching posts and in Navarre and the Basque Country. Many calls that allow it set the deadline at around 20 working days after the list of successful candidates is published. Other calls require the certificate with your application. Check which one applies to yours.

Merits are different. A language certificate that counts as a merit normally has to be in your hands on the last day of the application period. One you earn later usually does not count.

Option 2: interim or temporary-list hiring

Temporary-hiring lists (bolsas) and interim posts follow rules set by each region and often by each administration. Depending on the list, you may find one of these:

• The language level is only required for posts flagged as needing it.
• You can join the list without the certificate, but with lower priority or only for posts with no language requirement.
• You can be appointed first and must reach the level later, or be tested separately. The Basque Country and Catalonia work this way for some posts.

The call or the list's management rules decide which applies. Ask the body that runs the list before you assume anything.

Option 3: sit the call's own language test

Many calls include their own language test, or accept a certificate instead of it. Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia all run calls of this kind, and Valencia and the Balearic Islands do in some calls. Whether yours has a test is stated in its bases. If it does, you can take the test rather than buy a certificate first.

Option 4: look for an exemption

Exemptions differ by call. These are the ones you will most often see:

• An official certificate at or above the required level, or one the call accepts as equivalent.
• Compulsory secondary school, Bachillerato or a university degree taught in the language. You may need to submit proof.
• Having passed the same language test in an earlier call for the same body.

Posts with no language requirement have no test at all.

What to do next

1. Find the language section in the bases and note the level, the accepted certificates and the proof deadline.
2. Check whether the bases offer later proof, their own test or an exemption you qualify for.
3. If the bases are unclear, ask the body that published the call. Do this before the application period closes.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-Spanish EU citizen apply for a regional public post?

Yes, EU citizens can apply for civil-servant posts, except posts that involve exercising public authority or protecting the general interests of the state. Those are reserved for Spanish nationals. The same framework applies in regional calls, and each call lists its own nationality rules.

Can a non-EU foreigner with legal residence apply for a public post?

Generally only for labour-contract posts (laboral), not civil-servant posts. You need legal residence, and the call confirms whether the post is open to you. Some family members of EU nationals have wider access.

Will I be excluded if I fail the language test?

You are excluded only if the test is eliminatory, meaning the law or the call makes the level an access requirement. If the language is only a merit, failing or lacking it just means fewer points. Courts have also limited requirements that are out of proportion to what the post does.

Do all regions treat the regional language the same way in public jobs?

No, each region uses its own mix of required levels, merit points and post-linked profiles. Catalonia generally asks for a level by job group, while many Valencian, Galician and Navarrese processes score it as a merit. Read the call to see which one applies.