Filing your recognition application

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. Most delays come from incomplete files and filing in the wrong order, so the pages here are built to help you avoid both.

Start with "How to file a recognition application in Spain". It walks you through the electronic office, identification and fee payment. After that, read these as you need them:

• "Documents a recognition file needs, including language proof" for the full evidence package.
• "Proving what you studied: syllabus, hours and transcripts" for course contents, hours and credits from your home university.
• "What recognition costs in total" for your budget.
• "Should you file from abroad or after you arrive?" for timing around your move, permit and job search.
• "Hiring a gestor or agency for recognition: worth it?" for deciding on paid help.

Apostille and sworn translation, delays and refusals, and choosing your route are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Paying the fee: Pay the fee (tasa) with the official payment form before you file, and attach the proof of payment to the application.
• Order of documents: Get the apostille or legalisation first, then the sworn translation of the apostilled documents, then pay the fee and file.
• Correction window: If the office asks you to correct or complete your file, you normally have 10 working days or the application is treated as withdrawn.
• Order: Pay the fee before you submit, because the proof of payment is attached to the application.
• ID method: Some procedures accept only a digital certificate, not Cl@ve, so check the procedure page first.
• Language certificate: A Spanish language certificate is not normally required for academic recognition, but some regulated professions ask for one.

Filing your recognition application: the whole process, step by step

• Decide whether to hire help or file yourself (Hiring a gestor or agency for recognition: worth it?): before you start

• Choose whether to file from abroad or after you arrive (Should you file from abroad or after you arrive?): before you start

• Get the apostille or legalisation first, then the sworn translation, and collect your syllabus and transcripts (Documents a recognition file needs; Proving what you studied): before you pay the fee and file

• Budget the total cost (What recognition costs in total): before you pay anything

• Pay the fee with the official payment form and file through the electronic office, attaching the proof of payment (How to file a recognition application in Spain): after your documents are ready

• Check your notifications. Online filers usually get them electronically, and a notice you do not open within 10 calendar days is treated as rejected, though the procedure continues: from the day you file

• Answer any request to correct or complete your file: normally within 10 working days or the application is treated as withdrawn

• Wait for the decision. Degree recognition by the Ministry of Education has historically had a maximum of 6 months from registration, and professional recognition about 3 to 4 months. Delays often go beyond this, and silence has been treated as a refusal that you can appeal: from registration of your application

• If the decision is a refusal or never arrives, appeal. A lawyer is needed for appeals and court action: after a refusal or after silence

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your ID or passport — Documents a recognition file needs, including language proof

The home and the lease

• Your academic transcript listing subjects and years studied — Documents a recognition file needs, including language proof
• Academic transcript listing your subjects with hours or credits — Proving what you studied: syllabus, hours and transcripts

Payments and receipts

• Proof of fee payment — How to file a recognition application in Spain, What recognition costs in total

Translations and legal papers

• Apostille on your diploma — Proving what you studied: syllabus, hours and transcripts, What recognition costs in total
• Official Spanish translation of every document not in Spanish — Documents a recognition file needs, including language proof

Other documents

• Electronic certificate — How to file a recognition application in Spain, Should you file from abroad or after you arrive?
• Syllabus — Documents a recognition file needs, including language proof, Proving what you studied: syllabus, hours and transcripts
• The supporting documents the procedure lists — How to file a recognition application in Spain
• Your degree title or certificate from the foreign institution — Documents a recognition file needs, including language proof
• Proof that you paid the fee — Documents a recognition file needs, including language proof

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Filing your recognition application: questions that cross several articles

Which office do I file with for my type of recognition?

It depends on the type: degree homologación and equivalencia go to the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, or the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for university degrees. Partial university studies are handled by the university you want to continue at, and professional recognition by the ministry for your profession. Read How to file a recognition application in Spain next.

Can I file on paper instead of online?

Yes, if you are an individual, you can file on paper at an administration registry, a post office, or a Spanish embassy or consulate abroad. Professionals and entities obliged to file electronically must do it online. See Should you file from abroad or after you arrive? for how this fits your move.

Which ID methods work for filing online?

The electronic certificate (such as the FNMT certificate or electronic DNI) and Cl@ve are generally accepted, but some procedures accept only the certificate. Check the procedure page before you start, and see How to file a recognition application in Spain.

How do the documents differ between types of recognition?

Degree recognition usually needs ID, the degree, the transcript and proof of fee payment, with apostille and official translation where needed. Equivalencia may also need a syllabus, and professional recognition adds proof of professional qualifications and good standing.

How and when is the fee paid?

For Ministry of Education procedures you generate the payment form (Modelo 790, code 107) online and pay by card, account debit or at a partner bank. Amounts change yearly, so see What recognition costs in total and How to file a recognition application in Spain.