Regulated teaching qualifications
You will know which teaching qualification Spain requires for each school type and how to get there.
Teaching in Spain is a regulated profession. Which qualification you need depends on the type of school: public, private, state-funded private, international, nursery, vocational or university. This section covers recognising a teaching degree from abroad and the routes into each kind of post…
Pick the article that fits your situation
Getting a foreign teaching degree recognised in Spain
How a foreign teaching title gets recognised in Spain, level by level, through the education ministry. It covers the EU route, the non-EU route and compensation measures, and is for teachers who trained abroad and want to work in Spanish schools.
Public school posts: the oposición and interino lists
Explains the two routes into public school teaching in Spain: the competitive exam (oposición) and the temporary interino lists. It is for newcomers, especially those with a foreign degree, who want to know whether they can apply and when.
The secondary teaching master (máster de formación del profesorado)
Explains when you need the teacher-training master to teach in Spain, how a foreign graduate can enrol without homologating their degree, and who is exempt. For people planning to teach in secondary, FP or language schools.
Teaching in private, state-funded private (concertada) and international schools
Private, concertada and international schools hire outside the public exam system and set their own rules, but legal title requirements still depend on the level and the type of school. For teachers deciding where to apply in Spain.
Teaching English in academies without a Spanish teaching title
Private language academies in Spain are not regulated teaching posts, so no law requires a Spanish teaching title. This page explains what academies expect in practice and who can realistically apply, for English speakers moving to Spain.
Qualifications for early years and vocational teachers
Shows which Spanish titles you need to teach infant education (ages 0–3 and 3–6) or vocational training (FP), and how a foreign title is recognised against them. For teachers and nursery staff qualified abroad.
PhD equivalence and ANECA accreditation for university lecturers and researchers
Explains what a foreign PhD holder needs to work as a university lecturer or researcher in Spain: a recognised doctorate and, for most posts, ANECA accreditation for the specific figure. Written for academics applying to Spanish universities.
About this topic
It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain who wants to teach. You will learn which teaching qualification Spain requires for each school type and how to get there.
Start with "Getting a foreign teaching degree recognised in Spain". It explains how recognition works at each level, and every other route builds on it. From there, go to the page that matches the job you want.
Regional language requirements, the auxiliar programme and recognition of school-level studies are covered elsewhere.
Key rules
- Oposición weighting: In the oposición the exam counts for 60% of the total and the merits phase for 40%, though regions may vary the details.
- Application window: The oposición application window is 20 working days from publication of the call, and calls usually appear in spring.
- Master length: The teaching master is 60 ECTS credits and normally takes one academic year.
- Recognition first: A foreign teaching title must be recognised in Spain, or at least applied for, before it counts for public posts, and the call says which stage is needed.
- Teaching master: Secondary, Bachillerato, FP and official language school teachers need a relevant university degree plus the teacher-training master, while Infantil and Primaria teachers need the matching teaching degree instead.
- Level by level: Recognition is granted for a specific teaching level, not for teaching in general.
Documents you may need
Identity and residence
- Your identity document — PhD equivalence and ANECA accreditation for university lecturers and researchers
Income and work
- Your employment contract — Teaching in private, state-funded private (concertada) and international schools
Other documents
- Your degree — Public school posts: the oposición and interino lists, Teaching in private, state-funded private (concertada) and international schools
- Your academic transcript — Getting a foreign teaching degree recognised in Spain
- Proof of your nationality — Getting a foreign teaching degree recognised in Spain
- A certificate from your home country's authority showing you can practise — Getting a foreign teaching degree recognised in Spain
- Proof of your teaching qualification — Public school posts: the oposición and interino lists
- Your teaching qualification from your home system for an international school — Teaching in private, state-funded private (concertada) and international schools
- A work authorisation — Teaching in private, state-funded private (concertada) and international schools
- Evidence of your merits — PhD equivalence and ANECA accreditation for university lecturers and researchers
Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.
Explore places
Where you live changes the details. See how Spanish regions and cities compare on rent, jobs, weather, safety and healthcare.
What to read next
More in Credentials and regulated professions
Choosing your recognition route
You will know whether you need recognition, which Spanish route and authority fit your nationality and qualification, and what the realistic alternatives are.
Filing your recognition application
You will know what to gather, what it costs, when to start and how to submit a complete file the first time.
Delays, refusals and waiting
You will know what the clock and silence mean, how to respond to requests and refusals, and what you can legally do in the meantime.
Also in Work and business
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Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.