Getting a foreign teaching degree recognised in Spain

Terms used

• Homologación — Homologación is the official process of making a non-EU qualification count in Spain.
• Oposiciones — Oposiciones are the competitive public exams you must pass to get a permanent public-sector post, including in state schools.
• Interino — Interino lists are regional lists of temporary public-school teachers who fill posts between oposiciones.
• Infantil — Infantil is early-years education, before primary school.
• Primaria — Primaria is primary school education.
• FP — FP is formación profesional, Spain's vocational training.

Key rules

• Level by level: Recognition is granted for a specific teaching level, not for teaching in general.
• Two routes: EU titles use professional recognition; non-EU titles use homologación and also need residence and work authorisation.
• Compensation measures: You can be asked to pass an aptitude test or complete an adaptation period of up to three years.
• Public posts: Apply for recognition before you go for public posts, because the call says which stage you need.

The short version

Teaching in Spanish schools is a regulated profession, so your foreign title must be recognised before it opens the door to a teaching post. Recognition is done level by level through the education ministry. If your title is from the EU, you use the professional-recognition route. If it is from outside the EU, you use homologación. In both cases the ministry may ask for compensation measures before it recognises you in full.

A foreign teaching title must be recognised in Spain, or at least applied for, before it counts for public posts. The call for each post says which stage you need.

Recognition works level by level

Spain does not recognise "teacher" in general. It recognises you for a specific level, and each level has its own required training. The required qualifications for each level are set out in the guide's page on teaching qualifications. In short, Infantil and Primaria need a teaching degree, while secondary, FP and language schools need a degree plus a teacher-training master.

Before you apply, decide which level you want to teach: Infantil, Primaria, secondary, FP or language school. Then check that your title qualifies you for that level in your home country. Spain looks at what you are allowed to teach at home. Specialisations such as English, music or PE need the matching specialisation or title.

Who handles it

The education ministry handles recognition. You file online through its electronic office or at an official registry. The regional education departments are a separate step. They handle hiring, interino lists and language requirements. In some cases they also run the compensation measures.

If your title is from the EU or EEA

Use the professional-recognition route. This also applies to Swiss nationals and others with the right to recognition under EU rules.

You file with the ministry with your title, your academic transcript, proof of nationality and a certificate that you can practise as a teacher in your home country. The documents list below has the detail.

The ministry issues a resolution. If you are fully qualified at home, you generally get recognition for the equivalent level. If your training differs substantially from the Spanish training, the resolution imposes compensation measures.

If your title is from outside the EU

Use homologación. A non-EU teaching title generally cannot be converted straight into the Spanish teaching degree. Instead, you apply to the ministry for recognition of your professional qualification. The ministry compares your training with the Spanish one and usually requires compensation measures.

Homologación of a university degree to a Spanish degree is a separate procedure. It exists, but it may require extra study.

You also need legal residence and work authorisation. Rules for non-EU titles have changed in recent years, so check the current procedure on the ministry's site before you start.

Compensation measures

The ministry asks for compensation measures when your training differs substantially from the Spanish training, or when the Spanish job covers activities your home training does not. You get one of two options:

• Aptitude test. It covers the subjects you are missing, such as pedagogy, didactics and curriculum.
• Adaptation period. This is supervised practice and can last up to three years.

You choose between the two, unless the rules fix one for you. The measure is written into the ministry's resolution, so you learn about it after the first assessment. Full recognition follows once you pass. What the measure involves and who runs it varies from case to case.

Public posts and other routes

Public school posts also require passing oposiciones. The choice between public, private, international and other routes is in the decision tool below. Unregulated academies and private tutoring do not need recognition.

Next, work through the documents, the checklist and the warnings below.

Choose your teaching route in Spain

Which teaching route in Spain fits your title and status?

• Public school (oposición and interino lists): Choose this if your title is recognised or applied for, you are a Spanish or EU national (or a family member or treaty-country national), and you can sit the exam. It is the slowest route, and it is rare for foreigners at the outset.

• Private or international school: Choose this if you want to teach as a full teacher soon. Schools hire freely without an exam, but they must still employ teachers with the qualifications required for the level, so a foreign title generally needs recognition to count.

• Escuela infantil (ages 0–3): Choose this if you have an infant teaching degree or a Técnico Superior en Educación Infantil. The technical title allows work in ages 0–3, with a teacher or graduate responsible for the educational plan.

• Language academy, tutoring or auxiliar programme: Choose this if you want to start fast or your title is not recognised yet. No Spanish law requires a teaching title or TEFL certificate in a private academy, so the employer sets the requirements. Non-EU citizens still need a work and residence permit, and often enter through the auxiliar programme, which offers a student visa.

If you hold a Spanish-recognised title and EU status, aim for public posts. If recognition is still pending or you are non-EU, start with the auxiliar programme, an academy or a private school while it is processed.

Documents you need

• Your teaching title, the original qualification issued by your university or education authority.

• Your academic transcript, listing the subjects you studied.

• Proof of your nationality, such as a passport or national ID.

• A certificate from your home country's authority showing you can practise as a teacher there. This applies on the EU/EEA route.

Checklist

• Find the level you want to teach (Infantil, Primaria, secondary, FP or language school), because recognition is decided level by level.

• Check that your title qualifies you to teach that level in your home country, since Spain treats teaching as a regulated profession.

• If your title is from the EU/EEA, file with the Ministry of Education under the professional-recognition route.

• If your title is from outside the EU, apply to the Ministry of Education for recognition of professional qualifications. Direct homologación of the title to a Spanish teaching degree is generally not possible.

• Confirm you have legal residence and work authorisation if you are a non-EU applicant.

• Read the ministry's resolution to see whether it asks for compensation measures, an aptitude test or an adaptation period.

• Choose between the aptitude test and the adaptation period, unless the resolution fixes one for you.

• Complete the measure, then wait for full recognition, which follows once you pass.

What to watch out for

• Recognition may not be the final step: If your training differs substantially from Spanish training, the ministry will not recognise your title outright. It will set compensation measures first, and full recognition comes only after you pass them. Plan time for the extra step before you count on a teaching post, and read the ministry's resolution carefully to see which measure applies.

• The aptitude test covers subjects you may not have studied: The test covers the missing subjects, such as pedagogy, didactics and curriculum. Going in unprepared can cost you time. Ask the ministry which subjects are missing and study them before the test, or choose the adaptation period if the resolution allows it.

• The adaptation period can last up to three years: The adaptation period is supervised practice that can last up to three years. Your plans for work and residence need to allow for that. Ask the ministry how long your period is likely to be before you choose it over the test.

Quick answers for teachers

Does a recognised teaching title expire?

No, a recognised foreign teaching title does not expire and needs no renewal. Recognition is permanent for the profession and level it was granted. Any extra measures the resolution sets must be finished within its deadline, and work permits and public-list registrations renew separately.

What fees do recognition and oposiciones charge?

Recognition and the oposición each have their own fee. Recognition is paid with an official payment form online or at a bank, and you attach proof to your application. Oposición fees are set by each region, usually from a few dozen euros to around 100 euros, with reductions for disability of 33% or more, unemployment, large families and victims of terrorism or gender violence.

Can my interino list place move to another region?

No, interino lists are regional and your place in one region does not transfer to another. You must apply to the other region's own call and be ranked on the merits it recognises. Experience from other regions usually counts, though some regions weigh it less, and you can often apply to several regions at once.

Can I call myself a qualified teacher while recognition is pending?

Yes, you can say you are a qualified teacher if you describe your title accurately as foreign, for example 'qualified teacher, Spanish recognition in process'. Do not claim to hold a Spanish title or to be authorised to teach in the Spanish system, as that can count as professional intrusion or misleading advertising.