Guide

Degree recognition in Spain: the three procedures, untangled

By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026

Spain regulates foreign-degree recognition through Real Decreto 889/2022, which sets three procedures: homologación qualifies you to exercise a regulated profession in Spain; the declaración de equivalencia certifies the academic level of your degree (grado or máster); and convalidación validates individual subjects so you can continue university studies. Applications run electronically through the ministry's sede, and the Valida-TE portal helps you pick the right route.

Three procedures, three purposes

The ministry's Valida-TE guidance states the split exactly:

Homologación — habilitates you for the exercise of a regulated profession in Spain.
Equivalencia — the declaration certifies the academic level of the qualification (grado or máster).
Convalidación — validates subjects of a qualification so you can continue university studies.

Pick by destination, not by instinct: a dentist needs homologación; a marketing hire who just wants the CV line verified needs equivalencia; a student transferring credits needs convalidación.

Source: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades — ¿Cómo reconocer un título universitario extranjero? (Valida-TE), read 8 September 2026.

Homologación: only for regulated professions

Homologación exists for degrees that open profesiones reguladas — and Spain's list of them is set in the Annex of Real Decreto 889/2022. The ministry's page groups them into health professions (dentist, dietitian-nutritionist, nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist and more), technical professions and social-science professions. If your job is not on the regulated list, Spanish law does not demand homologación for you to work — employers set their own requirements, and the equivalencia route exists when you want the level certified anyway.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals whose official degrees lead to a regulated profession can instead seek recognition under the EU professional-qualifications framework — a different track from homologación.

Source: Ministerio de Ciencia — Homologación de títulos extranjeros (Valida-TE), read 8 September 2026.

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Where to file, and who answers questions

The procedures run electronically through the ministry's sede (universidades.sede.gob.es hosts the homologación application and the file-status lookup for homologación, equivalencia, acreditación and reconocimiento), with the Valida-TE portal as the orientation layer. The governing texts are Real Decreto 889/2022 of 18 October and the Orden of 23 October 2024 with management instructions for homologación and equivalencia files.

For information and orientation, Spain's official contact point is NARIC España — the Subdirección General de Títulos y Ordenación Universitaria of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Paseo de la Castellana 162, Madrid; naric@ciencia.gob.es), listed on the ENIC-NARIC network's Spain page.

Source: ENIC-NARIC networks — Spain country page, read 8 September 2026.

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Common questions

What's the difference between homologación and equivalencia?

Homologación authorises you to practise a regulated profession in Spain; equivalencia only certifies that your degree sits at Spanish grado or máster level. If your profession isn't regulated, equivalencia is usually the relevant route.

Do I need my degree recognised to get a job in Spain?

Only if the job is a regulated profession under the RD 889/2022 Annex. For unregulated work, no legal recognition is required — though employers may still ask for an equivalencia to read a foreign CV.

How long does recognition take?

The ministry doesn't publish one universal clock — timelines vary by procedure and file. Applications and their status run through universidades.sede.gob.es, and the file-status lookup there is the honest tracker.

I have an EU degree for a regulated profession — same process?

Not necessarily. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with official degrees leading to a regulated profession can use the EU professional-qualifications framework instead of homologación — check the Valida-TE portal for which track fits your case.

Keep reading

EU professional-qualification recognition ENIC-NARIC, explained The CCSE exam