Homologate a foreign degree and legalise your Spanish degree

They are two opposite sides of degree recognition. Homologación (homologation), like the declaration of equivalence and convalidation, means having a university degree obtained abroad recognised IN Spain, so that it counts for working, for sitting oposiciones (public sector entry exams) or for continuing your studies here. This inbound direction is governed by Real Decreto 889/2022.

Legalising or apostilling is the opposite: it authenticates the signature on a Spanish document (your degree certificate, for example) so that it is valid OUTSIDE Spain. This outbound direction does not assess your studies, it only certifies that the document is genuine before the authorities of the destination country.

The two are commonly confused. Homologation judges the academic content of your degree; the apostille only confirms the signature. Managora works out which of the two procedures you need before starting.

RD 889/2022 sets out three different routes for a foreign degree. Homologation makes your degree equivalent to a specific Spanish qualification and is applied for when you are going to practise a regulated profession (medicine, nursing, architecture, engineering, teaching). It has academic and professional effects.

The declaration of equivalence recognises only the academic level (Grado, bachelor's, or Máster, master's), not a specific qualification or a specific field. It works for non-regulated jobs and for oposiciones that require a level. Its effects are academic only.

Partial convalidation is decided by the Spanish university you are joining (art. 22) when you want to continue your studies in Spain. In addition, if your qualification is from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland and the profession is regulated, the route is the recognition of professional qualifications (Directiva 2005/36/CE), decided by the competent authority for that profession.

As a general rule you provide: a valid identity document or passport, the degree certificate for which you are applying for homologation or equivalence, and the academic transcript showing the length of the studies in years, the subjects and the ECTS credits.

Documents issued abroad must be legalised. If they come from outside the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, they need the Hague apostille (or consular legalisation if the country is not a party to the Convention). Documents from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland do not require an apostille.

Any document in another language must come with a traducción jurada (sworn translation) into Spanish. Managora gathers the documents, arranges the legalisation and the sworn translation, and files the complete application to avoid requerimientos (requests for further documents) that delay the decision.

For an OFFICIAL Spanish university degree, the first step is the recognition of signatures before the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities), which certifies the signature of the academic authorities.

Then, if the destination country is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention (more than 120 countries), the degree is apostilled at the Ministerio de Justicia (the Spanish Ministry of Justice). If the country is not a party to the Convention, the consular route applies: legalisation before the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores (the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and before the embassy or consulate of the destination country.

Many countries also require a sworn translation of the degree certificate. Títulos propios (a university's own degrees, which are not official ones) do not go through the Ministry's recognition of signatures, but through a notarial chain before a notario (Spanish public notary) that Managora coordinates. Managora handles whichever route applies and delivers your degree already apostilled or legalised.

The tasa (official fee) for homologation and for the declaration of equivalence is €166.50 (modelo 790, código 107, the official fee payment form) for university degrees. Non-university qualifications go through the Ministerio de Educación (the Spanish Ministry of Education) with modelo 790, código 079. The apostille of official degrees at the Ministerio de Justicia is free.

The legal deadline for deciding homologation and equivalence is 6 months from the moment the application is complete, with negative administrative silence (no answer within the deadline counts as a refusal). In practice it usually takes longer, which is why filing a complete application from the outset is key.

Managora's fees and the suplidos (costs we pay on your behalf: sworn translation, consular fees, postage) are set out on the page for each procedure. You can see the current amount on the page for the application to homologate a foreign degree and on the page for the legalisation of degrees.

As at 16 July 2026, RD 889/2022 of 18 October remains fully in force. The procedure is 100% electronic through the Ministry's electronic office, and there is a Comisión de Análisis Técnico (CATHDE, the technical analysis committee) that assesses applications.

Compared with the repealed RD 967/2014, the declaration of equivalence recognises only the level (Grado or Máster) and no longer the branch or field of knowledge. It is an important nuance for anyone seeking equivalence in order to sit an oposición.

A new royal decree has been announced in public consultation but, as at this date, it has not been published in the BOE (the Spanish official gazette), so it does not change the current procedure. Managora checks the rules in force before filing each application.