Print this PostAs you can tell from the “halleluiah” title of this post, I’m pretty happy. Why? The answer’s simple, really. You see, my university degree from the USA has recently been officially recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education. In case you didn’t know, the process of getting a university degree recognized here in Spain is known as homologación (hence the title: “I’m homologated”) and it’s both a very lengthy and a very time-consuming ordeal.
Let me give you the rundown on the whole “homologation process” (does anybody know if “homologation” is really a word in English??). To have your degree “homologated” (another possibly made up word in English), the ministry you need to talk to is the Ministry of Education; which, incidentally, has changed its name about three times in the past year. But this post isn’t about the various name-changes that the Ministry of Education has undergone recently, it’s about degree recognition — so let’s get back on track. You can find information about the recognition of foreign studies on the Ministry of Education’s website.
Basically, there are two types of university degree recognitions in Spain. The first type is what they call Homologación a un Grado Académico Español. This first type gives you a piece of paper saying that your degree is similar in difficulty and duration to a Spanish Diplomado or Licenciado degree. Thus, it does what its name suggests: it aligns your degree to a specific academic grade or level but it doesn’t align your degree to a specific academic major. The second type aligns your degree perfectly to a Spanish degree from the Official Spanish Catalog of Degrees. With this type of homologation, not only do you have your level of studies recognized but also your major. In both cases you have to submit legalized copies of your university degrees and transcripts, along with sworn translations.
I have the first type of degree recognition for two reasons. First, it’s faster than the second type (my homologación a un grado académico took about eight months, people tell me that the other type can take over a year). Second, my degree from the USA doesn’t really align perfectly with any degree from Spain’s Official Catalog, so I figured the chances of them actually giving me a “type-two homologation” were pretty slim.
In any case, I got a letter the other day in the mail stating that my degree had been “homologated” and telling me that I had to go to the central office in Madrid to pick up my official certificate. Making a trip to Madrid from Burgos just to pick up a piece of paper… convenient, right?
In fact, the exact words in my “homologation letter” were the following:
“Con objeto de ofrecerle un mejor servicio, le rogamos no demore la recogida de su documentación.”
Translated, that basically means, “In order to serve you better, we respectfully request that you don’t delay in picking up your documentation.” I love that logic: in order to serve me better, I have to make a three-hour trip to Madrid ASAP to pick up a certificate that they could have easily sent to me in the mail. Oh well, it’s not the first time I’ve had to handle Spanish bureaucracy and it probably won’t be the last.
So I went to Madrid and picked up my official document and now I can proudly say that I have my degree recognized to the level of Licenciado in Spain. I’m hoping to do a master’s degree here soon, so this recognition should be helpful with that in the near future… I hope.
Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com
Just a question, Chris…
Which is your degree? Got some friends waiting for some “homologaciones” and maybe their time has also come…
Thanks,
Ed
P.S. Nice blog by the way. Looking forward to having more time to read it properly…
Oh, and congratulations!
the word in English for “homologación” is Accreditation…..Im very sure, I worked as Accreditation Officer for an english company
What I didnt know was how the system works in Spain…and how much did it last!! 8 months!!!! for UK it is easier…you send your documents to NARIC UK, they charge you like 90 pounds, and they send you back a paper stating the equivalence of your studies. They do not need to have a similar degree in their own country…
congrats for surviving the spanish burocracy!! It makes no sense that you need to pick your documents up in Madrid!!
@Eduardo – My degree is from the USA and the official title is B.S.Ed (Bachelor of Science in Education). It corresponds to the level of “Licenciado” in Spain. For your information, I submitted the paperwork back in November and we’re now in June and I just got the positive results. But, remember, I only had my degree “homologado al grado académico de licenciado,” I did not ask for my degree to be “homologado a un título oficial español del catálogo de títulos.” Thus, it took MUCH LESS TIME than if I would have asked for it to be “homologated” to an official degree.
And thanks for the Congrats!
—————————-
@Pelocha – Thanks for the info about the correct term for “homologación,” you’re probably right. In US English, I think I’ve also seen it written as “official degree recognition.” I put “homologation” in this post because many times I refer to it like that when I’m talking to my American friends about the process… nothing like a little Spanglish. And yes, although it seems unbelievable, in Spain it took eight months for them to recognize my degree. It would have taken longer if I had asked for it to be aligned to an official degree in the Spanish University Degree Catalog, so I guess I got off easy.
Thanks Chirs,
My mate’s had a B.S in Comp. Eng. for maybe 8-10 years and still waiting for recognition from the Spanish authorities. Glad you got it tho.
Enjoy the summer!
@Pelocha, of course it makes sense. with all the crisis and unemployment, a bus/tran ride to Madrid is really a employment boost for many people: drivers, ticket sellers, etc…
Together we can!
E
@Eduardo – My flatmates said the same exact thing about the bus ride to Madrid: they make you go to Madrid because it creates employment during the crisis. I don’t know if there’s any truth to that, but perhaps.
Congrats!
Homologation is a word in english
I have a degree in Religious Studies which is within the Humanities academic unit from my University. My degree is not, however, a bachelors in Humanities (which doesn’t even exist at the university I went to). I wonder if this would be comparable to a Licenciado en Humanidades or if it would be more worthwhile for me to go the route you took. What are the advantages and disadvantages of going route 1 over route 2? For my purposes, it would be to be able to earn a graduate degree in spain.
I also have an M.A. degree in Sociology, which was actually much much more difficult than getting my B.A. but is only a two year program, which as far as I can see was not on the list you linked (they only list Licenciado degrees). Do you know anything about accrediting graduate degrees like an M.A.? Ideally, I would like to finish my PhD in Sociology, but I don’t want my M.A. to count for nothing (it was damn hard!)
Did you have to gather all of your syllabi for all your coursework?
Thanks for this post. It seems so difficult to find any experiences of people who earned their degrees in the U.S. that are going through this process. If you can point me towards any other sources of information that you know of, I would be grateful.
@Blues – To find out if your degree is comparable to a Licenciado en Humanidades, you´ll have to request that they send you a copy of the “official degree catalogue” and look at the required courses for a Licenciado en Humanidades and compare them to what your core courses in the USA were. If most of them line up, it’s a match. If not, they probably won’t do it…. at least I THINK that’s how it works, you probably should check with the central office of the Ministry of Education in Madrid to be sure. Their contact info is located here:
http://www.educacion.es/horizontales/ministerio/atencion-ciudadano.html
If I were you I would call them, there is an option to send them an Email but from my experience, they don’t answer their emails. They do answer the phone and attend you very well via telephone (as long as you speak Spanish). If you’re in Spain, you can also stop by their office at c/ Alcala 36, Madrid. They have people to answer this type of question there as well.
To answer your other questions: I didn’t have to gather my syllabi because they didn’t ask me for it… but I know sometimes they do ask… so be prepared just in case.
And, I’m sure they can accredit a MA degree as well… I just don’t really know what the process would be. Check at the information office that I linked to in this comment.
Hi Chris, I’m really pleased for you! I’ve been waiting for my Hom. Grado Licenciado since December. They communicated their intention to turn it down, but I presented “alegaciones” and have my fingers crossed. by the way, how long was your US degree course? Mine is British. do you know of any who have manage to get their “homologation”?
Rebecca
@Rebecca – Good luck with your “alegaciones.” My US Degree course was a full, four-year, 120 credit course. And as far as knowing any Brits who have done homologation, I’m afraid I don’t… sorry I can’t be of more help there. In any event, good luck! I’m sure it will turn out well!!
Hi Chris, congrats! I’m just starting this crazy process. To get your degree homologado, did you have to get an official diploma legalized or will a copy do just as well? Thanks in advance!
@Ale – To answer your question, I had to get an official diploma legalized, I couldn’t use a copy. But your case may be different — I’d suggest checking with the Spanish Ministry of Education.
I’ve been calling the Ministry of Education to get some answers but no one picks up the phone lately. Anyone have any info on translating transcripts, who do you have them sent to to convalidate, etc? I have a Bachelors degree from the US and I need to convalidate my classes so I can sign up for a program at one of the hospitals in Madrid.Getting a little frustrated.. any help would be awesome!
Hello Chris,
I am just about to start the degree accreditation process. I am also going for a licenciado homologacion. So far, I have gathered my B.A. Diploma and university transcript and had both documents sealed with the Apostille of the Hague. Did the Spanish Ministry of Education require any other documentation besides this in your case? For example, were you asked for copies of the syllabi for each course you took?
Thanks in advance for your tips.
@Randy – In my case, they didn’t ask me for any syllabi or any additional documentation. But remember, you do have to have everything translated by a sworn translator recognized by Spain.
Hey Randy,
Syllabi is not required. I just got my diplomas and transcripts validated by the Spanish Embassy. All I needed were the original diplomas and transcripts with the Apostille of the Hague, along with the documents/seals from the notary and state county. According to the person I emailed with at the embassy, I could translate all the documents myself and the embassy would verify that they were correct and that would be sufficient. (One of my diplomas was in Latin and she said that that would have to be translated by a professional, but I took a chance and translated the document in english that came with my diploma to explain the Latin.) I’m sure my translations weren’t perfect, but the man at the embassy in D.C. was really nice and he let them pass. It was much easier than I thought!
Best of luck,
Ale
Thanks for the info! What all did you have to have translated? Your entire transcript? How much did this cost you? Thanks!
Chris,
How long did it take you to get homologado a grado? I’m still waiting for the response, and getting a bit nervous as I haven’t heard anything from them since I submitted the paper!
@Amy – I had to have my entire transcript translated along with my degree… as far as price, it depends on the translator you hire. They told me it had to be a “sworn translator,” and those people charge a little more than a normal translator. Of course, I can only speak of my case. You may need different documents translated, I think it all depends on your degree and case; you’ll have to ask the Spanish Authorities to be sure.
@Helen – If I remember right, I submitted the paperwork in October of 2009 and received word in June of 2010… so about 9 months or so. But if you call the ministry of education (see the link in a comment above) they will tell you the current status of your application.
Hope that helps!
Hi Chris, your post really helped!!!! I´m Spanish but studied in England, have a BSc (Hons) Computing Studies and still waiting for homologation. Can´t believe it!!! The thing is that I have done a Master Profesor en Secundaria Informática y Sistemas Electrónicos by the Univeristy of Valencia and had no problem with them recognising my degree. However, I would like to undertake an oposición to a teaching post and need my degree to be homologated. ¿Do you know if with the first type you can do oposiones? Would be of help, thanks
Hola Ana recientemente he buscado mi homologación al titulo de licenciado y me han informado que con el se puede opositar a cualquiera deL grupo A
Un saludo
Hey Chris,
Thank very much for your posts. I’ve been in this process for about a year and am coming the stressful point of actually turning it in. I am trying to do a masters in Anthropology at the Complutense. I was wondering if you could help me with a couple of doubts I’m having.
1. My application is called “solicitud de homologacion….a un titulo espanol del catalogo de titulos universitarios oficiales” This sounds like the other option that is much more difficult. And as I have a B.A. in Liberal Arts (nonexistent in Spain) the other type is much more appealing to me.
–Is it a different application than this one? for “The first type is what they call Homologación a un Grado Académico Español”
2. I have already paid my tasa at the bank for the homologacion. I chose option A) Solicitud de homologacion a un titulo espanol universitario de Licenciado.
–Do I need a different tasa?
Rumors:
I have heard of two scary rumors that foreigners encounter in the process.
1. That most likely the ministry will assign you a year of courses for you to complete the full licenciado degree.
2. That if you choose to go the route of “convalidacion” (where the univeristy approves you for study but doesn’t give you any offical documents) you might be at risk to recieve a “titulo propio” in the end rather than un “titulo/master oficial”
True or False?
Thanks for any advice you can give me!
Besos,
Nina
I would imagine that having your degree converted and recognized in Spain is like everything else dealing with paperwork in Spain. Coming from the USA and having things mostly done very fast and then coming to Spain where snails move faster was a real culture shock. You do get use to it and after a while you get shocked if things happen at a slow pace instead of an extremely slow pace
Congratulations on accomplishing your homologación.
Hey everybody,
I have all my papers ready and am all set to get my english law degree transferred to a spanish one, except for one thing…..
The application form says ‘ Solicitud de homologación de titulo de:
al titulo universitario español de…..’
I don´t have any idea what to put in the 2 boxes….
The exact name of my degree and then what would the spanish one be? Licenciada en derecho?
I´m so confused right now, and the websites don´t help a lot… does anyone have an idea what specific thing to transfer from and to??
Sorry if my question appears confusing!!!
I went to el Prado and filled in the forms, handed in two letters from the University stating the FHEQ levels and credits and now I have received a letter from them asking me to contact the University so that they issue me with an official letter stating the number of years needes for my degree, work load for each subject and level and credits, I thought this was Europe, I thought there were DB´s to look up these things, I thought there were Official Public Universities, I thought……..
Cant believe so much burocracy. I have being hanging on with this for the past 10 years and when Bologna came out, I thought again, that my nightmare would be over but apparently not.
The most funniest thing is that if I wanted to go to Super Power USA, CHina or anywhere in the world I would not have any problems with my degree but in this Sunny Spain where everything works so well noooooooooooo.
As you can see I am a bit pissed of with this …….. System.
Desiree,
Don’t know whether you will see my post but if you do, do you have a BSc(Hons) from a British University Homologated?
Thanks
I got my Bachelor of Education “homolgated” in Madridinto both the actual Spanish degree -Magisterio (elementar ed) & I received my licenciatura as well. Having a lawyer help with the process was not that expensive and it got me both recognitions in under 5 months. My suggestion is to go through a lawyer. You can get a much more specified degree in a smaller amt of time. My process independently would have taken around 3yrs. Hope this helps!
@Sam — Just out of curiosity, what lawyer did you use and would you recommend him/her?
I am starting the process of “homolgation” now and I am a little lost. how do I know what type of “homolgation” I want and what papers I must provide? I have all my degrees and the courses I studied officially translated but what else do I need. I have a Bachelors of Arts and Science in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology from the USA…what type of “homologation” do you suggest?
@Lucy Do you want your degree recognized so that you can practice as a lawyer in Spain or do you want to teach or study law? If it’s to practice, there’s a much faster procedure for EU-nationals with EU qualifications called “reconocimiento” for regulated professions, such as law. It allows you to practice, but offers no academic recognition. That would be even quicker than the “solicitud de homologación….”
Dear All!!!!! .. thanks for the comments in this blog, they are very useful. I have one more question:
I do have transcripts + diploma (BA of Arts from University of Wisconsin Parkside). I am intending to start the process of Homologación Grado Licenciado, here in Spain.
Does any of you who know if it’s required to add to the documents requested: syllabus of the classes??? I do not have that and the University will not provide this to me.
I do have original transcripts + original diploma.
The transcripts have the name of the class and the grade, on the back of the transcript there is an explanation of Transcripts, where it reads: all the credit hours are computed as semester hours.
Do you know if this will this be acceptable and enough for the Ministerio de Educación de España??
Thanks to all for your help.
Hi Chris,
I have a quick question about your homologacion, how was you american GPA converted to the Spanish grading system? I am trying to validate my studies to be able to get a second degree in spain, and trying to determine whether I would be able to enter into medical school… I have a 3.64 gpa and that would be high enough based on their university 1-4 scale but I have heard the grade gets slightly decreased… do you know if your gpa was decreased?
Thank you so much! Glad to hear homolagtion works!
Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your content seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Cheers
hi chris!
thanks for info.. i am a dentist and wanna know if they recognize our a medical degree from same place as from where you gets yours.
Hi there,
I am trying “la homologación a grado de licenciado” I have a British BA (Hons) but the Ministery offers me “Diplomado” I have to write “alegaciones” anyone knows a lawyer who can help with?
Thanks,
oh my goodness, this process is the worst! well, anyway here’s my situ….
i have a BA Hons in Marketing with Spanish (minor only 20 credits)form a UK University. Then I have a PGCE in Education also from a UK Uni.
Now what?? what do my titles equate to in Spanish?? anyone know? anyone can help? Thank you. and good luck to everyone. This is actually just to teach in a spanish concertada school. Thats all. I already teach in a primary school but in a private school. How far does that get me in this process?
Cheers
Hi Nick!
Im in the same situation as you. I took a BA (Hons) in English and Media and a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages. I went to the Ministerio de Educación and what they advised me to do its to present both certificates to try to get grado de licenciado, because with the degree I would just be a diplomado.
The Ministry of Education said that I could give it a try because they look at the number of credits that you have got. In my case 120 credits from the PGCE + 360 credits from the BA (Hons). I am going to start the whole process to see what happens. Please let me know if you are in the same situation. Thanks
Hey Nick and Arancha,
If you are a qualified teacher in the UK you are a qualified teacher in any European country. In Spain though, you have to opositar before you can teach!
I have a question: where did you get your degrees translated? Can I translate it myself? It says on the website something about an interprete jurado and I searched for them on the internet but there aren´t any near where I live! How did you go about it?
Thank you!
Claire
European degrees are now recognised everywhere within the EU. I had mine “homologated” many many years ago to a specific Licenciado in Spanish. At the time there was a greater problem because a 3-year UK Bachelor’s was not considered equivalent to a 5 year Licenciado (most people needed a Bachelors and Masters to get an accrediation of Licenciado).
I took the route of officially applying on the basis of coursework, although they made me sit an exam belonging to a first-year course called “Geography of Spain” because they said I hadn’t studied that!!!(Obviously I had studied the equivalent in the country where my degree was…)
I was told at the time that there were two routes to “covalidation”, the one I took and a lesser known one (which was successful but took longer) whereby you cited the corresponding EU directive about non-discrimination within the EU. A guy I knew had taken that route as a matter of principle, but apparently it took much longer.
As many years have gone by, you might look into that first possibility. In those internet less times, I just did not have the energy to go wading through libraries looking for the EU directives that might apply.
In fact the exam I gave was crap to put it mildly (I was allowed to take it at the nearest department to my place if they were willing to set it) and the professor told me, “this is not too good”, to which I replied, “I proved everything I had to prove at one the world’s leading universities, and I do not believe the Ministry of Education have a right to make me go through this.” So a Pass amd that was it.
On the other hand, I did not have to go Madrid for anything. The “local” branch of central govt offices were there to hand-in and collect all documents.