How to Apply to Universities in Spain (2027/28 Step-by-Step Guide)

To apply to a university in Spain, you submit a pre-registration (preinscripción) directly to each university or regional system. Bachelor's applicants from non-EU school systems usually also need a UNEDasiss accreditation for public universities, while master's applicants apply straight to the university with their bachelor's degree.

Below is the full process for the 2027/28 intake, with real deadlines from official pages. Where 2027/28 dates are not published yet, we show the 2026/27 dates and say so clearly.

How the Spanish application system works

Spain has no central application platform like UCAS. Each public university runs its own pre-registration, and some regions group their public universities into one system. For example, the Andalusian public universities use a single district (Distrito Único Andaluz, DUA), and the Madrid public universities share a general bachelor's pre-registration where you can list up to 12 degrees.

Private universities run their own processes, usually with their own admission tests, interviews and rolling deadlines. Always check that a degree is official in the RUCT register, because the study visa requires a full-time program leading to a recognised degree.

Applying for a bachelor's degree (Grado)

Public universities: homologation plus UNEDasiss

Students from non-EU education systems enter Spanish public universities through UNEDasiss if their school studies meet the requirements for homologation to the Spanish Bachillerato. Public universities require the UNEDasiss accreditation with the Calificación de Acceso and the PCE subject exams. UNEDasiss recommends taking at least 4 PCE subjects, because they raise your admission grade.

1. 1

   Apply for homologation

   Request homologation of your school certificate to the Spanish Bachiller at the Ministry of Education and submit the conditional enrolment slip (volante de inscripción condicional) with it.

2. 2

   Open your UNEDasiss application

   The online application opens on 4 February and closes on 1 December each year. Apply at least 6 weeks before your university's deadline, pay and send your documents.

3. 3

   Register for PCE exams

   For 2026 the registration windows were 16 March – 28 April 2026 (exams in Spain 25–29 May) and 1–22 July 2026 (exams 2–8 September). 2027 dates are not yet published.

4. 4

   Wait for your accreditation

   UNEDasiss has up to 3 months to process a file, normally around 3 weeks once it is complete.

5. 5

   Apply to each university

   Submit preinscripción at each university within its own deadline, even if your accreditation is still being processed.

Early admission routes

Some public universities offer earlier routes for strong international students. At Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the 2027/28 bachelor's Early Admission for students from non-Spanish education systems runs from 5 October 2026 to 2 April 2027. It is rolling, covers 8% of places and has a €150 fee, so apply early.

Private universities

Private universities set their own admission systems. IE University, for example, uses rounds for 2027/28 bachelor's programs: Round 1 closes 6 November 2026, Round 2 on 15 January 2027 and Round 3 on 5 March 2027, with a €150 application fee. Many others, such as UNIE University, use rolling admission with limited places.

Applying for a master's degree (Máster Universitario)

Master's applications go directly to each university. Under Royal Decree 822/2021, a non-EU bachelor's degree equivalent to a Spanish Grado can give access without homologation, but the university checks your level of training first. Some universities charge an evaluation fee for this check, for example €155.22 at the University of Valencia and Universitat Politècnica de València.

Most universities run several admission periods. Early periods matter for you, because later rounds often leave too little time for the visa.

For the 2027/28 intake, some universities have already published dates. The Autonomous University of Madrid runs an Early Admission for international master's students from 1 October 2026 to 8 January 2027, for applicants with an average of at least 8.70/10 (7.30 for engineering). Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya also offers a February 2027 start for some master's programs, with an expected deadline of 9 December 2026.

Documents you will usually need

• Passport.
• School certificate and transcripts (bachelor's) or bachelor's diploma and transcript with your average grade (master's).
• For master's: a certificate that your degree gives access to postgraduate study in the issuing country, if the university asks for it.
• English certificate, usually B2 (for example UC3M accepts IELTS 5.5–6.5 or TOEFL iBT 72–94 depending on the program).
• CV, motivation letter and recommendation letters, depending on the program.
• Legalized or apostilled documents with sworn translation, at the latest at enrolment.

Many universities accept documents in English without translation for the application stage, but legalization is still needed for enrolment and for the visa. Our documents and legalization guide explains the full chain, and our admission requirements guide covers grades and language levels.

After you are admitted

1. 1

   Accept your offer and pay the deposit

   Many universities ask for a place reservation within days, such as €150 at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid or €500 at the University of Girona. Some private universities ask for more.

2. 2

   Get your admission and payment letter

   For the visa you must show admission to a full-time program and payment of registration or enrolment fees.

3. 3

   Apply for the study visa

   Apply at the Spanish mission covering your legal residence, at least two months before classes start. See our Spain student visa guide.

Recommended timeline for a September 2027 start

Applying from Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran

Your application timeline is longer if your documents need diplomatic legalization. Afghanistan is not on the Hague Apostille Convention list, so Afghan diplomas and transcripts go through the issuing ministry, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then a Spanish mission. The Spanish Embassy in Kabul is closed, and no official page we found says which mission now does the final legalization of Afghan documents, so ask the consular section in Islamabad before you start.

The Embassy in Islamabad reports a legalization backlog. For study visas with a deadline, it lets you email [email protected] with your tracking number and proof of urgency to ask for priority. Pakistani documents have been apostilled by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 17 May 2024, so they no longer need legalization at the Spanish Embassy.

Tips from official rules

• Post from abroad to UNEDasiss takes more than 15 working days; electronic registries take about 3. Use electronic submission where you can.
• UNEDasiss closes on some dates (for example 1–15 August 2026 and 24 December 2026 – 7 January 2027). Plan around them.
• If legalization is still in progress, UNEDasiss lets you send your latest transcript and the legalized grades of the previous year first.
• Spanish universities may limit how many master's you can apply to per period, for example one per admission period at UPM and up to two at the Public University of Navarre.

Deadlines differ for every university and change each year. Track deadlines for free on FindUniPath to see official dates for your shortlist. For the big picture, read the complete guide to studying in Spain.