Spain University Admission Requirements for International Students

To enter a Spanish university as a non-EU student, you need a qualification that gives access to that level in Spain. For a bachelor's at a public university, that usually means homologation of your school certificate plus a UNEDasiss accreditation. For a master's, you need a recognised bachelor's degree that gives access to postgraduate study in your country, plus the program's own requirements, usually including English B2.

This guide explains each requirement for the 2027/28 intake with the official rules behind it. Requirements differ between universities and programs, so always confirm on the official program page.

Bachelor's degree requirements (Grado)

1. Homologation of your school certificate

Your final secondary qualification must be recognised as equivalent to the Spanish Bachiller. The Ministry of Education asks for:

• A verified copy of your official diploma or certificate showing you completed final secondary studies and exams.
• A verified copy of your official transcript (subjects, grades and academic years) covering at least the last 3 years.
• Legalization or apostille, plus an official Spanish translation.
• Proof of paying fee 790 code 079 (the amount is not stated on the pages we checked).

Homologation can take time. You can submit the volante de inscripción condicional (conditional enrolment slip) with your application, so you can register for exams or enrol while the file is pending. The slip does not mean homologation will be granted.

2. UNEDasiss accreditation and PCE exams

Spanish public universities require the UNEDasiss accreditation with the Calificación de Acceso (your access grade) and the PCE (Pruebas de Competencias Específicas) subject exams. Admission is by grade ranking, so PCE results can make a big difference for popular degrees. UNEDasiss recommends taking at least 4 subjects.

3. Private universities: their own tests

Private universities set their own admission systems. They often use their own aptitude tests, interviews and English tests. For example, Francisco de Vitoria University charges €80 for its admission test, Nebrija University says its admission process has no cost, and UCAM charges a €150 application fee after an interview. Ask each private university how it handles foreign school certificates, because Spanish university-access rules still apply.

Master's degree requirements (Máster Universitario)

Access without homologation

Under Royal Decree 822/2021 (art. 18.2), holders of degrees from outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) can access a master's without homologation if the degree is equivalent to a Spanish Grado and gives access to postgraduate study in the country that issued it. The university checks the level of training. This access does not homologate your degree for any other purpose.

Universities apply this in slightly different ways. The University of Zaragoza, for example, asks for a degree of at least 3 academic years, 180 ECTS or 1,800 teaching hours, and a separate access authorisation before admission. Some universities charge for this evaluation, such as €210.97 at Castilla y León universities or €218.15 at the University of Lleida.

Grades and ranking

Most universities do not publish a minimum GPA for regular admission. Each master's committee ranks applicants by average grade, CV and other criteria. There are exceptions: the Autonomous University of Madrid's early admission for international master's students requires an average of at least 8.70/10 (7.30 for engineering).

Bridging courses and program requirements

Universities can set specific requirements, such as a degree in a related field, and can require bridging courses (complementos formativos) of up to 20% of the master's credits. Expect to send a CV, motivation letter and sometimes recommendation letters. Some programs value GMAT or GRE scores, for example certain master's at UC3M and Pompeu Fabra University.

English language requirements

Most English-taught programs in Spain ask for English B2 on the CEFR scale. Exact scores differ by university and program:

Some English-taught programs also ask for basic Spanish. At Complutense University of Madrid, the English-taught master's in English Linguistics and North American Studies require C1 English plus B1 Spanish. Read more in our guide to English-taught programs in Spain.

Documents checklist

1. 1.Passport.
2. 2.School diploma and transcripts (bachelor's) or bachelor's diploma and transcript with average grade (master's).
3. 3.Certificate that your degree gives access to postgraduate study in your country (requested by some universities).
4. 4.English certificate (usually B2).
5. 5.CV, motivation letter and recommendation letters where required.
6. 6.Legalization or apostille and sworn Spanish translation (several universities accept documents in English without translation at the application stage).

The legalization chain is explained step by step in our documents, translation and legalization guide.

Do you need Spanish?

Not for a fully English-taught program, but be careful with labels. Many Spanish universities list programs as bilingual or as Spanish and English, and those usually need Spanish too. For Spanish-taught programs, universities set their own levels: the Public University of Navarre asks non-Spanish-speaking foreigners for Spanish B1, the Technical University of Cartagena for B2, and the University of Granada highly recommends B2 for its bachelor's programs.

Even in an English-taught program, everyday life, part-time jobs and many internships are easier with Spanish. The official exams are DELE and SIELE from Instituto Cervantes.

Admission is not the same as degree recognition

Being admitted to a Spanish master's with a foreign degree does not homologate that degree. Under Royal Decree 889/2022, homologation is needed to practise a regulated profession in Spain, such as doctor, nurse, architect or engineer, and you request it from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. A declaration of equivalence gives official academic recognition at Grado or Máster level. Both are separate from admission.

If you plan to work in a regulated profession in Spain later, research these procedures early on the ministry's NARIC Spain page.

Common reasons applications fail

• The degree does not give access to postgraduate study in the issuing country, or is shorter than the university accepts.
• Missing English certificate, or a certificate older than the university allows (some ask for one taken within the last 2 years).
• Documents not legalized or not translated by enrolment time.
• Applying in a late round when the program is already full, or with too little time left for the visa.
• Choosing a program whose field does not match your previous degree when the master's requires a related background.

PhD requirements

Doctoral admission is decided by each university's doctoral program, and doctoral equivalence of a foreign degree is requested at a university. For immigration, doctoral candidates are treated as researchers and apply for a national researcher visa instead of a study visa. Few doctoral programs in our database are listed as English-taught (10 in total), so check carefully.

Requirements for applicants from Afghanistan

The academic requirements are the same, but your documents take longer. Afghanistan is not on the Hague Apostille Convention list, so Afghan diplomas and transcripts need diplomatic legalization: the education ministry, then the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then a Spanish mission. The Spanish Embassy in Kabul is closed, so confirm with the consular section in Islamabad which mission legalizes Afghan documents before you start.

Next steps

Once you know you qualify, follow our step-by-step application guide and plan your budget with the cost of studying in Spain. You can track deadlines for free on FindUniPath, where each university page shows entry requirements for your home country with links to the official source.