How to Homologate a Foreign University Degree in Spain (2026 Complete Guide)

Step-by-step 2026 guide to homologating a foreign university degree in Spain under RD 889/2022: requirements, documents, apostille, sworn translation, Valida-TE platform, Modelo 790-107 fees, deadlines, resolution and appeals.

Why this guide

Every year thousands of foreign professionals — doctors, lawyers, engineers, psychologists, nurses — discover that their university degree is not automatically valid in Spain. To practise a regulated profession (or simply to access a public-sector job that demands a Spanish degree), the foreign qualification must first go through homologation (*homologación*) or equivalence (*equivalencia*) before the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.

This pillar guide explains the 2026 procedure under Royal Decree 889/2022, the documents you must gather, the cost, the timescales and the most common reasons applications are rejected. It is written for international clients of Bufete Padilla in Torrevieja, Elche and Moraira, but the rules apply nationwide.

1. Homologation vs. equivalence vs. recognition — three different things

Spanish law distinguishes three procedures, and applicants regularly mix them up:

  • Homologation (*homologación*) — declares that a foreign degree is equivalent to a specific Spanish official degree that gives access to a regulated profession (Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Psychology, Architecture, Law via the *Máster de Acceso*, etc.).
  • Equivalence to academic level (*equivalencia a nivel académico y de campo*) — declares that the foreign degree is equivalent to a Spanish academic level (Bachelor / Master) and to a branch of knowledge, without authorising the exercise of a regulated profession.
  • Recognition of professional qualifications (RD 581/2017) — applies only to EU/EEA/Swiss professionals seeking automatic recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC. It does not apply to non-EU titles.

Choosing the wrong track is the single most common cause of file rejection.

2. Legal framework (2026)

The procedure is governed by:

  • Real Decreto 889/2022, de 18 de octubre, on the homologation and declaration of equivalence of foreign higher-education degrees (in force since 21 November 2022).
  • Ley 39/2015 on administrative procedure.
  • Ley 6/2001 de Universidades (LOU) and Ley Orgánica 2/2023 del Sistema Universitario (LOSU).
  • Sector-specific rules for regulated professions (Royal Decrees on access to Medicine, Nursing, Architecture, etc.).

3. Documents you will need

The Ministry requires the following, scanned independently in legible PDF: