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What do you need to know?
The process to obtain official recognition in Spain of non-university qualifications and studies completed abroad (excluding foreign languages studies).
- You can request official recognition of qualifications or the validation of studies to obtain:
- Recognition of the corresponding academic qualification.
- Authorisation to continue studying at another Spanish educational level.
- Equivalence recognition to the Spanish qualification for professional purposes.
- You can also:
- Request urgent processing if you need to provide evidence that you have applied for official recognition, for professional or academic reasons.
- Amend personal details or other information in your request.
- Teaching centres authorised to adopt a foreign educational system in Catalonia can apply for official recognition for their students.
What should you take into account before starting the process?
- You must reside in Catalonia.
If you do not reside in Catalonia, you will have to complete the procedure with:
- The Spanish Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports;
- The Department of Education, Science, Universities and Professional Training of Galicia, if you reside in Galicia, or
- The Basque Department of Education, if you reside in the Basque Country.
- Do not request official recognition if:
- You are enrolling in a primary education or compulsory secondary education course.
- You plan to study compulsory secondary education at an adult education centre.
How to complete the procedure
- Check Tria educativa official recognition page for full details on the procedure and documentation required depending on the country where you studied.
- The process starts with an electronic request, but you must then submit your academic documentation in person at a registration office (step 3).
- If you do not provide the documentation within three months, the procedure will be closed, and you will have to start over again.
It is advisable not to submit your electronic request until you have all your academic documentation ready. - You can request urgent processing for requests submitted after 4 March 2025 if:
- You have a firm job offer.
- You are going to sit a public sector exam.
- You are going to continue your university studies.
- Residents of Catalonia who want to obtain official recognition of studies or qualifications completed abroad:
- Request official recognition or validation
- Request urgent processing of your request for official recognition or validation
- Amend your request for official recognition or validation
- Make a representation or lodge an appeal
- Teaching centres authorised to adopt a foreign educational system in Catalonia that request official recognition for their students:
- Foreign centres that want to apply for official recognition for their students
You can submit your request at any time.
The documents to be submitted vary according to the studies or qualifications and the countries where they were completed. Check the list of documents for your specific qualification and country.
Verification of residence in Catalonia
- Residence is verified through the official register of inhabitants of your municipality. This can be checked electronically.
- If you object to the processing of your data, you must attach your certificate of municipal registration to your request form.
Original qualification, diploma, or academic certificate requirements
- It must be an official academic document, issued by the competent authorities of the country where the studies you want to have recognised were completed (photocopies are not accepted).
- It must be legalised, unless it comes from a European Union country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland. The original document must be used in the legalisation process.
- It must be accompanied by an official translation into Catalan or Spanish unless the original document is already in one of these languages.
- It cannot be a qualification obtained through official recognition or validation of another qualification obtained in a third country.
Study requirements
- The studies you want to have officially recognised or validated must have official validity in the educational system of the country where they were completed.
- They must demonstrate sufficient academic equivalence, to the corresponding Spanish studies or qualification, both in terms of duration and content.
- They must have a minimum duration of one full academic year. Studies shorter than one academic year (such as a semester or one or two terms) cannot be validated.
- They must be fully completed and approved. Individual courses cannot be validated.
- You must have passed all the academic years prior to the year you want to have officially recognised in the case of upper secondary school education or compulsory secondary education. For all other studies, you must provide proof of the studies that give access to the qualification you want to have officially recognised.
Requirements for studies completed at a foreign centre located in Spain
- The centre must be authorised by the competent Spanish educational institution.
- You cannot have previously obtained the same qualification in the Spanish educational system.
Verification of residence in Catalonia
- Residence is verified through the official register of inhabitants of your municipality. This can be checked electronically.
- If you object to the processing of your data, you must attach your certificate of municipal registration to your request form.
This procedure is free in the following cases:
- Official recognition of completion of compulsory secondary education.
- Recognition of studies equivalent to the 2nd or the 3rd year of compulsory secondary education.
In all other cases, a fee must be paid at the beginning of the procedure. You can check:
- The amount of the fee for the official recognition and validation of foreign qualifications and studies in non-university education.
- General exemptions and discounts that may apply to fees.
Steps to follow
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1
Step one
Request official recognition or validation
You can access the procedure:
You can access the procedure:
With digital identification (recommended option):
- idCAT Mòbil or Certificate
IdCAT Mòbil is a very simple system based on the issuance of a one-time password to your mobile phone. If you don't have idCAT Mòbil, you can quickly get it with your identity card (DNI) or resident's card (NIE) and your health card. - Cl@ve
- DNI electrònic
- FNMT
- T-CAT
- Camerfirma
With a representative
If another person carries out the procedure on your behalf, they must register their representation online, and then you will have to access the electronic representation register Representa, with a digital certificate or idCAT Mòbil to validate the authorisation.
Representation of minors
Parents representing minor children do not need to register their representation.
Remember that to complete the procedure you must first submit your request online and then submit the academic documents accrediting your studies abroad in person at a registration office.
- idCAT Mòbil or Certificate
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2
Step two
Pay the fee
If you have to pay the fee, once you have completed the form, you can choose the payment method in your Private Area and make payment within ten days:
If you have to pay the fee, once you have completed the form, you can choose the payment method in your Private Area and make payment within ten days:
- By credit card
- Via Bizum
- Using a payment form (letter of payment)
If you do not make payment within this ten-day period, the file will be closed, and you will have to start the request process again.
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3
Step three
Submit your academic documentation
Even if you have submitted your request online, you must submit your academic documentation in person. It is very important to provide your online request submission receipt. Once you have sent the [...]
- Even if you have submitted your request online, you must submit your academic documentation in person.
- It is very important to provide your online request submission receipt.
Once you have sent the form correctly, you must submit the original academic documentation that meets the requirements indicated in the Documentation section in person. You will have to submit it at a registration office, where it will be digitized and added to your file.
Obtain your conditional registration slip
The conditional registration slip is a document that certifies to an educational centre that you have started the process of having your studies officially recognised or validated. This document allows you to provisionally enrol before the process is completed.
You will be able to access your conditional registration slip in your Private Area once you have submitted your documentation, your identity and residence in Catalonia have been verified and you have paid the fee, where applicable.
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4
Step four
Check the status of the procedure
You can view the status of the procedure in your Private Area at any time. The possible statuses are:
You can view the status of the procedure in your Private Area at any time. The possible statuses are:
- Being processed
We are processing your file; you don't need to do anything. - Pending compliance with request
You have received a request for documentation or other notification from the Ministry. To continue the procedure you must present the required documentation or make the corresponding representations.
You will be notified in your Private Area or receive an administrative notification if:
- We need more information.
- You have to submit more documentation.
- There are any issues related to your procedure.
- Decision made
The file is pending signature of the decision. - Decision made
Your request has been either approved or denied. - Completed
The file has been closed, and the procedure is complete.
- Being processed
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5
Step five
Respond to a request
If you are required to provide additional documentation.
If you are required to provide additional documentation.
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6
Step six
Receive the response from the Administration
What kind of response will you receive?
What kind of response will you receive?
- Approved
- We have approved your request.
- Denied
- Inadmissible: if you do not meet the requirements for your file to be processed.
- Withdrawn: if you have not submitted the documentation, we have requested within the deadline.
- Rejected: if we deny your request for official recognition or validation.
How will you receive the response?
You will receive a notification in your Private Area, where you can download:
- The electronic certificate of official recognition or validation of foreign studies.
- A certificate with the average grade of compulsory secondary education, if this is the qualification that has been officially recognised.
You will receive the electronic original of the official recognition certificate and the certificate with the average grade. You will also receive a certified copy with the secure verification code in case you need to print it or submit it to third parties.
Can you make a representation or lodge an appeal?
Yes, you can make a representation against inadmissibility and provide more documentation within a maximum period of 15 days.
If your request for official recognition is rejected, you will receive the corresponding decision, against which you can lodge an appeal in accordance with the applicable regulations.
- Approved
