Spanish certificate to study in Spain
Language accreditation is a service that verifies a student's proficiency level in a particular language. In some cases, this certification is required for admission to a university program . As always, it's essential to familiarize yourself with the specific requirements of Spanish universities before embarking on a higher education program in Spain.
In general, there are two cases in which a student can be requested to obtain a language certification:
- If you want to enter a language study (English, German, French Studies, Philologies...). In this case, the test is carried out by the university itself as an extra to start the study. That is, these tests are carried out by the destination university once pre-registration for that degree has been approved. It is a way of accrediting a minimum level of study to which we want to access.
- If the destination university requests it as a general requirement. In this case, you must have the study certificate before applying for admission to the destination university. The language degree must be attached with all the documentation UNEDasiss, along with the homologation note and PCE qualifications. We can do the exams with entities and organizations described by UNEDasiss, within the European Framework of Reference for Languages. Once a certification has been obtained, this level is included in the university admission accreditation required for entry into university study. This accreditation is the result of the languages, levels and certificates provided by the student and that are approved by the Association of Higher Education Language Centers.
What universities request Spanish level?
As we mentioned, some regions in Spain require a language proficiency requirement for admission to any degree program at their universities. This requirement only applies to applicants who are citizens of a non-Spanish-speaking country. If you hold a passport from a country where Spanish is the official language, even if you completed your secondary education in a non-Spanish-speaking educational system, you will not need to demonstrate your level of Spanish.
Requested levels of Spanish:
- The Rioja: level B1
- Galicia: level B1/B2 (according to study path)
- Madrid: level B2
- Navarre: level B1
- Castile and Leon: level B1/B2 (consult university)
- Murcia: B1 level in some grades.
- Castile – La Mancha: level B1
- Valencia: Level B2 for students from non-Spanish-speaking countries. It is recommended to consult with the university itself, as this is a new requirement from 2026 that we have just been informed of.
How is it done?
In the event that the student's nationality is from a non-Spanish speaking country and he wants to access a university that determines the admission criteria of the language (Spanish), he must take the certification tests before the date that UNEDasiss sets as the limit for deliver the documentation (usually at the beginning of May).
Certification exams are only valid if administered by one of the member institutions of the Association of Language Centers in Higher Education (ACLES) . Generally, the Instituto Cervantes, present in many countries, is the preferred option for obtaining this Spanish language accreditation.
What level is necessary to study in Spain?
Although only a few universities request language accreditation, it seems evident that in order to study higher education in Spain it is necessary to have a minimum level of Spanish. This level that we estimate of Escuela PCE It is B1, the higher the level (B2, C1 or C2), the better.
Another important point that must be known beforehand is that many Autonomous Communities have co-official languages in Spain, such as Catalan, Galician or Basque. In all of them classes are taught in Spanish (the vast majority of their classes), but it is important to emphasize that in Catalonia, given the percentage of classes that are taught in Catalan, it will be necessary to have a minimum level to be able to understand the classes and carry out the exams.
If you wish to prepare your Spanish before studying in Spain , visit the PCE Spanish School website.
