How to homologate the baccalaureate to study in Spain

The validation of a high school diploma is one of the main procedures required to gain admission to a university in Spain. This process involves declaring the equivalence between studies completed in Spain and the Spanish education system.

It may seem complicated, but with the necessary information and help, it's easier than you might think.

Let's go step by step.

Step 1. Finish high school

The first step, obviously, is to complete higher education in our country. Without this, it's impossible to have our qualifications recognized. Each country has its own educational standards, and therefore, each will have a different set of secondary education or high school levels. Once we have completed our pre-university studies and received our diploma, we will be able to begin the recognition process.

Step 2. Apostille the documents

Once we have finished our studies, we will need to have our documents apostilled with the Hague Apostille . This process is only necessary in some countries, so check whether you need to do it or not.

An apostille is a process that certifies the authenticity of an official public document outside the country where it was issued. It is usually carried out by the relevant ministry in each country.

Step 3. Start the homologation of your high school diploma

There are 4 ways to start the process:

• At the Spanish consulate in your country.
• In Spain, in the territorial offices of each province or Autonomous Community.
• Do it with LegalSpain AgencyOur partner agency can handle this process so you only have to focus on what's important: studying or preparing for university entrance.
• Do the procedure online.

If you complete the process online, you should know that the steps are:

1. Pay fees (Model 790)
2. Start the process.
3. Appointment request. If you reside in Spain do click here If you live outside of Spain, you will have to request an appointment at the consulate.
4. Delivery of documents on the agreed day.

Documents necessary to approve the baccalaureate

To complete the process of homologating our high school diploma, we must process the following documents:

• ID (DNI, Passport, NIE, national document of the country)
• Pay the fees (49,76 euros)
• Fill out the form they give us at the offices or download the one we filled out online (form 790).
• Original and photocopy of the high school diploma.
• Original and photocopy of the grades from our secondary or high school studies (if they are not in Spanish, they must be translated first).

Once this process is complete, you will receive a certificate or document that will allow you to take the university entrance exams as if your credentials were already officially recognized. This process can take up to 8 months, but we reiterate that it is not mandatory to have this process completed in order to take the university entrance exams. However, it is possible that the university pre-registration process may require proof of completion, as is the case in Catalonia. Therefore, we recommend always checking with the university you wish to attend.

DOCUMENT ON THE CALCULATION OF HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCES BETWEEN SPAIN AND THE REST OF COUNTRIES

Frequently asked questions about high school recognition