Studying in Spain as a Foreigner 2026

How to study in Spain as a foreigner?

If you are reading this post, it is because you would like to find out how to study at a Spanish university if your pre-university studies are from abroad.

Well, first of all, you should know that students with high school diplomas issued outside of Spain, for the most part, must take a series of exams.

These exams, called Selectividad PCE (Specific Competency Tests), are administered by the UNED through its UNEDasiss program . We are a collaborating center.

To provide you with all the information, we will first outline the 10 steps to follow to access university studies in Spain, and subsequently, the requirements you will have to meet, what you can study, how much Spanish university costs, etc.

We start!

What do I need to study in Spain if I am a foreigner?

Below are the 10 steps you need to follow if you want to study at a public university in Spain:

1. Finish the high School.
2. Start the approval process. To do this, it is necessary to have your high school diploma apostilled by the competent Ministry of your country and translate it into Spanish (only in non-Spanish-speaking countries).
3. Know what university degree we want to study and where. Knowing WHAT and WHERE we want to study will determine which itinerary we will have to take in the entrance tests and, ultimately, knowing the access requirements. Each region of Spain has its own criteria and, in turn, each Autonomous Community or university can have its own. For example, among the requirements of the universities of Madrid There is the Baccalaureate Modality and prepare 4 subjects. Among the requirements of the universities of Barcelona It is doing 6 subjects and an EBAU type configuration.
4. Start studying for exams. Without a doubt, the best option is for you to prepare with us, Escuela PCE, where we will explain all the content and processes to increase your chances of access to university. Contact us at info@escuelapce.com or by WhatsApp.
5. Register for the exams. Throughout the year there are two calls: ordinary May/June and Call of September.
6. Take the exams in the UNED center that we have chosen.
7. Publication of notes.
8. University pre-registration. After knowing our qualifications, we must apply for a place at the universities we want.
9. Confirmation of the place. This notification is made in mid-July.
10. Beginning of the degree in September.

https://youtu.be/gVqgMFawAJE?si=RAlj7UNOKdmnpfTj

Requirements to study in Spain

The requirements you must meet to study at a university in Spain are:

1. Finish high school.
2. Legalize documents (Hague Apostille, homologation, translation and delivery to UNEDasiss).
3. Valid passport.
4. Health insurance.
5. Travel insurance.
6. Address in Spain where we are going to reside.
7. Minimum amount of money in account, which will depend on the country of origin, given that consulates request different amounts.
8. Study visa (depends on the student and their nationality).

What to study in Spain?

The Spanish university system has 89 universities , 50 of which are public and 39 private.

You can see the ranking of the best universities in Spain in our post.

You can also search for all degrees using our university degree search engine.

How much does Spanish university cost?

The cost of university in Spain is around 1500 euros for public universities and 9500 euros for private ones.

In public ones, this price is subject to the legal situation (in some regions, such as Madrid, if you do not have residence the price can be raised 4 times) and the number of calls used. If we are in our third enrollment, the cost of the university credit will be much more expensive.

If you want, you can look at scholarships to study in Spain and find out what kind of support you might be eligible for.

Study in Spain without documents

In some cases, those interested often ask us if they can come to Spain to study without a visa. The answer is… it depends.

In some cases, you can come as a tourist and enroll in academies and schools for 90 days. These schools are private and offer non-formal education, so they won't require any documentation in that regard.

However, if we want to study in a public or private organization with regulated education, such as a Higher Degree or in a University, we will have to obtain a certificate to be able to process the visa and come to study in Spain.

Table of equivalence of studies in Spain

Studies carried out outside Spain have their equivalent to continue studies or start others.

The education system is different, but a homologation of studies can be carried out to adjust the differences in qualifications.

When considering how to validate studies in Spain, the process always involves obtaining an apostille and submitting documents to the Spanish consulate in your country of origin or to the immigration office in Spain. This process can take months, but it is crucial for obtaining the main requirement for studying in Spain.

Below, we present the table of equivalence of foreign high school studies to the Spanish system of some countries.

Study levels in Spain

Spain is a country with different levels of study. Educational regulations are established at the state level, but the powers are regional, which means that each Spanish region has different requirements for access and achievement. However, for the entire Spanish national territory, several levels are established: