This procedure often gets confused with two different things: homologating the French baccalaureate (which grants access to university, not to practising a profession) and the generic homologation of foreign degrees, which doesn't go into the particulars of the French university system. This guide is specific to someone who already holds a French Licence or Master and wants it to have professional effect in Spain.
Homologation vs. Declaration of Equivalence: the first decision
Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities is the body responsible for recognising foreign university degrees, but through two distinct routes:
- Homologation: qualifies you to practise a regulated profession in Spain (medicine, architecture, law, among others), listed in the annex of Royal Decree 889/2022. It only makes sense to apply for this if your profession is on that list.
- Declaration of Equivalence: if your degree doesn't correspond to any regulated Spanish profession, you can't apply for homologation — this is the route instead, recognising the academic level (bachelor's, master's) without qualifying you for a specific profession.
Applying through the wrong route is the most common reason for delays in this procedure: it's worth checking first whether your profession is regulated in Spain before starting the file.
Where to process it: the Valida-TE portal
The entire procedure — homologation and declaration of equivalence alike — is managed electronically through the Ministry's official Valida-TE portal.
Documents to translate
- University degree (Licence or Master), with apostille or legalisation where applicable — France and Spain are covered by EU Regulation 2016/1191 for many civil documents, but academic degrees fall outside its scope, so it's worth checking whether the receiving body requires an apostille for this specific degree.
- Academic transcript (relevé de notes) detailing subjects, ECTS credits and grades.
- Diploma Supplement, if issued by the French institution — it makes the equivalence assessment much easier, though it isn't mandatory. See the Diploma Supplement translation guide.
- Degree programme details (subject content and duration), if the Ministry requests it to compare study plans.
The separate case: master's or PhD admission at UNED
If the goal isn't professional homologation but admission to a master's or PhD programme at a Spanish university with a French degree, the procedure is different: the university itself (UNED, for example) verifies the level of the foreign degree directly, without going through the Ministry. This process has its own application windows (for the 2026/2027 academic year, 16 March to 29 May 2026 at UNED) and also requires a sworn translation of the degree and academic transcript.
Common mistakes
- Applying for homologation for a non-regulated profession. It gets rejected; the correct route is the declaration of equivalence.
- Not checking whether the degree needs an apostille before translating it — since it isn't covered by EU Regulation 2016/1191, it often does.
- Translating only the degree without the detailed academic transcript, when the Ministry requires both to compare study plans.
- Confusing professional homologation with master's/PhD admission — these are different procedures before different bodies.
Related pages
- French baccalaureate for Spanish university
- Homologating a university degree in Spain (general guide)
- Diploma Supplement: translation
- Sworn translation in Barcelona · Sworn translation in Madrid
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