Which documents this page covers
This page is about the sworn translation of foreign secondary school qualifications and records submitted to gain admission to a Spanish university. The cases we see most often, especially from the UK and US markets:
- UK A-Levels and GCSEs — the certificates and statements of results from the examination boards (AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, Cambridge International, WJEC).
- US High School Diploma together with the transcript (the record of subjects and grades for each year, GPA included).
- International Baccalaureate (IB) taken outside Spain, with its diploma and the IBO results document.
- Equivalents from other systems: the German Abitur, the French baccalauréat, the Canadian high school diploma and secondary qualifications from other countries.
If your document certifies completion of secondary education and you will use it to start an undergraduate degree in Spain, this is your page. For a completed university degree or a university academic transcript, see the related pages at the end.
What it is for in Spain: university access via UNEDasiss
It pays to be precise here, because there is a lot of confusion around this. A student with foreign secondary qualifications who wants to start an undergraduate degree in Spain does not, as a rule, need to "homologate" anything in the sense of validating a university degree. What they need is an access accreditation issued by UNEDasiss, the UNED service built specifically for international students.
Working from your secondary studies, UNEDasiss:
- Confirms that you meet the access requirements for Spanish university.
- Calculates an access mark based on your home education system.
- Offers additional services depending on the country (accreditation of admission subjects, specific-competence tests for high-demand degrees).
With that accreditation, the target university decides your admission. It is important not to confuse three distinct things:
- Access to an undergraduate degree (what we cover here) → via UNEDasiss.
- Homologation of a completed university degree → a Ministry procedure, a different page.
- Homologation of non-university studies before the Ministry of Education → a separate step that is not always needed if UNEDasiss covers your access.
The exact requirements vary by university and by academic year. Always confirm with UNEDasiss and with your target university before starting the process.
What gets translated
For the UNEDasiss file, two documents are usually translated:
- The leaving qualification or diploma (A-Levels, High School Diploma, IB Diploma, etc.).
- The transcript or record of marks: the US transcript, the UK statements of results, the IB results document.
Both are translated into Spanish by a translator accredited by the MAEC. One proves you finished; the other shows which subjects you took and the grades you obtained — and that detail feeds the calculation of your access mark.
Apostille and sworn translation
For documents from countries party to the Hague Convention (the UK, the US, Canada and many more), the Spanish administration requires the Hague Apostille from the competent authority in the issuing country before the sworn translation. The apostille goes on the original official document; we then translate its stamp as well so it is legible in Spanish.
The correct order is: first obtain the official document, then apostille it in the country of origin and, with the apostilled original in hand, have the sworn translation done. Because legalisation requirements change by country and document type, confirm them with UNEDasiss before ordering anything.
What our sworn translation includes
- Full reproduction of the diploma and the transcript: subjects, grades, scales (A*-E grades, GPA, IB points), stamps, dates and signatures.
- Translation of the apostille when the document carries one, following the Hague Convention model.
- Official certification by the MAEC-accredited translator: signed statement, accreditation number and qualified electronic signature in line with current regulations.
- Where a qualification name from the source system has no direct Spanish equivalent, we keep the original term rather than "translate" it into a Spanish qualification that does not exist: equivalence and marks are decided by the UNED, not by the translation.
Format and turnaround
We deliver the translation as an electronically signed PDF with the translator's qualified digital signature, fully valid before the UNED and Spanish universities. If your procedure requires a paper copy with a handwritten signature and stamp, we send it by post after the digital delivery. You will see the specific turnaround in the quote tool before you pay; rush options are available. Keep in mind the UNEDasiss and admission windows each year: it is wise to have the translation ready with time to spare.
Common mistakes
- Confusing access with homologation. To start a degree, the route is UNEDasiss, not homologation of a university degree. They are different procedures.
- Forgetting the transcript. The diploma alone is not enough: UNEDasiss usually also needs the transcript or statement of results to calculate the mark.
- Translating before apostilling. If you apostille afterwards, the translation will not cover the apostille stamp and you may have to redo it.
- Assuming every university asks for the same thing. The UNEDasiss services required change by university and by degree. Check case by case.
- Using a non-sworn translation. A courtesy or machine translation has no official validity; UNEDasiss requires a translation by a MAEC-accredited translator.
Who accepts it
- UNED / UNEDasiss — the accreditation service for the access of students with foreign studies.
- Spanish universities (public and private) that decide admission on the basis of the UNEDasiss accreditation.
- Admission offices and registrars for the various degrees, who review the translated documents.
As always, the exact requirements vary by university and academic year: confirm them with UNEDasiss and with your target university.
Related pages
- Sworn translation of a university degree — for a completed university degree (homologation or equivalence), a procedure distinct from degree access.
- Sworn translation of an academic transcript — the university record of marks, which also accompanies many academic procedures.
- UK A-Levels and Spanish university access (UNEDasiss) — a detailed guide to the process for students from the UK.
- The Hague Apostille and sworn translation — how the apostille fits into the legalisation and translation flow.