Get Your Political Science Degree Recognized in Spain
Political Science is NOT a regulated profession in Spain: your degree is recognized via the declaration of equivalency (equivalencia) to bachelor's level. For a public-sector-oriented profile, it is the procedure that unlocks competitive exams and official master's programmes. Complete case for €176.
What legally applies to your degree
A foreign degree in Political Science, Government or Public Management is recognized in Spain via the equivalency to bachelor's level in Social and Legal Sciences. For a political scientist, the nuance is almost ironic: the degree that studies the State needs this very procedure to work within it.
Most Political Science career paths in Spain run through the public sphere: competitive exams for management and administration corps, international organizations based in Spain, parliamentary and institutional advisory work. All require a recognized university degree — and for foreign degrees that means the declaration of equivalency. In private political consulting and analysis the requirement is lower, but without a recognized degree the institutional ceiling arrives fast.
- Official 790-107 fee
- €166.50
- Legal deadline for a decision
- 6 months
- Fully online procedure
- 100%
Which documents your file requires
The Document Agent checks every piece against the requirements of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities before filing — a file that goes in right the first time is the best defense against extra months of corrections.
- Proof of identity and nationality (passport or Spanish NIE)
- Official degree certificate, legalized with the Apostille of The Hague (waived for EU/EEA/Switzerland)
- Academic transcript showing programme length, courses taken and workload or credits, stamped and signed by your university
- Sworn translation (traducción jurada) into Spanish of the degree and the transcript
- Proof of payment of the 790-107 fee
Official fee: €166.50 (form 790-107)
The procedure fee is €166.50, code 107, paid with form 790-107. It is the same for both homologación (official recognition) and the declaration of equivalency. Beware: the 790-079 fee quoted on many websites applies to NON-university studies — paying it by mistake freezes your case.
If you pay from outside Spain, the transfer goes to the Ministry's account (IBAN ES16 9000 0001 2002 5310 8022, BIC ESPBESMMXXX) and bank charges are on you: if less than €166.50 arrives, the case stalls. We verify the exact amount before filing.
The fee is non-refundable if the application is rejected, lapses or is denied — one more reason to file the case right the first time.
And the visa? We've got you covered too
Recognizing your degree is half the journey. When it's time for the visa — work, study or residence — the Visa Agent guides you and we manage it with trusted partners specialized in each destination, with your academic file already resolved. Immigration requirements depend on the receiving country.
Official sources
Everything on this page is based on current official regulations. Check the primary sources yourself:
You provide the documents. We do the rest.
We assemble your file
We gather your degree certificate, the academic transcript with courses and credits, and your ID document. Our Document Agent checks that every piece meets the format required by the Ministry's online portal.
Apostille and sworn translation
We coordinate the Apostille of The Hague in your home country and the sworn translation (traducción jurada) into Spanish of your degree and transcript. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are exempt from the apostille.
Online filing
We file your application through the Ministry's electronic portal, pay the 790-107 fee (€166.50) and register the case. The entire procedure is handled online — no in-person appointments.
Follow-up until resolution
Our Regulator Agent monitors the status of your case and we respond to any request for corrections. The legal deadline for a decision is 6 months.
Start your recognition
- Upfront feasibility analysis of your file
- Apostille / legalization and sworn translation coordination
- Complete preparation and filing of your application
- File tracking until resolution
- Response to requirements and corrections
- Visa guidance with trusted partners
Official government fees (in Spain, €166.50 under form 790-107) are paid separately to the competent authority. Timelines depend on the receiving country.
Secure payment with Stripe. Right after paying you complete your profile and get straight into your Booka dashboard — the same account works in the mobile app.
Career options for political scientists in Spain: administration, consulting and pay
Political scientists in Spain land in four places. First and foremost the public administration, through competitive exams for management and senior corps of the State, the regions and local bodies, and through temporary appointments as advisers in ministerial and regional cabinets. Second, public affairs and regulatory consulting, a sector that has grown steadily on the back of European regulation and hires people able to read legislation and anticipate political decisions. Third, research and analysis: think tanks, foundations, polling institutes and universities. Fourth, smaller but real, international organizations and EU delegations based in Spain.
It is a degree with fewer open vacancies than business or computing, but with one favourable trait: almost every relevant route requires a certified qualification, so the field is filtered from the start and those with a recognized degree compete in a much smaller group.
On pay, public employment is what you can know in advance: subgroup A1 and A2 amounts are published each year in the State Budget Act. For the private sector, the general reference is the INE (Annual Structure of Earnings Survey 2024): €29,540.26 average annual earnings and a €24,497.17 median across employees, with the 2026 minimum wage at €1,221 a month over fourteen payments as the legal floor. Indicative public figures.
Market figures on this page are indicative and come from public sources cited in the text. They are not an offer, a guarantee or an earnings forecast. Booka manages credential recognition and professional registration — we are not a recruitment agency.
Which Spanish degree does your political science degree correspond to?
The equivalency is declared at bachelor's level in the Social and Legal Sciences field. The Spanish references are the Bachelor's in Political Science and Public Administration — the most widespread official name — the Bachelor's in Political Science and Public Management, and the double degrees with Law or Sociology offered by several universities.
The “and Public Administration” part is not decorative: the Spanish degree carries a substantial load of administrative law, public management and public policy, precisely because its natural destination is the administration. If your curriculum was more politological and less administrative, it does not affect the level decision, but it is worth compensating with specific training if your goal is a competitive exam.
What your degree is called back home
Colombia issues Ciencia Política and also Gobierno y Relaciones Internacionales. Peru has Ciencia Política and Ciencias Políticas y Gobernabilidad. Mexico has the well-established Licenciatura en Ciencias Políticas y Administración Pública, with a cédula profesional. Venezuela issues Licenciado en Estudios Políticos or Ciencias Políticas y Administrativas. Argentina has Licenciatura en Ciencia Política, with the certificado analítico.
All share the same procedure, the same €166.50 fee and the same bachelor's-level decision in the same field of knowledge.
What the equivalency qualifies you for — and what it does not
There is no regulated profession behind it, so there is no aptitude test, no training gaps and no subject-by-subject comparison: the Ministry decides on level and workload.
The equivalency DOES let you take part in selection processes requiring a university degree, access official master's programmes in public policy, political analysis or administration, begin doctoral study, and certify bachelor's level before any Spanish administration.
The equivalency does NOT resolve the other major requirement of public exams: nationality. Access to many corps of the central administration is reserved to Spanish nationals, and others are open to EU nationals; some corps and contract-staff posts follow different rules. It is a requirement independent of your degree and worth checking before investing years preparing a specific exam. Nor does it accredit you as a lobbyist or public affairs consultant: that activity is not colegio-based in Spain, though transparency registers exist at European level and in some administrations.
After the equivalency: public exams, master's programmes and transparency registers
The most travelled route is preparing for management and senior corps exams, where a recognized qualification is an admission requirement and pay by subgroup is published annually in the State Budget Act. It is a multi-year process, so having your degree resolved early is what lets you start preparing without surprises.
The second route is the official master's: public policy, data analysis applied to politics, public management or European studies, which are both training and the door to doctoral study. And if your destination is public affairs consulting, what counts afterwards is not another qualification but knowledge of Spanish and European administrative procedure and your organization's entry in the relevant transparency registers.
Manage your process from the app — with 10% off
Download the Booka app to track your file, upload documents and chat with your advisor from your phone. Use code BLOG10 for 10% off your process.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sit Spanish civil-service exams with the equivalency?
The equivalency qualifies you for selection processes requiring a bachelor's degree — it is one of its express legal effects. Remember that exams also require Spanish or EU nationality depending on the corps; the equivalency resolves the degree requirement, not the nationality one.
Does it help me work at international organizations?
International organizations set their own requirements, but formally certifying your bachelor's level with the Spanish equivalency removes doubts about foreign degrees in Spain-based processes and adds points in merit-based scales where the qualification counts.
How much does a political scientist earn in Spain?
In public employment it is published data: subgroup A1 and A2 pay is set each year in the State Budget Act. In the private sector — public affairs consulting, polling, foundations — the general reference is the INE (Annual Structure of Earnings Survey 2024): €29,540.26 average annual earnings and a €24,497.17 median across employees. These are indicative public figures, not an individual forecast.
Can I sit Spanish public exams with a foreign political science degree?
You can meet the qualification requirement with the declaration of equivalency at bachelor's level. But public exams also carry a nationality requirement that varies by corps: some are reserved to Spanish nationals and others open to EU nationals. Check the rules of your target call before investing years of preparation.
Do I need a recognized degree to work in political consulting?
No: public affairs consulting is neither regulated nor colegio-based in Spain, and hires on sector knowledge, networks and analytical ability. The equivalency becomes decisive as soon as your horizon includes the administration, the university or an official master's.
How long does the procedure take in Spain?
The legal deadline for a decision is 6 months from the moment the file is complete (Royal Decree 889/2022). Applicants' experience suggests longer real timelines depending on caseload; the Ministry publishes no official averages. A well-prepared file with no requests for corrections is the best way to avoid extra months.
Do I need the Apostille of The Hague and a sworn translation?
Yes, with limited exceptions. Your degree must be legalized with the Apostille of The Hague from your home country (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are exempt), and both the degree and the academic transcript require a sworn translation (traducción jurada) into Spanish. We coordinate both as part of the service.
Can I start the process from my home country, without being in Spain?
Yes. The procedure runs entirely online through the Ministry's electronic portal, and the fee can be paid by international transfer. You never need to be in Spain or attend any in-person appointment.
What exactly does Booka do, and what do I do?
You hand us your documents; we do the rest: we verify the file at source with our Verifier Agent, coordinate the apostille and sworn translation, file the online application, pay the fee and track the case through to resolution, answering any request from the Ministry.
Other degrees we recognize in Spain
Your degree, recognized in Spain
Political Science · full management for €176. You hand us the documents; we handle the file, the fees and the tracking until resolution.
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