Homologación, equivalencia or convalidación: which one you need
Three separate procedures, three different outcomes, two different authorities. Picking the wrong one is the single most common reason a file stalls. Here is the criterion the law actually uses.
Updated: 2026-08-22
The three words do not mean the same thing
In everyday conversation almost everyone says «homologar el título». In the language of the Spanish administration, however, homologación, equivalencia and convalidación are three separate procedures, governed by Royal Decree 889/2022, that solve different problems. The confusion is not harmless: each one is filed in a different place, requires different documents and produces an outcome that is useful for different things. Starting with the wrong one means losing the processing time — and often the fee as well.
The underlying logic is simple once you see it. The State only certifies that your education entitles you to practise when the profession is reserved by law: doctor, architect, schoolteacher, civil engineer. Outside that list there is nothing to entitle — anyone can work as an economist or a designer without administrative permission — so all the State does is certify the academic level of your degree, so that an employer, a public competition or a Master's admissions board can read it in Spanish terms.
And if what you want is not a Spanish degree but to finish a degree in Spain, then you are not facing a Ministry procedure at all: you are facing an academic decision taken by the specific university where you want to enrol.
The decision tree in Royal Decree 889/2022
Three questions, in this order. The first one you answer «yes» to determines your procedure.
Applying for homologación with a degree that is not in the Annex. The file does not quietly convert itself: it is decided as what you asked for, and the fee is already spent. Checking the Annex before you fill in anything is the highest-return step in the whole process.
Side by side: the three procedures compared
Compare on what actually changes: who decides, what you receive at the end and what that document lets you do.
| Criterion | Homologación | Academic-level equivalence | Convalidación |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it applies | Profession listed in the Annex to RD 889/2022 | Degree not regulated in Spain | Partial studies, unfinished degree |
| Who decides | Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities | Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities | The Spanish university where you enrol |
| What you get | A homologación credential tied to a specific Spanish degree | A declaration of equivalence to Bachelor's or Master's level and field of knowledge | Recognition of courses or credits already taken |
| What it is for | Practising the regulated profession and joining the professional body where required | Proving your level to employers, public competitions and Master's admissions | Continuing your studies in Spain without repeating what you already passed |
| What it does NOT give you | It is not a residence or work permit | It does not entitle you to practise a regulated profession | It is not a Spanish degree and does not equal one |
| State fee | €166.50 · form 790-107 | €166.50 · form 790-107 | Set by each university in its own schedule of fees |
| Decision deadline | Six months (art. 18.3 of RD 889/2022) | Six months (art. 18.3 of RD 889/2022) | Whatever each university's academic rules provide |
The state fee is identical for homologación and equivalence: the procedure changes, the amount does not.
Three things people confuse with this — and shouldn't
Recognition of professional qualifications between European Union countries is a separate regime, born of EU qualifications law, and is not processed under this Royal Decree. If your degree is from a Member State and your profession is regulated in both countries, that is probably your route rather than classic homologación.
Joining the professional body is not the same thing either. The homologación credential entitles you academically, but in professions where membership of the colegio profesional is compulsory — medicine, architecture, law — you must still register with the relevant territorial body, with its own requirements and fees.
And residence and work permits run on an entirely separate track: immigration law. No procedure under RD 889/2022 grants you the right to live in Spain, just as no visa recognises your degree. They can and should run in parallel, but neither replaces the other.
For your specific case
These pages tell you, degree by degree, which of the two Ministry procedures applies to you, which documents it requires and what to expect from the file. If your degree is not listed, write to us: the criterion is the same and we apply it the same way.
What people ask us most
Can I apply for homologación and equivalence at the same time, just in case?
It makes no sense and it is expensive: they are alternative procedures, not complementary ones, and each application carries its own €166.50 fee. The law assigns one procedure to each situation via the Annex to RD 889/2022; filing both does not improve your odds, it only doubles the cost.
My homologación was refused. Can I then apply for equivalence?
Yes — they are independent files and you can start the equivalence procedure. But it means starting from scratch: new application, new fee and a new decision period. That is why the initial diagnosis matters so much: the right order saves months.
Is equivalence enough to sit a public competition?
The declaration of equivalence certifies your academic level — Bachelor's or Master's — and its field of knowledge, which is usually what the rules of a public competition require when the post is not reserved to a regulated profession. If the post does require a specific qualifying degree, you need homologación.
Can any university handle the convalidación?
Convalidación of partial studies is decided by the university where you intend to continue, applying its own academic rules. Two universities can recognise a different number of credits for the same record, so it is worth asking before choosing where to enrol.
Does it change anything if I studied in the European Union?
Yes. For degrees from Member States there is the European regime for recognition of professional qualifications, distinct from homologación under RD 889/2022. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are also exempt from having documents apostilled.
Verified against official sources
- Royal Decree 889/2022, consolidated text (BOE-A-2022-17045)
- Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities — homologación and equivalence
- Electronic office of the Ministry of Education
Informational guide. It does not replace the legal text or the instructions issued by the competent authority.
The other guides in this series
Your case doesn't quite fit?
Every file has its nuance: where you studied, your curriculum, whether your profession is regulated. We review your case and tell you which procedure applies before you pay anything.