Regulated professions in Spain: the Annex list of Royal Decree 889/2022
Whether your profession is in this Annex decides everything else: the procedure, the documents, and whether you will be able to practise or only prove your level. Here is the list, sector by sector.
Updated: 2026-08-22
What «regulated profession» actually means
A regulated profession is one the law reserves to holders of a specific qualification, and sometimes also to those registered with a professional body. It is not a badge of prestige or a measure of how hard the degree is: it is a legal decision, taken because incompetent practice would endanger the health, safety or fundamental rights of others. That is why medicine and civil engineering are regulated, and economics or journalism are not, however demanding they may be.
The practical consequence for someone arriving from abroad is direct. If your profession is regulated, the State must verify that your training matches the Spanish qualifying degree before letting you practise: that is homologación. If it is not, there is nothing to authorise, and the procedure is limited to certifying your academic level through the declaration of equivalence. Neither is «better» than the other: they answer different situations.
The Annex to Royal Decree 889/2022 sets out, for cases where an official university degree is required, the list of those professions together with the rule that establishes the requirements for each Spanish qualifying degree. It is the reference the Ministry applies, and it is public: you can read it in full in the BOE.
The list, grouped by sector
We group the Annex professions into families so the list stays readable. Where we handle that degree's procedure, you will find a direct link to the page.
| Sector | Professions in the Annex | Procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | Doctor and medical specialist · Pharmacist and specialist pharmacist · Nurse and specialist nurse · Dentist · Veterinarian · Physiotherapist · Podiatrist · Optician-optometrist · Speech therapist · Occupational therapist · Dietitian-nutritionist · General Health Psychologist | — |
| Engineering (full degree) | Civil Engineer (Caminos, Canales y Puertos) · Industrial Engineer · Telecommunications Engineer · Aeronautical Engineer · Agricultural Engineer · Mining Engineer · Forestry Engineer · Naval and Ocean Engineer | Engineering recognition in Spain |
| Technical engineering | Technical Engineer in Industry · Public Works · Telecommunications · Aeronautics · Agriculture · Forestry · Mining · Naval · Surveying | Engineering recognition in Spain |
| Architecture and building | Architect · Technical Architect (building engineer) | Architecture recognition in Spain |
| Teaching | Early Years Teacher · Primary School Teacher · Secondary, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching Teacher | Early years teacher |
| Legal | Lawyer (abogado) · Court representative (procurador) | Law recognition in Spain |
Grouped from the Annex to RD 889/2022. Before deciding, always check the consolidated text in the BOE linked below: it is the only version that reflects amendments in force.
Your profession is not listed: what that means (and what it doesn't)
Your degree not appearing in the Annex does not devalue it or complicate your procedure — in practice it simplifies it. Your route is the declaration of academic-level equivalence, certifying that your degree equals a Spanish Bachelor's or Master's and in which field of knowledge. That is what proves your level to an employer, to the rules of a public competition or to a Master's admissions board.
This covers most of the degrees we work with: business administration and accounting, economics, finance, international business, computer science and systems, marketing and advertising, design, translation, journalism and communication, political science, international relations and social work. In all of them you can start working in Spain as soon as your immigration status is settled: no authority has to authorise your practice.
One nuance that comes up often: some unregulated fields still carry an extra requirement for specific posts, typically in the public sector. What they ask for there is not a professional licence but proof of the level of your degree — exactly what equivalence provides.
Regulated does not always mean compulsory professional body
These are two separate layers and it is worth keeping them apart. The first one the Ministry resolves: homologación recognises your qualifying education. The second is resolved by the relevant colegio profesional, where the law requires membership to practise — characteristically in medicine, architecture or law. You can hold the homologación credential and still be unable to sign off a project until your registration is complete.
Professional bodies are also territorial, with their own requirements and fees. Registration is fast compared with the ministerial file, but it needs the credential already issued, so it is the logical last step in the sequence, never a shortcut around the first one.
The Annex is amended whenever the rules for a profession change. Always consult the consolidated text in the BOE — not a copy on a blog — before deciding which procedure to file and paying the fee.
What people ask us most
Where is the official list of regulated professions published?
In the Annex to Royal Decree 889/2022, within the consolidated text published in the BOE (reference BOE-A-2022-17045). The consolidated text incorporates later amendments, so that is the version to check.
Is engineering a regulated profession in Spain?
Engineering branches with statutory professional attributions are: civil, industrial, telecommunications, aeronautical, agricultural, mining, forestry and naval engineering, plus their technical engineering counterparts. Computer science and systems engineering, by contrast, is not listed as a regulated profession, and its route is the declaration of academic-level equivalence.
Can I work while my homologación is pending?
In a regulated profession you cannot practise until the credential is issued. Nothing stops you from working in another, unreserved role in the meantime, provided your immigration status allows it: they are independent matters.
My profession is regulated at home but not in Spain. What now?
The Spanish list governs: if it is not reserved in Spain, there is no licence to recognise and your procedure is the declaration of equivalence. The upside is that you can practise without prior administrative authorisation.
Does homologación automatically register me with the professional body?
No. Two steps: the Ministry recognises your degree and then you register with the relevant territorial professional body, if your profession requires it. Each body sets its own requirements and fees.
Verified against official sources
- Annex to RD 889/2022, consolidated text (BOE-A-2022-17045)
- Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
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.