It is important to have qualifications recognized when you are in Spain as many professions have their own governing body and need registration and licenses issued before you can work in the industry. The standard procedure is to contact the governing body of your particular profession and determine the procedure that they use, as this can vary from profession to profession. Most of these organisations have offices in each region, so it will only be necessary to contact your local office.

However, as a general rule you will be required to provide proof of the qualifications that you have regardless of the profession that you are in, so certificates and proof of successfully completed training courses are essential. You may also be asked to provide information to prove your nationality. It may be the case that in your own country there is no need for registration within your own profession which means that you will need to be able to prove that you have worked within that particular profession for a minimum of 2 of the 10 years prior to your application.

All documentation will need to be original although you may be expected to provide photocopies as well. All documentation will need to be translated into Spanish and the translations should be certified. The Spanish embassy or consulate in your home country can provide information on approved translators or having the translation certified.

It is also possible for UK citizens to have their qualifications validated via the Department for Education and Skills. There are some qualifications which cannot be validated and these are usually those of tradesmen or self-employed workers. In this instance, a ‘Certificate of Experience’ can be issued via the DfES. The worker needs to provide proof of service within your chosen profession. This is normally issued if the worker has at least 5 years experience.

It may be that the qualifications you have are not enough to be registered in Spain with the professional body. If this is the case then the organisation will be able to give you information on the qualifications that are acceptable and point you in the right direction for further training. This is why contacting the professional body immediately is recommended as you can make arrangements for further training as quickly as possible.

Those who have obtained a degree from a university can have this qualification evaluated by the Ministry of Education in Spain. In order to do this you will need to complete an application form and send this along with copies of all certificates, a copy of your academic transcript and proof of ID. A copy of your passport or details of your Spanish NIE number are acceptable as proof of ID. If the documentation is not in Spanish it will need to be translated and certified.

This information is usually enough to have the qualification validated but occasionally further information is requested. There is a fee to be paid to have a degree validated, but this varies according to the type of degree. The fees are reviewed regularly and details can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education. This evaluation can take up to six months to process, although if extra information is required then this will be requested at the time the application is submitted.

Teaching qualifications are in demand in Spain, particularly those for teaching languages. There is a great deal of work available at private language schools or as a private tutor. There is a list published 4 times a year by the Spanish Employment Service of professions which are in demand in the country. This list is known as the ‘Catologo de Ocupaciones de Dificil Cobertura’. This list is published in Spanish and is broken down by region, although some jobs appear in lists for all regions. In recent months medical professionals, IT professionals and accountancy have all appeared in the list. Even if your profession is in demand you will still need to go through the process of having your qualifications verified.

Useful Resources

Subdireccion General de Titulos
Department of Qualifications and Recognition of Qualifications
www.educacion.gob.es
Tel: + 34 902 21 85 00

Department of Education and Skills (UK)
www.naric.org.uk
Tel: + 44 (0) 114 259 4237

Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia
www.educacion.gob.es
Tel: + 34 902 21 85 00