Medical degree recognition in Spain
Medicine is a regulated profession in Spain. If you studied abroad, we assess the duration, academic workload and clinical training behind your degree before filing with the Ministry.
Medical Degree Recognition Involves More Than Submitting Your Diploma
ANECA’s evaluation experts don’t simply check that you hold a medical degree. The assessment may cover:
- Duration of your degree
- Academic workload and ECTS credits
- Theoretical and practical teaching hours
- Course content
- Competencies required under Orden ECI/332/2008
- Clinical rotations or supervised training
- Additional university education
- Spanish language proficiency, where required
Academic Criteria for Foreign Medical Degrees
ANECA updated its evaluation requirements in February 2025. In general terms:
Duration: 5 years
Minimum length of medical education, regardless of the academic system in your home country.
ECTS credits: 360
When the programme is organised under the ECTS system or its recognised equivalent.
Teaching hours: 5,500 h
Face-to-face theoretical and practical education, when the degree is not organised under ECTS.
Clinical training: 1,350 h
Supervised clinical training or equivalent clinical rotations, as a general rule.
Every case is assessed individually: meeting a given duration or number of hours does not, on its own, guarantee that homologation will be granted. The competencies and modules in Orden ECI/332/2008 are also assessed.
Documents for Medical Degree Recognition
- Passport or identity document
- Foreign medical degree
- Official academic transcript
- Official duration of the programme
- Full list of courses and hours
- Evidence of internship or clinical rotations
- Evidence of authorisation to practise in your home country, where applicable
- Additional training or professional experience evidence
- Apostille or legalisation
- Official Spanish translation
- Evidence of Spanish proficiency, where required
- Evidence of payment of the administrative fee
Spanish Language Requirements
Applicants who are not nationals of a country where Spanish is an official language must evidence the required language proficiency. Recognised routes:
- A B2-level Spanish certificate or higher
- Having completed at least 75% of your programme in Spanish
- Having completed prior admission studies in Spanish
Our Service for International Doctors
Case assessment
Country, university, duration of your degree, curriculum, teaching hours and clinical training.
Documentary strategy
We identify gaps and which additional certificates to request from your university or home authorities.
Preparation and filing
Application, fees, documentation and representation for electronic filing with ANECA.
Follow-up
We handle communications, requests and submissions throughout the process.
Already Filed Your Medical Degree Application?
Requests for documentation, deficiencies in academic certificates, missing evidence of hours, problems with clinical training, requests for additional documents, unfavourable preliminary assessments, conditional decisions and administrative appeals.
Medical Degree and Specialty Recognition Are Different Procedures
Medical degree
Homologation of the basic degree. Filed with the Ministry under ANECA’s evaluation criteria.
Specialist qualification
Recognition of professional effects under Royal Decree 459/2010, which develops article 18 of Ley 44/2003, handled by the Ministry of Health.
If you hold both a medical degree and a specialty obtained outside Spain, we assess separately which procedure applies to each qualification.
Does Homologation Let You Work Immediately as a Doctor?
Homologation is essential, but practising in Spain may also require:
- Registration with the medical college (colegiación)
- Regularised immigration status
- Residence and work authorisation
- Specialty recognition, if you intend to practise as a specialist
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start the process from outside Spain?
Yes, the procedure can be prepared and filed electronically, and it is possible to act through a representative.
Do I need to apostille my medical degree?
Documents from certain countries must be properly legalised or apostilled. Documents issued by authorities in EU, EEA and Swiss states are subject to specific rules.
Do I need to submit the full Medicine syllabus?
It depends on the case. The academic transcript and proper evidence of courses, hours and clinical training are particularly relevant to the assessment.
Can my professional experience as a doctor be taken into account?
Certain properly evidenced professional experience may be considered within the limits of the applicable criteria, but it does not replace the required academic training.
Does homologating my medical degree also recognise my specialty?
No. Specialty recognition is governed by Royal Decree 459/2010 and handled by the Ministry of Health.
How long does medical degree homologation take?
Actual duration depends on the circumstances of the case and the administrative process. We do not offer guaranteed timeframes.
Your Medical File Deserves a Review Before It’s Filed
The length of your studies, your teaching hours and your clinical training can be decisive. Send us the basic details of your qualification.