Homologate Technology and Baccalaureate in Spain, learn how to achieve the validation of degrees in this country.

The economic recovery in Spain is progressing by leaps and bounds, 1.06 million jobs have been recovered and Spain now has 19,671,700 employed people. In year-on-year terms, this is the largest job creation in 16 years, since mid-2005, so much so that the OECD places Spain at the forefront of the recovery. This is a great time to work in the Spanish state. #1

But for many foreigners, one of the biggest problems when deciding to live in Spain is the fear of not being able to validate their degrees acquired in Colombia, in this article we will explain how to validate high school and technical and technological programs such as those of the SENA.

First of all, it is necessary to clarify that this process is regulated by Royal Decree 104/1988, and is known in Spain as “Homologación de títulos extranjeros NO universitarios” for the case of the high school diploma and “Homologación y convalidación de títulos extranjeros no universitarios de Formación Profesional” for the case of the homologation of technical and technological degrees, these figures provide the foreigner with the opportunity to continue studies in a Spanish academic center, or to opt for job opportunities.

Homologation of foreign non-university degrees

Let’s start with the homologation of foreign non-university degrees, in this case the homologation of the Colombian bachelor’s degree is homologated to the Spanish bachelor’s degree, but this process requires that the degree acquired in Colombia meets a series of requirements:

It must be official in the educational system of the country to which it corresponds.
The studies must be fully completed.
Must have passed each and every one of the previous courses.
There must be sufficient equivalence with Spanish studies.
If the studies have been carried out in a foreign center in Spain, in addition to complying with the homologation regulations, the center must be authorized to teach these studies.
Students coming from the Spanish education system who apply for the homologation of their Compulsory Secondary Education or Baccalaureate degrees, or for the validation of their Baccalaureate studies, must have passed as many correlative and complete courses as they have left to finish Compulsory Secondary Education or Baccalaureate in Spain, respectively.

Documentation for degree homologation:

Signed application form: “Application for homologation or validation of foreign non-university degree or studies“.
Signed “Flyer for Conditional Enrollment in Educational Institutions or Official Examinations” form.
Valid passport.
Certified copy of the baccalaureate diploma (apostilled). It is not necessary to present the Acta de Grado.
Certified copy of the transcripts of the courses corresponding to 9th, 10th and 11th year of high school. In case the student comes from a European system 10th, 11th and 12th grade. (all apostilled).
If you have completed studies prior to your Colombian studies in the Spanish educational system, you must provide a certified copy of the official academic certificate. The school book, grade book and/or academic record book will also be valid.
Proof of payment of the fee Form 790 for NON-university studies.
If you designate a representative, you must also provide the original letter authorizing the representative to act on your behalf, together with the document proving the representative’s identity (ID card / Passport / NIE / other document). It will not be necessary to provide a photocopy of the ID card if the representative consents to the verification of the identity data through the Data Verification System (Royal Decree 522/2006, of April 28), in which case it must be expressly indicated. Always remember to bring originals and copies of all documents to be submitted.

Subsequently, you will be informed of the resolution granting the homologation and will be informed of the place and date when you can pick up the Credential that will certify the completion of the studies or the possession of the corresponding Spanish degree.

Homologation / validation of non-university degree such as SENA

Vocational training comprises education whose main purpose is to train people for the performance of a professional activity. Vocational training studies are aimed at acquiring professional skills that enable people to perform various jobs. The Vocational Training teachings of the Educational System are structured in Formative Cycles, and these, in turn, can be of two types: Middle Grade and Higher Grade. They generally last 2000 hours and are divided into two academic years. In the last trimester of the second year, the Work Center Training (FCT) module is carried out, that is to say, internships in companies. Vocational training studies are divided into professional families, thus having many similarities with technical and technological programs in Colombia.

The homologation of foreign non-university degrees in Spain implies the declaration of equivalence with the degrees of the Spanish educational system. On the other hand, the validation of foreign studies involves the declaration of equivalence in order to be able to continue their studies in a Spanish educational center. In other words, validation implies a continuation of those studies that are being validated.

Requirements for homologation

Degrees or studies completed in Colombia must meet the following requirements:

That there is sufficient equivalence with the Spanish studies or degree of reference, both at the academic level and in terms of duration and content of the required studies.
The foreign studies are fully completed in the educational system of the other country.
The interested party has not previously obtained in the Spanish educational system, the same degree or the same studies whose homologation or validation is requested.
The studies provided by the interested party have not been taken into account for the favorable resolution in a homologation or validation of another Spanish degree. The same foreign studies cannot give rise to the homologation of two Spanish degrees corresponding to different studies.

Documentation:

Signed application form: “Application for recognition and validation of foreign non-university vocational training degrees and studies“.
Proof of payment of the corresponding fee , certified photocopy of the document proving identity (Passport / NIE / other document).
If applicable, original letter from the interested party authorizing a representative to act on his/her behalf, together with the document proving the representative’s identity (NIF / Passport / NIE / other document).
Indication of the Spanish Vocational Training diploma regulated by this Ministry, in force on the date of your application, and for which you are requesting the homologation/recognition of your studies. You can find more information on the website of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.
Verified copy of the official degree or diploma or, if applicable, official certification of passing the corresponding terminal examinations, with prior legalization and translation when applicable.
Official document, issued by the official educational authorities of the country in which the studies were carried out, and certifying that the degree/diploma obtained constitutes an academic degree or diploma of the educational system of that country, indicating the level of studies that corresponds in that educational system, the level of general studies required to begin those professional studies pursued and to which subsequent studies they give access.
Certified copy of the official certificate accrediting their foreign studies, stating the official duration of the study plan carried out, subjects taken, as well as the academic years in which they were passed.
The completion of pre-professional internships or in the case of work experience, a verified copy of the supporting document or documents that are directly related to the training you want to certify, with an indication of its duration and the company or companies of work, and a detailed description of the tasks, functions and activities performed by you during the same.

In addition, the examining body may request as many documents as it deems necessary for the accreditation of the equivalence between the foreign studies completed and the Spanish degree or studies.

Remember that for both processes the diploma and each of the transcripts must be apostilled. The apostille application is made through the web page of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you do not agree with the resolution of the procedure, you may challenge it by means of an appeal for reconsideration, before the same administrative body that issued it, or by means of a contentious-administrative appeal, before the courts of the Contentious-Administrative Jurisdiction. The notification of the resolution to the interested party includes an indication of the appeals that may be filed, the body before which they must be filed and the deadline for filing them.

Where is the application for recognition of degrees submitted?

Any Registry Office of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, in Functional Areas of High Inspection of Education of the Government Delegations in the Autonomous Communities, to the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, through the General Sub-Directorate of Academic Organization or the General Sub-Directorate of Guidance and Vocational Training and, finally, if you are outside Spain, in the Education Councils of the Spanish Embassies abroad.

To summarize what we have said, the process consists of submitting the application at a registry office, providing the relevant documentation and finally accrediting the payment of the corresponding fee, except for the homologation of the title of Graduate in Compulsory Secondary Education, which is free, but if you want to homologate the baccalaureate degree, this does have a cost.

In order to homologate Technology and Baccalaureate in Spain, it is not necessary to have a lawyer, but it is advisable to seek advice from a lawyer knowledgeable in Spanish law.