Applying to a Spanish university after high school
12/05/2025 
Reading time: 4 min How to apply to a university in Spain after high school
Spain is one of the few European countries where a foreign school-leaver can enter a state university with no entrance exam in your own language and no application fee. But there are mandatory steps to clear first — and most applicants underestimate the biggest one: homologation of your school certificate. It's what decides whether you enrol this year or lose it. Note upfront: there are no "state-funded free places" like in Russia — Spanish public universities charge tuition (low, but not free), and fully free study isn't realistically available to foreigners.
- First and biggest stephomologate your certificate2–8 months. Start a year before entry.
- Entrance examsforeigner quota or PCE UNEDQuota needs no EBAU; PCE is key for medicine and top courses.
- LanguageSpanish B2 (DELE/SIELE)Teaching is in Spanish, partly Catalan in Catalonia.
- Coststate €1,500–4,000/yearPrivate €5,000–20,000. No "state-funded places".
- Visastudent, for the whole courseSince 2025 + the right to work up to 30 h/week.
Step 1. Homologate the certificate — start early
Homologation is the official recognition of your school certificate as equivalent to the Spanish Bachillerato. Without it no university will take your documents. It goes through the Ministry of Education. The legal deadline is 6 months, in practice 2–8 months — so for a September entry, apply by early that year, ideally the previous autumn.
What you need: the certificate and its grade transcript, both apostilled; a sworn translation into Spanish; your passport; the application form; and proof of the tax payment (tasa 079). Submit via the Ministry's electronic office (with a digital certificate or Cl@ve), in person at a government delegation, or through a Spanish consulate before departure.
Step 2. Entrance exams — do you need EBAU?
EBAU (formerly Selectividad) sets your admission score. With a homologated certificate you have two routes:
- Without EBAU — through the special quota for foreign students. Each university reserves places for this group; ranking is by your homologated average grade.
- PCE UNED — exams via the National Distance Education University that raise your score and let you compete on equal footing for more places. Important for medicine, dentistry and architecture.
For most courses the quota is enough. But for medicine or architecture in Madrid or Barcelona, PCE are effectively required.
Step 3. Language and choosing a university
State universities teach in Spanish (partly Catalan in Catalonia). Most require at least B2, proven by a DELE or SIELE certificate; some accept internal tests. English-taught programmes exist mainly at private universities and master's level. Prepare the language in advance via language courses — many applicants arrive a few months early for this. Choosing a city? See how the regions differ in the best cities to live in Spain. Full support with admission and documents — higher education in Spain.
Cost and the student visa
State universities cost €1,500–4,000 a year (medicine more, humanities less); private ones €5,000–20,000. Add living costs (€400–800/month by city), insurance and materials — budget €10,000–15,000 for a comfortable first year beyond tuition. State scholarships (becas.gob.es) are limited for foreigners; university grants and Erasmus+ are more realistic. After admission you need a student visa: since the 2025 reform it's issued for the whole course at once, and it includes the right to work up to 30 hours a week. You'll need to show funds of about €7,200/year (100% IPREM).
Frequently asked questions
Official sources:
• Ministry of Education — homologation of foreign certificates
• Ministry of Universities — access for foreign students
