Browse all guides+

Diploma apostille for Spain: how to prepare your degree and transcript

By Frank MetayerUpdated November 2, 2026

A nurse from Ohio with a job offer in Madrid and a Texas graduate starting a master's in Barcelona face the same first step. For Spain, a university official, usually the registrar, signs the diploma and transcript in front of a notary.

The Secretary of State in your school's state then adds an apostille, the certificate that lets Spain accept the notarized document with no consular stamp. Last, a sworn translator appointed by Spain translates everything into Spanish.

The Spanish ministries that review degrees reject a notarized photocopy of a diploma, a shortcut some other countries allow. The notary has to certify a signature from your school, not just your copy.

Diplomas are rarely the only document in a Spain file. If yours also includes an FBI check or a birth certificate, our Spain apostille services page shows how we put the whole set together.

Key takeaways

Spain's ministries want the notary to certify a university official's signature, usually the registrar's. A notarized photocopy, or a copy statement you sign yourself, is rejected.
The apostille comes from the Secretary of State of the state where that notarization happens. For Spain, that is normally your school's state.
Spain's degree-recognition rules ask for the diploma (or an official certificate that it was issued) and the transcript, both apostilled and officially translated.
For the ministries, use a Traductor-Intérprete Jurado appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), and have the apostilles translated along with the documents.
Homologación is for regulated professions such as nursing and teaching. Equivalencia confirms an academic level. For a master's, each university checks your degree itself.

The notary step Spanish ministries accept

Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities reviews foreign degrees, and it publishes a short guide for documents from the United States. The notary must certify one of two signatures. The first is that of the academic official who issued the document, typically the registrar. The second is that of a university official who presents the document and certifies that it is genuine and valid.

The guide is just as clear about what fails. A notary who only certifies that a photocopy is a true copy has verified nothing about the university. A statement signed by the graduate or a relative as the document's custodian fails too, including the "copy certification by document custodian" that California graduates sign for some other countries.

So start with your registrar's office. The ministry notes that most universities have their own notarization service. A few states skip the notary: in Washington, for example, the Secretary of State can apostille the university official's signature directly. Others, such as New York and Maryland, require a county or court clerk to certify the notary before the apostille.

Which state issues the apostille on a degree

The apostille certifies the notary, so it comes from the Secretary of State of the state where the notary is licensed. That is the same rule we explain in our guide to the diploma apostille for South Korea, where a notarized copy made in any state usually works.

Spain is stricter. Because the notary has to verify a school official's signature, the notarization normally happens in your school's state. Spain's Ministry of Education, which reviews school records, only accepts an apostille from the state that issued the document. The university ministry also points applicants to that state's procedure. Plan on your school's state.

If you studied in two states, each school's documents go to that school's state. Our diploma and transcript apostille service works out the route for each document and submits it to the right office.

Transcripts and the sealed-envelope problem

Spain's degree-recognition rules, set out in Royal Decree (Real Decreto) 889/2022, ask for two academic documents: the diploma, or an official certificate that the degree was issued, and a transcript. The decree says the transcript should list your courses, the hours or credits for each, and the official length of the program in academic years. Both documents need the apostille.

Official transcripts usually arrive in a sealed envelope meant for an admissions office. That format does not work for Spain. The apostille has to be attached to the transcript itself, and the translator has to see both. Opening the envelope at home does not solve it: the transcript stops counting as official in the U.S., and it still has no notarized signature to apostille.

Ask the registrar instead for a transcript prepared for apostille, signed by the registrar in front of a notary and left unsealed. Order it at the same time as the diploma so both go to the same Secretary of State together. If it doesn't show the program's length, ask the registrar what they can add.

Getting the file into Spanish

Spain's ministries ask for an official translation into Spanish. For U.S. documents, that in practice means a Traductor-Intérprete Jurado (sworn translator) appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAEC). The MAEC publishes its list of appointed translators on exteriores.gob.es, so you can check a name.

The translator works last. The registrar's signature, the notary's certificate, and the apostille all go on first, and the university ministry says the official translation must cover all of those signatures and certificates, not just the diploma. That means the apostille pages are translated along with the diploma and transcript. A translation made before the apostille has to be redone.

Two details help with planning. Sworn translators can sign electronically, and the Ministry of Education notes that a verifiable digital signature lets the translation be done at a distance. And as of 2026, the university ministry states that neither the apostille nor the official translation expires.

Our team includes Hector Gomez, a Traductor-Intérprete Jurado appointed by the MAEC, so the documents and their apostilles are translated in one pass. Our sworn Spanish translation page explains how we coordinate it.

Homologación or equivalencia: what the ministry decides

Recognition of university degrees belongs to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, which runs two procedures under Real Decreto 889/2022. Homologación recognizes your degree as equal to a specific Spanish degree that leads to a regulated profession. Equivalencia declares that your degree matches a Spanish academic level, Grado (bachelor's) or Máster, without qualifying you for a regulated profession.

Our nurse needs homologación. Nursing is on the decree's list of regulated professions, along with medicine, school teaching, architecture, law, and several engineering fields. For homologación the ministry also asks for proof of Spanish at level B2, such as the DELE B2, Spain's official Spanish-language exam. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt. The ministry can also make recognition conditional on extra training or an aptitude test.

Equivalencia suits a field that is not regulated in Spain, or a job or public exam that only needs a recognized academic level. Check which procedure your employer or professional body expects before you file. Both run online through the ministry's sede electrónica (online portal), and the ministry can ask to see your apostilled originals, so keep them intact.

Master's programs and visas

You may not need the ministry at all to start a master's degree. Under Real Decreto 822/2021, a Spanish university can admit someone with a degree from outside Europe's shared university system (the European Higher Education Area), such as a U.S. degree, without homologación. The university checks the level of your degree itself, and that admission is not recognition for any other purpose.

Each university sets its own document list for that check. Expect to be asked for an apostilled diploma and, often, an apostilled transcript. Some universities accept documents in English and others want a sworn translation, so ask the admissions office before you order one.

The student visa is a separate step at a Spanish consulate. As of 2026, the Los Angeles consulate's checklist centers on your acceptance letter, proof of funds, a medical certificate, and, for stays over 180 days, an FBI background check apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. For most courses it does not list your old diploma, but ask your own consulate whether it wants one.

A U.S. high school diploma for Spain

Students who want a bachelor's degree in Spain need their high school diploma homologated to the Spanish Bachiller (upper-secondary diploma). That file goes to the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, not the university ministry. Its U.S. guide asks for the diploma and the transcripts for grades 10 through 12, each notarized through the school, apostilled, and officially translated.

The same strict notary rule applies: no notarized photocopies, and no affidavits from the student or family. An International Baccalaureate diploma generally does not need homologación for university entry, and a GED cannot be homologated to the Bachiller at all.

If you need to enroll while the ministry decides, the application gives you a volante de inscripción condicional (a provisional enrollment slip). Spain's education offices in Washington, New York, Miami, and Los Angeles answer questions about individual cases.

Why degree files stall or come back

A degree file usually comes back for one of these reasons:

The diploma went through a notarized photocopy, or a custodian statement signed by the graduate, with no university official involved.
The apostille came from a different state than the school's.
The transcript stayed in its sealed envelope, or was opened at home, so nothing on it could carry an apostille.
The sworn translator worked from the bare diploma, so the apostille pages were never translated.
A U.S. certified translation was used instead of a sworn translator appointed by the MAEC.
You married or changed your name after graduating, and the file has no marriage certificate or court order linking the two names.

That last one is easy to head off. The marriage certificate or court order needs its own apostille and translation; our guide to the marriage certificate apostille for Spain walks through it.

Once the registrar's documents are ready, most diploma and transcript orders are completed in six business days or sooner, though government workload can lengthen this. Prices per document are on our apostille pricing page.

Your first call is to the registrar's office, and that step runs on the school's schedule. Ask for the diploma and an unsealed transcript, each signed by the registrar in front of a notary, in the same request.

Preparing a degree file for Spain?

Not sure what to ask your registrar for? We tell you, then submit each document to the right Secretary of State for the apostille and arrange the sworn Spanish translation of each document and its apostille.

Start an order Call 1-800-889-7850

Frequently asked questions

Can I apostille a notarized copy of my diploma for Spain?+

Not for the Spanish ministries that review foreign degrees. Their guidance says a notary who only certifies that a photocopy is a true copy, or a copy statement signed by the graduate, is not valid. The notary has to certify the signature of a university official, usually the registrar. In a few states, such as Washington, the Secretary of State apostilles that official's signature directly. Ask your registrar's office how it prepares documents for an apostille.

Which state's apostille does Spain accept on a U.S. degree?+

The Secretary of State of the state where the notarization happens. For Spain that is normally the state where your school is, because the notary has to verify a school official's signature. Spain's Ministry of Education will not accept school records apostilled by a different state, and the university ministry points applicants to the procedure of the state that issued the degree. Documents from schools in two states go to two states.

Do I need to apostille my transcript as well as my diploma?+

For homologación or equivalencia, yes. Real Decreto 889/2022 asks for the degree, or an official certificate that it was issued, plus a transcript listing your courses, the hours or credits for each, and the program's official length. Both must be apostilled and officially translated. A transcript in a sealed envelope cannot carry an apostille, so ask the registrar for one signed in front of a notary instead.

Who can translate my diploma and transcript for Spain?+

Spain's ministries ask for an official translation into Spanish. For U.S. documents that usually means a Traductor-Intérprete Jurado (sworn translator) appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), listed on the ministry's public register. The translation should cover the apostilles too, so it is done after the apostille. Our team includes Hector Gomez, a MAEC-appointed sworn translator.

What is the difference between homologación and equivalencia?+

Homologación recognizes a foreign degree as equal to a specific Spanish degree that leads to a regulated profession, such as nursing, medicine, or school teaching. It also requires proof of Spanish at level B2, unless you are a national of a Spanish-speaking country. Equivalencia declares that a degree matches a Spanish academic level, Grado or Máster, and does not qualify you for a regulated profession. Both are filed online with Spain's Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

Do I need an apostilled diploma for a Spanish student visa?+

Usually not for the visa itself. As of 2026, consulate checklists such as the one in Los Angeles center on the acceptance letter from your Spanish school, proof of funds, a medical certificate, and, for stays over 180 days, an FBI background check apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. The university that admits you may still want your apostilled diploma and transcript, so check with both.

How much does a diploma apostille for Spain cost?+

We charge a flat price per document, based on the document type and the state or agency that issued it. You see that price before you order, with no hidden fees.

Keep reading

Spain Apostille Services Diploma & Transcript Apostille Sworn Spanish Translation Marriage Certificate Apostille for Spain Diploma Apostille for South Korea Apostille Pricing Apostilla de título para España (español)