International Verification
Verifying Spanish University Degrees: ANECA Guide
How to verify Spanish education credentials. Covers ANECA accreditation, university system, and verification for degrees from Spain.
6 min read
Spain's higher education system
Spain's higher education quality is assured by ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation). Spain has over 80 universities (50 public, 30+ private), including University of Barcelona, Complutense University of Madrid (Spain's largest), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and University of Salamanca (founded 1218, one of Europe's oldest).
Verification steps
- Check ANECA accreditation — Verify the institution is ANECA-accredited. VerifyED includes accredited Spanish institutions.
- Contact the institution — Spanish universities maintain registrar offices for verification.
- NARIC Spain — The Spanish NARIC handles foreign credential recognition.
- Apostille — Spain is a Hague Convention member. Documents can be apostilled.
Key considerations
- Regional accreditation — In addition to ANECA, Spanish autonomous communities have regional quality agencies.
- Spanish-language credentials — Credentials are in Spanish. European Diploma Supplements are in English.
- Latin American connections — Spanish universities have strong ties with Latin America, facilitating credential recognition.