UK-Spain agreement on higher education access: questions and answers
UK-Spain agreement on education cooperation and access to university and higher education
What is this agreement about?
This agreement ensures mutual and direct recognition of UK and Spanish qualifications, allowing students of both education systems to access our respective universities more easily.
Students studying in the British education system with UK qualifications (including A-levels and other qualifications) can access universities in Spain under the same conditions as students from Member States of the European Union. Additional entry requirements will only be necessary for certain competitive courses, as was the case in many regions prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Students from the Spanish education system can continue to access UK universities and other higher education institutions with additional legal certainty that their Spanish Baccalaureate qualification results will be recognised.
The agreement also establishes a framework to increase cooperation between the UK and Spain in the field of education and underlines our shared ambition to strengthen existing education links.
How does it work in practice in Spain?
Students who study UK qualifications and who wish to study in a Spanish university will follow the same procedures as they did before the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. They will not have to sit the so-called ‘general or mandatory part’ of the Spanish university entrance exam, as they can use the results from the UK qualifications via the direct access route this agreement provides.
UNEDAsiss manage access into Spanish universities for students from outside the Spanish education system. Results obtained from UK qualifications will be converted following a previously agreed conversion table, which has been established in consultation with the UK UCAS system. A-levels and equivalent British qualifications will count for up to 10 points under the Spanish university entry system. With regards access to certain competitive courses, students will have to sit the so-called ‘specific or voluntary part’ of the university entrance exam, as was the case before the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in some autonomous communities of Spain. It will no longer be possible to validate or replace the ‘specific part’ exam with a student’s ‘A level’ or other UK exam results.
For further information please contact education@britishcouncil.org and /or unedasiss@adm.uned.es .
Do I need to legalise my exam results with the Hague’s Apostille or validate (homologate) my results?
The UK does not require the validation (homologation) of certificates of the Spanish Baccalaureate when accessing university. In general terms, UK universities do not require the Hague’s Apostille on such certification documents, though there may exist exceptional cases.
In Spain, under this agreement, when applications for access to university are submitted through UNEDAsiss, neither the process of homologation nor the Hague’s Apostille are required. This is the case for the vast number of applications. The Hague’s Apostille will only be required when students decide to apply to university under the homologation route. In these cases, students need to obtain the Apostille first and the full homologation at a later stage.
We recommend that students and schools check any additional requirements directly with universities. For further information please contact UNEDAsiss unedasiss@adm.uned.es
Does the agreement include the mutual recognition of university degrees and/or professional qualifications?
No, this agreement is about the mutual recognition of qualifications which allow access to undergraduate courses at universities (and in some cases other higher education studies) in the UK and Spain. Recognition of university degrees and professional qualifications are outside the scope of this agreement.
Can Spanish students continue to access to UK universities, as was the case before EU Exit?
Yes, under this agreement Spanish Baccalaureate results will continue to be recognised, enabling Spanish students to access UK universities. The entry requirements for universities and higher education institutions vary from course to course (as is the case in Spain) but recognition of the qualifications required for access to undergraduate courses is guaranteed by this agreement.
Is the text of the Agreement public?
The agreement entered into force on 2 August 2023 and can be found in English here and in Spanish here .
Does this affect students of any nationality?
Yes, this is about recognition of the qualifications and ‘títulos’ in the British and Spanish education systems, regardless of the nationality of the students.
What other bilateral co-operation does the agreement entail?
The agreement sets out the shared ambition of the UK and Spain to explore new initiatives in the field of education cooperation, including areas related to dual degree systems, the teaching of our respective languages and face-to-face, online and/or hybrid training.