If you have studied in a foreign education system, you will find below the information you need and the steps to follow to gain admission to universities in Catalonia, according to your situation:
If you have the International Baccalaureate or the European Baccalaureate, or if you come from an education system in the European Union (EU) or another state with a reciprocal agreement*, provided that you meet the academic requirements for university entry in the education system you come from, you should: .
There are two options for improving the university entrance mark and calculating the admission mark:
Information on which subject areas can be weighted to improve the entrance mark for Catalan public universities and the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia can be found in the weighting table.
Subjects taken at Batxillerat (upper secondary school) level and recognised in UNEDasiss accreditation are not taken into account.
*Countries and education systems:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Croatia Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Baccalaureate, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, International Baccalaureate, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
First, you must request that your upper secondary school qualification be officially recognised. If you are a resident of Catalonia, you must apply through the Catalan Ministry of Education; if you live outside Catalonia, you must apply through the Spanish Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport.
Below you will find the necessary requirements should you wish to apply for a place in the June or September university pre-enrolment period.
University pre-enrolment (June)
Admission requirements:
If you have passed the university entrance exam but do not yet have the document certifying the official recognition of your upper secondary school qualification, you can carry out university pre-enrolment within the established period on the university admissions website.
As soon as you are notified of the decision regarding official recognition, you must attach it to your university admissions application together with your university entrance exam results and inform the University Admissions Office.
University entrance exams (PAU) / Upper secondary level examination for university admission (EBAU)
You can opt for the following:
Take the exam at a Catalan university (PAU) or at a Spanish university (EBAU). You must sit the general phase but the specific phase is voluntary. For information on applying to a Catalan university, see here.
Take the exam with UNEDasiss (specific competency tests (PCE)).
Please note that you must sit the following subjects:
You can voluntarily take two subjects to increase your university entrance mark. The marks for these subjects will be taken into account when calculating the admission mark, provided that these subjects can be weighted in Catalonia.
Calculation of the university entrance mark (between 5 and 10 points):
Calculation of the admission mark (maximum 14 points):
The compulsory subject by area of study and the subjects of the specific or voluntary phase will be taken into account to calculate the admission mark, as long as the mark is equal to or higher than 5.00 points.
The two best marks for the subjects of the specific or voluntary phase that, once weighted, give the best score, shall be added to the university entrance mark.
Information on which subject areas can be weighted to improve the admission mark for Catalan public universities and the University of Vic–Central University of Catalonia can be found in the weighting table.
Admission requirements:
If you have your upper secondary school qualification or the provisional enrolment slip, you should be aware that you will be among the penultimate or the last (respectively) to be allocated places.
To apply for admission to the Catalan public universities or the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia, you should pre-enrol before the deadline on the university admissions portal.
You must provide proof of previous studies to pre-enrol:
You can find information on the subjects that can be weighted to improve university admission marks for Catalan public universities and the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia in the weighting table.
If you have started university studies abroad but have not completed them and you want to continue them at a Catalan university, you need to go to a faculty or university school where the same or similar courses are taught, and apply for the partial validation of credits.
If you have 30 or more university credits (ECTS, the European Credit Transfer System) validated, you should apply for enrolment directly at the university centre, once you have been expressly accepted. You do not, therefore, need to pre-enrol.
If you have fewer than 30 university credits validated (from 1 to 29), you must pre-enrol, although you can only apply for the centre that has validated your credits and you will be awarded an entrance mark of 5 points.
Pre-enrolment must be formalised via the university admissions portal on the dates established in the calendar.
If you have completed university studies abroad, you should contact the Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training or the Government Delegation in Catalonia to request recognition of these studies.
Education Inspectorate
Carrer de Bergara, 12, 5th floor
08002 Barcelona
Tel. (+34) 935 209 603
For further information check this web.
Make an appointment
Contact mailbox
The University Qualification Recognition Support Service (SARU) can advise you on the procedures for recognition of your qualifications.
Carrer de Trajà, 14 (Interior)
Accés pel Parc de la Font Florida
08004 Barcelona
Tel.: 936 55 97 04
Check the timetable on their website.
When your qualifications have been recognised, you will be able to enter university via the pathway for university graduates and you will be awarded 5 points. If you want to check the equivalence of your average mark on the Spanish scale, you should go to the Spanish Ministry of Education, Vocational Trainining and Sports.
You will have to formalise your pre-enrolment via the university admissions portal, on the dates established in the calendar.
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