Study in Spain as a foreigner 2024

Why study a degree in Spain?

Spain is a country of the European Union and a link with South America, due to its language and cultural links. Every year the number of students who want to access a Spanish university study grows, even in 2020 with the pandemic. Likewise, the number of universities increases, to be able to supply the demand that comes from foreign students. In figures, in 2021 a total of 154.428 foreign students were enrolled in the SUE, which represented 9,5% of the total number of students enrolled, 27,4% of Doctorate students and 5,8% of degree students.

Having commented on the progressive demand for studies in Spain, we must ask ourselves the reasons. Possibly it is the Spanish culture and the ties with many countries around it and America. Perhaps it is the way to increase your professional and educational spectrum, since degrees in EU countries are valid throughout their territory. We are not going to forget the much talked about Spanish life, with its leisure, gastronomy, biodiversity and culture.

Requirements to access universities

The first thing you need to know is that each university, whether public or private, has its own admission criteria. It is necessary to know, in advance, what will be required to gain access and the dates to be able to apply for admission.

In general, you can ask us:

• Have completed pre-university study in the country of origin.
• Have the documents legalized (homologations, translations into Spanish, apostilles...)
• Access exams (in most universities it is requested to take Specific Competence Tests, in some private universities they are their own exams).
• Valid identity documents.
• Tax payment.

It is not necessary to have Spanish nationality to be able to access a university. The processing can be carried out with the passport, so that, later, the regulated documentation for a prolonged stay in Spain (visa) can be managed.

Documentation to access university studies

To study in Spain, legalized documents from previous studies are required. It will depend on whether the country of educational origin is within the EU (or has reciprocity agreements) or outside the EU.

In the case of non-EU countries, it is necessary to have the homologation of the baccalaureate degree (or pre-university equivalent: secondary school, High School...). In most cases, having the homologation process started is enough, but in regions like Catalonia it is necessary to have it completed before making the corresponding admissions. If you have already started a university degree in your country of origin and you want to continue your study in Spain, it will be necessary to validate the courses taken so as not to start from the first year. It should be mentioned that previously, before carrying out the homologation, in most cases the documentation must be apostilled (The Hague Apostille) to be able to present it to official bodies in Spain.

If the educational system is from the EU, China or an IB (International Baccalaureate) has been obtained, the UNEDasiss credential. It will be necessary to submit this application correctly in a timely manner so as not to delay university admission.

UNEDasiss information

In both cases, LegalSpain You can carry out the procedures to speed up the processes and receive personalized guidance prior to submission.

Steps to follow to begin a university study

In summary, we show you the 5 general steps:

1. Decide the study and university to enter. As you will see in the next point, the economic and access reasons are substantially different.
2. Start the legalization processes. Regardless of the study or university that is carried out, documentation will have to be presented. We strongly recommend knowing the delivery times and formats to avoid making mistakes that could generate future problems and compromise the viability of university access.
3. Preparation and presentation of the exams. In most cases it will be necessary to pass some tests, either because a public university has been chosen or the private university needs it. In any case, knowledge will have to be studied or leveled based on the evaluable contents. PCE School It is the leading preparatory academy for the PCE and university entrance exams. Ask us and we can bring you the studio with a special pack.
4. Presentation of documentation and university registrations. Each university has its dates and procedures to apply for admission. Normally it is managed between the months of June and July.
5. Beginning of the chosen degree. The school year in Spain begins in September and ends in June of the following year.

How much money do Spanish universities cost?

Spain is a country where university fees have lower costs than its European neighbors. To talk about university fees, we must differentiate between public universities and private universities. As we have already mentioned, both are different in their admissions and processes, but also in their operation, benefits and, therefore, in their costs.

• public university, the one that welcomes the most students, has prices that depend on the Spanish region. Education is managed by the Autonomous Communities, so each of the 17 that make up the country have different costs. To simplify, studying in Andalusia can cost 900 euros per school year, with an average of 2.000 euros to do it in Madrid or Catalonia, for example. These amounts are an example, since the rates depend on the degree of experimentality of the study, enrollments (times that subject has been taken for an exam) and credits enrolled in the year (registered subjects).
• The private university It has simpler admission processes, making it easier for students to access. In exchange, the price of the school year is higher, since they are not economically regulated by the Autonomous Communities. The price depends on the university and its characteristics, such as professional opportunities, campus, facilities and others. A price range can be opened that ranges from 6.000 to 20.000 euros per year. The difference is abysmal with respect to the public university, but as we have commented, it invests in resources and services for its students.

How much money does it cost to live in Spain for a student?

In addition to paying the corresponding university fees, there are other types of costs: those that come with everyday life. These costs can be varied, but normally three are considered: accommodation, food and leisure.

• Accommodation It is the concept that will increase the cost the most for the student, if they decide to reside on their own. Rentals and dormitories (university residences) depend, again, on the Spanish region. Madrid and Barcelona lead the price of housing rentals, and the rent for a room per month in a shared house can be around 400 euros. If it is a university residence the price can be raised to around 1.200 euros euros. In this case, food is usually included. On the lower part of the rents you can find other regions, almost always those other than the mentioned capitals or the coastal cities, the rent being able to reach 200 euros and 800 euros for colleges for university students.
• feeding, with the exception of university residences (included in the price), will be another extra. In this case, a criterion cannot be established by region or average, so it is usually indicated that it could be close to 200 euros on average per month.
• Leisure It is not a basic expense, but the experience of living in Spain will require a contribution to enjoy services, trips and entertainment. It will depend on the purchasing power of the student and his family, but it could be estimated, on average, at about 80 euros per month.
• Other costs such as clothing or healthcare We do not include them, since they may be optional, depending on the student, but they must be taken into account to make this economic account.

Thus, Living in Spain could mean a monthly expense of about 500 – 1000 euros for the student, depending on many factors, but it could be a figure to estimate the expense that must be faced.

Conclusion

Studying in Spain is fashionable. Whether for its educational, professional or personal opportunities, it will be a vital experience that will leave its mark. As you can read, the choices in each of the steps to follow, whether choosing studies, university, location, housing, leisure and more, will shape one type or another of experiences. LegalSpain It can help simplify and guide each of these decisions to at least avoid making mistakes and generating costs in time and money.