Degrees: Legalization

Legalization is the process by which documents issued outside of Spain become officially recognized.

Countries where the directives for degree recognition of the Council of the European Union are applicable:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Island, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland by bilateral agreement with the EU.

If your degree is from any of the countries above, you do not need to legalize it.

Countries who have signed The Hague Convention Agreement of October 5, 1961:
The first point applies to countries listed below and which are EU members.

The Hague Convention Member Countries

To legalize documents from these countries, the Apostille issued by the competent authorities is required.

Other countries not included in these first two categories:
The degree must be legalized by diplomatic means. It must be submitted to:

Documents issued by diplomatic or consular authorities of other countries in Spain must be legalized by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Official translation
When you have to submit an official degree or other official documents issued abroad, you have to take into account the language these are written in and also which administrative procedure you are going to follow (1 or 2):
1) Procedure for official recognition of the foreign degree: in this procedure the documents issued in languages other than Catalan or Spanish must be accompanied by an official translation into Catalan or Spanish carried out by a sworn translator who is duly authorised or registered in Spain. You will find here an up-to-date list of the sworn translators appointed by the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
2) In the remaining cases you will have to take into account the language in which the documents you submit are written:

• Documents written in Catalan, Spanish or English: documents written in Catalan, Spanish or English do not need an official translation.
• Documents written in French, Italian or Portuguese: the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona will accept a translation by the Language Service of the UAB of documents written in French, Italian or Portuguese, or a sworn translation.
• Documents in other languages: documents in other languages must be accompanied by an official translation into Catalan or Spanish carried out by a sworn translator who is duly authorised or registered in Spain. At this link you will find an up-to-date list of the sworn translators appointed by the Spanish Foreign Ministry.

Legalization of UAB-specific graduate degrees for non-EU countries:

If the document must have effects in a country that has signed the Hague Convention, you must perform the following steps, in this order:

1. Notary Sr. Teodoro López Cuesta (notarization of signatures)
2. Official College of Notaries of Catalonia (verification of the notary´s signature)

If the document must have effects in a country that has not signed the Hague Convention, you must perform all of the following steps, in this order:

1. Notary Sr. Teodoro López Cuesta (notarization of signatures)
2. Official College of Notaries of Catalonia (verification of the notary´s signature)
3. Ministry of Justice (legalization)
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (legalization)
5. Diplomatic Representation or Consulate in Spain of the country where the degree will be in effect (verification of the above signatures)

Postal addresses and institutions' contact information:

• Ministry of Justice
  Sección de Legalizaciones
  Bolsas, 8
  Madrid
  Tel. 902 007 214
  www.mjusticia.gob.es
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  Juan Mena, 4
  Madrid
  Tel. 91 379 1610 / 1700
  www.maec.es
• Notary Sr. Teodoro López Cuesta
  Av. Primavera, 7
  08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès
  Tel. 93 692 50 00
• Official College of Notaries of Catalonia
  Notariat, 4
  08001 Barcelona
  Tel. 93 317 48 00
  www.notarisdecatalunya.org/