Every foreign document you file needs a sworn translation into Spanish (traducción jurada). We coordinate them with MAEC-appointed sworn translators, for the Ministry and your colegio. Degree certificates usually take 24–48 hours, from €29. That is a starting price: you approve our written quotation before work starts. Upload scans for a fixed quote.
We are not affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, ANECA or any Colegio de Enfermería.
In this guide
- What are the steps to become a nurse in Spain with a foreign degree?
- Can I homologate my nursing degree while I live in Spain?
- How does the Ministry homologate a foreign nursing degree?
- What Spanish level do foreign nurses need, and who is exempt?
- What if ANECA finds gaps in my nursing training?
- How do I register with a Colegio de Enfermería?
- Which permit lets a non-EU nurse work in Spain?
- Is the route different for nurses trained in the EU or the UK?
- Where do foreign nurses look for nursing jobs in Spain?
Ready to start homologation? Your degree, transcript and good standing certificate each need a sworn Spanish translation. See our sworn translation for nurse homologation in Spain.
What are the steps to become a nurse in Spain with a foreign degree?
A non-EU nurse follows four steps. The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities homologates the degree. You prove Spanish at B2 level. You join the Colegio de Enfermería in your province. And you hold a permit that allows employed work. Only then can you practise as an enfermero or enfermera.
| Step | Who decides | Legal basis | Typical documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Homologation | Ministry of Science, with ANECA criteria | RD 889/2022 | Degree, transcript, ID, fee receipt |
| 2. Spanish B2 | Part of the homologation file | RD 889/2022 arts. 9.4 and 13.2 | DELE B2 or another listed proof |
| 3. Colegiación | Provincial Colegio de Enfermería | Ley 2/1974 art. 3.2 | Homologation, good standing, ID |
| 4. Right to work | Extranjería, then the consulate if abroad | RD 1155/2024 | Permit, police and medical certificates |
Homologation recognises your degree; the colegio lets you practise. Ley 2/1974, article 3.2 makes joining the colegio "requisito indispensable" for regulated professions such as nursing.
Can I homologate my nursing degree while I live in Spain?
Yes. Homologation is filed online through the Ministry's electronic office, so you can apply from anywhere, including from Spain. Your residence permit does not decide whether you may apply. It decides whether you may work once your degree is homologated and you join the colegio.
Whatever your permit, the Ministry process is the same. The hard part is getting documents from home. A relative or someone with your power of attorney can usually request certificates and apostilles for you. Check the rules with your country's consulate in Spain first.
Example: a Filipino carer in Madrid asks her sister in Manila to collect her CHED CAV and DFA apostille, then sends us scans.
Common mistake: waiting for a new permit before starting homologation. The Ministry can take up to 6 months.
How does the Ministry homologate a foreign nursing degree?
You apply online to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities under Real Decreto 889/2022. You upload your degree, an academic certificate with subjects and hours, ID and the €166.50 fee receipt (form 790-107). ANECA checks your training against Spain's nursing degree. The Ministry has up to 6 months to decide.
The Ministry's nursing page asks for these documents:
- Proof of identity and nationality.
- Your degree certificate, or proof that it was issued.
- An academic certificate with the programme length, subjects and hours or ECTS credits.
- Proof of Spanish B2, unless exempt.
- Proof you may practise in the issuing country, where applicable.
- The fee receipt.
The benchmark is "3 años de estudio y 2300 horas de formación clínica", plus the competences in Orden CIN/2134/2008. Your transcript must therefore show hours per subject. If it shows none, ask your university for a certificate stating hours or credits per subject.
Which nursing documents need apostille and translation (homologación del título de enfermería)?
Non-EU documents need an apostille or legalisation first. Every document not in Spanish then needs an official translation. The Ministry accepts a translation "a través de un traductor jurado nombrado por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores". That is a MAEC sworn translation, Spain's official form of certified translation.
- Degree: see degree certificate sworn translation into Spanish.
- Transcript: see academic transcript sworn translation into Spanish.
- Course descriptions, only if requested: see syllabus translation for Spain.
Apostille first, then translation, so the apostille is translated too. Our guide on apostille before or after translation explains the order.
The Ministry states that translations have no expiry date; see does a sworn translation expire in Spain. If your documents are wholly in two languages, only one needs translating (Ministry translations page).
Apostilles back from home? Order the degree and transcript translations now. They do not expire, and the Ministry's clock only starts once you file. The general process is on our degree homologation Spain translation page.
What Spanish level do foreign nurses need, and who is exempt?
You need Spanish at B2 level of the Common European Framework. RD 889/2022 requires proof of the language skills needed to practise a regulated profession. Nationals of countries where Spanish is an official language are exempt. So are graduates taught at least 75% in Spanish.
Accepted proofs under article 13.2 include:
- a DELE B2 or higher from the Instituto Cervantes;
- a B2 or higher certificate from an Escuela Oficial de Idiomas;
- a certificate that at least 75% of your degree was taught in Spanish;
- pre-university schooling completed in Spanish.
A DELE needs no translation; an English university letter on the language of teaching does. Tip: start classes on day one, as B2 is often the slowest step.
What if ANECA finds gaps in my nursing training?
The Ministry can grant homologation subject to compensatory measures under RD 889/2022, article 19. These are an academic placement, an aptitude test, a project or extra courses. You must complete them within 4 years of notification. If no decision arrives within 6 months, the application counts as refused.
Clinical hours are the most common gap: Spain's benchmark for foreign degrees is 2,300 clinical hours.
| Outcome | What it means | What you do next |
|---|---|---|
| Homologation granted | Degree equals the Spanish nursing degree | Join the colegio |
| Granted with compensatory measures | Gaps to close first | Complete the placement, test or courses within 4 years |
| Refused, or no reply in 6 months | Not homologated | Optional recurso de reposición, or court within 2 months |
How do I register with a Colegio de Enfermería?
Once your degree is homologated, you join the Colegio de Enfermería in the province where you will work. Each colegio sets its own list. Most ask for the homologation, your ID and a recent certificate from your home regulator. That certificate shows you are not barred from practice: in Spanish, a certificado de no inhabilitación profesional.
Colegios usually want this certificate under 3 months old. The Ceuta colegio states "Periodo máximo de validez, tres meses" (Consejo General de Enfermería portal). The Castellón colegio also asks for your full study record "traducidos al castellano".
What do home regulators call the good standing certificate?
| Where you trained | Usual document | How it travels |
|---|---|---|
| UK | NMC certificate of current professional status (CCPS) | Sent by the NMC straight to the overseas authority; valid 3 months |
| Philippines | PRC Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) | From a PRC Regional Office, then DFA apostille |
| India | State nursing council certificate, e.g. Kerala's "Good Standing Certificate" | Ask your council; MEA apostille after state attestation |
| USA | A letter from your state board of nursing | Nursys verification serves other US states only; ask your board |
Order this certificate last, close to your colegio date. Then see certificate of good standing translation into Spanish.
Which permit lets a non-EU nurse work in Spain?
It depends on where you are. If you live in Spain, check whether your current permit allows employed work; ask Extranjería if unsure. If you are abroad, a Spanish employer usually applies for your work authorisation. Once it is granted, you have one month to apply for the visa at the consulate.
The employer route is in Extranjería's Hoja 12, under RD 1155/2024. For the visa stage, you usually need:
- a criminal record certificate from your country of origin, or each country of residence in the last 5 years;
- a medical certificate;
- the qualification the profession legally requires, homologated where applicable.
All foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation. See our Spain work visa sworn translation and police clearance certificate sworn translation pages.
Some well-paid posts may fit the highly qualified professional route instead. Ask the employer or an immigration lawyer which route applies. We translate; we do not advise on immigration law.
Example: a Valencia hospital hires a nurse in Lagos. Her Nigerian police certificate is legalised in two steps, then sworn-translated for the visa.
Is the route different for nurses trained in the EU or the UK?
Yes for the EU, no for the UK. Nurses trained in the EU, EEA or Switzerland use professional recognition under Directive 2005/36, handled by Spain's Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Science says this route is free. Since Brexit, UK nursing degrees follow the homologation route like other non-EU degrees.
- EU-trained: recognition by the Ministerio de Sanidad, or the European Professional Card. No apostille.
- UK-trained: homologation; the Ministry says UK documents must be apostilled, whatever their date. See UK documents sworn translation for Spain.
- US-trained: homologation, with the state Secretary of State apostille. See US documents sworn translation for Spain.
Where do foreign nurses look for nursing jobs in Spain?
Once registered with the colegio, you can apply. Private hospitals, clinics and care homes hire directly. Regional public health services recruit through job lists (bolsas de empleo) and competitive exams (oposiciones). Each region sets its own rules, including nationality and residence conditions, so read each call carefully.
While your file is pending, many foreign nurses work in other roles, such as care work; what you may do depends on your permit. No official Spain–Philippines government nurse recruitment scheme was found, so ask any agency claiming one for its official source.
What should a foreign nurse have ready before applying?
Have your apostilled degree and transcript ready, with sworn translations by a MAEC-appointed translator. Add your passport, B2 proof and the €166.50 fee. Leave the good standing and police certificates until later, because they age. Then check your colegio's own list.
- Degree certificate, apostilled or legalised (not needed for EU documents)
- Transcript showing hours or ECTS per subject
- Sworn translations of both, apostilles included
- DELE B2 or another accepted proof, unless exempt
- Fee paid: €166.50, form 790-107
- Good standing certificate under 3 months old, for the colegio
- Police and medical certificates, if you need a work visa
Country routes before translation: Indian documents sworn translation for Spain, Philippine nurse documents sworn translation and Nigerian documents sworn translation for Spain. Most nursing files are in English: see English to Spanish sworn translation.
Can I check the sworn translator behind my nursing file?
Yes. Every translator we work with is a sworn translator-interpreter appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). Each one is listed on the official MAEC register and works with their own official seal. Their seal and signature are on every page, so you or the colegio can check them.
- Is the translator real? Follow our steps to verify a Spanish sworn translator on the official list.
- What if the Ministry or colegio rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds. See how a free re-issue works.
- Is my data safe? Your files are deleted within 7 days of delivery. Read our privacy policy.
- Colegio date or Ministry letter close? Use our urgent sworn translation service.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work as a nurse in Spain without speaking Spanish?
No, not as a registered nurse. Homologation requires B2 Spanish unless you are exempt.
How long does it take to work as a nurse in Spain?
It depends on your file. The Ministry has up to 6 months to decide on homologation. Compensatory measures, B2 Spanish and a work visa can add months.
Do I need a job offer before homologation?
No. You can apply without a job offer, online and from abroad. Non-EU nurses abroad usually need an employer later, for the work authorisation.
How much does nursing homologation cost in Spain?
The Ministry fee is €166.50, form 790-107. Translations, apostilles and the B2 exam are extra. As an indicative market range, sworn translations in Spain cost about €30–120 a page. That is roughly €30–80 for the first page and €15–40 for later pages (Cronoshare, January 2026). This is a market range, not our price. Ours start from €29 per certificate, and transcripts from €29 per page; see our sworn translation price page. These are starting prices. For your final price, send your details through the quote form. We email you a written quotation, and work starts only after you approve it.
Is a certified translation from my own country accepted?
It depends who made it. The Ministry accepts MAEC sworn translators, EU official translators, and non-EU official translators whose signature is legalised. A UK or US certified translation is not a sworn translation, and most Spanish offices won't accept it.
Sources: RD 889/2022, BOE · Nursing homologation, Ministry of Science · Fee, Ministry of Science · Translations, Ministry of Science · Ley 2/1974, BOE · Hoja 12, Ministry of Inclusion · NMC, working outside the UK · PRC Citizen's Charter 2026. Last checked: 12 October 2026.
How do I get my nursing degree translated for homologation?
Upload a scan of each document with its apostille, and tell us your stage and any deadline. Originals are never needed. You see a fixed total and a delivery date before you pay. You can get a fixed quote for your nursing documents in a few minutes.
What happens next
- 1We check which of your nursing papers the Ministry and colegio need, then quote one total.
- 2You pay and check the names, hours and subject titles in a draft.
- 3You receive the digitally signed PDF, or paper by courier if an office insists.
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