Studying abroad in Barcelona can be a really good experience, but when it ends and you need to return, you’ll need to legalize your academic documentation. For an academic document issued in Spain to be valid abroad, the signature’s authenticity must be certified and/or the identity of the seal or stamp verified through the LEGALIZATION procedure.
There are two ways to legalize the documents when you study abroad in Barcelona
A) Diplomatic Way: Official Titles
Academic documents that are OFFICIAL TITLES should be legalized through the diplomatic channel. The Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Education publishes yearly the list of universities and diplomas that are recognized as official. If you have doubts on whether your program is official or not, contact us, we can advise you.
In turn, we should distinguish between two different procedures, which will depend on whether the country to which the document is addressed signed the Hague Convention or not. You can check if the country is a member of the Convention here.
If the country is a signatory of The Hague Convention
- In the first place, the University’s rector has to sign the academic document to be legalized.
- Secondly, the signature will be verified by the Alta Inspección de Educación, de la Delegación del Gobierno en Catalunya, Ministerio de Educación (The Higher Education Inspectorate of the Government Delegation in Catalonia. Ministry of Education).
- It is located at: C / Bergara, nº12, 5º, Barcelona (08071). It is necessary to fill out a form and request an appointment. We can help you with that if you need so.
- Finally, the document must be apostilled at the Ministry of Justice. There are two places where this procedure can be performed:
- Gerencia Territorial de Justicia Administración y Registro General ( Territorial Management of Justice, Administration and General Registry). It is located at c / Caballero, nº 52 – 56, Barcelona (08014)
- Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Catalunya (The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia). It is located at Avenida Lluís Companys, nº14-16, Barcelona.
If the country is not a signatory of The Hague Convention
- In the first place, the University’s rector has to sign the academic document to be legalized.
- Secondly, the signature will be verified by the Alta Inspección de Educación, de la Delegación del Gobierno en Catalunya. Ministerio de Educación (The Higher Education Inspectorate of the Government Delegation in Catalonia. Ministry of Education).
- It is located at: C / Bergara, nº12, 5º, Barcelona (08071). It will also be necessary to fill out a form and request an appointment.
- Ministerio de Asuntos exteriores y Cooperación. Sección de legalizaciones (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Legalization section). It is located in c / Pechuán, nº1 in Madrid (28002). An appointment is required; however, it can also be requested by post. Information can be found on the electronic site.
- Finally, the student can go to the Consulate of the destination country where the documents will be effective in Spain.
B) Notary Way: Non-Official Titles
Through the notarial route, the non-official academic documents will be legalized and, as in the diplomatic route, we must distinguish two procedures, which will depend on whether or not the country to which the document will be addressed is part of the Hague Convention.
Likewise, the documents that may be subject to legalization in this way are:
If the country is a signatory of The Hague Convention
- In the first place, the rector of the University must sign the academic document to be legalized.
- Then the Notary that your university has for those purposes will also sign it. This information needs to be checked with each university.
- Finally the document must be taken to the College of Notaries. It is located in c / Del Notariado nº4 in Barcelona (08001). The student can request the notary itself to carry out this procedure.
If the country is not a signatory of The Hague Convention
- In the first place, the rector of the University must sign the academic document to be legalized.
- Then the Notary that your university has for those purposes will also sign it. This information needs to be checked with each university.
- Thirdly the document must be taken to College of Notaries. It is located in c / Del Notariado nº4 in Barcelona (08001). I could request the notary itself to carry out this procedure
- Then, sent to the Ministry of Justice, to the Legalization section. It is located in Pza. De Jacinto Benavente, núm. 3 of Madrid (28012).
- After that it must be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Legalization section. An appointment is required; however, it can also be requested by post. Information can be found on the electronic site.
- Finally, it must be sent to the Consulate of the destination country of the documents in Spain of the destination country.
Do you need our assistance? Send us an authorization and we will complete the process.