Access with foreign qualifications

Successfully completing the process of establishing the equivalence of previous studies is essential in order to access doctoral studies in the cases of students for whom any of the following circumstances are applicable. The process must be completed prior to and separately from the rest of the procedures, which are dependent on successfully establishing equivalence.

Who should complete this procedure?
a) Students with a bachelor’s university degree or equivalent and a master’s degree that were both obtained in accordance with the educational systems of countries that do not belong to the EHEA.
b) Students with a bachelor’s university degree or equivalent and a master’s degree that were both obtained in European countries prior to the implementation of the EHEA (that is, the studies are not structured based on ECTS credits).
c) Students with a master’s degree obtained at any Spanish university, and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a country that does not belong to the EHEA.
d) Students with a master’s degree obtained at any Spanish university (including USAL), and a bachelor’s university degree or equivalent that was obtained in a European country prior to the implementation of the EHEA (that is, the studies are not structured based on ECTS credits).
e) Students with a master’s degree that was obtained in accordance with an educational system that belongs to the EHEA (that is, a degree structured based on ECTS credits), irrespective of the country where the student’s bachelor’s degree or equivalent was completed if that degree is not structured based on ECTS credits. Students with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from Spain are excluded from this circumstance.
f) Students with a diploma of advanced studies obtained from a Spanish university other than the University of Salamanca and with a foreign bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

What documentation needs to be provided?
The access application form must be accompanied by the following documentation:
1. A copy of the student’s national identity document or passport that has been properly legalized or authenticated by a public notary.
2. Documentation related to the student’s bachelor’s degree or equivalent:
     a) A copy of the degree certificate that has been legalized or authenticated by a public notary.
     b) An original official transcript or legalized copy of the courses studied, with express mention of their name, duration and qualification.
     c) An original official transcript or legalized copy showing the total number of completed hours.
3. Documentation related to the student’s master’s degree (*):
     a) Copy of the degree certificate, or a receipt showing that it has been applied for. The document should be legalized or authenticated by a public notary.
     b) An original official transcript or legalized copy of the courses studied, with express mention of their name, duration and qualification.
     c) An original official transcript or legalized copy showing the total number of completed hours.
     d) Original proof that a master’s degree qualifies the holder for access to doctoral teaching in the issuing country.
     (*) Students whose master’s degree is from USAL only have to submit a copy of the degree certificate or a receipt showing that it has been applied for. Students whose master’s degree is from a Spanish university only have to submit the documentation contained in points a) and d)
4. Proof of payment of the fee for this process, which, as set out in the Castilla-León Decree on Rates, is 210.97 euros.

Payment by bank transfer:

Banco Santander: ES 13 0049 1843 44 2110186331, SWIFT: BSCHESMM.

Payment by card:

Access the website: https://frontend.usal.es/gestionRecibos/inicio.jsp

The documents must be legalized through diplomatic channels or, where appropriate, through the Hague Apostille Convention. For the purposes of the provisions on providing certified copies, the legalization or apostille must appear on the original document prior to producing the copy that will be certified by the competent authority.

In no case will standard copies of the documents be accepted.

Students must also send an official translation into Spanish of all the documentation provided where necessary. (Translations are not required for the following languages: Portuguese, English, French and Italian.)

All the required documentation must be submitted. Processing of an application will not begin if the application is incomplete or does not fulfil the indicated legalization requirements. In such a case, the application will be deemed to have not been presented.

Documentation may be delivered by post, courier or in person to the Official Master’s and Doctoral Studies Section. No other means of submitting documents will be accepted.

In no case will the presentation and payment of the equivalence fee replace the process of presenting an application in accordance with the correct time and form.