Through the declaration of equivalence at the official university academic level of a doctoral degree, the training completed to obtain a foreign degree is officially recognised as equivalent to that required to attain academic level 4 (doctoral degree), in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 1027/2011 of 15 July, which establishes the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.
Decisions on the recognition of equivalence are taken following an assessment of the applicant’s educational background, taking into account the following criteria:
The equivalence between the academic levels required for entry onto the course of study leading to the foreign degree and for entry onto the Spanish degree or qualification.
The duration of the period of study required to obtain the foreign qualification, for which academic equivalence is sought, and the skills that this study enables the applicant to acquire.
The equivalence between the academic levels of the foreign qualification and the Spanish qualification or degree for which academic equivalence is sought.
The procedure for declaring equivalence is initiated by an application from the interested party addressed to the Rector’s Office of the University of Valencia. The assessment of the equivalence of qualifications is subject to an administrative fee (see the annual Decree of the Government of the Valencian Community setting the fees for the provision of university academic services), which must be paid prior to submitting the application. To make the payment, you must request a receipt **using a ‘Ticket de Certificados y Títulos’ form, to which a copy of your identity document (DNI, NIE or passport) must be attached. Proof of payment must be sent together with the required documentation.
The application must be accompanied by the following documents:
Proof of the applicant’s identity and nationality, by means of a document issued by the competent authorities of the country of origin, or by the Spanish authorities responsible for immigration matters. In the case of Spanish citizens, a certified photocopy of the DNI or passport.
A certified copy of the qualification for which equivalence is sought, or of the certificate attesting to its issue, accompanied, where applicable, by an official translation.
A certified copy of the qualifications that enabled the applicant to obtain the qualification for which the declaration is sought, accompanied, where applicable, by the corresponding official translation.
A certified copy of the academic transcript detailing the studies undertaken by the applicant to obtain a doctoral degree, accompanied, where applicable, by an official translation. This must include the official duration, in academic years, of the programme of study, the modules taken, the credit load for each module, and the marks obtained.
A copy of the thesis, listing the members of the examination board and the mark awarded, accompanied by an abstract of between 10 and 40 pages in any of the official languages if the thesis is not written in Valencian, Spanish or English.
An explanatory report on the doctoral thesis, written in Spanish or Valencian and signed by the applicant, which must include the references and publications to which it has given rise.
Express authorisation for the University of Valencia to contact, if it deems it appropriate, the competent authority that issued the submitted documentation for the purpose of validating it.
Documents issued abroad must meet the following requirements:
They must be official and issued by the competent authorities, in accordance with the legal system of the country in question.
They must be legalised through diplomatic channels or, where applicable, by means of an apostille in accordance with the Hague Convention. This requirement does not apply to documents issued by the authorities of Member States of the European Union or of signatory States
