Spanish public universities charge moderate fees and admit on academic record plus a weighted assessment set by each programme. Costs and procedures vary noticeably by autonomous region, so two identical-looking master's programmes can differ by a factor of two in price.
The recurring administrative theme is document recognition: many programmes ask for a Declaration of Equivalence or a homologación, and the timelines are long.
At a glance
| Language | Spanish for most programmes; a growing set of English-taught master's in business, engineering and tourism |
|---|---|
| Tuition | Public master's roughly €1,500–€4,000 a year, higher for non-EU in some regions; private universities much more |
| Living costs for the visa | Linked to the IPREM, usually around €600–€700 a month |
| Main intake | September–October, with applications from January to June in phases |
| Where you apply | University portals, with a regional pre-registration in some autonomous communities |
| After graduation | 12 months to seek work |
What they require
- Bachelor's of at least 240 ECTS for some programmes, 180 for others; check carefully
- DELE B2 Spanish for Spanish-taught programmes; IELTS 6.5 for English-taught ones
- Motivation letter and CV
- Legalised transcripts, apostilled and officially translated
- Equivalence or homologation where the programme or profession requires it
How admission actually works
Merit-based with a published weighting: academic record usually counts most, followed by relevant experience, language and sometimes an interview. Admission runs in phases, and later phases have fewer places.
Professional programmes such as teaching, health and engineering may require homologation of the foreign degree before enrolment.
How much does a supervisor matter?
Not needed for master's. Required for PhD.
Spanish doctoral programmes require a research line and a supervisor who agrees to take you, then admission through the doctoral school. Funded positions come through FPI and FPU calls or university contracts, which run on their own annual timetable.
When applications open and close
The pattern below is what these systems normally do. Every programme sets its own dates, so treat this as the planning shape and confirm on the official portal linked at the end.
Funding that genuinely exists here
Spanish government awards for international students, with an annual call.
Well-known scholarships for candidates from Latin America and some other countries, closing early in the year.
Partial fee waivers, varying widely by autonomous community.
Salaried research contracts for doctoral candidates, on a national annual calendar.
Documents this country asks for
- Apostilled degree and transcripts with sworn translation into Spanish
- Equivalence or homologation certificate where required
- Motivation letter and CV
- Language certificate
- Proof of funds, insurance and, after arrival, the TIE card application
Visa and permit
The student visa is issued for the programme, and you apply for the TIE residence card within 30 days of arrival for stays over six months. Sworn translations and apostilles are the slow part of the file.
After you graduate
12 months to seek work
Since the 2022 immigration reform, graduates of Spanish institutions may stay twelve months to look for work or start a business.
What they favour
- Strong academic record, weighted heavily in the formula
- Spanish language ability for anything beyond English-taught business courses
- Applications in the first phase
- Complete legalised paperwork
Where applications fail
- Leaving apostille and sworn translation too late
- Applying in the final phase for a competitive programme
- Assuming homologation is quick when it can take many months
- Ignoring regional differences in fees and procedures
Official sources
Rules and dates change, sometimes mid-cycle. These are the pages that carry the authoritative version; if anything here disagrees with them, they are right. Reviewed September 2026.