Every year, hundreds of students from Colombia choose Spain as the place to pursue their higher education. Starting in 2023, after the new education agreement between Spain and Colombia, access to university in Spain will be easier for some of them. However, not everyone will be able to opt for this new fast track and will have to follow the existing route to study in Spain as a foreigner, which includes homologating their Colombian bachelor's degree. We know that it can be difficult to know which path to take; For this reason, at the Luis Vives Study Center we have prepared in this article a brief guide on how to study in Spain as a Colombian.
How to study in Spain as a Colombian?
The first thing to do is study each case to know if it can benefit from the new agreement signed between Spain and Colombia. Thanks to this, in some cases it will not be necessary to homologate the Colombian bachelor's degree. However, there will be cases in which it is necessary to resort to the approval route:
- The equivalent EBAU grade does not exceed the cut-off grade of the desired degree. If the score obtained in the Saber 11 test results in an EBAU grade lower than the cut-off grade, it will be necessary to homologate the bachelor's degree and take the specific PCE competency tests.
- The score obtained in the knowledge 11 test is less than 200 points. All Colombian students who are in this situation will not be able to benefit from the agreement. Therefore, they will have to homologate their high school diploma and take the specific PCE skills tests.
- An online baccalaureate has been completed: This type of bachelor's degree is not contemplated in the agreement, so students must have their degree approved.
These are the cases in which a Colombian student trying to access university in Spain needs to homologate his high school degree. You can learn how to calculate the EBAU grade from the Saber 11 test, in addition to other aspects of the agreement in our article about the agreement between Spain and Colombia. In addition to the situations indicated above, we must point out that due to the short time that the agreement has been in force, particular situations may arise where homologation is also necessary.
What steps should students from Colombia follow to study in Spain?
Like the rest of foreign students, anyone who wants to study in Spain as a Colombian must provide a series of documents. The documentation needed varies depending on whether the homologation of the high school diploma is necessary. Below you can find the existing access paths, documentation and steps to follow.
Steps to follow and documentation for students who take advantage of the agreement:
Students who take advantage of the agreement between both countries will not have to approve. On the other hand, a student who has a Colombian high school diploma and has a certificate of the results of the Saber 11 test must follow the following steps to study in Spain:
- Apostille the high school diploma and the certificate of the results of the Saber 11 test before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia.
- Present the documentation indicated in step 1 at the National University of Distance Education of Spain (UNED). In this way, university access credentials for foreign bachelor's degrees are obtained.
- Once the student has the accreditation issued by the UNED, they can continue their admission process at Spanish universities.
According to the study agreement, the maximum access grade that can be obtained through this route is 10. The accreditation issued by the Uned is available to universities through the UNEDassis platform.
Steps to follow and documentation if the bachelor's degree must be approved:
If they cannot benefit from the study agreement between the two countries, students must follow the normal route of homologation of the bachelor's degree. In the next lines you can find the steps that must be followed by a Colombian student who already has his bachelor's degree. bachelor.
- Apostille the Colombian bachelor's degree, in this case as Colombia is a country that has signed the Hague Convention, the Hague apostille can be used.
- Homologize the Colombian bachelor's degree. To do this, you must present a certified copy of the original degree, as well as the grades from the 11th year of high school courses. In addition, a certified copy of the passport or identity document and the completed form 079 will be required for university studies. You You have explained, step by step, the requirements to validate the Baccalaureate degree in Spain.
- Sign up for the PCEUNEDasiss specific skills tests, where the student will take several exams on different subjects in order to obtain their university entrance grade.
- Once we have passed the PCE UNEDasiss tests, UNED will give us the accreditation we need to access the university. It must be taken into account that the calculation of the access grade takes into account both the average grade of the high school student and that of the PCE exams.
This route is noticeably slower, since the approval process can take up to 9 months. It is possible to obtain an estimate of the approved high school grade by taking the Colombian high school grade and multiplying it by two. However, the approved grade is usually somewhat lower than this estimate.
We show you what the Colombian Bachelor's degree and the Hague Apostille that certifies the validity of the document look like:
Other requirements to study in Spain as a Colombian
The above requirements allow access to universities in Spain. However, it must be taken into account that there are others necessary to remain within Spanish territory. These are necessary regardless of whether the student accepts the agreement or not:
- Have a valid passport
- Have a study visa (only for stays longer than 90 days)
- Justify economic liquidity
- Provide and indicate place of residence during the validity period of the visa
- Not having a criminal record
During our long history, we have worked with a large number of students during their access to university in Spain. Now that you know how to study in Spain as a Colombian, it is important that you start your path to higher education in our country as soon as possible. Those students who must validate their degree must begin as soon as possible to prepare the subjects for the PCE UNEDassis test, and what better center than ours to do it. You can always count on our help during your journey and learning,Contact us!
