Recognition of a foreign PhD qualification

You must submit ALL the documentation indicated in this procedure to the Doctoral School. If all the required documentation is not provided, neither the application nor its registration can be processed.

You may submit this documentation to the Doctoral School in one of the following ways:

· Electronic Office (Online Submission).You must have a valid digital identification method to access the electronic office. Both the personal documentation and the specific documentation required for the procedure must be provided in a valid digital format; scanned documents are not accepted.

· In Person: This is mandatory when all or part of the documentation is only available in paper format and contains handwritten signatures.You must send, by email to ed.certificats@uab.cat, one day before your appointment, both:

• A copy of the doctoral thesis, and
• The explanatory report on the doctoral thesis,in PDF format.

The subject line of the email must be: Doctoral Degree Equivalency Documentation

You must also attach any documents that contain valid digital signatures, provided that they meet the following requirements:

• Certificates with electronic signatures and/or digital certificates, or authentic electronic copies (scanned documents without a CSV verification code are not valid).

· By Postal Mail or Courier Service: The documentation must be certified (documents with handwritten signatures must be officially certified by the issuing institution or by a competent public authority).

Before sending the documentation, you must email ed.certificats@uab.cat, one day before your appointment, both:

• A copy of the doctoral thesis, and
• The explanatory report on the doctoral thesis,in PDF format.

The subject line of the email must be: Doctoral Degree Equivalency Documentation

Send the documentation to:

Doctoral School – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Reference: Doctoral Degree Equivalency
Travessera de Can Miró, S/N
08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès)
Spain

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Required Documentation

It is mandatory to submit all personal documentation and all specific documentation at the same time, depending on whether the doctoral degree was issued by a university in the European Union or by a university in another country.

PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION(Required for All Applications)

1. Application form for the equivalency assessment of a foreign degree.

2. Proof of the applicant’s nationality (certified photocopy or authentic copy of a national identity card or passport). In the case of a Spanish National Identity Document (DNI), this may be replaced by consent for interoperability verification so that the Doctoral School can verify the document directly.

3. Proof of payment of the fee of €218.15, made by bank transfer to the following account:

IBAN: ES48 0182 6035 4302 0160 9886
SWIFT/BIC Code: BBVAESMMXXX
Bank: BBVA – BBVA BARCELONA INSTITUCIONES Branch, Barcelona
Account Holder: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

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SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION, Depending on whether the degree was issued by a university in the European Union or by a university in another country.

All documents must be official and issued by the competent authorities in accordance with the legal regulations of the country concerned.

Documentation must be written in Catalan, Spanish, or English, or be accompanied by an official translation into one of these languages. An official translation of the doctoral thesis itself is not required.

FOR DEGREES ISSUED BY UNIVERSITIES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

• Original and photocopy, certified copy, or authentic digital copy of the degree for which equivalency is requested.

• Original and photocopy, certified copy, or authentic digital copy of the Diploma Supplement (DS), or an academic certificate confirming that the degree corresponds to Level 8 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

FOR DEGREES ISSUED BY UNIVERSITIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

This documentation must be legalized.

• Original and photocopy, certified copy, or authentic digital copy of the doctoral degree for which equivalency is requested.

• Original and photocopy, certified copy, or authentic digital copy of the academic transcript of the prior studies completed by the applicant in order to obtain the degree for which equivalency is requested. This transcript must include, among other information:

  • The official duration of the studies in academic years,
  • The study programme followed,
  • The courses completed, and
  • The number of hours assigned to each course.

• An explanatory report on the doctoral thesis, written in Catalan, Spanish, or English, indicating:

  • The members of the examination committee, and
  • The final grade awarded.

  The format is free and must be prepared by the applicant.

• A copy of the doctoral thesis in PDF format, in the language in which it was defended, or alternatively the public URL where it is available online (recommended).

In addition, further documents may be requested if considered necessary to establish the equivalence of the academic level between the training completed for the foreign degree and that required for obtaining a doctoral degree within the Spanish educational system. For example, a certificate issued by the university or the competent authority in the country of origin stating that the degree has official validity in that country, forms part of its educational system, or is recognized as equivalent to such studies.

If it is determined that the documentation does not meet the specified requirements, or if any required documents are missing, the procedure will not be initiated. In case of doubt about the authenticity, validity or content of the documents, the responsible body may carry out the necessary steps for verification and contact the competent issuing authority.

Procedure

The maximum period for notifying the resolution of your application is six months from the date of submission of the application together with all required documentation.

Once the complete file is available (application, required documentation and payment of the equivalency study fee), the School for Doctoral Studies will send, if applicable, the documentation to:

1. If the degree was issued by universities within the European Union, the Permanent Board will review the application and, in accordance with the established procedure, will issue a report on whether it is appropriate to declare equivalence to the academic level of doctorate.
2. If the degree is from other countries, the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme will review the application and, in accordance with the established procedure, will issue a report on whether it is appropriate to declare equivalence to the academic level of doctorate.

Finally, the Rector of the UAB, after considering the report, will decide whether to accept or deny your application.

Following the rector's decision, the Escola de Doctorat will contact you via mail and send you the Resolution of the Rector regarding the recognition of your PhD qualification and begin the procedure of certifying the recognition of your credentials.

Please note: our qualification will be officially valid in Spain starting on the date on which you receive the certificate of recognition of your credentials.

This second phase of the procedure is explained in section "(2) Issuance of a document certifying the recognition of your credentials".

 

If you did not find in these pages the information you need, you can contact the School for Doctoral Studies at ed.certificats@uab.cat (if you send an email, you must identify yourself by indicating your ID / passport, NIU, name and surname).

 

In case the resolution for recognition is favourable, you will be able to request that the UAB begin the procedure of certifying the recognition of your credentials and you have to send us this document to ed.titols@uab.cat (please remember that your qualification will be officially valid in Spain starting on the date on which you receive the certificate of recognition of your credentials).

Once your certificate has been issued, the Certificates Unit (Unitat de Títols) of the School for Doctoral Studies will contact you so you can come and pick up your certificate at the Unitat Tècnica de Doctorat

You can collect it personally from the School for Doctoral Studies, presenting your National ID or passport, making an appointment. You may authorise a person to collect it on your behalf presenting a signed authoritation.

You have a total of five years to collect your certificate. After this period you will be informed about the possibility of your certificate being destroyed.

If you did not find in these pages the information you need, you can contact the School for Doctoral Studies at ed.titols@uab.cat (if you send an email, you must identify yourself by indicating your ID / passport, NIU, name and surname).