Recognition of education: Russian schools and universities

How matching takes it into account

• In the questionnaire you can enter several educations: a school and a university, in Spain, in Russia, in another EU country or elsewhere.
• If a programme is only for pupils of schools in Spain (for example Premios Extraordinarios or regional Bachillerato aid) and your school in the form is in another country, the programme is filtered out with the reason shown.
• If you have finished a Russian (or foreign) school, university programmes in Spain get a “recognition of your certificate and UNED access” step and programmes abroad get a “check recognition in the university's country” step.
• If you study at a Russian public university, Erasmus+ programmes are filtered out: the European Commission ended cooperation with Russian public entities under Erasmus+.
• These are hints based on general rules. The final decision is the university's or the authority's, so always confirm with admissions.

A Russian certificate and entering a Spanish university

For school documents issued abroad Spain has homologation (homologación) by the Ministry of Education: it certifies that your secondary studies equal the Spanish Bachillerato. According to the Ministry's guidance for applicants abroad the procedure takes roughly 4–6 months, but admission can begin before the decision: when you request homologation you ask for a “conditional registration slip” (volante de inscripción condicional) to use in the university application.

Then each university chooses its selection mechanism: the “Pruebas de Competencias Específicas” (PCE) or its own test. Information about them and about accreditation for foreign education systems comes from UNED (the UNEDasiss platform).

1. 1Apply to the Ministry of Education for homologation of your school certificate and ask for the conditional slip if the university needs the document earlier.
2. 2Choose a university and ask admissions which access route it requires: PCE, its own test or a grade certificate.
3. 3If they ask for PCE or a grade certificate, contact UNED (UNEDasiss).
4. 4Only then arrange the scholarships that need a Spanish PAU/EBAU score: without it they are out of reach.

• Ministerio de Educación: homologación de títulos extranjeros de enseñanzas no universitarias
• UNEDasiss: acceso a la universidad española con estudios extranjeros

A Russian university and continuing in Spain

• If you did not finish your degree you can ask the Spanish university you want to move to for a partial credit transfer (convalidación): it decides.
• If you finished, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities grants homologation (for regulated professions) or a declaration of equivalence (academic level of “grado” or “máster”). Applications are accepted continuously and online.
• For private universities and scholarships check separately whether your earlier university costs you the “first year” status.

• Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades: reconocer un título universitario extranjero

UK and Germany: what universities say

• Manchester: because of differences between the systems, applicants with the Russian attestat must complete a university-recognised foundation programme before a bachelor's; that needs an overall attestat average of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 (for Science and Engineering with an integrated foundation year also at least 4.0 in maths and physics).
• Southampton also publishes the Russian equivalents and offers foundation programmes for those without the required qualification.
• Germany: if a foreign school-leaving certificate is recognised only as partly equal to the Abitur you must attend a Studienkolleg and pass the Feststellungsprüfung before your degree. Look up your document's status in the anabin database or on the DAAD site. Independent guides report that the Russian attestat alone usually gives no direct admission and a year of university or a Studienkolleg is needed: check it in anabin.

• University of Manchester: requisitos para estudiantes de Rusia
• University of Southampton: equivalencias de Rusia
• Universität Heidelberg: Studienkolleg und Feststellungsprüfung
• anabin: base de datos oficial de la KMK sobre títulos extranjeros (Alemania)

Erasmus+ and a Russian university

On 8 April 2022 the European Commission asked for ongoing grant agreements and payments to Russian public bodies to be terminated, including under Erasmus+. Russia is not a country associated to the programme. So a student of a Russian public university cannot take part in Erasmus+ mobility: matching filters those programmes out.

This does not affect your rights in other programmes: scholarships from universities, foundations and the states of Spain and other countries apply their own conditions.

• Comisión Europea: fin de la cooperación con entidades públicas rusas en investigación y educación
• Erasmus+ Programme Guide: países elegibles (Rusia no es país asociado)

Documents usually prepared

• The original certificate and the marks supplement needed for homologation and admission.
• An official translation into Spanish or English and legalisation or an apostille (ask the university or authority for the exact list).
• A grade certificate on the country's scale (in Spain, 0–10 for Bachillerato and 0–14 for the admission mark).
• Language proof: DELE/SIELE for Spanish, IELTS/TOEFL for English.