Go to Homologación , Go
to Recognition
The idea behind mutual recognition of EU titles is formalized by a European "law" (directive is the correct terminology) that (more or less) says that if my title gives me the right to hold a permanent professorship in, lets say, the Netherlands, then I should also have the right to hold a similar position in Spain. To read the full text of this law (in a newly opened window), click on your preferred language.
Castellano, Dansk, Deutsch, Ellinika, English, Francais, Italiano, Nederlands, Portugues, Suomi, Svenska. (Sorry, these links seem to be dead now, july 2002)
In order to apply this law each EU country has
put together a list of so-called regulated professions. That means
that for those professions there are official requirements to qualify.
Medical professions, architects, accountants are some examples of regulated
professions. In Spain university professor (titular de universidad) seems
to be regulated as well. If the same is true in the country where you got
your PhD you might be in business. If you qualify for being a university
professor in that country (for example, because you obtained a PhD there
that gives you to right to exercise this profession) then you should also
have the right to be a university professor in Spain. If the profession
of university professor is not regulated in the country where you got your
PhD from, but you have been a university professor there for at least two
years, then you also have the right to exercise this profession in Spain.
NEWS:
Even if university professor is not a regulated profession in the country
where you obtained your PhD and you do not have experience as a university
professor, you have a good chance of getting the recognition as long as
your study program does not differ too much from what people in Spain are
supposed to do to obtain the title.
In order to check which professions are regulated
in which EU countries, go here
and click the appropriate flag.
If you are lucky and think the recognition procedure applies to you, you still have to do something as recognition is not automatic. But the work is much less than with the homologation process and the process works much faster. (Officially it can last at most four months, but casual observation (ahum, 1 observation) shows it is much quicker. What you should do is contact the ministry in Madrid and ask what they exactly need to recognize your title. You might have to go there physically as the people in Madrid seem to be trained under no circumstance to answer the phone. (Being cynical?)
Below follows the content of a letter from the European Union explaining the recognition procedure and how you should act. Good luck! (Most important/interesting bits in bold by me.)
The teaching profession is covered by the general system for the recognition of professional qualifications. The general system for the recognition of professional qualifications concerns persons qualified to pursue a given profession in a Member State who wish to pursue the same profession in another Member State (the host Member State) and have to obtain recognition of their qualifications in that State in so far as the profession is regulated there. (If, however, your profession is not regulated in the host Member State, you do not need to apply for recognition of your qualifications. You can begin practising in the host Member State, subject to the same conditions as nationals, i.e. with the same rights and obligations.)
The general system applies to regulated professions namely professions
which are restricted, in the host Member State, to
persons holding certain qualifications (such as lawyers, accountants,
teachers and physiotherapists). However, this system does not apply to
regulated professions which are already covered by another system for the
recognition of qualifications (doctors, dentists, veterinary surgeons,
nurses, midwives, pharmacists and architects), nor does it apply to the
craft, industrial or commercial activities covered by the transitional
directives. The general system applies to you if: you are a national
of a Member State, you are fully qualified to practise a given profession
in Member State A, you wish to practise the same profession in Member State
B, and this profession is regulated in Member State B and is not covered
by another system of recognition.
Recognition mechanism
Recognition concerns the diploma, certificate, qualification or set
of qualifications awarded in a Member State on completion of
comprehensive professional education and training, i.e. those which
permit you to practise the profession in question in that Member State.
In principle, your diploma, certificate or qualifications should be recognized
as they stand. However, the general system does not provide for automatic
recognition of qualifications. You must send an application for recognition
to the competent authority in the host Member State, which will consider
your application individually. It will examine
a) whether the regulated profession that you wish to practise in the host Member State is the same as that for which you are fully qualified, and
b) whether the training you have undergone is significantly different in terms of either length or content to that required in the host Member State. If the professions are the same and the training undergone basically similar, the competent authority must recognize your qualifications as they stand. If, however, it finds that there are significant differences between the professions or in terms of length or content of training, it may decide to impose an additional requirement.
Additional requirements
In the event of differences in the length of training of one year or more, the competent authority in the host Member State may require evidence of professional experience (varying from one to four years). In the event of significant differences between professions or in the content of training, it may require you to undergo an adaptation period or an aptitude test (you will normally be free to choose). Only one such requirement can be imposed. The competent authority must also take into account, where appropriate, any professional experience acquired in another Member State, in which case the additional requirement may be adjusted accordingly or dropped altogether.
Specific cases
a) If the profession for which you are applying to have your qualifications
recognized is not regulated in the Member State in
which they were awarded, the competent authority in the host Member
State may require evidence of two years' professional experience.
b) If you obtained your qualifications in a third country, if they have
already been recognized in a Member State and if you have
practised the profession in question in that Member State for either
two or three years, as appropriate, your qualifications may be recognized
in the host Member State.
Deadlines
a) The competent authority has four months in which to process your
application and take a decision: either it recognizes your
qualifications as they stand, or it makes recognition subject to an
additional requirement, or it rejects your application.
b) If an application is rejected or an additional requirement imposed, the authority must state the reasons for its decision. You have the right of appeal before a court or tribunal.
c) If no decision is forthcoming within four months, you may appeal using the procedures in force in the host Member State for failure to meet the deadline provided for in Article 8 of Council Directive 89/48/EEC or Article 12 of Council Directive 92/51/EEC.
d) The Community institutions are not empowered to revoke an administrative decision taken by national authorities on your case. Only the competent national bodies can revoke a decision to reject your application for recognition. Judgments of the EC Court of Justice merely find that Member States have failed to implement Community law correctly or that national legislation is incompatible with Community law. It is for the authorities of the State concerned to amend individual decisions resulting from practice or legislation which the Court has found incompatible with Community law.
Competent authority:
Applications for recognition must be sent to the "Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Subdirección General de Títulos, Homologaciones y Convalidaciones". Your application should specify the level at which you wish to teach (primary school, secondary school, higher education) and the subjects you offer.
Supporting documents
A document providing proof of your nationality; qualifications and diplomas; a certificate indicating the duration and content of your training; where applicable, your curriculum vitae; if there is any doubt, you may be asked to produce a certificate issued by the competent authority of your home Member State showing that you are, by virtue of your diploma(s), a fully qualified teacher; a certificate showing that you have undergone training primarily in the EC, if your diploma was issued by a country which regulates the profession; a certificate drawn up by a competent authority in your country showing that you have three years' professional experience (only if you obtained your diploma in a country outside the European Union); a certificate showing that you have exercised the profession of teacher for a period of two years out of the previous ten (only if the teaching profession is not regulated in the country from which you come). You should submit either the original documents (together with copies) or copies certified by a Spanish consular office in your country or by any other competent certifying authority in your country. You will be asked for an official translation into Spanish.
Recognition will enable you to obtain a teaching contract in private teaching establishments and to take part in examinations ("oposiciones") for access to the teaching profession in the public service, under the same conditions as holders of Spanish diplomas. You should therefore satisfy all the other conditions set out in the notice advertising the examination.
If your application is refused, the decision will tell you how to appeal and within what time-limit.
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Community rules:
Directives 89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC; Guide
for users of the general system for the recognition of professional qualifications.
National rules:
Royal Decree 1665 of 25 October 1991 (Boletin Oficial
del Estado No 280 of 22 November 1991); Ministerial Order of 23 January
1995 (BOE No 24 of 28 January 1995), which contains the list of documents
to be supplied and the form on which to apply for recognition.
For further information in details please contact :
Ministerio de Educación y Cultura
Contact point (General system -Directive 89/48/CEE):
Mr Miguel Angel Martin
Subdirección General de Títulos, Convalidaciones y Homologaciones
Paseo del Prado 28 - 5a planta, E - 28 014 Madrid
Tel. No: +34.91.420.16.93 Fax: +34.91.420.35.25/91.420.35.35
Consejo de Universidades
This is the place where the ministry sends the documentation when everything
is complete.
They decide about whether to homologize or not.
You can call them (to ask about the status of your case) at 91 453
9800 (extension 3247).
Nieves Trelles (Asesora Técnica. NARIC España)
Subdirección General de Títulos, Convalidaciones y Homologaciones
Paseo del Prado, 28. 28014 Madrid
Tel. 91 506 56 00. Ex. 65101 / Fax: 91 506 57 06
Área de Alta Inspección de Educación
c/ Bergara 12, 1ª planta
08002 Barcelona
tel. 93 301 06 47 / fax 93 318 41 77