GENERAL INFORMATION ON RECOGNITION AND VALIDATION OF NON-UNIVERSITY LEVEL FOREIGN STUDIES Recognition: Declaration of equivalence of foreign qualifications, diplomas or studies with Spanish qualifications for academic purposes. Validation: Declaration of equivalence of foreign studies with Spanish courses for the purposes of continuing education in a Spanish educational centre. General regulations applicable: - Royal Decree 104/1988, 29th of January (BOE – Official Gazette – 17th of February) -Order 14th of March 1988 (BOE 17th), modified by Order EDC/3305/2002, 16th of December (BOE of 28th) -Order 30th of April 1996 (BOE 8th of May) modified by Order ECD/3305/2002, of 16th of December (BOE of 28th). Documents required for the studies’ recognition/validation: - Application form properly completed. - Proof of payment of the studies’ recognition/validation fee, where requirable. - Attested copy of a valid identification document in force of the candidate (National Identification Number, passport, residence permit). - Attested copy of the courses intended to be recognised / validated, stating the subjects, marks, and academic years of the studies, after having the original document legalised. - If that is the case, attested copy of the diploma or qualifications obtained, after having the original document legalised. - Attested copy of the Spanish School Report, if the previous studies were taken in the Spanish educational system. - As regards the recognition or validation of Vocational Training or Special Regime Education with Spanish studies, it will be necessary to certify the academic requirements previously required and met in order to start the studies, the programmes and workload of every subject, pre-professional internships or work experience. Attesting documents: Unless the processing Office requires the submission of original documents for verification purposes, the student will only submit attested copies of all documents stated above. The attesting procedure is carried out by the relevant authority (usually the registry office receiving the documents), so as to certify that both photocopy and original correspond faithfully.

Oficina de Información Universitaria – OiU Teléfonos: 881 81 20 00 – 881 81 10 00

www.usc.es/oiu - oiusec@usc.es

Translation of documents: If documents were written in any other language apart from Spanish, they will be accompanied by their official translation. They will be official when carried out by a “sworn interpreter” authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by a Spanish diplomatic representation or when they have been officially translated abroad and the signature of the official translator properly legalised. The legalisation of a translation does not exempt the translated document from being legalised. Legalisation of documents: This is the procedure of signature recognition, according to which the authenticity of a certain document is certified, so that it can be submitted in a third country for whichever purpose it may have. As a general rule, legalisation of academic transcripts consists on the recognition of the signature of the authority issuing the original document (not the one endorsing the attested copy or translation). Ways of Legalisation: The cases for legalisation of academic documents will vary according to the country issuing the document. 1. - Legalisation is not necessary when dealing with documents issued by relevant authorities in EU Member States or countries signatory of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. 2. - Legalisation via diplomatic channels. In general, the procedures are as follows:

- Submission of the academic document in the Ministry of Education, or department responsible for its competences, in the country of origin. - Recognition of the signatures above by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or its counterpart, in the country of origin. - Submission of the document before the Spanish diplomatic authorities (Embassies, Consulate, etc.) in the country of origin.

3. - Legalisation by means of Apostille of Hague: In countries signatory of the above mentioned convention, legalisation is significantly simplified. The relevant authorities for the Apostille issuing will vary according to the state. The procedure of legalising documents with no academic character will be determined in every case by the specific requirements of the issuing country.

For those countries which signed the Hague Convention on the 5th of October 1961: The legalisation or ‘apostille’ issued for the relevant authorities of the country is enough for these purposes. Besides the countries belonging to the Economic European Area, they are the following: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Colombia, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Macau, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Niue Island, Panama, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Slovenia, Switzerland, South Africa, Suriname, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Venezuela, Serbia and Montenegro, United States of America. Extensions: Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles); United Kingdom (Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Isle of Man, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands). Information numbers:

• A Coruña Delegation: 981184797 - 981184707

• Lugo Delegation: 982294191 - 982294192

• Ourense Delegation: 988386653

• Pontevedra Delegation: 986805918 - 986805954