Evidence of qualifications - Spain
This page is to explain what evidence of qualifications doctors who qualified in Spain need to supply to support their application.
Medical regulatory authority in Spain
Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo
C/ Paseo del Prado 18-20
E-28071 Madrid
Spain
Tel: +91 596 1089/90/91
Fax: +91 596 4315
Below is information about:
Full registration with a licence to practise
The documents you need to send us depend on the date you started your basic medical training. Please see the table below.
| Important dates |
Documents required |
Documents must be issued by: |
| You began your basic medical training on 1 January 1986 or later |
- A Título de Licenciado en Medicina (university degree in medicine)
If you have not yet been awarded your Título de Licenciado en Medicina, you will need to hold a temporary degree certificate.
|
The rector of a Spanish university or the Ministerio de Educacion y Cultura (Ministry of Education and Culture)
Ministry of Education and Culture or the rector of your university
|
| You began your basic medical training before 1 January 1986 |
- A Título de Licenciado en Medicina (university degree in medicine)
AND EITHER
|
The rector of a Spanish university or the Ministerio de Educacion y Cultura (Ministry of Education and Culture) |
- A document confirming the training leading to the award of your primary qualification meets the standards detailed in Article 24 of Directive 2005/36/EC
OR
|
Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
- A document confirming you have effectively and lawfully been engaged in actual medical practice for at least three consecutive years during the five years preceding the award of the certificate (as detailed in Article 23.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC)
|
Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture, or the competent authority of the EEA Member State or Switzerland where you are now working |
In addition, if the title of your degree is not as described as above you will also need to send to us:
document from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture which confirms that this qualification is treated by Spain as equivalent to the Título de Licenciado en Medicinaas detailed in Article 23.6 of Directive 2005/36/EC.
|
Applying for entry onto the Specialist Register
You must hold full registration with the GMC before being eligible for entry onto the Specialist Register.
Direct entry
Your specialty must be listed in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC by the country that awarded it and have a corresponding entry for the United Kingdom. If you are eligible for direct entry onto the Specialist Register, as set out below, and you do not already hold full registration, you should apply for full registration with a licence to practise and entry onto the Specialist Register at the same time.
The documents you need to send us for entry onto the Specialist Register depend on the date you started your specialist training:
| Important dates |
Documents required |
Documents must be issued by: |
| You began your specialist training on 1 January 1986 or later |
- A Título de Especialista (professional qualification of a specialist)
|
Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
| You began your specialist training before 1 January 1986 |
- A Título de Especialista (professional qualification of a specialist)
AND EITHER
|
Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
- A document confirming that the training leading to the award of your specialist certificate meets the standards detailed in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive 2005/36/EC
OR
|
Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
- If your specialist training does not meet those standards we will need a document confirming that you have been practising in the specialty in which your specialist certificate was awarded for at least three consecutive years during the five years preceding the award of the certificate (as detailed in Article 23.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC)
|
Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture, or the competent authority of the EEA Member State or Switzerland where you are now working |
In addition, if the title of your specialist certificate is not as described above or the specialty in which it is awarded is not the same as that specialty listed in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC, you also need to send to us:
A document from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture confirming that your training leading to the award of the specialist certificate meets the standards laid down in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of the Directive and that the specialty is treated in law by Spain as a certificate of medical specialisation in the relevant specialty as set out in Article 23.6 of Directive 2005/36/EC.
If you are a Spanish MESTOS doctor who completed specialist training in Spain before 1 January 1995 but your training did not meet the standards laid down in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive2005/36/EC you need to send us:
- A specialist qualification
AND A document from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture which confirms that you have passed the test of professional competence organised in the context of the special regularisation measures contained in Royal Decree 1497/99 with the aim of verifying that you have a level of knowledge and competence comparable to that of doctors holding a Título de Especialista in the relevant specialty listed in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC.
|
Certification
If you do not fulfil the above criteria you should complete an application for full registration first and tell us what specialist qualifications you do have. We will assess your application for full registration and review your specialist qualifications.
If you are not eligible for direct entry onto the Specialist Register we will refer you to our Specialist and GP Certification Team once your full registration has been granted.
The team will tell you whether you are eligible to apply for entry onto the Specialist Register through specialty equivalence and advise you on what to do next.
See more guidance on specialty equivalence.
Applying for entry onto the GP Register
To be entered onto the GP Register you must also hold full registration.
Direct entry
If you are eligible for direct entry onto the GP Register, as set out below, and you do not already hold full registration, you should apply for full registration with a licence to practise and entry onto the GP Register at the same time.
The documents you need to send us for entry onto the GP Register depend on the date you started your GP training:
| Important dates |
Documents required |
Documents must be issued by: |
| You began your GP training on 31 December 1994 or later |
- A Título de especialista en medicina familiar y comunitaria (specialist certificate in family and community medicine)
|
Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
| You began your GP training before 31 December 1994 |
- A Título de especialista en medicina familiar y comunitaria (specialist certificate in family and community medicine)
AND
|
Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
- A document confirming that the training leading to the award of your GP certificate meets the standards detailed in Article 28 of Directive 2005/36/EC
OR
|
Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
|
If you are eligible for entry onto the GP register, on the basis of acquired rights specific to general practitioners, you will need to send to us:
- A certificate of acquired rights for general medical practice. The certificate must state that it was awarded to you in accordance with Article 30(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC.
|
Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs or the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture |
Certification
If you do not fulfil the above criteria you should complete an application for full registration first and tell us what general practice qualifications you do have. We will assess your application for full registration and review your general practice qualifications.
If you are not eligible for direct entry onto the GP Register we will refer you to our Specialist and GP Certification Team once your full registration has been granted.
The team will tell you whether you are eligible to apply for entry onto the GP Register through specialty equivalence and advise you on what to do next.
See more guidance on specialty equivalence.