Work as a Dentist in Spain

What are the requirements for the recognition of a Dentistry degree in Spain?

General Dentistry and other specialties

In an increasingly globalized world, thousands of professionals in the dental sector leave their countries of origin in search of job opportunities. To prepare fully for working abroad you need to meet the challenges posed by validating a Dentist degree in order to practice as dentists in these countries.

Below we explain the approval process in Spain: Requirements, deadlines, rates, etc.

The Spanish university system and the Bologna Plan

The adaptation of the Spanish university system to the European Higher Education Area in 2007 meant the restructuring of the official curricula on three cycles: Undergraduate, Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Since the Organic Law 4/2007, of 12 April came into force, the universities themselves have the power to create the lessons they teach. However, the Government remains responsible for establishing the conditions to which plans must be adapted ensuring that students possess the knowledge and skills necessary for the development of the regulated profession that they are studying for.

What are the requirements for the recognition of a Dentistry degree in Spain?

The Royal Decree 967/2014, of 21 November, regulates the approval of foreign qualifications to equivalent Spanish university titles that gives access to a regulated profession in Spain, as well as the validation of foreign higher education. In the case of a Degree in Dentistry, the approval process is always performed taking into account order CIN/2136/2008, of July 3, where the requirements for the verification of qualifications that enable the exercise of the dentist profession are outlined.

Scope of Application

The approval shall only apply to the titles of higher education (Bachelor and Master’s Degrees) issued by an official foreign university or institution of higher education. These degrees must also comply with other requirements; in the first place, they must ensure that the applicant meets the level of studies required in Spain for the access to a Bachelor’s and Master’s. Second, they must demonstrate that this has exceeded a complete cycle of secondary studies attesting to an academic level equivalent to that of the titles of degree or master. Finally, must certify that they have obtained the skills and knowledge that would be expected for the title being validated.

Process, time scale and administrative fees

The procedure for the approval of the title of Dentistry in Spain is initiated by the application of the interested party, addressed to the head of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport and presented, either electronically or in any public registry of the General State Administration,  Autonomous Communities and some of the Local Administrations. The amount for the processing of this application is of 163.22 €. With this form, the applicant should attach the following documentation:

  • Certified copy of your identification card.
  • Certified copy of the title that you want to validate and an official translation, if one is needed.
  • Certified copy of the academic record of studies undertaken to obtain the title. Must contain the official duration (in years) of the academic curriculum, the subjects taken and the total study time of each one of them (in hours or in ECTS credits). If necessary, an official translation of the document should be provided.
  • Accreditation the fees have been paid.
  • A document that demonstrates the necessary linguistic competence for the exercise of the profession in Spain.

Once the application is filed, the Subdirectorate General for titles and Recognition of Qualifications shall carry out the acts of instruction and subsequently will transfer to the General Council of dentists that, within ten days, shall issue a non-binding report. Subsequently, the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA) will produce a detailed definitive report stating either approved, approved on the condition of further training or not approved. Finally, the Ministry will issue a resolution. In the event that the applicant is considered to have insufficient training, the report will include the areas and recommend further training.

Notification of the resolution will take approximately six months. After this time, if the resolution is in favour, the applicant will receive a credential issued by the Sub-Directorate General for titles and recognition of qualifications of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.

The average term of the full type-approval procedure now ranges between 12 and 14 months, although some foreign professionals claim to have had to wait between 16 and 18 months.

 

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