When studying in Spain, a number of steps will be similar to those to be taken in France
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However, for a French student, studying in Spain also means moving abroad, which means taking other obligatory steps.
The first administrative step is to apply for a " credencial ".
What is the credencial, a requirement for studying in Spain?
Firstly, recognition of the baccalaureate diploma obtained in the French education system (or any other non-Spanish system) to enter the Spanish university system.
The 20-point mark obtained at the baccalaureate is then translated into a decimal notation, which is the system used in Spain to grade high school students.
Finally, this is the legal and compulsory document you need to provide to any university or higher education center if you are not a graduate of the Spanish education system, in order to enroll there. Without this document, they cannot enroll you and count you among their students, nor can they issue you with a diploma.
However, the credencial is not required before applying. If you're applying to a private university, you often don't need one. You can provide it later in the application process. On the other hand, you will need it to submit your application to public universities.
1.A plain photocopy of your valid ID́.
2.certified photocopy of your transcript́ of your baccalaureate grades obtained in France + certified photocopy of your baccalaureate diploma (ONLY if obtained before the current year's session).
3. Certified photocopies of your 3 final year report cards.
4. An affidavit certifying that your documents have not been falsified and that you have been informed of the legal proceedings that would be taken against you if they were.
You can have your photocopies certified free of charge at any of the town halls that are legally obliged to carry out this procedure if it is required by foreign authorities, which is the case for your application for a credencial to study in Spain. To do this, you'll need to present all the original documents and a photocopy of the originals. They will stamp, date and sign the photocopies. This will certify that your photocopies conform to the originals you have presented to them. If you can get them to sign in blue ink, that's better - not essential, but better.
The application itself is made entirely online, on the website of the organization that manages credencial applications, UNED.
You should also be aware that you need to have your bank card ready, as this administrative procedure is subject to a fee (depending on the current tariff), and payment is made either online when you apply online, or at certain bank branches located only in Spain, which makes the second option considerably more complicated.
- Avoid using the SAFARI browser, which can block certain steps, including your mandatory credit card payment.
- Once your account has been activated and your personal password created, always keep your Usuario (login) and your Contraseña (password), which will enable you to access your online credencial application on the UNED website as often as necessary.
- Do not confuse the UNED website (equivalent to the CNED, which offers distance learning courses in Spain) with the UNEDAssis website (another UNED service which only manages the recognition of foreign diplomas for entry into the Spanish university system). You can only apply for a credencial on the UNEDAssis website.
- Don't be put off by the fact that some phases are blocked until you have completed others. For example, you certainly won't be able to download the PDF of your certified photocopies until you've paid, even though this download is offered higher up on the UNEDAssis web page than payment. You'll have to scroll up and down the page several times before you can proceed with your request.
- Don't let certain blocking messages confuse you either: some will appear when in fact your progress is not blocked. In this case, leave the UNED Assis site and leave it until the next day. If this is an "untimely" message from the interface, you can continue your request without difficulty.
Depending on the year, in addition to downloading, documents may also be requested by post or e-mail. Please keep all your documents, especially the originals and certified photocopies of your originals, in case they are requested by UNED.
Since the credencial application has been dematerialized, it generally takes just a few days to obtain.
Beware, however, of the month of August, when UNED will close its doors for 2-3 weeks, and the November/February period, when the service will be out of action for several weeks.
A final point to emphasize: not all university entrance qualifications in France are valid for studying at a university in Spain. For example, the DAEU (diplôme d'accès aux études universitaires, a French national diploma giving access to higher education in France in a minimum of one year), which is not part of the Bologna agreements and has not been the subject of an agreement between France and Spain, does not allow you to obtain the credencial to study in Spain.
What other administrative procedures are required to study in Spain?
The second important point is the "Spanish Resident Card", also known as the "NIE".
What you need to obtain is now called " Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión Europea".
This document is not required to apply to a university in Spain, but it is required to LIVE in Spain for more than 3 months.
This legal document can only be obtained by students who have reached the age of majority, or by minors with an identified guardian in Spain.
You'll have to take care of this once you've settled in Spain, as you'll need to provide proof of address and a certificate of school attendance, among other things.
This is a long and tedious process: online appointments with few, if any, appointment slots on offer, rejection of applications for incomplete or non-compliant files, so online appointments (always as complicated as the first time), physical retrieval of the document once it has been obtained.
This is an important subject, and one which the worldwide Covid pandemic has revealed to be of the utmost importance, even for 18-20 year-old students in the prime of their lives.
The basic rule here is to apply for the European Health Insurance Card issued by the French Social Security system. The application is easy and can be made on ameli.fr, but while this option is perfect for a vacation in Spain, it is not suitable for an expatriation lasting several years.
For example, you will only be reimbursed on the basis of the French Social Security system, whereas medical care is much more expensive in Spain. This means you'll have to pay out-of-pocket expenses. You'll also have to pay in advance, and in the event of hospitalization, the bill can be very high.
We invite you to think further and ask yourself at least the following questions:
- Are you covered by French social security? Your own? Your parents'?
- How long can you continue to benefit from this coverage?
- Do you have a complementary health insurance plan? Could you be covered by your parents'? For how long will you be abroad? Does it include repatriation cover? Under what conditions?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can assess whether you need to take out an additional service to give you 100% assurance that your health is covered in Spain, whatever the circumstances.
If you choose to live in a student residence, whether on or off a university campus, you don't need to take out specific insurance for your accommodation. The same applies if you choose to stay with a host family.
On the other hand, if you choose to rent or co-rent, unless the insurance of the property is part of a compulsory subscription with your agency when you sign the lease, you must, as in France, take out insurance for your rental property in Spain.
Some owners sometimes give the bad advice that you don't need it because they themselves are insured.
Please note! :
- What happens if you set fire to the apartment, or even worse, the building? Do you really think that the landlord's insurance will cover the damage and consequences?
- What happens if you leave a tap running and flood the apartment, or even worse, both the apartment and the one below? Do you really think that the landlord's insurer will pay to repair the damage you've caused?
- And if a problem at a neighbor's house causes damage to some of your belongings (computers, clothes, etc.), do you think your landlord's insurance will help you claim compensation from the neighbor?
For these examples and all the others that have come to our attention in the 10 years since FEEDUC was founded, we advise you to insure your rental or shared apartment in Spain.
You cannot continue to insure your motor vehicle in France if you spend more than 183 days outside France. So if you take your car, motorcycle or scooter to Spain while you study, you must insure it in Spain.
What's more, you're not allowed to drive a vehicle registered in France if you're resident in Spain. In the event of an infringement, the police can fine you several tens of thousands of euros.
Finally, you cannot insure a motor vehicle registered in France with a Spanish insurance company.
Once again: beware!
We advise you not to take any risks. Here are the 2 solutions:
- If you're bringing your own motor vehicle to study in Spain, register and insure it in Spain.
- Buy in Spain the vehicle you'll need to get around during your studies.
FEEDUC's advice + for your studies in SpainOur presence in Spain and in the field alongside the students we accompany in their projects and during their studies in Spain have enabled us to identify a network of reliable, quality service providers.
The students registered with FEEDUC will be able to access their contact details in the relevant section(https://www.feeduc.eu/realise-demarches-administratives/) of our website. We try to ensure that these trusted service providers are also French-speaking, so that parents, who are often called upon to deal with insurance issues, can communicate easily with them.
As for the credencial, we'll help you ourselves, free of charge for the simple version for private universities in Spain and for the fees indicated on the page dedicated to public universities in Spain on our site for the latter.
When it comes to administrative procedures, we're always reluctant. Taking administrative steps in an unfamiliar language and culture can be a real hassle, but you can't imagine what it's like to deal with the consequences of administrative steps you haven't taken when things go wrong... it's hell! Get rid of problems before they arise, and take care of your administrative formalities right from the start of your studies in Spain.
FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE A PLAN TO STUDY IN SPAIN NEXT YEAR, WHAT TO DO?
Contact us as soon as possible and let's start working together on your project!
The sooner you have access to information, the longer you will have to prepare yourself and the better prepared you will be to succeed in your studies in Spain !
It is never too early to have time to prepare for admission, especially by doing a gap year.
It's also in the preparation that FEEDUC brings you its real added value.
What about September? Later will be too late.... Register as soon as possible on the FEEDUC website to start receiving support and access to the best individual advice for your study project in Spain.
It's our presence in the field that makes FEEDUC: we know what we're talking about, and we only talk about what we know.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE FEEDUC TEAM:
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Opportunities and preparation for your studies in Spain? FEEDUC of course!
