Dentistry Schools and Programs in Spain

Dentistry Studies in Spain

Dentistry (Odontología) is the health science that prevents, diagnoses and treats diseases of the teeth, mouth and jaws. In Spain, dentist is a regulated profession: to practise, you need the official university degree, the Grado en Odontología. Students combine biomedical sciences with a large share of supervised clinical work on real patients in university dental clinics.

How the degree is organised

The Grado en Odontología is an official bachelor's degree (grado) of 300 ECTS credits, longer than the standard 240-credit Spanish grado. Its requirements are set by Order CIN/2136/2008, which links the degree to the profession of dentist; no university may use the name Graduado o Graduada en Odontología without meeting those conditions. At the Universidad de Murcia, for example, the degree lasts five years, is taught in Spanish and offers 45 first-year places.

The programme covers basic biomedical sciences, the structure and function of the mouth and jaw, dental materials, general disease processes, and then the clinical areas of dentistry. Before treating patients, students practise on simulators. The Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona), for instance, has a pre-clinical laboratory with 95 dental simulators, and in its university dental clinic treatment is carried out by undergraduate and postgraduate students under the supervision of teaching staff.

Where to study dentistry in Spain

The Ministry's register of universities, centres and degrees (RUCT) lists the official Grado en Odontología at more than two dozen public and private universities. Madrid and Valencia have the most schools in our directory, followed by Murcia and Barcelona. Examples include:

• Madrid region: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Universidad Europea de Madrid (Villaviciosa de Odón) and Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio (Villanueva de la Cañada)
• Valencia region: Universitat de València, Universidad Católica de Valencia "San Vicente Mártir" and Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera
• Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona and Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
• Other cities: Universidad de Murcia, Universidad de Granada, Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad de Salamanca, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Universidad de Oviedo, Universidad de Zaragoza, Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes (Valladolid) and the Universidad del País Vasco (Leioa)

Most programmes are taught in Spanish. Some private universities also offer teaching in English: the Universidad Católica de Valencia lists its degree as taught in Spanish and English, and UIC Barcelona offers a dual degree with the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in the United States that leads to both a bachelor's degree in Dentistry and a Doctor of Dental Medicine.

Admission and language

Places are limited and admission is competitive. At the Universidad de Murcia, the cut-off mark for 2025-26 was 12.548. Students who completed secondary school outside Spain usually apply first to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter Spanish bachelor's degrees, and then apply to each university. Because clinical training involves talking to patients, a good level of Spanish is important for Spanish-taught programmes.

Postgraduate study

After the grado, dentists can specialise through master's programmes. RUCT lists official master's degrees such as the Máster Universitario en Ciencias Odontológicas at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad de Granada and the Universitat de València, the Máster Universitario en Odontología Médico-Quirúrgica e Integral and in Odontología Infantil at the Universidad de Sevilla, and the Máster Universitario en Investigación en Odontología at UIC Barcelona. Private postgraduate centres also run clinical programmes: the Institución Universitaria Mississippi in Madrid, for example, offers master's programmes in endodontics, orthodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics. Check in RUCT whether a master's degree is official before you enrol.

Dental hygiene and dental technology

Not every career in dentistry requires a degree. Vocational training (FP) offers two higher-level cycles of 2,000 hours each: Técnico Superior en Higiene Bucodental, for work as a dental hygienist, and Técnico Superior en Prótesis Dentales, for work as a dental technician in a prosthetics laboratory.

Recognition of foreign qualifications

Because dentist is a regulated profession, a dentistry degree from outside Spain needs homologation (homologación), the procedure that allows you to practise a regulated profession in Spain under Royal Decree 889/2022. Citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland with official qualifications can instead request recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study dentistry in Spain?

The Grado en Odontología has 300 ECTS credits, which universities usually organise over five years. Further specialisation takes place through master's programmes after the degree.

Can I study dentistry in Spain in English?

Most programmes are taught in Spanish, but some private universities offer teaching in English. The Universidad Católica de Valencia lists its degree as taught in Spanish and English, and UIC Barcelona runs a dual degree with Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

How do I get into a Spanish dentistry degree with foreign school qualifications?

Most students apply for accreditation through UNEDasiss, which assesses international students' records for access to Spanish bachelor's degrees, and then apply to each university within its deadlines. Places are limited, so admission depends on your mark.

Can I practise in Spain with a dentistry degree from another country?

You need homologation of your degree, since dentist is a regulated profession in Spain. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens with official qualifications can apply for recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC.