Online Degree, Online Courses and Distance Learning in Spain

Online and distance learning in Spain covers three quite different things: official university degrees taught online, official vocational training (FP) taken at a distance, and a large market of private online courses that lead to the provider's own certificate. Our directory lists 22 active providers in this category, based mainly in Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Seville. For a student, knowing which of the three a programme belongs to matters more than the platform it uses.

Online university degrees

Spanish law allows official bachelor's and master's degrees to be taught in person, in hybrid form or online, and the mode of teaching is part of each approved study plan. Under Royal Decree 822/2021, a bachelor's degree counts as online (virtual) when at least 80% of its ECTS credits are taught that way, and as hybrid when 40% to 60% of its credits are not taught in person. Official online degrees are recorded in the ministry's Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT), like every other official grado, máster and doctorate.

Several private universities specialise in online teaching. In our directory they include UDIMA – Universidad a Distancia de Madrid, which describes itself as the first private online university in Spain, and the Universidad Internacional Isabel I de Castilla in Burgos, which organises its study plans in terms and lets students choose online or in-person exams depending on the degree.

Universities and private schools also offer their own online qualifications (títulos propios), such as master's programmes, university expert diplomas and short courses. SEAS, Estudios Abiertos (Fundación San Valero) in Zaragoza, for example, lists more than 250 online programmes, many leading to a university's own qualification. These can be useful for professional development, but they are not official degrees.

Vocational training (FP) at a distance

Official intermediate (grado medio) and higher (grado superior) vocational cycles can also be taken at a distance, without attending a centre regularly. According to the Ministry of Education, the qualifications are the same as in the classroom, with the same official status and the same access requirements. Each cycle has 2,000 hours. You enrol module by module, up to 1,000 curricular hours at a time, and there is no limit on the number of years to finish. Some points are not online:

• exams are held in person
• some modules include compulsory in-person activities
• the work placement (FCT) always takes place at a company

Public distance FP is offered by each regional government, which sets the dates, places, fees and admission rules. Private centres also teach official FP at a distance: CEAC, for example, offers official FP in person and at a distance and prepares students for the free-standing exams (pruebas libres) that lead directly to an FP qualification. SEAS also offers higher-level cycles online.

Private online courses

Most providers in this category are private training centres with their own certificates: business training institutes such as AFIGE, health-sector specialists such as Formación Alcalá, which offers courses, university expert diplomas and master's programmes, and AulaActual, an online music school founded in 1997. Their certificates can show skills to an employer, but they are not official degrees unless the course is part of an officially recognised programme.

Admission, fees and visas

Admission to an official online degree follows the same rules as on campus. For a bachelor's degree, students with a foreign school-leaving qualification usually need UNEDasiss, which assesses international students' records and runs the tests required for access. Private online universities set their own fees. In distance FP you can apply for state grants and for grants from the region where you enrol.

Studying online from home does not require a visa. If you want to live in Spain while you study, however, note the consulates' rules: university studies qualify for a study visa when taught in person or in hybrid form, and other higher studies only if at least 50% of the teaching is in person. Stays for study of up to 90 days do not need a study visa.

How to choose

• Official or not: check the RUCT for university degrees and the Ministry of Education's catalogue for FP qualifications
• In-person requirements: exams, practical modules and placements may require travel
• Exam format: online or at an exam centre
• Tutor support and how the virtual campus works
• Total cost, including materials and exam fees

Frequently asked questions

Are online degrees in Spain official?

They can be. Royal Decree 822/2021 allows official degrees to be taught online, and official grados, másteres and doctorates are listed in the RUCT. A university's own qualification (título propio) is not an official degree.

Is a distance FP qualification worth the same as a classroom one?

Yes. According to the Ministry of Education, grado medio and grado superior qualifications obtained at a distance are the same official titles, with the same academic and professional validity.

Can I take Spanish distance FP from abroad?

Partly. Exams are held in person and the work placement takes place at a company, so you will need to travel to the centre where you are enrolled.

Can I get a student visa for an online course?

The consulates list university studies taught in person or in hybrid form, and other higher studies with at least 50% in-person teaching. A fully online course is not included.