Physiotherapy Schools and Programs in Spain

Physiotherapy Studies in Spain

Physiotherapy uses physical methods such as exercise, manual therapy and other physical agents to treat people with injuries, illnesses, disabilities or limited movement, and to promote health and prevent disease. In Spain, physiotherapist (fisioterapeuta) is a regulated health profession: you need the official bachelor's degree, the Grado en Fisioterapia, to practise. The degree is offered by many public and private universities and is taught mainly in Spanish.

How the degree is organised

The Ministry order that sets the requirements for physiotherapy degrees (Orden CIN/2135/2008) fixes them at 240 ECTS credits, the standard length of a Spanish bachelor's degree, so the grado lasts four years. At the Universidad de Salamanca, basic training (66 credits) is concentrated in the first year, compulsory subjects run through the later years, and the last three semesters include 42 credits of clinical placements and a final project. Students do their placements in the public health service in the Salamanca area and in private centres and patient associations.

Clinical practice is a large part of every programme. At the Universidad de Granada, supervised placements (Prácticas Tuteladas) account for 18 credits in one semester and 24 in the next, and the degree has 18 elective credits.

Where to study physiotherapy in Spain

Physiotherapy is one of the most widely available health degrees: a search for "Fisioterapia" in RUCT, the Ministry's register of official degrees, returns 74 records, including some older plans that are being phased out. Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have the most schools in our directory for this subject, followed by Murcia, Salamanca and Seville. Examples of universities with the official degree in RUCT:

• Madrid region: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad de Alcalá, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio and Universidad Camilo José Cela
• Catalonia: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Universidad de Vic-Universidad Central de Catalunya
• Valencia and Murcia: Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Universidad de Murcia and Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM)
• Andalusia: Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad de Granada, Universidad de Málaga, Universidad de Cádiz, Universidad de Almería and Universidad de Jaén
• Castile and León: Universidad de Salamanca, Universidad de Valladolid, Universidad de León and Universidad Católica de Ávila
• Northern Spain: Universidad de Oviedo, Universidad de A Coruña, Universidad de Vigo and Universidad de Zaragoza
• Other regions: Universidad de Extremadura, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Universidad de La Laguna and Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Public places are limited and demand is high. The Universidad de Salamanca offers 50 first-year places for 2026-27, taught in Spanish, and its last published cut-off mark (June 2025) was 11.828. Some private universities register the degree with an English name as well, such as CEU San Pablo's Grado en Fisioterapia / Bachelor in Physiotherapy; check the language of instruction with each university.

Admission and recognition

Students who finished 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. The application for a place is then made at each university within its own deadlines.

Because physiotherapy is a regulated profession, a foreign physiotherapy degree needs homologation (homologación) before you can practise in Spain. Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland with an official degree leading to a regulated profession can instead apply for professional recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC; these recognitions are handled by the ministry responsible for each profession. Physiotherapists in Spain are organised in regional professional colleges, grouped in the Consejo General de Colegios de Fisioterapeutas de España.

Master's degrees and specialisation

After the grado, physiotherapists can specialise with an official master's degree (máster universitario); a RUCT search for "Fisioterapia" returns 70 master's records. Examples include musculoskeletal physiotherapy at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, sports physiotherapy at the Universidad Europea de Madrid and the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, biomechanics and sports physiotherapy at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, and pelvic floor dysfunction at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a physiotherapy degree take in Spain?

The Grado en Fisioterapia has 240 ECTS credits and lasts four years, with a large share of clinical placements.

Is physiotherapy a regulated profession in Spain?

Yes. To work as a physiotherapist you need the official Grado en Fisioterapia or a foreign degree that has been homologated or recognised in Spain.

Is it hard to get a place?

Places are limited. At the Universidad de Salamanca, for example, there are 50 first-year places for 2026-27, and the last published cut-off mark was 11.828.

Can I study physiotherapy in English in Spain?

Most degrees are taught in Spanish. A few private universities register the degree with an English name too, so check the language of instruction with each one.