Nursing Schools and Programs in Spain

Nursing Studies in Spain

Nursing (Enfermería) is a regulated health profession in Spain: to work as a nurse you need an official university degree that meets national requirements. The degree combines health sciences, nursing care, ethics and a large block of supervised clinical placements in hospitals, primary care centres and social care settings.

How the degree is organised

The Grado en Enfermería has 240 ECTS credits and normally lasts four years, like other Spanish bachelor's degrees under Real Decreto 822/2021. Degree plans that lead to the profession must follow Orden CIN/2134/2008, which sets the requirements for official degrees that qualify graduates to practise as nurses. No other degree may use the title "Graduado o Graduada en Enfermería".

Clinical practice takes up a large share of the course. At Blanquerna (Universitat Ramon Llull) in Barcelona, the plan includes 80 credits of external placements and 2,300 hours of practice, with agreements with more than 300 health and social care centres. The Universidad de Navarra states that its students complete 2,100 hours of clinical practice by the end of the degree.

After the grado, nurses can take an official master's degree, a doctorate, or train as a specialist nurse. Real Decreto 450/2005 lists seven nursing specialties:

• Obstetric-gynaecological nursing (midwife)
• Mental health nursing
• Geriatric nursing
• Occupational health nursing
• Medical-surgical care nursing
• Family and community nursing
• Paediatric nursing

Specialist training is done through a residency system in accredited teaching units. For a shorter, practical route into health care, vocational training (FP) in the Health family includes the intermediate qualification Técnico en Cuidados Auxiliares de Enfermería (nursing care assistant), which is a separate qualification from the nursing degree.

Where to study Nursing in Spain

Nursing is taught at most Spanish public universities and at many private ones. A search for "Enfermería" in the national register of degrees (RUCT) returns 81 bachelor's records, including renewed programmes, and 111 master's records. In our directory, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have the most schools. Some examples:

• Universidad de Murcia: Grado en Enfermería at the Facultad de Enfermería, taught in Spanish, with 180 first-year places
• Blanquerna School of Health Sciences (Universitat Ramon Llull), Barcelona: taught in Catalan and Spanish, with 165 places
• Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona: a nursing faculty dating from 1954, which also offers a Máster Universitario en Práctica Avanzada de Enfermería and a doctorate in nursing sciences
• Madrid area: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio and Universidad Antonio de Nebrija
• Valencia area: Universidad Católica de Valencia "San Vicente Mártir" and Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera
• Catalonia: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, besides Blanquerna

Teaching is mainly in Spanish. In regions with a co-official language, part of the course may be taught in that language, as at Blanquerna. Because placements involve daily contact with patients, a good level of Spanish is essential.

Admission for international students

Places are limited and admission is by grade. At the Universidad de Murcia, the cut-off mark (nota de corte) for 2025-26 was 11.989. Students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply for UNEDasiss accreditation, which lets them apply to the universities that use this system, and then apply for admission at each university within its own deadlines.

Non-EU students who will stay more than 90 days need a study visa. The Spanish consulate in London, for example, asks for proof of admission, health insurance and financial means of at least 100% of the IPREM, Spain's public income indicator.

Recognition and careers

Nurses trained abroad who want to work in Spain need homologación of their degree. Under Real Decreto 889/2022, homologation qualifies the holder for a regulated profession in Spain, while a declaration of equivalence only certifies the academic level. Spanish nursing graduates work in hospitals, primary care, care homes, occupational health, teaching and research, and can move into a specialty through the residency system.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a nursing degree take in Spain?

Four years. The Grado en Enfermería has 240 ECTS credits and includes a large block of clinical placements.

Can I work as a nurse in Spain with a foreign nursing degree?

Yes, but you first need homologación of the degree by the Spanish ministry, because nursing is a regulated profession. A declaration of equivalence is not enough to practise.

What nursing specialties exist in Spain?

There are seven: midwifery, mental health, geriatric, occupational health, medical-surgical, family and community, and paediatric nursing. Specialist training is a residency in accredited teaching units.

Is Nursing taught in English in Spain?

Rarely. Degrees are usually taught in Spanish, and in Catalonia also in Catalan, so students need a good command of Spanish for classes and clinical placements.