Study an Advanced Level (Grado Superior) programme in Spain as an international student
The highest level of Spanish vocational training: a Higher Technician qualification, work placements in real companies and a door open to university. From clinical laboratory work to application development.
What you get as a Higher Technician
It is not a longer version of the Intermediate Level: it is a different level of role and a different door out.
Roles with technical responsibility
The Advanced Level trains you for technical roles, not assistant ones. A higher technician in clinical laboratory work or in diagnostic imaging is qualified to apply directly for the role they have trained for.
And university, if you want it
The Higher Technician qualification gives you access to university studies and, in addition, credits from your programme may be recognised. It is a shorter and cheaper route than starting a university degree from scratch.
Advanced Level programmes
They all lead to the same official Higher Technician qualification: work placements in companies included, access to university afterwards, and the qualification that roles with responsibility ask for. Choose your programme according to the job you want to do.
Can you access an Advanced Level programme?
These are the official requirements. If you studied outside Spain, you have to get your qualification officially recognised (homologación) — we explain how to do it below.
With any of these qualifications
Bachillerato (upper secondary education) or its equivalent in your country, officially recognised
Technician qualification, that is, a completed Intermediate Level programme
A university qualification
Another Higher Technician qualification
The second way in
Entrance exam for Advanced Level programmes
A specific preparatory course
Or starting with an Intermediate Level programme, which will give you access once you complete it
An honest warning: when there are more applications than places, the centre may apply an admissions procedure. It is best to start the paperwork with time to spare, not in the last month.
Do not stop here: there is a route
With an Intermediate Level programme you obtain the Technician qualification, and that qualification gives you access to the Advanced Level without having to take the Bachillerato.
Yes, it is two more years — but two years with an official qualification in your hands and with work placement experience, not two years of waiting.
Getting your studies recognised does not have to cost you the academic year
You have to get your Bachillerato officially recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education. It is a procedure that takes several months, with your documents translated and legalised.
But you do not have to wait for it to finish before you enrol. And that changes the whole planning of your year.
Conditional enrolment certificate (volante de inscripción condicional)
It is the document you are given when you submit your recognition application. It allows you to enrol while your file is being processed, on the same terms as if the recognition had already been granted.
Before anything else we review your file and tell you whether your qualification gives you access to the Advanced Level or whether the sensible route is to start with an Intermediate Level programme. We would rather tell you before you buy a plane ticket.
Spanish and the visa
These are the two steps before the programme. We handle both with you.
Six months of Spanish
The programmes are taught in Spanish. The programme starts with six months of an intensive course at our school in Murcia, accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, from zero up to the level you need to follow a vocational programme… and you will take a level exam at the end of the course.
If you have a certified DELE B2, you skip this stage.
Student visa
The Instituto Cervantes accreditation is not a decoration: it is what allows you to apply for the student visa. We support you with the documentation — admission letter, enrolment, accommodation and health insurance.
If you come from the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you do not need a visa.
Would you rather not deal with the paperwork?
We offer an optional external professional service that handles the whole application for you. It is voluntary: you can do it yourself or request this service.
What people ask us most
Can I get in with an Intermediate Level qualification instead of Bachillerato?
Yes. The Technician qualification gives you access to Advanced Level programmes.
How long does it take?
Six months for the Spanish course (if you do not have a B2 in Spanish) and between a year and a half and two years for the programme.
Can I go to university afterwards?
Yes. The Higher Technician qualification gives access to university studies and credits from the programme are usually recognised.
Is my Bachillerato qualification valid?
Yes, but it has to be officially recognised.
In which cities can I study?
The Spanish course is in Murcia. You will be able to study the programme in Murcia, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia or Seville, depending on the specialism.
Is the qualification valid in Europe?
Yes, it is an official Spanish qualification recognised throughout the European Union.
Students who arrived without a word of Spanish
Since the year 2000, 9.403 students have studied with us, most of them from the Maghreb, West Africa and much of Europe, and nearly all of them started the same way: without knowing how to say hello. You learn through immersion and in small groups, in a city where living costs little and you practise Spanish from day one.
Tell us what you have studied and we will tell you what you can access
We review your file before you leave your country, and we tell you whether it is enough for the Advanced Level or whether it is better to start with an Intermediate Level programme.
- A reply within 24 – 48 hours by email or WhatsApp
- Free and with no obligation
- We can help you in Spanish, English, French and Arabic
