We are receiving an increasing number of request to verify UK degree certificates. The reason is that due to Brexit, and from 1 July 2021, students that apply for official recognition of their UK qualifications will need their certificates to be legalises (Hague Apostille). They need this recognition if they want to work in a public administration or to continue into a master, for example.
The process for formal recognition is long and before applying they need:
1.- Have a UK degree from a UK University or College
2.- Get their degree certificate verified. British Council in Spain does not have authorisation to verify UK degrees. This can only be done by a Public Notary in the UK. The legalisation office website asks students to contact their British Council local office to get this done but British Council in Spain is not authorised to verify UK certificates.
3.- Send their verified degree to the Legalisation Office to get it legalised (Hague Apostille). This is done online even for students living in the UK and is not an issue.
Without the three steps above, students cannot apply for official recognition (homologación) of their degrees in Spain.
Please write to all your last year Spanish students to inform them that they should get their degree certificates verified by a UK Public Notary before travelling to Spain and, if you can, recommend a Public Notary that works with your university.