Document Recognition for Andorra: NIA, Access Certificate and Apostille

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

At the Universitat d'Andorra (UdA) it is the Andorran government, not the university, that decides whether a foreign qualification gives you access to a bachelor's, master's or doctorate. The university states this in its FAQ: the Ministry of Education and Higher Education recognises a foreign title as equivalent to the Andorran titles that the UdA requires. Until you hold the Ministry's decision you cannot enrol.

Step 1: the NIA

You first need an NIA, the administrative identification number issued by the Government's Servei de Tràmits (procedures service). The UdA calls it indispensable before the access application can be filed and says it can take up to 48 hours. The university publishes the NIA application form (code Y3T003), and the same procedure is described on the government's e-tràmits portal.

Step 2: the certificate of access

Next you apply for the certificate of access to higher education based on your foreign qualification. The certificate shows that you meet the access requirements of the education system in which you studied. You ask for the application form at the Servei de Tràmits in Andorra la Vella, fill it in and hand it back with your documents. The procedure carries the code J5T006.

The government lists the documents to attach:

a photocopy of your passport or identity card if you are not Andorran
a true copy of the title you use to gain access, or of the document showing that the title is being issued
if the title does not come from a school in Andorra, the title legalised with the Hague Apostille or through diplomatic channels
if you gain access by another route, a true copy of the document proving that you passed the access test or course
an official translation into Catalan of any document not written in Catalan, Spanish or French

So documents in Spanish or French do not need translating, but documents in English, for example, do. The Department of Higher Education then issues a decision on your request and notifies you. You have to collect the decision at the Servei de Tràmits.

What the UdA asks for at enrolment

Once you have access, the university asks for certified photocopies of your proof of access, your passport and a photograph. Your situation decides which proof of access you give:

Andorran qualifications (the Escola Andorrana baccalaureate, the vocational baccalaureate, an Andorran university degree or the over-25 access test): a certified photocopy of the proof.
You studied in Andorra but follow the Spanish or French system: the same access certificate from the Ministry.
You did not study in Andorra: the same certificate, supported by a document proving your studies with the Hague Apostille or an equivalent.

The UdA says it can certify photocopies itself. The page does not mention a translation requirement for the university's own documents, so ask the International Programmes Service if you are unsure.

Master's and doctorate

A master's requires the Andorran first-cycle degree in the same field or an equivalent title recognised by the Government of Andorra. A doctorate requires an Andorran master's or an equivalent official title. In both cases the Ministry of Higher Education handles the recognition of the title.

Recognition of earlier studies at the UdA

If you have already studied and want credits transferred, you use the prior studies assessment, known as the AEP. You complete the AEP form and hand it in with the documents. If the earlier studies were not at the UdA, you must pay the processing fee before submitting; the UdA does not publish the amount. There are two periods a year.

For degrees taught entirely by the UdA:

Autumn semester: submit from 2 to 31 May; decisions from 1 to 30 June.
Spring semester: submit from 2 November to 15 December; decisions from 16 December to 31 January.

For degrees run with the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), submit from 2 to 30 November for autumn and from 1 to 30 April for spring. Our catalogue lists only the on-campus degrees. The page does not state a limit on the number of credits that can be recognised.

Start early

Foreign documents have to be gathered abroad, legalised and in some cases translated, and the Ministry has to reply before you can enrol. The UdA recommends contacting its International Programmes Service before starting.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.