SARU. Servei d’Acompanyament al Reconeixement Universitari
About this good practice
Since 2010, the SARU has informed and accompanied the users of the service in a personalised way (EU nationals and nationals of third countries residing in Catalonia) in the process of recognising foreign university degrees that must be valid in Spain. It also advises people going abroad on the necessary procedures to accredit or legalise the degrees issued in Spain.
We have an office in Barcelona where we receive telephone and electronic inquiries from citizens residing in Catalonia, to find out how they should prepare the documentation that they must submit electronically to the Ministry, to know the status of a file already submitted or to know what to do when they obtain an answer
Inquiries also come from public administration staff, town councils, county councils, social organisations, trade unions, professional associations, etc. We hold online information sessions to train people who advise citizens who need to accredit their university education abroad.
The SARU is currently funded by the General Directorate of Migration, Refuge and Anti-Racism of the Equality and Feminism Department of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The management is carried out by the Mercè Fontanilles Foundation.
The competent authority in the Spanish State to resolve applications for the homologation of foreign qualifications to Spanish qualifications that give access to a regulated profession or the declarations of equivalence is the Ministry of Universities of the Spanish Government.
Resources needed
To provide service to actual claimants to the service in the whole area of Catalonia a total staff of 3 techniques with a university degree + 185,823.50 basic annual 2024 amount without 21% VAT
Evidence of success
This 2023, 772 new files were opened for people visiting the SARU for the first time, keeping the demand similar to the previous year. 2,926 other procedures related to reviewing documents, resolving doubts (an important part of these procedures has been a specific monitoring of files open in 2019 and 2020) performed.
During 2023, the SARU has also attended to 5,440 consultations, to resolve doubts about the procedure and the best procedure for each case, through a non-face-to-face e-service.
Potential for learning or transfer
The autonomous communities of the State are governed by the same regulations. The SARU could generate transferability to other Spanish regions and also to other countries, especially at the level of working methodology in order to establish collaboration synergies between different countries.
Fast validation of qualifications benefits users by helping them improve their professional qualification by preventing them from taking low-skilled jobs despite having a university education. Validation can provide crucial support to people in precarious employment or those at risk of losing their jobs, as it allows citizens to showcase their skills and experience to potential employers and continue higher education. For migrants who need to redirect their careers, validation can open a door to new occupations. It can also play an important role in the fight against youth unemployment.
Further information
Documents
SARU_es.pdf
SARU_en.pdf
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Generalitat de Catalunya - Departament de Drets Socials i Inclusió