Costs · 17 min read

Scholarships to study Medicine in Spain as an international student: what really exists

It is the second question I am asked most often, after the price, and the short answer is not popular: for a student from outside the European Union who arrives in Spain with a study authorisation, there are almost no public undergraduate scholarships. But almost is not none. Some routes do work, and it is worth knowing them before choosing a university, not after.

Every year I see families who plan the whole Medicine in Spain project counting on a scholarship that, when the time comes to apply, turns out not to apply to them. Not for lack of merit, but because of an administrative requirement nobody explained: the difference between being in Spain as a student and being a resident. This article starts there, because it decides almost everything else.

The short answer

If you are from outside the EU and come to study with a study stay authorisation, this is the situation:

• The Ministry of Education's general grant is, in practice, not for you. It requires residence, and a study authorisation is a stay.
• Many major private scholarships are not either, because they require having received the Ministry grant first.
• Private universities do have their own scholarships and discounts, but few, highly competitive and often designed for the Spanish school system.
• The largest funding usually comes from your own country, especially in some Gulf countries.
• What saves the most money is not a scholarship: it is choosing the university, the city and the order of the procedures well.

Why the Ministry grant is almost never for you

The general grant of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport is the main public aid for studying in Spain. It covers tuition and can add fixed amounts based on income and on living away from the family home. For 2026/27 it was announced in March 2026, with an application period that ended in May.

The problem lies in the nationality requirement. The call requires being Spanish or holding the nationality of a European Union state, and for non EU foreigners it refers to the immigration law. That law grants access to scholarships to resident foreigners, on the same terms as Spaniards. With a study stay authorisation you are not a resident, so in practice you are excluded.

There is a second detail almost nobody checks: the nationality and residence requirements must be met by 31 December of the year before the academic year. For the 2026/27 call, by 31 December 2025. Even if your situation changes during the year, that year's grant is already out of reach.

Scholarships that depend on the Ministry grant

Many private scholarships use the Ministry grant as a filter, which carries the same exclusion. The clearest example is the undergraduate scholarships of the "la Caixa" Foundation: for 2026/27 it offers 60 scholarships for excellent students with limited means, including tuition, €750 a month and an initial allowance for equipment. They are among the best undergraduate scholarships in Spain, but to apply you must be in income threshold 1 and have received the Ministry's general grant in the previous year, as well as finishing upper secondary or a higher vocational course that same year.

Before getting your hopes up about any scholarship, look for two phrases in its rules: whether it requires having received the Ministry grant, and whether it requires the Spanish PAU or EvAU exam. If either appears, it most likely does not apply to you.

Regional grants and public university aid

Regional governments and public universities have their own aid: for housing, transport, and emergencies for students facing unexpected hardship. Some are more open than the Ministry grant, but many repeat the same requirement. The housing grant that Carlos III University manages with the Madrid regional government for 2026/27, for example, states it plainly: non EU foreigners must prove they are residents, and those in a stay situation with a student permit are excluded.

That does not mean it is not worth looking. University emergency funds, designed for unforeseen situations, are sometimes awarded on social criteria rather than on immigration status. Ask your university's grants office as soon as you enrol, not once the problem is already on top of you.

Private university scholarships

Private universities do offer their own scholarships, and they are the most realistic route for an international student without residence. Some examples from the 2026/27 calls:

• CEU San Pablo University: six scholarships of €12,900 for first year Medicine students.
• Alfonso X el Sabio University: excellence scholarships for new Medicine students, requiring an average of at least 9 in the first year of Bachillerato and passing the PAU for the first time in the 2026 ordinary session.
• University of Navarra: its own Medicine scholarship programme for students with an outstanding record and financial difficulties, which requires keeping a high average to renew it.

The Alfonso X example shows the usual problem: many excellence scholarships are written for the Spanish system, with requirements such as the PAU or Spanish first year Bachillerato grades. If you come through UNEDasiss and the PCE, ask in writing whether your credential counts as equivalent before assuming anything. And bear in mind that these scholarships are few: six scholarships at a faculty with hundreds of applicants are a prize, not a funding plan.

If you get one, also ask whether it is renewed every year and on what conditions. A scholarship that only covers the first year, or that is lost with one failed subject, changes the six year calculation a lot. Read the small print on the average you must keep and on what happens if you repeat a year.

Beyond named scholarships, private universities usually have discounts for single payment, for siblings or for good performance in later years. They are not scholarships, but on tuition above €20,000 a year, 5% is real money. Ask about all of them before signing the place reservation. Each university's fees are in private medical schools in Spain.

Scholarships from your own country

For many students the largest aid is not in Spain. Several Gulf countries, such as Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, fund undergraduate studies abroad for their citizens through their higher education ministries. They usually cover tuition and living costs, but with one condition that decides everything: only at universities and degrees on their list of recognised institutions. Before choosing a university in Spain, check that it is on that list. Choosing first and asking later is the most expensive way to get it wrong.

The quickest way to find out is usually the cultural attaché or student office at your country's embassy in Madrid. They know the current list, the deadlines and the documents required, and some even follow their scholarship holders' academic progress throughout the degree.

In Latin America the picture is different. The major public programmes for studying abroad, such as Becas Chile or PRONABEC's Generación del Bicentenario scholarship in Peru, are designed for postgraduate study, not for completing a whole degree abroad. For undergraduate study, student loans are more common, with their interest and guarantees, which are worth comparing carefully.

In countries such as Syria or Morocco there are generally no public scholarships for a Medicine degree in Spain. There funding is usually from the family, which is why the six year calculation has to be done from the start.

Fundación Carolina and others that are not for undergraduates

Some very well known scholarships appear in every search and are of no use for starting Medicine. The most cited is the Fundación Carolina, which for 2026/27 offers more than 700 scholarships, but for postgraduate study, doctorates and research stays, mainly for Latin Americans. The cooperation scholarships of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have traditionally also focused on postgraduate study.

Keep them for later. If you finish your degree in Spain and want to do a master's or a doctorate, then they will be your best option.

How much a scholarship would cover, in numbers

It is worth putting scholarships in proportion. A Medicine degree at a Spanish private university, adding tuition and living costs, can exceed €200,000 over six years. A €12,900 scholarship in the first year covers less than 7% of that figure. And a living allowance such as the "la Caixa" scholarship, at €750 a month, falls somewhat short of the €900 to €1,000 a month that a student's life costs on average in Spain.

I do not say this to discourage you, but so that the scholarship takes its proper place in the plan: a relief if it comes, not the piece holding everything up. The families who manage best are those who budget without counting on any aid and treat any scholarship as extra margin.

Funding once you are enrolled

Once you are enrolled, other opportunities appear that do not depend on how you arrived. Many universities offer collaboration grants in departments, services or research groups, and prizes for the best records each year. Conditions vary by university, but several are open to any enrolled student.

There is also Erasmus+. If you study at a Spanish university, you can apply for a mobility place to spend a semester or a year in another European country with a monthly grant, and what counts is being enrolled at the university, not your nationality. You will, however, need whatever permit the host country requires for your passport.

Preparing an application that does not fail over a document

Scholarships for international students are lost more often over paperwork than over merit. If you are going to apply for a scholarship from a private university or from your country, prepare in good time your family's income certificates, translated and legalised if required; your full academic record and your UNEDasiss credential; and a specific motivation letter explaining why Medicine, why that university and what you will do afterwards. Ask for recommendation letters with weeks of margin. And keep a copy of everything you send, with the date.

What does save money, even if it is not a scholarship

When scholarships are this scarce, the decisions you make before starting weigh more than any aid you might get later.

• Getting into a public university. The difference between a public and a private university is more than €80,000 in tuition over six years. No scholarship for international students comes close to that figure. Every tenth of a point you gain in the PCE is worth more than any call.
• Choosing the region. Some regions apply a surcharge to non EU students and others do not. Two faculties with the same cutoff mark can cost you thousands of euros of difference.
• Choosing the city. A room in Granada or Salamanca costs around €300 a month, compared with almost €600 in Madrid or Barcelona. Over six years that is more than €20,000 of difference. I compare it city by city in what each city costs.
• Distinctions. At most public universities, a distinction (matrícula de honor) in a subject gives you a discount on the same number of credits the following year. In Medicine, with long subjects, it shows.
• Working in moderation. The regulation allows students to work up to 30 hours a week if it is compatible with their studies. In Medicine few reach that, but a weekend job helps.

I go through the numbers in the cost of studying Medicine in Spain.

If your situation changes

There are cases in which the picture opens up considerably.

If you hold a European nationality, for example through your parents or grandparents, the situation changes. EU citizens can apply at least for the tuition grant, and for the other amounts if they are permanent residents or workers. Many Latin Americans are entitled to Spanish or Italian nationality and have not applied. If that is your case, start that process before any other.

If you become a resident, for example because your family settles in Spain with a residence authorisation, you could access scholarships on the same terms as a Spaniard. Remember the date: the requirements are measured on 31 December of the year before each academic year.

If you have international protection, such as refugee status or subsidiary protection, the Ministry's call includes an exception: the residence permit can be obtained up to 30 June of the year of the academic year, instead of by 31 December. This is the case for many Syrian families in Spain, and it is worth reviewing carefully if it is yours.

Beware of scholarships that are sold to you

Some agencies advertise scholarships that are actually commercial discounts from a specific university, or that only apply if you hire their services. There is nothing wrong with a discount, but it is not a scholarship: it is not awarded by an independent body, it is not published in open rules and it cannot be compared.

Be wary of any scholarship without rules published on the official website of whoever awards it, with requirements, deadlines and number of places. And never pay to apply for a scholarship: serious calls are free.

Do not confuse a scholarship with a loan either. Some institutions offer study financing presented as aid that has to be repaid with interest. It can be useful, but compare it for what it is: debt.

A realistic plan to fund the degree

1. Calculate the six year total without counting on any scholarship. If the project only works with a scholarship you do not have secured, it is not ready.
2. Ask in your country about scholarship programmes abroad and their list of recognised universities, before choosing a university in Spain.
3. Aim for a public university by preparing the PCE well, because it is the biggest possible saving.
4. If you go to a private university, ask in writing for all its scholarships and discounts, and whether your UNEDasiss credential counts for excellence scholarships.
5. Choose the city with the budget in front of you, not only for the university.
6. Check whether you are entitled to a European nationality. It can change everything.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the Ministry of Education grant if I am a non EU foreigner?

Only if you are resident in Spain. For non EU foreigners the call refers to the immigration law, which grants access to scholarships to residents. With a study stay authorisation you are not a resident, so in practice you cannot apply. The requirements are measured on 31 December of the year before the academic year.

Are there scholarships for Latin Americans to study Medicine in Spain?

For undergraduate study there are few. The major programmes, such as Fundación Carolina, Becas Chile or PRONABEC, are for postgraduate study. The real options are the own scholarships of some private universities, student loans from your country and, if you hold a European nationality, the Ministry grants.

Do private universities give scholarships to international students?

Some do, but they are few and highly competitive, such as CEU San Pablo's six €12,900 scholarships for first year Medicine in 2026/27. Many excellence scholarships require the Spanish PAU, so ask in writing whether your UNEDasiss credential counts as equivalent.

Can my country pay for my Medicine degree in Spain?

It depends on the country. Several Gulf countries fund undergraduate studies abroad, but only at universities and degrees on their list of recognised institutions. Check it before choosing a university in Spain.

What saves the most money if I do not get a scholarship?

Getting into a public university, which saves more than €80,000 in tuition compared with a private one, and choosing a mid sized city, where a room costs half what it does in Madrid or Barcelona. Distinctions also help, as at most public universities they discount credits the following year.

If you are still comparing countries, see studying Medicine in Europe: costs by country, and if you come from Latin America, read studying Medicine in Spain from Latin America.

Published on 10 November 2026 · Salam Aiach