How Much Does It Cost To Become A Psychologist In Spain?
During the four (or more) years that we spent training to be psychologists, we heard over and over again the name of a certain Official College of Psychologists of our autonomy. It seems that if you join it you will be able to have many advantages.
We don’t know very well if we have or should enroll in college, or if it is really mandatory to do so. Going to college sounds like something very strong in our minds, something that perhaps, being only in our twenties, we see as something very big.
Be that as it may, we cannot help but wonder How much does it cost to become a psychologist in Spain?, if it is profitable or if there is a lot of effort to do. Well today is the day in which we are going to give an answer to this question.
How much does it cost to enroll in the field of Psychology in Spain?
We have finished our degree in psychology, or we have been psychologists for many years but not practicing as such. We have heard that it is advisable to become a member if we want to have more opportunities and opportunities within our professional field, however, a question comes to mind: how much does it cost to become a psychologist? We do not only think about the economic aspect, but also about the bureaucratic aspect.. That we will have to do a lot of paperwork, that we will have to pay too much, that we will have to talk to a lot of people…
Well then. Here we are going to try to resolve this issue, although we already anticipated that in the case of Spain things vary a little from region to region. As each autonomous community has its own Official College of Psychologists (COP) (there are even some for some provinces) the process to become a member varies depending on where we are, although, in essence, it is the same. For example, if it is practiced in Catalonia, it must be registered at the Official College of Psychologists of Catalonia, while if it is done in Madrid, it will have to be done at the Official College of Psychologists of Madrid.
But what we must first be very clear about is that, If we want to practice as psychologists in the clinical-health field, we must become registered. If you practice as a psychologist, both in the public and private sectors, without membership, you would be committing an act punishable by law, considered a punishable administrative offense. Outside the clinical setting there would be no obligation, but if the activity to be carried out is directly aimed at citizens, it should be registered. Likewise, in any case this process is recommended.
There is a law that specifies this mandatory membership in psychologists who want to practice as such, specifically the one included in Article 6 of the General Statutes of the Official College of Psychologists, saying the following:
“Joining the College is mandatory, in the form of practitioner, in the terms provided for in article 3.2 of Law 2/1974, of February 13, regulating Professional Colleges, modified by Law 7/1997, of 14 of April, of Liberalizing Measures on Land and Professional Associations, for all those who, possessing the official qualification, practice the profession of psychologist in their territorial area. Public officials are exempt from said obligation when they act in the service of the Administrations. due to public dependency”.
Who can enroll?
The necessary requirements to be able to join any Official College of Psychologists in Spain are relatively simple. It does not require much effort to fulfill them, beyond what is expected to have been made by a person who has completed his studies in Psychology..
In order to carry out the procedures, it is necessary to be of legal age and have Spanish nationality or one of the member states of the European Union, or of countries that are authorized by virtue of an international agreement or treaty with Spain. Logically, you must have completed a degree or bachelor’s degree in Psychology and, if it is a foreign qualification, it must be approved by the Ministry of Education.
People who hold a degree in Philosophy and Letters, section or branch of Psychology can join the Colleges; degree in Philosophy and Educational Sciences, section or branch of psychology; or the homologation of your academic degree to any of the aforementioned degrees, in accordance with the general system of recognition of legally established higher education degrees.
The other requirements are quite easy to meet, unless a serious crime has been committed. You must not be involved in causes of incapacitation nor must you be disqualified from practicing psychology as a professional..
And as the last requirement, fundamental to be able to enroll in any institution, be it psychologists or another profession, there is the most important requirement for these schools: paying. Although it does not motivate us much, it is the main requirement, apart from being psychologists by degree, that will allow us to have the membership.
What documents must be provided?
Now we move on to talking about paperwork, about how much it costs us to become a member in bureaucratic terms. Bureaucracy is, and this may be a somewhat stereotypical statement, a fundamental aspect of Spanish culture.
No matter what region you are in, there will be papers to sign. Fortunately, the Colleges of Psychologists throughout Spain break the rule a little, and everyone agrees on the paperwork that must be submitted, which, to tell the truth, is not much. These documents are:
1. Certified photocopy of the title
The typical thing to do is present a certified photocopy of the original bachelor’s degree or degree in psychology, on both sides. If you do not have it yet, it will be necessary to present a certified photocopy of the receipt that demonstrates that the issuance fees have been paid.. In addition, a certified photocopy of the academic certification will be presented, which will show what grades have been taken and the completion of the degree.
If the qualification has been obtained outside of Spain, as we have mentioned before, a certified photocopy of the approval or credential issued by the Ministry of Education must be presented.
2. Photocopy of the National Identity Document (DNI)
The typical photocopy of the DNI that we are asked for in many bureaucratic processes could not be missing here, as it is always necessary. If you do not have such a document due to having foreign nationality, you must present your valid passport or residence card., both the original and its photocopy. Whether it is a DNI or any other identification document, passport size photographs must be attached.
3. Documentation of having completed studies in the last promotion
This particular case is for those who have put their efforts and have decided to enroll in the same year they finished. Congratulations, you are going to save a little money.
In order to have this discount it will be necessary to present the same as point 1, only proving that you have completed your studies in the last year. As it is most likely that you have not even received the degree, what you will have to do is present the receipt of having paid for it and the academic certificate.
4. Other data
This is where there are a few differences between school and school. What everyone agrees on is that bank details (IBAN and Swift BIC) must be presented in order to make the payment.
The specific School may ask us for some type of special document., such as having studied at a specific university, having taken language courses or having other training qualifications, which give us certain advantages. These details will have to be asked from the specific institution.
Once we have overcome this brief but intense and exciting bureaucratic process, the official school of our autonomy or province will give us a membership card, along with the access codes to the virtual area of the corresponding COP and other “prizes” that vary. depending on the region.
The expenses involved in becoming a psychologist
How much does it cost to become a psychologist in Spain, in economic terms? Well, it depends on the autonomy. As we have mentioned, Each region has its own COP and applies different prices to its future members. Additionally, prices may vary from year to year, even from semester to semester. In addition, the discount for having completed studies in the last promotion must be taken into account.
But if you want a quick answer to this question, we are going to say that the registration fee to enroll is around €100 in most of Spain, while the fee per semester fluctuates a lot (a lot), going from 90 to almost the €200. In addition, there are other payments that must be made when registering at the corresponding school, which are:
But let’s go directly to the prices by autonomy. Below we will see the breakdown of registration prices and the semiannual fee in all the autonomous communities and some provinces of Spain.
1. Registration prices
2. Prices per semester fee
And what benefits does membership entail?
The personal, bureaucratic and economic effort of the entire registration process is much lower than the benefits it entails.. When considering joining a college, the question should not be how much it will cost us, but rather what it will give us and, fortunately, it is a lot.
Members can access free legal advice on professional issues. These consultancies can be your safeguard to avoid situations in which malpractice is bordering on or in which, by not knowing how to protect yourself professionally, you end up paying. In addition, it allows you to speed up the process of obtaining certain recognitions in the field of the profession, such as professional certificates, consultations and psychology centers, authorization of health centers…
Also the COP of Each region can offer training courses at low or free prices to update the knowledge of its members. That is, the COP can help us be better professionals, keeping us up to date with the most recent psychological therapies and theories and avoiding falling behind with respect to the rest of mental health professionals.
Significant discounts are also obtained when contracting insurance such as civil liability, social, life, consultations or psychology centers, pension plans, home, automobiles, work accidents, temporary sick leave, dependency… Civil liability insurance professional psychologist, exclusively for members, involves an annual cost of just over €10 and has coverage of €1,000,000.
The COPs offer scholarships and aid for the scientific and professional development of their members. In addition, it makes it easier to carry out activities such as presentations, conferences, publishing books or developing informative documents of psychological interest. It also allows you to get in touch with eminences in the field, facilitating the free circulation of opinions and knowledge.
College is synonymous with more job opportunities, and therefore more money. Registered psychologists receive alerts about job offers, in addition to receiving professional guidance and help in finding a job. If requested, the logo or brand of the regional COP can be used, giving more prestige to the professional practice of the psychologist by showing that they have the legal protection of the official psychology institution of their autonomy.
We could highlight a very extensive and convincing list of what the benefits of joining a college are and why, clearly, doing so is profitable. In short, becoming a member will allow us to have guarantees to be able to practice our profession, it will give us greater visibility among our colleagues and also with potential clients/patients, in addition to facilitating access to new knowledge in Psychology. Registering as a psychologist doesn’t cost that much.
