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Cuba consolidated itself in 2025 as one of the countries with the highest number of recognized university degrees in Spain, alongside Colombia and Venezuela, according to data from the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) presented this Tuesday by Minister Diana Morant.
In total, Spain resolved 85,564 homologations and equivalencies of foreign degrees during 2025, of which 63% —about 53,905— were for Latin American students, making the country one of the European destinations with the highest volume of such procedures, far exceeding France, which processes only 700 cases a month compared to the 4,000 monthly applications handled by Spain.
The Cuban figures are particularly striking due to their acceleration. In just the first half of 2025, 5,551 Cubans validated their university degrees in Spain, a number that has already surpassed the total homologations recorded in previous years: 1,401 in 2022, 2,154 in 2023, and 2,749 in 2024.
Doctors lead the Cuban homologations, followed by nurses, dentists, industrial technical engineers, and telecommunications engineers, a profile that reflects the systematic draining of key sectors on the island.
This phenomenon is inseparable from the largest migratory exodus in the history of Cuba. More than one million people have left the island since 2021, drastically reducing the population. Between 2023 and 2024, over 53,100 Cubans arrived in Spain, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics.
The impact on the Cuban healthcare system is devastating. Cuba lost 30,767 doctors between 2021 and 2024, and the surgical waiting list on the island reaches 96,387 patients, of which 11,193 are children.
Cuban professionals seeking to validate their degrees in Spain have encountered significant obstacles.
The Cuban Medical Union Free in Spain reported delays of up to four years, attributed to the forgery of consular seals and the administrative collapse of the MICIU.
The recognition of Cuban degrees came to a standstill in September 2023. Additionally, Cuban authorities are not issuing the certificate of non-disqualification, a document required for licensing, although the College of Physicians of Madrid eliminated that requirement in October 2024.
The Spanish government has acknowledged the problem. President Pedro Sánchez announced in October 2024 a migration reform to expedite the processes, and the MICIU is preparing a new decree to resolve approximately 10,000 applications that have been pending for a decade. By the end of 2025, a total of 72,337 files remained pending.
Despite the difficulties, some professionals have managed to re-enter their field.
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