Spain's bar admission master's: what the law requires and seven criteria for choosing the right one

Finishing the law degree is no longer enough to be admitted to the bar in Spain. Since Law 34/2006, and with the current development of Royal Decree 64/2023 of 8 February, access to the abogacía requires three steps: the official university degree, a specialised training course with placements (known as the admission master's) and passing a state evaluation exam. Choosing that course well is an expensive decision in time and money, and it is worth making it with criteria.

What the rule exactly requires

Article 2.1 of Royal Decree 64/2023 sets the three requirements to obtain the professional title enabling practice:

1. Holding the official university degree of Licenciatura or Grado in Law.
2. Accrediting completion of the specialised training course, covering the full set of competencies needed for practice, which must include placements in law firms, institutions or other entities related to the exercise of the abogacía and the procura.
3. Passing the final evaluation exam accrediting professional capacity.

An important note since 2023: access is unified for the abogacía and the procura (court agents). Those who pass the exam may practise either profession with only membership of the corresponding professional body, with no further limit than the prohibition of practising both simultaneously.

Seven criteria for choosing a master's

1. Official accreditation, first of all. Only accredited programmes allow you to sit the admission exam. It is the first check, before price or brand: confirm that the master's leads to the professional title required by the rule.

2. Placement network. Placements in firms and institutions are a mandatory part of the course and, in practice, the main route into the market. Asking about agreements, placement volume and how they are allocated is more useful than asking about the brochure.

3. Preparation for the evaluation exam. The state exam is the final filter. It is worth knowing the programme's pass rate, whether it includes real mock exams and how the master's thesis is marked. In our coverage of the 2026 admission exam we explain the format and the publication of results.

4. Practising faculty. Programmes with a faculty of practising lawyers convey the real practice of courts and firms; the "learning by doing" approach is especially valuable in a qualifying training.

5. A format compatible with your life. In person, blended or online: all types exist. If you combine it with work or public examination preparation, the timetable and placement flexibility weigh as much as the syllabus.

6. Real total cost. Tuition, fees, materials and the opportunity cost of placement months. Compare the full price, not the advertised figure.

7. Community and job board. The master's is also the first professional network: alumni, collaborating firms and career guidance services make a difference two years down the line.

Frequent mistakes when choosing

The first, deciding only by the university's brand without looking at the placement network. The second, not checking the official accreditation of the specific programme (a university may have qualifying master's degrees and others that are not). The third, underestimating the final exam: completing the master's does not guarantee passing the state evaluation, and programmes that train specifically for it start with an advantage.

The calendar matters

The evaluation exam sittings have fixed dates in the year, so the choice of master's determines when you can be admitted and start practising. If the goal is to enter the market by a specific date (joining a firm, a public examination requiring bar membership), it is worth planning backwards from the sitting.

In our Training section we gather verified calls and programmes, and in Legal jobs we publish daily offers for those already admitted or on their way, such as the guide to job offers for lawyers in Madrid.