Study in Spain Without IELTS: Fully Funded Scholarships 2026-2027

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Dreaming of studying in Spain for 2026-2027 but stuck on the IELTS box? Take a breath – you’ve got more options than you think. Spain keeps pulling in international students year after year, and it’s easy to see why: tuition at public universities is a bargain compared to the UK or the US, several schools sit comfortably in the QS World Rankings, and daily life costs noticeably less than in London or Berlin. Here’s the part most guides skip: a growing number of Spanish universities and scholarship programs will take a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter, a Duolingo English Test score, or their own in-house English check instead of IELTS. So if you never sat that exam, don’t count yourself out just yet.

This article walks you through the fully funded and partially funded Spain scholarships that skip the IELTS demand, names the universities currently offering that flexibility, and lays out exactly what paperwork and steps you’ll need whether you’re aiming for a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, or a PhD. Stick around for the scholarship list, the document checklist, and the deadlines that actually matter.

No IELTS? Here’s Your Spain Scholarship Roadmap

Whatever stage you’re at, this guide has you covered: which scholarships drop the IELTS requirement, which universities back that up, and how to put together an application that actually gets read.

Why Spain Is Worth the Paperwork

  1. The academic reputation holds up – Barcelona, Complutense Madrid, and Pompeu Fabra all rank among Europe’s stronger research universities
  2. Your money goes further – public tuition runs a fraction of what you’d pay in the US or UK, and if you skip Madrid and Barcelona for cities like Valencia, Salamanca, or Seville, rent and daily costs drop even more
  3. Funding comes from more than one direction – the Spanish government, individual universities, and private foundations all run their own scholarship schemes
  4. English requirements aren’t one-size-fits-all – plenty of programs will accept an MOI letter, a Duolingo score, or an internal assessment in place of IELTS
  5. You won’t be studying alone – Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia all carry sizable international student communities, which makes settling in a lot less lonely
  6. A Spanish degree travels well – it opens doors to work and further study anywhere in the EU

Read: Study in Singapore Without IELTS on Scholarship

Scholarships Worth Applying For

None of these ask for an IELTS score specifically – here’s what each one actually offers.

#1 MAEC-AECID Scholarships (Spanish Government)

  1. Managed by AECID (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo), which sits under Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  2. Built mainly for applicants from Latin America, Africa, and Asia who already have a confirmed master’s admission for the coming academic year
  3. Covers a monthly living stipend plus health insurance for the full length of your studies
  4. Beyond the master’s track, each yearly call usually folds in separate strands for European studies, diplomatic training, and residencies for artists and researchers
  5. The window opens sometime in spring and only stays open a set number of days – don’t wait around, check AECID’s own portal the moment the call drops instead of guessing at last year’s dates
  6. You apply only through AECID’s official electronic office (Sede Electrónica) – nowhere else counts

Check the Current AECID Scholarship Call

#2 Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJM)

  1. The EU foots the bill here, and the degree is delivered jointly by at least three universities from three different countries, with at least two based in the EU or an associated Programme country
  2. Individual students typically get a healthy monthly stipend for up to two years, on top of full tuition, travel money, and a settling-in allowance – the EU updates the exact figures each year, so check the current catalogue rather than an old number
  3. Open to applicants worldwide, and you’ll likely study across more than one country instead of parking yourself at a single campus
  4. Each program runs one to two years (60, 90, or 120 ECTS credits) and hands you either a joint degree or several degrees from the partner schools
  5. You apply straight to the specific program’s consortium, and Spanish universities show up as partners in quite a few of them
  6. The full catalogue is searchable any time, so you can check current programs and their individual deadlines whenever you’re ready

Search the Official Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Catalogue

#3 UIC Barcelona International Excellence Scholarship

  1. This one covers 20% of tuition across every year of your degree – not the 50% figure you’ll see floating around on other scholarship sites
  2. Open to international applicants across most UIC Barcelona bachelor’s programs – Business Administration, Law, Architecture, Communication, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Bioengineering, Psychology, and more – but Dentistry and Medicine are left out of this particular grant
  3. You’ll need roughly an 8 out of 10 average from your final year of upper secondary school, plus a pass on UIC’s own entrance exam
  4. It renews every year as long as you clear all your subjects and keep a 7 out of 10 average
  5. In exchange, you’re expected to put in 15 hours a year helping out your academic department
  6. UIC doesn’t list any IELTS waiver or interview option for this specific grant on its site – check with your admissions advisor directly rather than assuming one exists

View Official UIC Barcelona Scholarship Details

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#4 University of Granada Scholarships

  1. Granada runs its own Study Grant Fund, which sits alongside national and regional Spanish funding rather than replacing it
  2. It also keeps a running list of external scholarships open to international (“third-country”) students, including MAEC-AECID and a mix of country-specific and foundation awards – each with its own rules and process
  3. Coverage spans Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral study, depending on which specific grant applies
  4. English requirements shift by program – some English-taught degrees will take proof of prior study in English instead of IELTS, but it’s not a blanket university policy, so check with your faculty or the International Postgraduate School directly

View Official University of Granada Grants Page

#5 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) Scholarships

  1. UAM spreads its funding across several separate schemes rather than one master program – think UAM-Banco Santander grants for young researchers and doctoral candidates, Erasmus+ mobility funding, and links to external awards like Fundación ONCE for doctoral students with disabilities
  2. Doctoral funding is the best-documented category on UAM’s site; undergraduate and master’s-level scholarship info is scattered and depends heavily on the faculty
  3. Whether IELTS can be swapped for an MOI letter depends on the individual program – UAM doesn’t publish one blanket waiver policy, so your faculty’s admissions office is the one to ask
  4. Most undergraduate courses at UAM run in Spanish, so if you’re chasing an English-taught program, confirm the language of instruction and the English requirement together before assuming a waiver applies

View Official UAM Doctoral School Grants Page

#6 Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB) Scholarships

  1. IEB is a research centre in economics operating under the University of Barcelona – it’s not a standalone university with its own master’s degrees
  2. These scholarships fund PhD study in Economics only – you’ll need a completed Master’s in Economics before you can even apply
  3. Expect a yearly stipend of around €18,000, full PhD tuition covered, plus travel funding for academic conferences
  4. Funded spots run for three years, with room for a one-year extension
  5. You’ll do your research under IEB faculty and take on undergraduate teaching duties in Applied or Public Economics as part of the deal
  6. These are competitive, limited-quota PhD awards – not a broad tuition waiver for Bachelor’s or Master’s students

View Official IEB PhD Scholarship Calls

#7 Fundación Carolina Scholarships

  1. A public-private Spanish institution funding graduates, researchers, and professionals from Latin America and the wider Ibero-American Community to study in Spain
  2. Open to Master’s, PhD, and post-doctoral candidates across every field, with extra mobility and training programs available in some cycles
  3. Coverage generally includes full or partial tuition, a monthly stipend, medical insurance, and sometimes return travel
  4. You need admission (or be actively applying) to a graduate or doctoral program at a Spanish university, plus a solid academic or professional record
  5. Each yearly call is limited strictly to nationals of Ibero-American Community of Nations countries – this isn’t a globally open award
  6. English requirements aren’t really the focus here since most linked programs teach in Spanish – confirm the language of instruction for your specific program before assuming an IELTS waiver applies

View Official Fundación Carolina Scholarships

#8 CEU Universities Scholarships

  1. Universidad CEU San Pablo (not to be mixed up with Central European University in Vienna/Budapest) runs the CEU International Merit Program for international applicants
  2. It’s funded through Fundación CEU San Pablo, a non-profit that’s been backing student scholarships for over 75 years and ranks among Spain’s biggest private scholarship funders
  3. Separately, the Matrícula de Honor award covers your entire first year of tuition if you scored the top possible grade average in your final pre-university year – a narrower, merit-only track, not open to everyone
  4. Available across CEU San Pablo’s undergraduate and postgraduate programs
  5. Whether IELTS gets waived for applicants with a prior English-taught degree depends on the specific program – confirm with admissions rather than assuming a blanket policy

View Official CEU San Pablo International Scholarships

When These Scholarships Actually Open

  • MAEC-AECID – Spring, with exact dates posted on AECID’s official portal each year
  • Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters – Most programs open between October and January for the next academic year
  • UIC Barcelona Excellence Scholarship – Rolling, tied to general admissions, with results announced at the end of May
  • Fundación Carolina – Roughly January through March or April, depending on the program
  • UGR, UAM, and CEU San Pablo – Varies by faculty; go straight to admissions for the current dates

Dates shift every year, so always double-check the official page before you plan around them.

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How Spanish Universities Actually Treat English Proficiency

Here’s the nuance most people miss: Spanish universities don’t ban IELTS, they just don’t demand it exclusively. Most will take any one of several accepted proofs, which means skipping IELTS doesn’t shut you out. The common alternatives look like this:

  1. A TOEFL score
  2. A CEFR B2 certificate (Cambridge FCE/CAE works too)
  3. An MOI letter confirming your last degree was taught in English
  4. The university’s own internal English test

Always check the actual language-requirements page for your target university and program, since it varies by faculty – here’s where to look:

How to Apply for a Scholarship in Spain

Step 1: Pick Your University and Program

Weigh up tuition, city, and teaching language across the schools above, then confirm each program’s actual English requirement on the university’s own page – it changes by faculty.

Step 2: Track Every Deadline

Most calls open six to twelve months before intake, though the exact date moves each year. Bookmark the official pages and check them yourself instead of trusting a third-party tracker that might be out of date.

Step 3: Get Your Documents Ready

You’ll typically need:

  1. Academic transcripts
  2. A CV/resume
  3. A motivation letter
  4. Recommendation letters
  5. Proof of English proficiency – IELTS, TOEFL, CEFR, or an MOI letter, depending on what your university takes

Step 4: Send In Your Applications

Apply through both the university’s admissions portal and the scholarship’s own system separately – most scholarships aren’t bundled with admission, so budget time for two applications, not one.

Step 5: Sort Out Your Student Visa

Once you’re accepted, book your visa appointment at the Spanish consulate or embassy in your home country – that’s the only channel that counts.

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Tips That Actually Move the Needle

  1. Don’t wait to apply. Competition is fierce, and calls often close months before the intake starts – track deadlines the moment they’re posted.
  2. Know your accepted alternatives. TOEFL, CEFR B2, Duolingo, or an MOI letter might all work instead of IELTS – just confirm which ones your specific program accepts before you assume anything.
  3. Email the university, not just a blog. Scholarship sites (this one included) are a starting point – the admissions office has the final word on current policy.
  4. Look beyond Spain if you’re flexible. If Europe or the UK works for you too, schemes like the DAAD Scholarship or Chevening Scholarship are worth comparing against what Spain offers.

Bottom Line

Spain has real money on the table for international students, and IELTS was never the only proof that counts – TOEFL, CEFR certificates, and MOI letters all work just as well at most universities. Start early, check each program’s specific rules, and you can piece together a solid funding plan across government, EU, and university-backed scholarships.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Spanish universities really skip IELTS?

Not quite – most don’t require IELTS specifically, but they still want proof of English proficiency through one accepted route or another. That usually means IELTS, TOEFL, a CEFR B2 certificate, or an MOI letter confirming your last degree was taught in English. It varies by school and program, so check with your faculty directly.

What exactly is an MOI letter?

It’s an official letter from your previous school confirming your degree was taught entirely in English. Plenty of Spanish universities take this as proof of English proficiency instead of a formal test score.

Which Spain scholarships skip a fixed test-score requirement?

MAEC-AECID and Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters both accept a range of English documentation depending on the program. Check each scholarship’s current call, since requirements can differ even between programs at the same school.

Can Bachelor’s students apply for MAEC-AECID?

No – it’s aimed at Master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral applicants, plus specific diplomatic and residency tracks. Undergrads should look at university-specific options instead, like UIC Barcelona’s Excellence Scholarship.

Is Erasmus Mundus just one scholarship?

No, it’s a framework covering many separate joint master’s programs, each run by its own university consortium with its own deadline and quota. You apply to the specific program, not to “Erasmus Mundus” as a whole.

Are there scholarships aimed at Latin American students?

Yes – Fundación Carolina funds Master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral study in Spain for students from Ibero-American Community countries, covering full or partial tuition, a stipend, and sometimes travel costs.

Do private universities like IE or Navarra offer funding?

They can, but tuition runs much higher than at public universities, and scholarships usually only cover part of the cost. Compare the full price tag before you commit to a private school.

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