How much does it cost to become a licensed psychologist in Spain?

A summary of the economic and bureaucratic costs of becoming a registered psychologist in Spain.

During the four (or more) years that we spend training to become psychologists, we hear again and again the name of an Official College of Psychologists of our autonomy. It seems that if you join it, you will have many advantages.

We do not know very well if we have or we must join, or if it is really something obligatory to do it. To become a member sounds like something very strong in our minds, something that perhaps being in our early twenties we see as something very big.

Be that as it may, we can't help but wonder how much does it cost to become a registered psychologist in Spain?If it is profitable or if there is a lot of effort to make. Well, today is the day in which we are going to give an answer to this question.

How much does it cost to become a licensed psychologist in Spain?

We have finished our psychology degree, or we have been psychologists for many years but not practicing as such. We have heard that it is advisable to become a registered psychologist if we want to have more opportunities and opportunities in our professional field, however, a question comes to mind: how much does it cost to become a registered psychologist? We do not only think about the economic aspect, but also about the bureaucratic aspect.. That if we will have to do a lot of paperwork, that if we will have to pay too much, that if we will have to talk to a lot of people?

Well then. Here we are going to try to solve this question, although we already anticipate 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 you practice in Catalonia, you will have to join the Col-legi Oficial de Psicòlegs de Catalunya, while if you practice in Madrid, you will have to join the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid.

But what we must have very clear before is that, if we want to practice as psychologists in the clinical-health field, we must become members of the Col-legi Oficial de Psicòlegs de Catalunya.. In case of practicing as a psychologist, both in the public and in the private, without the collegiate, it would be committing an act punishable by law, being considered a punishable administrative fault. Outside the clinical field it would not be obliged, but if the activity to exercise is directly destined to the citizenship it would be necessary to become a member of a professional association. Equally, in any of the cases this process is recommended.

There is a law that specifies this obligatory nature of membership in psychologists who wish to practice as such, specifically that which is contained in Article 6 of the General Statutes of the Official College of Psychologists, stating the following:

"The incorporation to the College is mandatory, in the modality of practitioner, in the terms provided in Article 3.2 of Law 2/1974, of February 13, regulating the Professional Associations, modified by Law 7/1997, of April 14, of Liberalizing Measures in Matters of Land and Professional Associations, for all those who, possessing the official qualification, exercise the profession of psychologist in its territorial scope. Civil servants are exempted from this obligation when they act in the service of public administrations by reason of their dependence on the civil service".

Who can become a member?

The requirements to become a member of any Official College of Psychologists in Spain are relatively simple. Not much effort is required to fulfill them, beyond that which is expected of a person who has completed his or her studies in psychology..

In order to complete the formalities, it is necessary to be of legal age and be a Spanish national or a national of one of the member states of the European Union, or of countries that are authorized to do so by virtue of an international agreement or treaty with Spain. Of course, you must have completed a degree in Psychology and, in the case of a foreign degree, it must be approved by the Ministry of Education.

Persons who hold a degree in Philosophy and Letters, section or branch of Psychology; a degree in Philosophy and Educational Sciences, section or branch of Psychology; or the homologation of their academic degree to any of the aforementioned degrees, in accordance with the general system of recognition of legally established higher education degrees, may join the Colleges.

The other requirements are quite simple to meet, unless you have committed a serious crime. You must not be incapacitated and you must not be disqualified from practicing psychology as a professional..

And as last requirement, fundamental to be able to register in any institution, be it of psychologists or of another profession, is the most important requirement for these colleges: to pay. Although it does not motivate us very much, it is the main requirement, apart from being a licensed psychologist, which will allow us to be registered.

What documents must be provided?

Now we move on to talk about the paperwork, about how much it costs us to become a licensed psychologist 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 all over Spain break the rule a bit, and all agree on the paperwork required to sign them. all agree on the paperwork that must be presented, which, to tell the truth, is not very much.. These documents are:

1. Certified photocopy of the degree.

The typical thing to present is a certified photocopy of the original degree in psychology, on both sides. In case of not having it yet, it will be necessary to present a certified photocopy of the receipt that proves that the issuing fees have been paid.. In addition, a certified photocopy of the academic certification must be submitted, showing the grades obtained and the completion of the degree.

In case the degree has been obtained outside Spain, as we have mentioned before, a certified photocopy of the homologation or credential issued by the Ministry of Education must be submitted.

2. Photocopy of the National Identity Document (DNI)

The typical photocopy of the DNI that is requested in many bureaucratic processes could not be missing here, since it is always necessary. In case you do not have such a document because you are a foreign national, you must present a valid passport or residence card, both the original and a photocopy of it.both the original and its photocopy. Whether it is an ID card or any other identity document, passport-size photographs must be attached.

3. Documentation of having finished studies in the last promotion.

This particular case is for those who have decided to become a member the same year they finished their studies.. Congratulations, you are going to save some money.

To qualify for this discount it will be necessary to present the same as point 1, only proving that you have finished your studies in the last year. As most probably you have not even received your degree, what you will have to do is to present the receipt of payment and the academic certificate.

4. Other information

This is where there are some differences from school to school. What they all agree on is that the bank details (IBAN and Swift BIC) must be presented in order to carry out the payment.

The school may ask us for some kind of special document, such as having studied at a specific university, having taken language courses or having other educational qualifications that give us certain advantages.such as having studied at a particular university, having taken language courses or having other educational qualifications, which give us certain advantages. These data will have to be asked to the institution in particular.

Once we have passed this brief but intense and exciting bureaucratic process, the official college of our autonomy or province will give us a membership card, along with access codes to the virtual area of the corresponding COP and other "prizes" that vary according to the region.

The costs of what it implies to become a registered psychologist

How much does it cost to become a registered 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.. In addition, prices may vary from year to year, even from semester to semester. In addition, you must take into account the discount for having studied in the last promotion.

But if you want a quick answer to this question, let's say that the registration fee to become a member is around 100 € in most of Spain, while the fee per semester fluctuates a lot (very much), ranging from 90 to almost 200 €. In addition, there are other payments that must be made at the time of registration in the corresponding school, which are:

• Registration fee
• College fee proportional to the corresponding semester.
• Other payments (only in some schools).
• It will have to be paid on a regular basis.

But let's go directly to the prices by autonomous regions. Below we will see the breakdown of the prices per registration and the semester fee in all the autonomous communities and some provinces of Spain.

1. Prices per registration

• Galicia: 94,80 €.
• Asturias: no information
• Cantabria: 91,31€.
• Guipuzcoa: 100,45€.
• Vizcaya: 97,00€.
• Alava: 102,00€.
• Navarra: 167,40 € 167,40
• La Rioja: 95,00 € 95,00
• Aragon: 104,40€.
• Catalonia: 86,78€.
• Castile and Leon: 97,00€.
• C. Valenciana: 151,88 € 151,88
• Balearic Islands: 100,20 €.
• Murcia: 100,00 € 100,00
• Castilla La-Mancha: € 80,00
• Madrid: 160,00 € 160,00
• Extremadura: 100,00 €.
• Eastern Andalusia: 170,00 € 170,00 €.
• Western Andalusia: 147,16 €.
• Tenerife: No information
• Las Palmas: 151,00 € 151,00
• Ceuta: 50,00 € 50,00
• Melilla: 120,00 €.

2. Prices per six-monthly fee

• Galicia: 94,80€.
• Asturias: 93,84 € 93,84
• Cantabria: 91,31€.
• Guipúzcoa: 100.45€.
• Vizcaya: 102,00€.
• Alava: 102,00 € 102,00
• Navarra: 95,40€.
• La Rioja: 95,00 € 95,00
• Aragon: 104,40€.
• Catalonia: 101,10€.
• Castilla y León: 118,86 € 118,86
• Murcia: 95,04 € 95,04
• Castile-La Mancha 94,38 € 94,38
• Madrid: 100,00 €.
• Extremadura: 100,02 € 100,02
• Eastern Andalusia: 127,00 €.
• Western Andalusia: 123,00 € 123,00 € 123,00
• Tenerife: 97,02 € 97,02
• Las Palmas: 103,00 €.
• Ceuta: 79,50 €.
• Melilla: 110,00 €.

And what are the benefits of membership?

The personal, bureaucratic and economic effort of the whole process of membership is much less than the benefits it entails.. When considering membership, the question should not be how much it will cost us, but what it will bring us and, fortunately, it is a lot.

The collegiate and collegiate can access free legal advice on professional issues. This advice can be their safeguard to avoid situations in which malpractice is bordering on malpractice or in which, not knowing how to protect themselves professionally, they end up paying. In addition, it allows 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 prices or free of charge. to update the knowledge of its members. That is to say, the COP can help us to be better professionals, keeping us up to date with the most recent therapies and psychological theories and avoid being left behind with respect to other mental health professionals.

There are also important discounts in the hiring of insurance such as civil liability, social, life, consultations or psychology centers, pension plans, home, automobile, work accidents, temporary sick leave, dependency... The psychologist's professional civil liability insurance, exclusive for members, has an annual cost of just over 10 € and has a coverage of 1,000,000 €.

The COPs offer scholarships and grants for the scientific and professional development of their members. In addition, it facilitates the carrying out of activities such as lectures, conferences, publication of books or development of informative documents of psychological interest. It also allows contact with eminent people in the field, facilitating the free circulation of opinions and knowledge.

Membership is synonymous with more job opportunities, and therefore more money.and therefore more money. Registered psychologists receive alerts of job offers, in addition to receiving professional guidance and help in their job placement. If requested, you can use the logo or brand of the regional COP, giving more prestige to the professional practice of psychologists showing that they have the legal protection of the official institution of psychology of their autonomy.

We could highlight a very extensive and convincing list of the benefits of becoming a member 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, will give us greater visibility among our colleagues and also in the eyes of potential clients/patients, as well as facilitating access to new knowledge in psychology. Becoming a registered psychologist does not cost that much.

Bibliographical references:

• Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Murcia (n. d.) Cuotas colegiales. Murcia, Spain. Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Murcia https://www.colegiopsicologos-murcia.org/web1/index.php/ventanilla-unica/colegiacion/54-cuotas-colegiales