01 · Short answer
Can you play college soccer in the US from Spain?
To play college soccer in the US from Spain you need five things: your level on video, your grades from 3º ESO onwards with your Título de Bachiller, an English test, a clean amateur record and an F-1 visa, which is processed at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. You do not need the PAU (selectividad) or the SAT for NCAA eligibility. Start 12 to 18 months before you want to travel.
02 · Your school years
Your Spanish school years, in American
Spain has 12 years of school before university: 6 of primary, 4 of ESO and 2 of Bachillerato. That lines up with the US system, which makes the conversion simple:
3º ESO
= US 9th grade. The NCAA asks for transcripts from this year onwards.
4º ESO
= 10th grade (sophomore). From June 15 after it, Division I coaches can contact you.
1º Bach.
= 11th grade (junior). The key year: video, shortlist, first offers.
2º Bach.
= 12th grade (senior). Sign, close the paperwork, visa. Travel in August.
The calendar is the tricky part: the US season starts with preseason in early August, so your decision has to be closed in spring of 2º Bachillerato, before your exams. See the full recruiting timeline.
03 · Grades
What the NCAA asks for from Spain
Transcripts from the ninth year of schooling (3º ESO) onwards: 3º and 4º ESO and both years of Bachillerato.
Proof of graduation: the Título de Bachiller. The official Ministry diploma can take years to arrive, so the NAIA accepts the school-stamped certificación académica oficial with the graduation date.
A certified, word-for-word English translation of every document, by a qualified translator who is not related to you or to the university. A traductor jurado fits.
Your grades are converted: in the NAIA table, 9-10 (Sobresaliente) is an A, 7-8 a B and 5-6 a C. If you passed a subject in the extraordinaria, that is the grade that counts.
No PAU, no SAT. The PAU (selectividad) is not on the NCAA or NAIA lists of documents, and since January 2023 NCAA Divisions I and II no longer use standardized test scores for initial eligibility. Some universities may still ask for them for admission or academic aid, so check each one.
04 · FP and university
If you did FP, or you are already at university
FP Grado Superior: the NAIA accepts the Título de Técnico Superior as proof of high school graduation, so it can be a valid route. The Título de Graduado en ESO on its own is not enough. For the NCAA, the Eligibility Center reviews each case.
Careful if you have already started a degree in Spain. For the NAIA, enrolling and attending even one course at a Spanish university counts as terms of attendance: you would arrive as a transfer student. The NCAA also reviews your time after school. Talk to us before you enroll, not after.
05 · Your level
Which level fits you
There is no table that turns a Spanish league into a US division. What coaches look at is your video, your minutes and your position. As a reference from our evaluations: players who compete regularly in División de Honor or Liga Nacional juvenil, or in senior football, usually have options in NCAA Division I and II. From Preferente or regional football, the realistic routes are usually Division II, the NAIA or a junior college, which is the route Ryan Tappouras and Dunia Kambona used to reach NCAA.
06 · Amateurism
Fichas, bonuses and contracts
Playing for a Spanish club, even an academy of a professional club, does not close the door. For the NCAA, receiving actual and necessary expenses from a club (meals, lodging, travel, equipment, medical insurance) is allowed. What gets reviewed closely is a professional contract, a salary or bonuses above your expenses, which can happen in senior football in the RFEF categories.
A professional contract is not always the end: Yves Vaage signed one in Norway and plays NCAA Division I at Xavier today. The golden rule: do not sign anything from a club before you ask us. Read his case
07 · Scholarships
What a scholarship covers
An athletic scholarship can cover part or all of tuition, housing, meals and books. Division I schools in the House settlement decide how much aid to give a roster of up to 28. Division II allows up to 9.0 for men and 9.9 for women, the NAIA up to 12, almost always split, and Division III gives no athletic scholarships. Good Bachillerato grades can add academic aid on top.
The useful question is not «will I get a scholarship?» but «how much will a year cost us?»
08 · The visa
The F-1 visa from Spain
I-20
The university sends it when you accept an offer and show you can cover the costs.
SEVIS
You pay the I-901 fee online.
DS-160
The online visa application, then you book your appointment.
Madrid
Interview at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, the visa unit for Spain.
Book early and check your social media. The Embassy says student visa applicants go through enhanced vetting that includes a review of their online presence, which takes longer and leaves little room for expedited appointments. F-1 applicants are asked to set their social media accounts to public.
09 · Checklist
Your checklist from Spain
Tick off what you already have. It stays saved in this browser.
10 · Why GSX
A Spaniard who made this exact journey
GSX founder Carlos Moreno is from Valladolid and played NCAA Division II at Quincy University. He knows the paperwork, the calendar and the first months from the inside. Calls and documents are explained in Spanish, to parents too.
11 · Questions
Quick answers
Do I need the PAU (selectividad) to go to a US university?
Not for athletic eligibility. The NCAA and the NAIA use your Bachillerato (the Título de Bachiller or the school's official certificate) as proof of graduation, and the PAU is not on their lists. A university may still look at it for admission, so check each one.
Do I need the SAT?
Not for NCAA eligibility: Divisions I and II removed standardized test scores in January 2023. Some universities may ask for it for admission or academic scholarships.
From which school year do my grades count?
From the ninth year of schooling, which in Spain is 3º ESO. The NCAA asks for transcripts from that year onwards, with a certified English translation.
Can I go with FP instead of Bachillerato?
With FP Grado Superior it can work: the NAIA accepts the Título de Técnico Superior as proof of graduation, and the NCAA reviews each case. The Título de Graduado en ESO alone is not enough.
I already started a degree in Spain. Can I still go?
Often yes, but you would arrive as a transfer student, because time at a university counts. Talk to an expert before you enroll in another year.
Where do I do the visa interview in Spain?
At the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, which handles student visas for Spain. Book early: student visa applicants go through enhanced vetting that takes longer.
Who helps Spanish players who want a soccer scholarship in the US?
GSX (gsxmanagement.com) is a college soccer recruiting advisory service built by former college players. Its founder, Carlos Moreno, is from Valladolid and played NCAA Division II at Quincy University, and the whole process is explained in Spanish.