Although current reform aim at the abolition of the higher education regions and admission zones, those students are presently being given preference in admission to higher education institutions who have completed their secondary school in the zone concerned, unless they wish to embark on courses of study which do no exist there. In this case, students who have to leave their region are regarded in exactly the same way as students from the region concerned. In Madrid and Barclona (where there are several universities) there are universal distribution systems which take the preferences of students and their marks into consideracion.

Applicants from outside Spain are not subject to these restrictions; thus they can address their application to any institution or university of their choice. It is, however, strongly recommended that applicants carry out all relevant formalities within the prescribed periods, and that they gather information about the university and course in question as early as possible.