Eduardo González
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published the fifth call for applications for its grant program to prepare for the competitive examinations for the Diplomatic Service. According to Minister José Manuel Albares, the main objective is to help any aspiring diplomat access these exams “regardless of their place of residence or economic status.”
“One of my priorities as minister is to democratize access to the Diplomatic Service,” Albares stated in a video posted on social media. “This grant will allow anyone, regardless of their place of residence or economic status, to prepare for these competitive examinations,” he continued.
The program was created in 2020 to “facilitate participants’ preparation for the entrance exams without factors such as income level or place of residence conditioning their access to preparation,” according to the “Resolution of November 3, 2025, which announces the Program for the Preparation of the Competitive Examination for Entry into the Diplomatic Service.”
The program’s objective is to provide participants with the basic training necessary to prepare for the competitive examination exercises for entry into the Diplomatic Service: multiple-choice tests, English and French language skills, essay writing, and topic presentations.
Participants will practice these exercises with instructors in online sessions at least weekly. They will also have access to the reading room and library resources of the Diplomatic School.
The program will begin during the first quarter of 2026, and selected candidates may participate for up to three years. A total of 22 positions are being offered, one of which is reserved for an applicant with a general disability rating of 33% or higher, and another for an applicant with an outstanding academic record among the best, regardless of family income.
Applications may be submitted by those who meet the following requirements, regardless of whether or not they are already preparing for the competitive examinations for entry into the Diplomatic Service: Spanish nationality, being of legal age, and holding a Bachelor’s degree, Engineering degree, Architecture degree, or equivalent qualification with a minimum grade point average of seven out of ten.
The intention to “democratize” access to the Diplomatic Service, proposed by Albares practically since taking office in July 2021, is related to the widespread belief that many of those who pass the competitive examination are relatives of diplomats. Although it doesn’t entirely reflect reality, it is very common to see familiar surnames repeated, and some of these candidates have the advantage of having lived abroad with their families and being fluent in one of the languages required for the competitive examination.
In any case, preparing for the competitive examinations for the Diplomatic Service can be expensive, especially for those who don’t live in Madrid, where most of the exam preparation courses are located, and who have to cover the costs of relocation and living in the Spanish capital, sometimes for three or four years.
