For a family moving to Spain, the first surprise is that there is no national enrolment. Your child's school is decided by the region, and the rules, the dates and sometimes the language are different in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville or Palma. Choosing among schools in Spain is easier when you understand the three families of schools and the calendar.
How does the school system in Spain work?
School is compulsory and free from 6 to 16, in primary school and in compulsory secondary education, the ESO. From the age of three, children can attend educación infantil, which is free in the public network but not compulsory. Before three, there is the nursery or crèche (primer ciclo de educación infantil), whose provision and fees are set by each region or town hall.
Three types of school exist:
- Public schools, free, run by the region.
- Concertada schools, privately run but publicly funded under contract. Admission follows the same regional criteria as state schools, though families may be asked for contributions for extras.
- Private schools, including the international ones, with their own fees and admission.
How do you enrol your child in schools in Spain?
- Register your family at the padrón with your children. The padrón address is the proof of domicile used for admission (padrón and Cl@ve).
- Find the admission service of your autonomous community (the Consejería de Educación). It publishes the public and concertada schools in your area, and the dates of the pre-registration (preinscripción).
- Arriving for September: apply during the ordinary admission period, usually in spring, ranking several schools. If there are more applicants than places, the region applies criteria: siblings already enrolled, proximity of the home or of a parent's workplace, family income, large or single-parent families, and disability.
- Arriving during the year: contact the municipal or regional admissions body for a late admission. The administration must guarantee a place during the compulsory age.
- Have the level assessed. The school places the child by age, knowledge and school history, with extra language lessons if needed.
- Apply for the canteen and for grants for meals, books and transport, which vary by region.
Documents usually include the padrón certificate, the passport or ID of the child and parents (and the NIE if you have one), the birth certificate or Spanish libro de familia (a translation may be requested), recent school reports and a certificate from the previous school, and the vaccination record.
What does it cost?
State schools are free from ages 3 to 16, but materials, outings and the canteen may be charged. For nurseries, some regions have made the public network free: the Community of Madrid since 2019 and the Balearic Islands since 1 September 2023, where families still pay for extended hours and the canteen. Elsewhere, families pay or receive a grant, so ask your region. French and other private schools charge their own fees, and the amounts differ by school.
Which language will your child be taught in?
The law guarantees teaching in Spanish and, where it exists, in the co-official language, and at the end of compulsory school pupils are expected to master both. In practice:
- Catalonia: the main teaching language is Catalan in practice. Courts have imposed a minimum of 25% of teaching in Spanish, including a core subject (ruling of the Catalan High Court of 16 December 2020, final in January 2022 and upheld by the Supreme Court). The 2022 Catalan law sets no percentage and is still contested, so the situation is still moving.
- The Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community, Galicia and the Basque Country: a large part of teaching also takes place in the regional language.
- The Basque Country offers three models: A (Spanish, with Basque as a subject), B (part Spanish, part Basque) and D (Basque, with Spanish as a subject). In Bachillerato and vocational training only A and D exist. You choose when you enrol.
- Navarre: pupils who choose a model at entry should in principle follow it for their whole schooling.
For a child who speaks neither language, ask about reception classes for language support in your region. See the daily life guide for the languages of each region.
When does the school year start and how does the week work?
Each region fixes its own calendar for 2026-2027: the start of term, the holidays and the end of the year. In general the year starts in September and ends in June, but the exact dates are published every year by the education department of your community, so check them before planning your move. Regional and local public holidays also apply to schools, and the Canary Islands and the Balearics have their own.
The school day, the canteen and after-school activities vary between public, concertada and private schools. Ask each school for its timetable and for what is included in the fees, including extended hours for working parents. Our article on working in Spain explains the working-time rules that parents have to fit around.
How do you choose between the school types?
Think about what you want your child to leave with. If your family is staying for years, a state or concertada school gives immersion in Spanish and, in some regions, a second regional language, and a ready-made local network. If the stay is short or your child follows a foreign curriculum towards a foreign university, an international school can ease the return, at private fees. In between, some schools offer bilingual education programmes in English or another language alongside Spanish; the offer differs by region and by school, so ask what is actually taught in English and by whom.
Visit at least two schools, ask about the admission criteria that apply to you, and never rely on a single address on your padrón: proximity decides many places. If you plan to move home after a year, check with your home education authority how the Spanish school year will be recognised.
What about international schools?
Families on a temporary posting, or those who want the home curriculum, often choose them. The French education agency AEFE lists 23 French-approved schools in Spain (consulted on 20 October 2026), of which three are directly managed: the Lycée français in Madrid, in Barcelona and the international lycée in Valencia. Others are in Alicante, Bilbao, Ibiza, Las Palmas, Málaga, Marbella, Murcia, Palma, Reus, Zaragoza, Seville, Tenerife and Valladolid, and around Barcelona and Madrid. French families can apply for school grants through the consulate. German, British, Italian and other international schools exist too: check that they are authorised by the autonomous community and recognised by your home country if you plan to return. British private schools often follow the English curriculum, not the Scottish one.
Will your child's previous studies be recognised?
For primary and the start of ESO, placement by age and level is the rule. For the last years of secondary school and the Bachillerato, or to get a diploma, you may need an homologación or convalidación from the Ministry of Education. The Ministry accepts files all year round and decides within three months of a complete file, but silence means refusal. A fee applies (form 790, code 079), except for the homologation to the Graduado en ESO; check the amount on the form when you pay.
Common mistakes
- Applying too late for September. The popular schools fill during the spring window.
- Using a temporary address. Proximity is judged on the padrón.
- Assuming Spanish is enough everywhere. Check the language models in your region.
The Canary Islands and the Balearics follow the same national framework with regional administration. If you move because of schooling, compare areas first in best places to live in Spain.
If your child has special educational needs or a disability, say so at the time of enrolment: disability is one of the criteria used when places are limited, and the regions run their own support programmes. Ask the admissions body what documents it accepts from your home country and whether a translation is required, because the rules vary from one autonomous community to another.