Life in Spain · updated 12.07.2026
Schools and Children's Education in Spain: public, private and international
Updated: 12 July 2026 · Verified by the EuroGarant team against official sources
In short: schooling in Spain is compulsory for all children aged 6 to 16 and free in public schools — including for the children of foreign nationals. For a family relocating legally — on a digital nomad visa (DNV), NLV or another basis — it is important to choose the type of school in advance, understand the language of instruction in your region and not miss the enrolment period: in most autonomous communities it takes place in spring. Below, the whole system laid out clearly.
How Spain's School System Works
Education is governed by the organic law LOMLOE (Ley Orgánica 3/2020, published in the BOE), while practical matters — from the calendar to enrolment rules — are decided by the autonomous communities. That is why the details differ in Catalonia, Madrid and Andalusia, but the framework is the same:
- Educación Infantil (ages 0–6) — the pre-school stage; the second cycle (ages 3–6) is free in public centres, and almost all Spanish children start school at three
- Educación Primaria (ages 6–12) — primary school, six years
- ESO (ages 12–16) — compulsory secondary school, four years; compulsory education ends here
- Bachillerato (ages 16–18) — the pre-university stage, or vocational training (Formación Profesional)
The school year runs from September to June and is divided into three terms. Grades are given on a ten-point scale. An important feature: the compulsory stage (ages 6–16) is guaranteed to every child living in Spain — the school must accept a child based on age. But a family's comfortable life starts with the right legal status for the parents: we covered how to obtain it in our step-by-step guide “How to Get a Residence Permit in Spain”.
Four Types of Schools: A Comparison
Four formats coexist in Spain, and the difference between them is not only about money but also about language, curriculum and the final diploma.
| Type of school | Funding | Language of instruction | Approximate family costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public (pública) | Fully state-funded | Spanish + the region's co-official language | Free; costs only for materials, the canteen and extracurricular activities |
| Semi-private (concertada) | Private school on state subsidies, often Catholic | Spanish + the regional language, more English | Modest monthly contributions — usually up to 100–200 € per month |
| Private (privada) | Fully private | Spanish, often bilingual programmes | Roughly 300–800 € per month |
| International | Private | English, French, German; IB, British and American programmes | Roughly 600–2 000 € per month and above, plus an entrance fee |
Public schools offer a solid standard and the best language integration: your child will start speaking Spanish faster and make local friends. Concertada schools are a popular compromise — a private-school atmosphere for modest money — but places at the strong ones are scarce. International schools are chosen by families who want to keep an English-language curriculum or plan on universities outside Spain; in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and on the Costa del Sol the top international schools have waiting lists — it is worth applying a year in advance. If you want to compare specific schools in your city ahead of time and not miss the enrolment deadlines, you can go through the selection with expert support — see nursery and school selection.
Language of Instruction: Spanish Is Not the Main Language Everywhere
Castilian Spanish is the state language, but in several autonomous communities schooling is conducted mainly in the region's co-official language: in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands — Catalan, in the Valencian Community — Valencian, in Galicia — Galician, in the Basque Country — Basque (depending on the language model chosen). This is worth considering when choosing a city: a child at a public school in Barcelona will study mostly in Catalan.
For children who do not yet speak the language there are adaptation programmes: aula d'acollida in Catalonia, aulas de enlace in Madrid and similar “immersion classes” in other regions — the child works on the language separately for a few hours a day and spends the rest of the time with their class. Practice shows that children under 10–11 usually reach a working level of the language within six months to a year; it is harder for teenagers, so for them families more often consider a concertada with reinforced English or an international school.
How to Enrol Your Child in School: 5 Steps
- Complete your empadronamiento — registration at your place of residence with the town hall. Without it, a public school will not accept your application, and places are allocated partly based on how close the school is to your address. For a detailed breakdown, see our article on empadronamiento.
- Find out the enrolment deadlines in your autonomous community. In most regions the main application period (periodo de admisión) runs from March to May — for the school year starting in September. Moved mid-year? No problem: the school placement commission (comisión de escolarización) will find a school with available places at any time.
- Submit the application with a ranked list of schools. Places are allocated on a points basis: proximity to home or work, siblings at the same school, family income, large-family status.
- Gather the documents: the parents' and child's passports (once residence is issued — NIE/TIE), the birth certificate with a sworn translation, empadronamiento, the vaccination record (worth translating in advance) and photos.
- Confirm the place (matrícula) within the set deadlines — otherwise it will go to the next child on the list.
If after Bachillerato your child plans to pursue higher education in the country, the “certificate recognition — programme choice — application” route can be completed with expert support — see admission to a Spanish university.
What a Relocating Family Should Keep in Mind
School is one piece of the larger relocation puzzle, and it is easier to assemble it in the right order:
- Children are included in the residence permit application together with their parents. Under the DNV income is calculated from a base of ≈200% of the SMI (Spain's minimum wage) with supplements for family members; under the NLV — 400% of IPREM (a public income benchmark) plus 100% of IPREM (≈600 €/month) for each family member. Children receive the same residence status as their parents
- Empadronamiento — right after you move in: you will need it for school, for healthcare and for most administrative procedures
- Healthcare and insurance: for the initial residence permit the family needs a full-coverage health policy; a paediatrician is assigned to the child based on the registered address or the insurance
- School certificates will come in handy later: proof that your children attend school is one of the arguments for genuine residence when renewing a residence permit
- Taxes: if the family spends more than 183 days a year in Spain, the parents become tax residents — read how this works in our article on taxes in Spain
More practical guides on everyday life, healthcare and adaptation are in the section “Life in Spain”, and short answers to common questions are in the “Questions and Answers”.
Read Also
- The Cost of Living in Spain in 2026
- Transport in Spain: Driving Licence, Car, Travel Passes
- Moving to Spain as a Family: A Typical Scenario
Official sources: BOE — Ley Orgánica 3/2020 (LOMLOE) · Ministry of Education of Spain · education portals of the autonomous communities