Regional nursery vouchers (bonos) and grants you can claim

Key rules

• Regional schemes: Nursery aid is set by each region, so the scheme and amount depend on where you live.
• Yearly call: Amounts, income thresholds and dates are fixed in each year's call, so check the current one.
• Work condition: Both parents, or a single parent, usually need to be working or in an equivalent situation.
• Authorised nursery: Your child must be of nursery age and enrolled in an authorised nursery.

Scheme names, amounts, thresholds and dates change every year, so confirm them in the current call with your regional education department.

Nursery aid depends on your region

Nursery aid in Spain is run by each region, not by the national government. Where you live decides the scheme, the amount and the dates. Each region publishes a yearly call (convocatoria) with the current figures. Always check that call before you plan your budget.

Schemes by region

• Madrid: the Cheque Guardería, run by the regional education department (Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Universidades).
• Catalonia: fee reductions and subsidies from the regional education department (Departament d'Educació), plus schemes run by some town halls.
• Valencia: the Bono Infantil, linked to the public network of nursery schools (Xarxa Pública d'Escoles Infantils), run by the Conselleria de Educación.
• Andalucía: the Programa de ayuda a las familias, which gives a bonus for the regional nursery network. There is also a free-places scheme for the first cycle (up to age three) for families who meet its conditions.

Names and managing bodies can change, so confirm them with your regional education department.

How much you can get

The amount depends on your household income, the number of children and the hours your child attends. Each call sets a monthly amount, which usually covers the school-year months. Amounts change every school year, so ask your regional education department for the figure in the current call.

Who qualifies

Expect these conditions in most regions:

• Income: measured per person or per household, using your latest income tax return (IRPF). The call sets the threshold and which tax year it uses.
• Work: both parents, or the single parent, usually need to be working or in a situation the call treats as equivalent.
• Child and nursery: your child must be of nursery age and enrolled in an authorised nursery.

If you have just arrived and have no Spanish tax return for the reference year, ask the education department how the call treats your case before you apply.

When to apply

Applications usually open between spring and early summer, roughly April to July, for the following school year. A later period often exists for places left over. Andalucía's pre-enrolment runs in spring, and Valencia and Andalucía run enrolment and aid applications from spring to summer. Madrid's cheque has typically opened in spring or early summer. Dates change each year, so note the opening and closing dates in the current call. The timeline and checklist below set out the steps.

If you miss the main window, ask the education department about the period for leftover places straight away.

Who to ask

For Madrid or Andalucía, ask the regional education department. In Catalonia, also ask your town hall about local schemes.

Timeline and deadlines

• Andalucía nursery pre-enrolment: in the spring, before the next school year

• Valencia enrolment and aid applications: from spring to summer

• Apply for places left over: in a later period after the main window closes

Checklist

• Find the nursery aid scheme for your region, such as the Cheque Guardería in Madrid or the Bono Infantil in Valencia.

• Check the income threshold and the tax return year the current call uses.

• Confirm that you and your partner, or you as a single parent, meet the work condition.

• Confirm that your child is of nursery age and that the nursery is authorised.

• Ask whether a later period exists for places left over if you miss the main window.

Frequently asked questions

Does the nursery aid pay the same amount every month of the year?

No, the aid is a monthly amount that usually covers only the school-year months. Each yearly call sets the amount, based on your income, the number of children and the hours your child attends.

Do both parents need to be working to qualify for a regional nursery cheque?

Yes, usually both parents, or the single parent, must be working or in a situation treated as equivalent. Your child must also be of nursery age and enrolled in an authorised nursery, and each call sets the exact conditions.

What can I do if I miss the main application window for nursery aid?

Many regions open a later period for places left over, so you may still get a chance. Check the current call with your regional education department to see whether one exists this year.

Which office do I ask about nursery aid in Madrid or Andalucía?

Ask the regional education department, called the Consejería de Educación in both regions. In Madrid it runs the Cheque Guardería, and in Andalucía it runs the aid programme for families and the free-places scheme.