How nursery admission points (baremo) work for newcomers

Terms used

• Baremo — The baremo is the points scale used to rank applicants for public nursery places.
• Familia numerosa — Familia numerosa is an official large-family status that earns extra points in many admission scales.
• Empadronamiento — Empadronamiento is your registration as a resident at your town hall, also called the padrón.
• IRPF — The IRPF is Spain's personal income tax, whose annual return is used to check family income.
• IPREM — The IPREM is a public reference figure for income that some points scales use to set income bands.
• Vida laboral — The vida laboral is a Social Security report listing a person's working history.
• RETA — The RETA is the Social Security scheme for self-employed workers.
• Sorteo — The sorteo is a public draw that settles ties between applicants with equal points.

Key rules

• Local points: Each region, and sometimes each town, sets its own points, so check the current admission rules where you will apply.
• Residence: You generally do not need a minimum length of residence to apply, but you need a home address or workplace in the area.
• Income points: If you have no Spanish tax return, you will usually need foreign income documents or may get the minimum income score.
• Late arrival: If you arrive after the admission window, you get a place only if vacancies remain.

The short version

Public nurseries do not admit children first come, first served. When there are more applicants than places, each family gets a score from a points scale called the baremo, and the highest scores get the places. The criteria are similar across Spain, but each region sets its own points, and some towns adjust them. Newcomers can apply, but you will often score lower on some criteria, mainly income and local registration.

What earns points

Most scales reward these things:

• A brother or sister already enrolled in the same nursery. This is usually one of the heaviest criteria.
• Low family income. The lower your income, the more points you get.
• Both parents working, or the only parent in a single-parent family working.
• Living or working near the nursery.
• Large family status (familia numerosa) or a single-parent family.
• A disability of the child, a parent or a sibling, or special needs of the child.
• A multiple birth, such as twins.
• Victims of gender violence or terrorism, and a recommendation from social services.
• In some places, parents who are in training or study.

Sibling, income, proximity, and large-family or disability status generally carry the most weight in Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia. The exact points per criterion are in your region's current admission rules, so read those before you estimate your score.

Rules differ by region:

• Catalonia: each municipality fills in the details, within a general scheme that prioritises siblings, proximity, large families and single-parent families.
• Madrid: municipal nurseries use their own scale with sibling, income, work and disability points.
• Andalusia and Valencia: the education department runs a central scale, with income-based and working-parent points.

Where newcomers score lower

Residence. There is generally no minimum length of residence to apply. You normally need a home address (a registration or a residence contract) or a workplace in the area. Proximity points are based on your registered home or workplace address, not on how many years you have lived there. Some towns or regions give extra points for empadronamiento (being registered at your town hall). A family that has just arrived may lose those points. Register as soon as you have an address.

Income. Income is normally checked against your Spanish tax return (IRPF) for the year two years before the application. You usually consent to the education administration checking this directly with the tax agency. If you did not file in Spain, you will usually need to submit foreign income documents, or you may be given the minimum income score. Income bands are usually based on income per family member, measured against a reference figure such as the IPREM or the minimum wage.

Work. Working-parent points need proof for each parent. Employees usually show an employer certificate and a recent payslip, and sometimes a vida laboral (Social Security working-life report). Self-employed parents usually show their RETA registration, their census registration and a recent tax or fee payment. An unemployed parent may be asked for a certificate from the employment service. The documents list below has the details.

If two families have the same score

The tie is broken by comparing single criteria in a fixed order. Often this starts with siblings, then income, then proximity. If the tie still stands, a public draw (sorteo) decides. Each region or municipality sets the order.

If you arrive late

Applications are only accepted in the admission window, which is usually in spring. If you arrive after it, you are normally treated as a late applicant. You get a place only if vacancies remain after the main round. Ask the nursery or your town hall's education office about late applications as soon as you arrive.

What to do next

1. Find your region's current admission rules and your town's version of them.
2. Get registered at your address.
3. Gather the income and work documents for both parents.
4. Apply inside the admission window.

The FAQ below answers common newcomer questions.

Documents you need

• Spanish tax return (IRPF) for the year two years before the application, or a certificate of income. You can instead consent to the education administration checking this directly with the tax agency (AEAT).

• Foreign income documents, if you did not file a tax return in Spain, for example if you have just arrived.

• Employer certificate stating contract type, schedule and start date, for each employed parent.

• Recent payslip, for each employed parent.

• Social Security working-life report (vida laboral), which some regions ask for from employed parents.

• For self-employed parents (autónomos): proof of registration in the RETA (the Social Security scheme for the self-employed), the census registration (Modelo 036 or 037) and a recent tax payment or fee receipt.

• Certificate from the employment service, for a parent who is unemployed, if the admissions office asks for it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a minimum length of residence to apply for a nursery place?

No, there is generally no minimum length of residence to apply for a public nursery place. You can usually apply if you have a registered address, a residence contract or a workplace in the area. Some towns give extra points for registration (empadronamiento) in the municipality, so a family that has just arrived may score lower on that point.

What happens if my family has no Spanish tax return for the income points?

If you did not file a Spanish tax return, you will often need to submit foreign income documents. In some areas you are instead given the minimum income score. Ask the admissions office which of the two applies to you.

What happens if two families have the same number of points?

A tie is broken by comparing single criteria in a set order, usually siblings in the centre first, then income, then proximity. If the tie remains, a public draw (sorteo) decides, using a random number or letter drawn by the education authority.

Can I still apply if I arrive after the spring admission period?

Yes, you can still apply after the spring period, but you are normally treated as a late applicant.