Nursery priority for single parents and large families (familia numerosa)

Key rules

• Regional scales: Points for each status are set by your region and change by call, so check the current scale.
• Foreign cards: A foreign large-family card is not recognised automatically; you need the Spanish title.
• Pending title: Many nurseries accept the application receipt for points, depending on the call.
• Separated parents: Separation alone usually does not count as single-parent without a ruling or other legal proof.

Points, accepted documents and processing times differ by region and by call, so confirm them with your regional education department and the nursery.

Do these statuses give you points?

Yes. Large-family (familia numerosa) status and single-parent (monoparental) status each add points or priority in public nursery scoring in many regions. The weight is set by each region and can change with each call. Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia all use their own scales.

In general, familia numerosa gives a modest number of points, and the special category gives more. Single-parent status is scored either as its own criterion or treated like a large family. Bigger points usually go to siblings already in the nursery, low family income and disability. Ask your regional education department for the current scale before you plan around these points.

Large family: foreign cards are not recognised automatically

Spain does not automatically recognise a foreign large-family card. You need the Spanish title, which your regional administration issues where you live.

• Who can apply: families living in Spain with children under 21, or up to 26 if they are studying. Legally resident foreign families count.
• General category: three or more children. In some cases two children qualify, if one has a disability or you are a single parent.
• Special category: four or more children, or five under special conditions.
• What you send: the family book or the children's birth certificates, parents' identity documents and your padrón registration. The documents list below has the detail.

Foreign documents proving your family make-up usually need an apostille (or legalisation) and a sworn translation. Do this before you apply. Processing times and exact documents differ by region.

If the title has not arrived when the nursery deadline comes, many nurseries accept the application receipt for points. This depends on the call, so ask the nursery before you rely on it.

Single parent: what counts as proof

Where your region issues a single-parent family title, that is the simplest proof. Otherwise you need documents showing that only one parent is legally responsible:

• a birth certificate naming only one parent
• a death certificate of the other parent
• a custody ruling
• a judgment or protection order

Separation alone usually does not count. If your child has two registered parents, you generally need a sentence or other legal proof of the other parent's absence before nurseries give single-parent points.

Foreign birth certificates and custody orders can work, generally with an apostille and a sworn translation. The nursery's call decides what it accepts, so check your documents with the nursery before you pay for translations.

Do it in this order

1. Ask the regional education department how many points each status carries in this year's call.
2. Start the apostille and translation of foreign documents early.
3. Apply for the familia numerosa title, or the single-parent title if your region has one.
4. Confirm with the nursery what it accepts while a title is pending.

The checklist, documents list and questions below cover the details.

Documents you need

• Family book or the children's birth certificates, to apply for the familia numerosa title. Foreign ones usually need an apostille and a translation.

• Identity documents for the parents, for the familia numerosa application.

• Padrón registration (certificate of the town hall register showing where you live), for the familia numerosa application.

• Receipt of your familia numerosa application, if the title has not been issued yet, to claim points in the meantime.

• The regional single-parent family title, where your region issues one, as proof of single-parent status.

• A birth certificate naming only one parent, a death certificate of the other parent, a custody ruling or a protection order, if there is no regional title. Foreign ones generally need an apostille and a sworn translation.

Checklist

• Apply for the Spanish familia numerosa title with your regional administration if you have three or more children, or fewer in the qualifying cases.

• Get your foreign family documents apostilled and translated before you apply.

• Ask the nursery whether it accepts the application receipt for points while the title is pending.

• Gather proof of single-parent status, such as the regional title, a one-parent birth certificate or a custody ruling, if it applies to you.

• Check with the nursery that your foreign single-parent documents are accepted, and whether it needs an apostille and a sworn translation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my foreign large-family card to get familia numerosa points?

No, Spain does not automatically recognise a foreign large-family card, so you need to apply for the Spanish familia numerosa title. The regional administration where you live grants it, and legally resident foreign families can apply. Foreign documents that prove your family make-up usually need to be apostilled and translated.

Can I claim large-family points before the Spanish title arrives?

Yes, nurseries normally accept the application receipt for points, depending on the call. Keep the receipt and check the call's rules before you submit.

Does separated-parent status count as single-parent for nursery points?

Usually not, if your child has two registered parents. Separated households often only count as single-parent when there is a court ruling or other legal proof of the other parent's absence.

How many children do I need for familia numerosa status?

Three or more children qualifies for the general category, and in some cases two children qualify if one has a disability or you are a single parent. Four or more children, or five with special conditions, gives the special category, which usually earns more points.