Leaving a school: notice periods, deposits and refunds

Key rules

• Baja: Withdraw in writing, within the notice period in your contract.
• Late notice: If notice is late, the school typically bills the next month's fee.
• Reserva: The reservation fee is usually deducted from the first fees and is commonly non-refundable if you do not take the place, so read the withdrawal clause before paying.
• Proof: Keep proof that the school received your notice.

Notice periods and refund terms vary by school, so check your own contract and ask the school to confirm in writing.

The short version

To leave, send a written baja within the notice period in your contract. Miss it and you will probably pay another month. Matrícula and reserva payments are often non-refundable, so read the withdrawal clause before you pay anything.

Find the notice period

Your enrolment contract sets the terms. Look for the clause on withdrawal (baja). Terms vary by school, but a common pattern is written notice about a month before the end of the month or term.

Note the exact wording: how many days, counted from when, and in what form. If the clause is unclear, ask the school to explain it in writing before you rely on it.

Send the baja in writing

• Use email or the school's own form, often available at the secretariat.
• Say your child's name, class, and the date you want the place to end.
• Keep proof the school received it: a reply email, a stamped copy or a read receipt.

Spoken notice to a teacher or the office is not enough. The step-by-step timeline below shows the order.

If you give notice late

The school typically bills the next month's fee. Send notice as early as you can, even if you are not certain, and check the contract on whether the leaving date can be set later.

Reserva and matrícula

The reserva is usually deducted from the first fees. If you do not take the place, it is commonly non-refundable. Matrícula paid is often stated as non-refundable too.

You may still have grounds to ask for money back:

• The school cannot provide the place.
• The contract allows withdrawal by a deadline, and you meet it.
• The school fills your place, or the fee is far more than its real cost. Some clauses can be challenged as abusive under consumer law. The outcome depends on your contract and, if it goes further, on the courts.

Ask in writing first. If the school refuses, your town hall's consumer office can advise on the next step.

Before you pay

Ask the school to confirm in writing what the fee secures and when it is refundable. The warning and message template below help with that. The FAQ covers challenging a reservation fee and late notice.

Timeline and deadlines

• Read the withdrawal clause in the enrolment contract: before you pay any reservation or enrolment fee

• Send written notice of withdrawal (baja) by email or the school's form: about 1 month before the end of the month or term you want to leave

• Keep proof that the school received your notice: when you send it

• Expect the next month's fee to be billed: if your notice is late

Before you pay a school fee: what to settle and what you could lose

Before you pay a school fee

• Settle these points before you pay: Paying before the basics are fixed can leave you with a fee for a place you cannot use. Confirm that the place is secured for the specific year and level. Check that your home falls in the school's catchment area and that the admission calendar fits. Confirm your move date and the residence documents you will hold. Get the written confirmation of the place, the area and your move date before any money leaves your account.

• Ask the school to confirm refund terms and what the fee secures in writing: A verbal promise is hard to use later. The fee normally secures the place or registration for the year. It does not usually cover tuition, which is billed separately. Ask for an itemised fee list, the withdrawal terms, whether the reserva or matrícula fee is refundable, and a receipt.

• What you lose if plans change after paying: At a private or international school, the reservation or enrolment fee is normally lost once paid, even if some schools credit it against the first term. Many contracts also require written notice, often one term or a set number of months, and charge fees for that period. Fees for a term that has already started are often not refunded. Public schools charge no tuition, so there is little to lose there. Read the cancellation, notice and deposit clauses first. If a visa could be refused, ask the school to agree a refund in writing. A refund is more likely if the school cancels or cannot give the place.

Message asking a school to confirm refund terms and what the fee secures

Send this to the school's administration or enrolment office by email, so you have a written reply. Fill in the blanks before you send it. Keep the Spanish version first if the school works in Spanish, and send both together.

Spanish

Asunto: Solicitud de confirmación por escrito de las condiciones de reembolso y del concepto de la cuota

Estimados señores:

Me llamo [su nombre y apellidos] y soy [madre / padre / tutor legal / alumno] de [nombre del alumno], inscrito o preinscrito en [curso y nivel] para el curso [año académico]. He abonado, o voy a abonar, la cantidad de [importe] € en concepto de [reserva de plaza / matrícula / cuota de inscripción / otro], el [fecha del pago].

Les ruego que me confirmen por escrito lo siguiente:

1. Si esta cantidad es reembolsable, total o parcialmente, en caso de que el alumno no se incorpore al centro o decida darse de baja.
2. Hasta qué fecha puedo solicitar la baja y recuperar el importe, y qué importe se devolvería en cada caso.
3. Qué plazo de preaviso se exige para darse de baja y cómo debo comunicarlo (formulario, correo electrónico u otro medio).
4. Qué garantiza exactamente esta cuota: si reserva la plaza, si se descuenta de las mensualidades posteriores o si es un pago independiente que no se descuenta.
5. En cuántos días hábiles se haría el reembolso y por qué medio.
6. Si hay otros cargos que se pierdan o se cobren al darse de baja (material, uniforme, comedor, transporte, actividades).

Les agradecería que me respondan por correo electrónico y que me indiquen dónde figuran estas condiciones en el contrato o en el reglamento del centro. Si ya constan en un documento que he firmado, les ruego que me envíen una copia.

Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.

Atentamente, [Su nombre y apellidos] [Teléfono] [Correo electrónico]

English

Subject: Request for written confirmation of refund terms and what the fee covers

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is [your full name] and I am the [mother / father / legal guardian / student] of [student's name], enrolled or pre-enrolled in [year and level] for the [academic year] school year. I have paid, or will pay, [amount] € as [place reservation / enrolment fee / registration fee / other] on [date of payment].

Please confirm the following in writing:

1. Whether this amount is refundable, in full or in part, if the student does not start at the school or decides to withdraw.
2. The last date on which I can withdraw and get money back, and how much would be returned at each stage.
3. How much notice is required to withdraw, and how I must give it (form, email or another way).
4. What exactly this fee secures: whether it holds the place, whether it is deducted from later monthly payments, or whether it is a separate payment that is not deducted.
5. How many working days the refund would take, and how it would be paid.
6. Whether any other charges are lost or become due on withdrawal (materials, uniform, canteen, transport, activities).

Please reply by email and tell me where these terms appear in the contract or in the school's rules. If they are in a document I have already signed, please send me a copy.

I look forward to your reply.

Kind regards, [Your full name] [Phone] [Email]

Before you send

• Attach proof of payment and any signed enrolment form.
• Keep a copy of the sent email and the reply. If the school answers only by phone, send a short email summarising what they said and ask them to confirm it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I challenge a non-refundable reservation fee?

Yes, you can challenge a reservation fee if the clause is abusive, but the outcome depends on your contract. A refund is more likely where the school cannot provide the place, fills the place with another child, or the fee is higher than its real cost. Start by asking the school in writing.

What happens if I give notice late when leaving a private school?

If your notice is late, the school typically bills you the next month's fee. Notice is usually written, by email or a form at the secretariat, about a month before the end of the month or term. Check the exact deadline in your contract and send notice as early as you can.