Free or reduced-price school lunch (comedor): how the aid works

Terms used

• Padrón — The padrón is your town hall's register of residents, used to prove where your family lives.
• IPREM — The IPREM is a public reference index in euros, used to set income limits for benefits and aid.
• NIE — The NIE is the identification number given to foreigners in Spain.
• Ingreso Mínimo Vital — The Ingreso Mínimo Vital is a national minimum-income benefit for low-income households.

Key rules

• Income test: Your income per family member decides whether lunch is free or partly covered, and thresholds depend on family size.
• Priority groups: Some families, such as minimum-income recipients, skip the income scale or get top priority.
• Immigration status: A child is not normally excluded from aid for lacking legal residence, but enrolment and padrón registration are needed.
• Arriving mid-year: You can usually apply outside the main window, but aid normally starts from approval, not earlier.

The short answer

Comedor aid depends on your household income and, for some families, on your status. The lowest-income families get the lunch free. Families with somewhat higher income get a share of the daily price covered. Each region sets its own rules every year, so use this page to know what to expect, then confirm the figures in the current call.

Who runs it in each region

• Cataluña: the consell comarcal grants the aid. In the city of Barcelona, the Consorci d'Educació does. The regional education department funds it.
• Andalucía: the regional education department runs a free and subsidised comedor scheme, plus a food support plan.
• Madrid: the regional education department offers comedor aid and a reduced-price scheme. The region manages comedor in public schools.
• Valencia: the regional education department gives comedor aid. Much of the service is now free or subsidised.
• Canarias: the regional education department gives comedor aid. The service is largely subsidised, with a bigger bonus for lower incomes.

Scheme names and funding change by year. Ask your school which scheme applies this year.

How income is tested

Your income per family member is compared with a reference set in the call. The reference is usually the IPREM (a public index used to set benefit thresholds) or the minimum wage. The lower your income per person, the higher the aid. The income year counted is usually two years before the call. Thresholds also depend on family size.

If you have no Spanish tax return, for example because you have just arrived, regions usually accept other proof:

• a certificate from the tax agency saying no return was filed
• payslips or an employer certificate
• foreign tax returns or assessments, with an official translation (some regions also ask for legalisation)
• bank statements or a social services report

Many calls also accept an income declaration signed by you, backed by documents. The documents list below shows what to prepare.

Groups that may get free lunch or top priority

Some families skip the income scale or go to the front of the queue. Typical groups are:

• children in foster care or under protection
• victims of gender violence or terrorism
• people receiving a minimum-income benefit, such as the Ingreso Mínimo Vital or a regional guaranteed-income benefit
• families that social services report as being at social risk
• often, refugees and asylum seekers

The lists differ by region, so check the call. You will need proof of your status.

How much it covers

Aid works in tiers. The lowest-income tier pays nothing. Higher tiers get a partial discount on the daily price. In Cataluña the consell comarcal sets the aid within a maximum daily price. In Andalucía and Canarias the lowest tiers are free and others get a partial bonus. Madrid and Valencia use a similar free or reduced-price system. The exact share or euro amount changes each year, so ask which tier you fall in and what it means in euros per day.

Residence and immigration status

Your child must be enrolled in a school in the region, and your family must be registered at the padrón (town hall residents' register). Regions generally do not exclude a child because of immigration status, since every minor has a right to education. The adults may be asked for an NIE or similar ID when proving income. Lacking legal residence is not normally a bar to aid for the child.

If you arrive during the school year

In most regions you can still apply. A late application for unforeseen circumstances is usually open all year or until a late cut-off. Cataluña's consells comarcals take applications during the year. Andalucía and Madrid allow late requests for newly enrolled pupils. Aid usually starts from approval or application, not backdated, so apply as soon as your child is enrolled and you are on the padrón.

For the application steps, see the process below. If you are applying for the first time, start with the checklist below.

Applying for school lunch (comedor) aid step by step

Applying for comedor aid, step by step

• Enrol your child in the school and register your address at the padrón (town hall residents' register): before you start

• Find the current call and get the application form from the school or your region's education portal: as soon as the call opens

• Gather the documents: parents' and child's ID or NIE, family book or birth certificates, school enrolment confirmation, padrón certificate, latest income tax return or a tax-agency income certificate, and bank details: before you submit

• Add proof of special circumstances if they apply: large-family card, disability certificate, single-parent status, gender-violence or social-services report, or unemployment and payroll proof if your income has changed: with the application

• Submit the application to the right body: the consell comarcal in Cataluña (the Consorci d'Educació in Barcelona city), or the school or regional online portal in Andalucía, Madrid, Valencia and Canarias: inside the window set by your region's call

• Check the exact 2026-27 dates with your regional education department, and watch for a second window in September: spring to early summer is typical, with a second window often in September

• Fix any defects flagged on your application: during the review period

• Wait for the provisional list, then the final decision: after the review period

• Register for the comedor and pay any share the aid does not cover: once the final decision is out

• If the aid is refused, send a reclamation against the provisional list; if it is still refused, file a recurso de alzada (appeal to the higher education authority) or a recurso de reposición (appeal to the body that decided): reclamations are typically within about 10 days; appeals within one month of notification

• If you get no answer in time, treat the silence as a refusal and appeal. Meanwhile ask the school or parents' association (AMPA) for a payment plan or hardship place, and municipal social services for emergency aid: if the decision is late or negative

• Ask about reapplying during the year if your circumstances change: if your income or situation changes mid-year

Documents you need

• Certificate of empadronamiento (padrón registration), issued by your town hall, showing the family lives in the municipality.

• Proof that your child is enrolled in a school in the region, from the school.

• Certificate from the Agencia Tributaria (Spain's tax agency) saying no tax return was filed, if you have no Spanish return.

• Payslips or an employer certificate for each working adult, as alternative proof of income.

• Foreign tax returns or tax assessments, if you have foreign income, with an official translation. Some calls also ask for legalisation.

• Bank statements, or a social services report, as further proof of income when you have no tax return.

Required documents differ by region and call, so check the current call with your regional education department.

Checklist

• Find out which body runs comedor aid in your region, such as the consell comarcal in Cataluña or the Consejería de Educación in Andalucía, Madrid, Valencia and Canarias.

• Compare your household income per family member with the reference in the current call, usually tied to the IPREM or the minimum wage.

• Check whether your family falls in a group that gets free comedor or top priority, such as minimum-income recipients, foster care or social risk.

• Choose your income proof if you have no Spanish tax return, such as payslips, a no-return certificate or translated foreign tax papers.

• Ask the school or education department whether you can apply outside the main window if you arrived mid-year.

• Ask what share of the daily price your income tier covers, and whether it is free or a partial discount.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child get comedor aid if we have no legal residence?

Yes, lack of legal residence is not normally a bar to comedor aid for the child, because education rights apply to all minors. The child must be enrolled in a school in the region, and the family usually must be registered at the padrón. Proof of income for the adults may ask for a NIE or similar.

Can we apply for comedor aid if we arrive in the middle of the year?

Yes, in most regions you can apply outside the main window if you arrive or your situation changes during the year.

Which families get free comedor without an income scale?

Groups commonly free or with top priority include children in foster care, victims of gender violence or terrorism, and recipients of the Ingreso Mínimo Vital or regional minimum-income benefits. Families flagged at social risk by social services and often refugees or asylum seekers are included too.

How much of the lunch price does comedor aid cover?

Coverage works in tiers by household income: the lowest tier gets the whole meal covered and higher tiers get a partial discount on the daily price.