School systems and enrollment
Helps you choose and enrol in the right school or study place.
Understand Spanish schooling and get a place: school types, choosing, admission, documents, placement, upper secondary and vocational routes, changing schools and the school calendar.
- topics
- 9
- articles
- 57
- of reading
- 5.5 hours
Begin with
School types and choosing a school
You will know which stage your child is in, what each school type means in Spain, and how to shortlist schools that fit your family's stay and goals.
How the Spanish school system works, stage by stage · Public, subsidised (concertado) and private schools explained · Which type of school suits your family?
More in school systems and enrollment
8 more topics in this section, about 5.5 hours of reading in all.
Admission, points and getting a place
You will understand when and how to apply, how points are scored, how your address affects options and what to do if you miss out.
How school admission works and when to apply · How the school admission points system (baremo) works · How your address (catchment zone) changes your school options
Enrolling: documents and late arrivals
You will know how to enrol when you arrive late or mid-year, which documents to gather and how to proceed without papers or with a complex family situation.
Moving to Spain outside the spring enrolment window · Joining a Spanish school in the middle of the school year · Can my child enrol without a residence permit or address registration (padrón)?
Year placement and catching up
You will know which year your child is likely to join, how repeating and gaps are handled, and how Spanish marks and promotion work.
Which school year will my child be placed in? · Is your child advanced or behind? Talking to the school about placement · Repeating a year in Spain: the curricular lag rule
Recognising foreign school studies
You will know whether recognition is needed, how to apply, what differs by country and what to do when it stalls or is refused.
Recognition of foreign studies (homologación and convalidación): which do you need? · Getting a foreign school diploma recognised in Spain: timeline and tactics · Recognition for UK, US, EU and Latin American school qualifications
Upper secondary and vocational routes
You will understand the routes after ESO, how a late-arriving teen fits in, and how to choose between Bachillerato and FP.
Spain after compulsory school: Bachillerato, vocational training and what follows · Moving to Spain at 15 or 16: why ESO timing matters · Choosing a Bachillerato modality
Changing schools, regions or country
You will know how transfers work, what carries over between regions and what records to collect when leaving.
Changing schools after the first year: when a new admission process starts · Switching school in the middle of the year · Moving to another region of Spain: what changes at school
Bullying at school
You will know the signs, what the school must do, how to escalate and when changing school is sensible.
Recognising bullying (acoso escolar) and what the school must do · Reporting bullying: tutor, head teacher and the school protocol · When the school does not act: inspection, complaints and legal routes
School calendar and the school day
You will know the calendar, hours, attendance rules and norms that shape family life around school.
The Spanish school year calendar and how it differs by region · School hours: continuous (jornada continua) or split (jornada partida) day · Attendance and absences: what Spanish schools expect
Other sections in Family, children, and education
Language and integration at school
Helps you help a child learn and settle in a new school language.
Childcare and family logistics
Helps you arrange reliable childcare while settling and working.
Special needs and support
Helps you get a child with additional needs evaluated and supported.
Partner alignment and family adjustment
Helps you keep the family aligned and coping through the move.
School costs, meals, transport and financial support
Helps you budget for and reduce the cost of schooling.
University and higher education
Helps you choose, get into and pay for university or other higher study in Spain.
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.