Admission, points and getting a place

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain with school-age children. You will learn when and how to apply, how your address affects the schools open to you, and what to do if you miss out on the school you wanted.

Start with "How school admission works and when to apply". It walks through the yearly cycle from the application window to the final lists. After that, the points, address, renting and ranking articles help you plan the details, and "What to do if you don't get the school you wanted" covers the results.

Key rules

• Compulsory schooling: Children aged 6 to 16 must be given a school place, even if they arrive after the application window.
• Home or work address: You choose either the home address or a parent's work address for proximity points, not both.
• Enrolment window: After the definitive list you have about 10 to 15 days to enrol, and missing it counts as giving up the place.
• Claims period: After the provisional list is published, you usually have 3 to 5 working days to file a claim or correct missing proof.
• Appeal deadlines: You can appeal a definitive decision to the education authority within one month, and then go to court within two months of the decision or of presumed rejection.
• Regional system: Each region sets its own calendar, portal and office names, so always use your region's current call.

Admission, points and getting a place: the whole process, step by step

• Learn who runs admission in your region and which stages need a new application (read: How school admission works and when to apply): Before you start, ideally months before the spring window

• Get your address registered at the town hall (padrón) once you have a rental contract (read: Renting before school admission: the timing problem): Before the application window opens; this often takes days to a few weeks after the contract

• Check which catchment zone your address falls in and the date it must be valid (read: How your address (catchment zone) changes your school options): Before the window opens; the cut-off is set in each region's yearly call

• Learn which criteria earn points (read: How the school admission points system (baremo) works): Before you choose schools

• Choose and rank your schools (read: Ranking your school choices: how order affects your odds): Before you submit the application

• Submit the application with your proof of address and other documents: In spring, usually between March and May: Andalusia 1 to 31 March, Catalonia March to early April, Madrid mid-March to early April, Valencia late March to mid-April

• Check the provisional list and file a claim or supply missing proof (read: What to do if you don't get the school you wanted): Provisional lists come out in May to June; you usually have 3 to 5 working days

• Read the definitive list and enrol in the school you were given: Definitive lists come in June; you then have about 10 to 15 days to enrol, and matrícula runs in June to July

• Appeal the definitive decision if needed (read: What to do if you don't get the school you wanted): Within one month of the decision, then court within two months of the decision or of presumed rejection

• If your child arrives after the window or mid-year, apply out of period through the regional admissions commission or the school; children aged 6 to 16 must be given a place: As soon as you arrive; a place is usually assigned within days to a few weeks

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Passport — How school admission works and when to apply, Renting before school admission: the timing problem
• Padrón certificate — How your address (catchment zone) changes your school options, Renting before school admission: the timing problem
• The town hall's padrón registration form — Renting before school admission: the timing problem
• DNI or NIE showing your current address — How your address (catchment zone) changes your school options

Income and work

• Income evidence — How the school admission points system (baremo) works

The home and the lease

• Proof of address
• Rental contract or property deed — How your address (catchment zone) changes your school options

Other documents

• Your child's prior school records — How school admission works and when to apply
• Large family or single-parent family documentation — How the school admission points system (baremo) works
• A recognised disability assessment for the pupil — How the school admission points system (baremo) works
• Foreign documents — How the school admission points system (baremo) works

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Admission, points and getting a place: questions that cross several articles

Who decides school admission in Spain?

Each autonomous community's education department runs school admission, within a national basic framework. Local admissions commissions allocate places and handle special cases. Read How school admission works and when to apply for the yearly cycle.

Does my child need a new application at every stage?

No, a new application is needed only at certain points, such as entering Infantil, changing school, or starting Bachillerato. Pupils usually continue automatically between Infantil, Primaria and ESO within the same school, and linked schools can move pupils on automatically. See How school admission works and when to apply, then Ranking your school choices: how order affects your odds.

By what date must my address be registered to earn address points?

The address usually has to be valid when the application period opens or closes, or on the day you apply, depending on the region's yearly call. See How school admission works and when to apply.

Are the points and catchment zones the same in every region?

No, Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia each use their own mix of criteria and their own way of drawing zones. Madrid, for example, treats the whole municipality as one zone. Read How the school admission points system (baremo) works and How your address (catchment zone) changes your school options.

What if I move to Spain after the application window closes?

You apply out of period through the regional admissions commission, the district office or the school, and children aged 6 to 16 must be given a place. Assignment usually takes days to a few weeks. If you disagree with the result, read What to do if you don't get the school you wanted.