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.
Spanish schooling runs from Infantil through Secundaria, in public, concertado (state-funded private), private and international schools.
Pick the article that fits your situation
How the Spanish school system works, stage by stage
Shows how a child's age maps onto the Spanish school stages, which years are compulsory, how the year-group cut-off works and which stages are free. It is for parents moving to Spain with children of any age.
Public, subsidised (concertado) and private schools explained
Spain has three kinds of school, and "public" and "private" do not mean what they may mean at home. It is for parents choosing a school.
Which type of school suits your family?
Helps you pick between Spanish public, concertado, private and international schools. It weighs your budget, how long you will stay, language goals and your child's age, and explains what admission points may leave open. It is for families moving to Spain with school-age children.
International school or Spanish school: continuity versus integration
Helps you decide between a foreign-curriculum school and a Spanish school for your child. It covers which Spanish qualifications each route leads to, how university access works, and how early to apply.
How to choose a good school in Spain
Spain has no official school league tables, so you build a shortlist yourself. It is for families choosing a public, concertado or private school.
What 'bilingual school' really means in Spain
"Bilingual" in Spain is a regional programme label, not a promise of an English-speaking school, and religion is an optional subject with an alternative activity.
Starting Infantil at age 3: is it compulsory and how to enrol
Explains that Infantil from age 3 is optional but free in publicly funded schools and used by nearly all families, and how to plan and apply for a place. For parents of children aged 3 to 6 moving to Spain.
Is homeschooling legal in Spain?
Homeschooling is not clearly authorised in Spain, and keeping a child aged 6 to 16 out of school carries real risk.
Choosing a school for a two or three year stay
For families staying in Spain two or three years, this page compares Spanish public or concertado schools, international schools and online options. It weighs each against how fast your child can get a place and how easily they can return to their home system.
About this topic
School types and choosing a school: the whole process, step by step
From first look to first day
- Find your child's stage and year group. Schooling is compulsory from 6 to 16, and year groups follow the calendar year of birth. How the Spanish school system works, stage by stage
- Choose a school type: public, concertado, private or international. Decide this before any application, because the application route differs by type. Which type of school suits your family? and Public, subsidised (concertado) and private schools explained
- If you are considering an international school, apply 12 to 18 months before the September intake. International school or Spanish school: continuity versus integration
- Go to open days and build a shortlist of 5 to 8 schools. Open days run between January and April, and at some schools from the autumn. How to choose a good school in Spain
- Apply for a public or concertado place. The application window is usually March to May, depending on your region, and one application covers Infantil at age 3. Starting Infantil at age 3: is it compulsory and how to enrol Private and international schools take applications directly.
- Enrol once a place is given. The documents and the matrícula steps are in Enrolling: documents and late arrivals.
- If you arrive mid-year, apply to the regional admissions office outside the normal window as soon as you arrive. Joining a Spanish school in the middle of the school year
- For a stay of two or three years, enrol as a normal pupil. Ask for the transfer certificate and academic record when you leave. Choosing a school for a two or three year stay
If your situation is different
- Your child speaks little Spanish: How children adjust to the school language
- Your child has special educational needs: How special needs support is organised in Spanish schools and Mainstream, specific classroom or special school: your placement options
- Your teenager is near the end of ESO: Moving to Spain at 15 or 16: why ESO timing matters
- You are moving between regions of Spain: Moving to another region of Spain: what changes at school
- You want to know the teaching language of a region: Which language will my child be taught in at school in Spain?
- You want the fees of each school type: Costs by school type
Documents you may need
Identity and address papers go in with the application form, and school records can follow: Documents you need to enrol your child in a Spanish school.
Explore places
Where you live changes the details. See how Spanish regions and cities compare on rent, jobs, weather, safety and healthcare.
What to read next
More in School systems and enrollment
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.
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.
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.
Also in Family, children, and education
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.