Choosing a school for a two or three year stay

Key rules

• Right to a place: Children aged 6 to 16 living in Spain have a right to a school place and must be schooled, and there is no minimum stay.
• Mid-year arrival: You can enrol outside the normal window, but the school assigned may not be your first choice.
• Online school: Foreign online schools give no official Spanish qualification and do not replace compulsory schooling.
• Private schools: International and private schools may require full-year fees or notice periods, so read the contract.
• Leaving: The transfer certificate and the historial académico let the next school place your child.

For most families, a Spanish public or concertado school is the simplest choice for a two or three year stay. An international school suits you if you want your home curriculum and an easier return. Online schooling is rarely an option for ordinary resident families.

Spanish public or concertado school

A child can be enrolled for the two or three years of your stay as a normal pupil. There is no special visa or status for temporary pupils. Public schools charge no tuition fee for ages 6 to 16 and there is no enrolment fee or modelo to pay; concertado schools cannot charge for teaching but can ask for voluntary contributions for extras.

Admission timing. If you arrive mid-year, you apply outside the normal window (admisión extraordinaria) and the authority assigns a school with free places. Pupils of compulsory age must be given a place, normally promptly; below age 6 and after age 16, a mid-year place depends on the vacancies. Your child keeps the place in the following school years.

International and private schools

These schools usually teach your home curriculum or a widely used international one. That can make re-entry smoother. Ask about full-year fees and notice periods before you sign, especially if you might leave mid-year.

Online and distance options

Do not plan on online school as your main route. CIDEAD, the state distance centre, is for pupils who cannot attend in person, and a foreign online school does not replace compulsory schooling from 6 to 16. Is homeschooling legal in Spain? covers the distance options.

Making the return easier

Differences in start age, curriculum and language can put your child a year ahead or behind. Plan for these things:

• Keep your child's school records from both countries.
• Previous school records can follow within 10 working days of the school's request; Preparing your child's foreign school records for Spanish enrolment says when a translation or apostille is needed.
• If you return to a Spanish-speaking or Spanish-linked system, allow for Spanish language and regional language subjects.
• Recognising foreign school studies explains how a foreign school year or title is recognised in Spain.

How to decide

• Want the fastest, cheapest option and your child can cope in Spanish: choose a public or concertado school.
• Want continuity with your home curriculum: choose an international school, and check fees and notice periods.
• Have a health, sport or travel reason for not attending: ask CIDEAD whether your child qualifies.