International school or Spanish school: continuity versus integration

Key rules

• Spanish titles: Only schools authorised by the regional education authority, or running a specific agreement, can award Spanish ESO and Bachillerato titles.
• University access: Foreign school-leaving qualifications usually need UNED accreditation before you can apply to a Spanish university.
• Waiting lists: Popular schools in Madrid and Barcelona can have waiting lists in some year groups.

An international school gives your child continuity with the curriculum they know. A Spanish school gives deeper integration in language and local life. The catch with a foreign-curriculum school is that only some of them award Spanish titles. Check qualification fit and waiting lists before you commit.

Which foreign curricula are on offer

Spain has British schools (English National Curriculum, IGCSE, A-levels), American schools (US diploma, AP), French schools (the Lycées network and the French baccalauréat), German schools (Abitur), Italian schools and others. Many schools also teach the International Baccalaureate (IB).

Most of these are private. A few state schools offer the IB diploma or the Spanish-British Council programme, which is a cheaper route to continuity.

Will your child get Spanish titles?

Not automatically. A foreign-curriculum school can award Spanish ESO and Bachillerato titles only in two cases:

• The regional education authority has authorised it as a Spanish centre.
• It runs a specific agreement, such as the British Council integrated curriculum in state schools.

If the school is not authorised, your child can still get a Spanish title later. They can validate their studies with the Ministry of Education (homologación or convalidación), or sit external tests for the title.

Do not rely on the school's own description: Public, subsidised (concertado) and private schools explained shows how to check a school's authorisation. Recognising foreign school studies explains which validation applies.

University access

IB, A-levels, a US diploma and similar qualifications can give access to Spanish universities. The national distance university, UNED, issues an accreditation (credencial de acceso) that confirms eligibility.

Your child can then sit the voluntary UNEDasiss subjects to raise their admission mark. This matters for oversubscribed degrees.

EU qualifications and those from agreement countries need UNED accreditation when the student holds an eligible school-leaving qualification. Qualifications from other countries need validation to the Spanish Bachillerato first. Settle this before you choose a school: Entering from A-levels, US high school or the IB after Brexit covers the main cases.

Waiting lists and timing

Apply 12 to 18 months before the September you want to start, with the application fee and previous school reports; then comes an entry assessment or interview, and a deposit or registration fee holds the place. International schools charge €6,000 to €20,000 a year plus a registration fee: What international schools in Spain cost, including one-off charges. Mid-year entry is possible if places exist, so ask each school how many are open in your child's year group.

How to choose

• Choose an international school if your child is close to exams in their home curriculum, may move again, or needs lessons in English or another language.
• Choose a Spanish school if you plan to stay long term and want your child fluent in Spanish and settled locally.
• Consider an authorised or agreement school if you want both: continuity plus Spanish titles.