What to study before the move, in month one and year one

Terms used

• NIE — The NIE is the identity number for foreigners that you need for tax, work and contracts.
• TIE — The TIE is the residence card issued to non-EU foreigners.
• Cita previa — The cita previa is an appointment you must book in advance for most public offices and many banks.
• CEPA — A CEPA is a public adult-education centre that offers courses, including Spanish for foreigners.
• Empadronamiento — The empadronamiento is your registration as a resident at your town hall.
• NIE/TIE — The NIE is a foreigner's identification number, and the TIE is the residence card that carries it.
• Gestor — A gestor is an administrative agent who handles official paperwork for a fee.
• Fianza — The fianza is the deposit you pay a landlord as security for a rental.

Key rules

• Enrolment window: Public adult courses usually open enrolment in June to July, so plan before you arrive.
• Mid-year start: If you arrive between school years, private schools and university language centres start new groups almost monthly.
• Residence permits: There is no general language test for residence permits, but arraigo social needs an integration report.
• Nationality: Nationality by residence needs the DELE A2 and CCSE certificates before you apply.

The short version

Study different things in each phase. Before the move, learn survival basics and check enrolment dates. In month one, learn the words for paperwork, housing and the doctor. In year one, join a proper course and check whether your residence route needs a language test.

Before the move: basics and dates

Learn enough to cope on day one: greetings, how to spell your name and address, numbers and dates, and phrases for making a cita previa. Most official forms and offices run in Spanish. Staff in big cities sometimes speak some English, but do not count on it.

Do two checks now:

• Your region's languages. Spanish is official everywhere. Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country and Galicia also have a co-official language, and Navarra and the Balearic Islands have one in parts. Daily life and administration work in Spanish everywhere, but local use of the regional language varies by town. Look at your town hall and regional government websites. The choice box below helps you decide which to start with.
• Enrolment dates. Public adult schools (CEPA) usually open enrolment in June to July for the next course, and again in early September. Dates differ by region and centre, so ask the centre or your regional education department.

Month one: the Spanish you need for paperwork

Your first weeks are full of errands, so study for them. Many newcomers use a gestor, a lawyer or a translator for the first tasks. Even so, learn the basics.

• Paperwork. Practise for the empadronamiento, NIE/TIE appointments, the tax office and the Social Security number. Learn words for forms, documents, deadlines, payments, dates and times. Learn polite phrases for asking someone to repeat or speak slowly.
• Housing. Learn the words for viewings, contrato, fianza, comunidad, suministros (electricity, water, internet) and avería. Landlords and community administrators usually speak only Spanish.
• Banking. Banks in tourist or expat areas and online banks often offer English, but contracts are usually in Spanish. Know the words for transfers, commissions and domiciliación.
• Health. Public healthcare works mainly in Spanish. Learn the body and symptom words, plus tarjeta sanitaria, médico de cabecera, receta and urgencias. Private clinics in cities often have English-speaking staff.

Year one: a course and your permit

Public courses follow the school year. CEPAs and official language schools start in late September or October and end in late May or June. There are breaks at Christmas (about two weeks) and Easter (about one week). Some centres offer a second-term start in January or February. Mid-year places at public schools are limited, so if you arrive between school years, a private school or university language centre starts new groups almost monthly, with intensive courses of 2 to 4 weeks.

If you came in the middle of the year, put the next enrolment window in your calendar. The timeline below shows the usual sequence.

Check whether your route needs a language test

• Residence permits. There is no general language test. The arraigo social route needs a social integration report from your regional or local government, and some regions look at language knowledge for it. The arraigo formativo permit needs proof of enrolment in regulated training.
• Nationality by residence. You need the DELE A2 exam from Instituto Cervantes, unless you are exempt, plus the CCSE test on the Spanish constitution and culture. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the DELE. You take these before applying, because the file needs the certificates. Plan your courses and exam dates well ahead.

The immigration rules changed recently, so ask the immigration office (Extranjería) what your route needs now.

Where to find classes

Where a co-official language is strong, local councils and language-normalisation services run newcomer classes that emphasise it. In Catalonia and the Basque Country, Spanish classes are mainly through NGOs and CEPAs. In Valencia and Galicia, newcomer classes are mostly in Spanish, with the regional language as an option. Ask your town hall, local NGOs and the nearest CEPA.

Choosing between options

Which language should you study first where your region has a second official language?

• Spanish first: Fits if you live in Valencia, Galicia or most of the interior, where newcomer classes are mostly in Spanish and daily life and paperwork work in Spanish.

• Catalan alongside Spanish: Fits if you live in Catalonia and want the local council classes, which emphasise Catalan; Spanish classes are also available through NGOs and adult schools.

• Basque alongside Spanish: Fits if you live in the Basque Country and want the subsidised Basque classes at municipal centres, while Spanish classes run through NGOs and adult schools.

Start with Spanish, which works for daily life and administration everywhere. Add the regional language when classes in your town centre on it or you want to use it locally. Check your town hall and regional government websites to see which language is official where you live.

Timeline and deadlines

• Classes start at public adult schools and official language schools: late September or October

• Christmas break from classes: about two weeks in December and January

• Start a second-term course where a centre offers one: January or February

• Easter break from classes: about one week in spring

• Courses end: late May or June

Spanish study planner from before the move to year one

Before you move (6 to 12 months out)

Start Spanish now and aim for A1 before you land. A1 takes roughly 60 to 100 hours of guided study. At 3 to 4 hours a week, that is about 6 months.

Then work backwards from the date you want to start a class in Spain:

• Public classes (CEPA, adult schools, and EOI, official language schools): these follow the school year. Classes start in late September or October.
• Private schools and university language centres: new groups start almost every month, so you can join soon after you arrive.

If you arrive between July and September, plan to enrol in a public course for the autumn. If you arrive in any other month, start at a private school and move to a public course the following September if you want a cheaper option.

First month in Spain

• Ask your regional education department or the nearest CEPA for its enrolment dates. Dates, intakes and online or in-person procedures differ by region and by centre.
• Sit a placement test at the school. Do not pay for a level you have already passed.
• If you need a mid-year start, a private school or a university course is the easiest route. Some EOIs run intensive courses in February, and some CEPAs open a second term in January or February where places remain.

Months 2 to 6: the first term

Public courses run from late September or October until the Christmas break (about two weeks). Aim for A2 by the end of the first school year. A1 to A2 is typically 100 to 120 more guided hours, or 180 to 200 in total.

If you want an official certificate, the DELE exam is held about six times a year, usually in January, April, May, July, October and November. Not every level runs in every session. Registration normally closes one to two months before the exam, and each exam centre sets its own dates. Book your seat early, and pick a session that falls a few weeks after your course ends.

Months 6 to 10: spring

• Classes continue after the Easter break (about one week) until late May or June.
• A DELE A2 sitting in April, May or July is a good target for the end of the year.
• If you plan to apply for residence through social ties (arraigo social), ask Extranjería (the immigration office) early. That route needs a social integration report from your regional or local government, and it can include evidence of language training.

Summer

Public CEPAs, EOIs and many municipal classes close from late June until September, so August is empty. Private schools and university summer courses often stay open in July and part of August, though some close for two to three weeks in mid-August. A 2 to 4 week intensive course in July is a good way to avoid losing momentum.

Enrolment for the next public course opens in June and July. Put that date in your calendar before the summer break.

Year two and beyond

• B1 is roughly 150 to 200 hours beyond A2, which is 350 to 400 in total. One more school year is a realistic plan.
• Spanish nationality needs the DELE A2 exam and the CCSE test (Spanish constitution and culture). Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries do not need the DELE. Both are taken before you apply, because the file needs the certificates. Residence periods vary by nationality, from 10 years for most applicants down to 2 or 1 for some. Schedule the exams a few months before you plan to file.

How to use these hours

These hour counts are rough guides, not official targets. Speakers of Romance languages usually move faster. Daily exposure to Spanish outside class helps more than extra hours of homework.

If you have children, their school year runs from early to mid September to late June, so your own course timetable should fit around it.

Documents you need

• DELE A2 certificate in Spanish as a foreign language, issued by Instituto Cervantes. Only needed for nationality by residence; nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt.

• CCSE test result on the Spanish constitution and culture, needed for nationality by residence.

• Social integration report from your regional or local government, needed for the arraigo social residence route. It can include evidence of language training.

• Proof of enrolment in regulated training, needed for the arraigo formativo permit.

Checklist

• Before the move, learn greetings, how to spell your name and address, numbers and dates, and phrases for making an appointment (cita previa).

• Before the move, find out which language your region treats as official alongside Spanish by checking the town hall and regional government websites.

• Before the move, check the enrolment window for adult courses, which usually opens in June to July for the next school year.

• In month one, practise the Spanish you need for empadronamiento (town hall registration), NIE/TIE appointments and the health card (tarjeta sanitaria).

• In month one, learn the words for viewings, rental contracts, deposits and utilities, since housing needs Spanish.

• In month one, learn basic symptom and body vocabulary for the health centre.

• In year one, enrol in a course that starts in late September or October, or in January or February where offered.

• In year one, ask the immigration office whether your residence route needs a language test or a social integration report, and plan your courses ahead of the application.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start a public Spanish course in the middle of the year?

Mid-year starts at public adult schools are limited, but some centres offer a second-term start in January or February. Some official language schools run February intensive courses.

Do I need a Spanish exam to apply for Spanish nationality?

Yes, nationality by residence requires the DELE A2 Spanish exam plus the CCSE test on the Spanish constitution and culture.

Does a residence permit require a language test?

No, there is no general language test for residence permits. The arraigo social route needs a social integration report from the regional or local government, and that can include evidence of language training. Ask the immigration office what your region expects.

Should I learn the regional language or Spanish first?

Spanish works everywhere for daily life and paperwork, so start there unless your region's newcomer classes centre on the local language. In Catalonia and the Basque Country, subsidised classes mostly teach Catalan or Basque. Ask your town hall which classes it offers.