Regional and co-official languages
Helps you work out how much a regional language matters where you live.
Know where Catalan, Valencian, Galician, Basque and other co-official languages matter for an adult and how much to learn: map, rights, work, certificates, courses and etiquette. Children's school language sits in…
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- 7
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- 4.2 hours
Begin with
Where regional languages apply
You can name the language that is official where you will live, judge how visible it is in your town and avoid the common naming mix-ups.
Which regions of Spain have a co-official language? · How much regional language you will meet in your own town · Valencian or Catalan: what to call it and what to learn
More in regional and co-official languages
6 more topics in this section, about 4.2 hours of reading in all.
How much regional language to learn
You can decide, for your place and situation, between ignoring the regional language, understanding it, using courtesy words or aiming for working level.
Does Catalan, Basque or Galician really matter for your life in Spain? · Regional language for retirees, remote workers, families and job seekers · Should you learn the regional language, and in what order?
Language rights with officials and shops
You know that Spanish remains valid, what to expect in offices, shops and clinics and how to ask politely for Spanish or translation.
You need not speak a regional language, but may use it · Town halls and health services in Catalonia and Valencia · Town halls and health services in the Basque Country, Galicia and Navarre
Regional languages at work
You know when the regional language is a hiring edge, a formal requirement or irrelevant for your kind of work.
Private-sector work in Catalonia and Valencia and the regional language · Private-sector work in the Basque Country and Galicia · Catalan in the Balearic Islands for work and daily life
Regional language certificates
You can pick the right certificate for your region and goal, register for it and check it will be accepted before you pay.
What regional language levels A2 to C2 mean in adult life · Which official certificates prove Catalan, Valencian, Galician or Basque? · Catalan certificates in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands
Regional language courses and practice
You can find a suitable course, a free practice route and a realistic study plan in your region.
Learning Catalan or Valencian free or cheaply after you move · Learning Basque or Galician free or cheaply after you move · Free conversation partners through official language volunteer schemes
Language identity and etiquette
You can behave respectfully and confidently around a regional language without taking sides.
Language and identity in Spain: a neutral guide to sensitivities · When locals answer in Spanish or English after you try their language · Courtesy words in Catalan, Galician and Basque that earn goodwill
Other sections in Language and integration
Everyday language survival
Helps you get by in everyday Spanish from day one.
Administrative, healthcare, and school language
Helps you communicate safely when a misunderstanding has real consequences.
Language learning strategy
Helps you plan how to learn Spanish to the level you need.
Friendship, community, and belonging
Helps you build friendships and a local social life.
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.