Are your children ready for a move to Spain?

Terms used

• Educación Infantil — Educación Infantil is Spain's pre-school stage for ages 0-6, split into 0-3 and 3-6.
• ESO — ESO is compulsory secondary school in Spain, for ages 12-16, lasting four years.
• Bachillerato — Bachillerato is the two-year, non-compulsory upper secondary course for ages 16-18 that leads to university.
• Homologación — Homologación is the official validation of a foreign school qualification as equal to a Spanish one.
• PAU — The PAU is Spain's university entrance exam, formerly called EBAU or EvAU.
• UNEDasiss — UNEDasiss is the UNED procedure that converts foreign school grades into a Spanish mark for university access.

Key rules

• Compulsory schooling: Children must attend school from 6 to 16, and every child in that range has the right to a place whatever their legal status.
• Highest-risk ages: A move between ages 14 and 17 carries the highest risk of lost time or repeating a year.
• Regional language: The language of teaching depends on the region, so check it before you choose where to live.
• Reluctance: Your child's reluctance is not a veto, but strong and lasting opposition from a teenager is a reason to delay.
• Qualifications: Validating foreign school qualifications is slow and often takes months, so start early if your child is near the end of school.

The short answer

Your children's age, school stage, the language of teaching and how they feel about the move should set the timing. Your own convenience should not. Young children usually adapt fastest. Teenagers carry the most risk. A strong, lasting "no" from a teenager is a reason to delay or to plan more support.

Age and school stage

Schooling is compulsory from 6 to 16. The stages are:

• Educación Infantil, ages 0-6. The second cycle (3-6) is free in most areas.
• Educación Primaria, ages 6-12.
• Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO), ages 12-16.
• Bachillerato, ages 16-18. It is not compulsory. Formación Profesional is the alternative.

The school year runs from early or mid September to late June. Each region sets its own dates.

Younger children (infantil and primaria) adapt most easily, especially if you stay calm and consistent.

Teenagers have the hardest move, mainly near the end of ESO or in bachillerato. The language, a different curriculum and exam pressure all pile up. Moving at 14 to 17 carries the highest risk of lost time or repeating a year. Starting bachillerato in Spain mid-course can be difficult.

If your child is near the end of school, ask about qualifications before you choose a date. Foreign school qualifications must be validated through homologación or equivalencia, which goes through the Ministry of Education. It is slow and often takes months. Children from the IB, A-levels or a US high school diploma often need this, or a credential from UNED. University access from abroad uses the PAU and, for foreign students, the UNEDasiss procedure. It converts the foreign grade to a Spanish mark, and your child may need to sit a specific exam.

Language of teaching

Language depends on the region. Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community, Galicia, the Basque Country and part of Navarre have a second official language. Schools there teach in it to some degree:

• Catalonia: mainly in Catalan, with Spanish as a subject.
• Basque Country: three models. Model A is Spanish with Basque as a subject. Model B is bilingual. Model D is mostly Basque.
• Galicia, Valencia and the Balearics: mixed models, with a minimum share in the regional language.

Children are expected to learn both languages. Newcomers usually get welcome classes, temporary exemptions or adapted assessment in the regional language. Language rules and court rulings change, so ask the regional education department what applies now.

If you have a choice, a region where Spanish is the main teaching language is simpler for a child who is older or already struggling.

Support for pupils with little Spanish

Many public schools run a support classroom. Its name varies: aulas de enlace in Madrid, aulas de acogida in Catalonia, aulas ALTHE in Andalusia, and ATAL in some areas. Your child spends part of the day there for several months, up to about a year, then joins the regular class. Availability depends on the school and on how many newcomers it has. Small or rural schools may offer less. Ask each school before you commit.

When to move

• Before the new school year is the cleanest start. Admission for the next year usually runs March to May.
• Mid-year works, but your child is assigned to a school with free places, which may not be your first choice. Placement normally takes days to a few weeks. Every child aged 6 to 16 has the right to a place whatever their legal status. The level is set by age, with possible assessment and adjustment. Ask the regional education department which office handles late arrivals.
• After key exams is the better choice for a teenager in an exam year or one who strongly opposes the move.

Your children's feelings

Take reluctance seriously, but it is not a veto. Children cope better when you:

• talk to them early and explain your reasons;
• give them real choices, such as a school visit, their room or the school itself;
• help them keep in touch with friends.

Teenagers (about 12 to 18) are at higher risk because friends and identity matter more. Moving in the middle of exam years is often advised against. If a teenager opposes the move strongly and persistently, delay until after key exams or plan extra support. Do not push ahead on your own timetable.

Go or stop

Go when your child is young, or when the timing avoids exam years, the teaching language suits them and a school has support. Pause and rethink when your child is 14 to 17 and mid-course, when qualifications need validating, or when the opposition is strong and lasting. The decision, timeline, documents and checklist below help you work through it.

Choosing between options

When should you move, given your children's age, school stage and feelings?

• Move before the new school year: Your children are in infantil or primaria, or you can apply in the usual March to May window and start in September.

• Move mid-year: Work or family reasons require it and your children are young; the regional authority will place them in a school with free places, usually within days to a few weeks.

• Delay until after key exams: A teenager is in the last years of ESO or in bachillerato, or strongly and persistently opposes the move.

• Choose a region with a suitable teaching language: Your children speak no Spanish and you want to avoid a second new language; compare regions where schooling is mainly in Spanish with those that teach mainly in a co-official language.

Let age, school stage, teaching language and your children's reluctance set the timing. Reluctance is not a veto, but strong persistent opposition from a teenager means delaying or adding support.

Timeline and deadlines

• Apply for school places for the next school year: usually March to May

• Start of the school year: early or mid September

• If you arrive outside the normal window, apply to the school placement office or the school with your documents: as soon as you arrive

• Receive a school assignment: within days to a few weeks of applying

• End of the school year and start of summer holidays: late June

Documents you need

• Your child's passport or ID, to apply to the school or the local school placement office.

• A padrón certificate, the town hall record showing your address, issued by your town hall.

• Your child's vaccination record.

• Your child's previous school records, which help set the right level for their age.

Checklist

• Check which language the schools in your chosen region teach in, and whether your child will learn in it.

• Ask the school whether it has a support classroom for pupils who speak little Spanish.

• Ask the regional education department how a mid-year arrival is placed and which office handles it.

• Weigh your child's age and school stage first, remembering that ages 14 to 17 carry the highest risk of lost time.

• Ask the Ministry of Education how to validate your child's foreign qualifications if they are near the end of school.

• Talk with your children early, explain your reasons and give them real choices such as a school visit or their room.

Frequently asked questions

Will my child get Spanish lessons if they speak no Spanish?

Yes, many public schools offer support classrooms for pupils who speak little Spanish, but availability varies by region and school. Your child usually spends part of the day there for several months, up to about a year, then joins the regular class. Small or rural schools may offer less, so ask the school before you choose.

Which regions teach mainly in a language other than Spanish?

Catalonia teaches mainly in Catalan, and the Basque Country has models that run from Spanish with Basque as a subject to mostly Basque. Galicia, Valencia and the Balearics use mixed models with a minimum share in the local language. Newcomers usually get reception support and are expected to learn both languages.

Is moving a teenager to Spain harder than moving a younger child?

Yes, teenagers have the hardest move, especially at the end of ESO or in bachillerato (the two years before university). Moving at ages 14 to 17 carries the highest risk of lost time or repeating a year. Foreign qualifications must also be validated, which often takes months.

How quickly will my child get a school place if we arrive mid-year?

Placement is normally within days to a few weeks after you apply. The regional education authority assigns a school with free places, which may not be your first choice. Education is a right for all children aged 6 to 16, whatever their legal status.