Everything Americans need to know about schooling in Spain. This section covers how the Spanish school system is organized by age, the three types of school (public, concertado and private international), how enrollment works and when the application windows open, what documents the regional education department asks for, and what to expect in the first weeks for a child who arrives without Spanish. We cover the bilingual programs in public schools, the American and British international schools in the main cities and what they cost, and how to handle a mid-year move or a child coming from the U.S. curriculum.
We also cover higher education: getting a U.S. degree recognized through homologation, applying to Spanish universities and the fees for non-EU students, the student visa for adults, and the credential recognition that regulated professions require. Each guide lists the documents by region, the deadlines that apply, and the questions parents ask most about the first year.
Guides for Britons enrolling children in Spanish schools and finding their way through the Spanish education system. This section explains how a child is admitted to a school, what registration at the town hall has to do with it, and how the choice between a public school, a concertada school and a private school works in practice. We cover what documents a school asks for from a family arriving from the UK, what happens to a child who does not yet speak Spanish, and how school years and stages in Spain line up with those in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We link every rule to the official page it comes from and say where the answer depends on your autonomous community, because schools are run by the regional governments. Where a point is not set out in an official source, we say so rather than guess.
Public and concertado schools, the 2026-2027 spring windows of four regions, the birth-year rule, placement of pupils schooled in the U.S., mid-year admission and Spanish support.
No recognition of UK studies up to fourth of ESO, then apostilles, homologation and UNEDasiss for GCSEs and A-levels, plus six regions' admission windows and how empadronamiento scores.
Homologation to the Spanish Bachiller, the state apostille and sworn translation, the 49.76 euro fee, the volante for conditional enrollment, and university access through UNEDasiss.
Homologation or equivalence under Royal Decree 889/2022, the apostille on U.S. documents, sworn translation, DELE B2, the 166.50 euro fee, the 6-month clock and where a PhD goes.
Where each of Spain's languages is official, public Spanish classes and their 2026 fees, the DELE and SIELE, regional language courses, and the language rules for your residence file and children.
The two Instituto Cervantes tests behind Spanish nationality: 2026 fees and dates, pass marks, U.S. exam centers, who is exempt, and why the CCSE can expire before you file.
