Find Your Children's School in Spain — With Our Help
Public, concertado, or private international — the right choice depends on your address, your budget, and how long you plan to stay. Here's how the system actually works and when to start the process.
We help you match your children to the right state, concertado, or international school, then manage enrollment paperwork and document transfer so you don't miss a waiting-list deadline.
The Three Tracks Families Choose Between
Most relocating families narrow the decision down to three options fairly quickly. The state school (colegio público) is free and often the default choice for families planning a longer-term move, particularly with younger children who'll pick up Spanish quickly. Concertado schools sit in the middle — semi-private, state-subsidized, with modest fees, generally better resources than a fully public school, and frequently a religious affiliation. Then there's the fully private or international school route, which runs a foreign curriculum in English (or French or German) and is the default for families who expect to move again, want curriculum continuity with their home country, or simply prioritize an international peer group over full immersion.
There's no universally right answer — a lot depends on how long you expect to stay in Spain, whether your children already speak Spanish, and what happens to their education if you move again. Families planning to stay long-term and integrate often lean toward public or concertado; families on a shorter posting or with older children mid-way through a UK or US curriculum often lean private.
How School Choice Works
State and Concertado: Your Address Decides
Public and concertado school admission in Spain runs on a zona escolar (school zone) system. Your registered address determines which schools you're eligible to apply to — this is one of the reasons where you choose to live matters well beyond commute times. Applying to a public school outside your zone is possible in principle but places you at a significant disadvantage in the points-based admission process most regions use.
Private and International: Open Enrollment
Private and international schools aren't bound by zona escolar rules — you can apply regardless of address, though popular schools still have limited capacity and their own entrance requirements or assessments, particularly for older children joining mid-curriculum.
Transferring Records
Whichever route you take, you'll need to bring academic records from your children's current school — report cards, transcripts, and where relevant proof of grade level — and in many cases have them translated. Schools use these to confirm the appropriate year group, which doesn't always map neatly onto Spain's own year structure.
Spain's School System at a Glance
Compulsory education runs from age 6 to 16: six years of primary school followed by four years of secondary (ESO). This applies across all three tracks — public, concertado, and private schools all work within the same compulsory age range, even though private and international schools may run their own curriculum on top of it.
International & Bilingual School Options
If you're going the private route, the curriculum question comes first. Options commonly available in Spain's larger expat hubs include the British curriculum (leading to GCSEs and A-Levels), the American curriculum (High School Diploma and AP courses), the French system through the AEFE network, German curriculum schools working toward the Abitur, and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, which many schools offer either as their sole track or alongside a national curriculum. Instruction is typically in English, French, or German depending on the school, with Spanish taught as a second language rather than the primary language of instruction.
Fees vary widely by school and city, but as a general planning range, expect roughly €7,000–18,000 per year, plus separate enrollment or registration fees that aren't always included in the headline tuition figure.
Popular international schools — especially British and American curriculum schools in Madrid and Barcelona — can carry waiting lists running 1 to 3 years for certain year groups. That's a longer runway than most families expect, and it's the single biggest reason school planning needs to start well before the rest of the move.
Timeline & Enrollment Planning
If a private or international school is even a possibility, start the admissions process 6 to 12 months ahead of your intended start date. That gives you room for entrance assessments, waiting list movement, and document translation, without forcing a rushed decision or a fallback to a school you didn't actually want. Families targeting public or concertado schools have more flexibility on timing, but still need their address registration in place before applying, since that's what determines zona escolar eligibility.
Getting your NIE number sorted early also matters here — schools and local education authorities will ask for identification documents as part of enrollment, and delays in obtaining an NIE can hold up an otherwise-ready application. If your move is tied to a Non-Lucrative Visa or another residence permit, it's worth sequencing the school search alongside the visa timeline rather than treating them as separate projects — and once schooling is settled, most families turn next to sorting out health insurance for the whole household.
FAQ
What's the difference between public, concertado, and private schools in Spain?
Public (colegio público) schools are free and assigned by your residential zone. Concertado schools are semi-private and state-subsidized, with modest fees and often a religious affiliation, but generally more resources than fully public schools. Private and international schools charge full tuition and typically run a foreign curriculum — British, American, IB, French, or German — taught mainly in English or another non-Spanish language.
Does my address really determine which public school my child can attend?
Yes. Public and concertado school admission works through a zona escolar system — your registered address determines which schools you're eligible to apply to, and it's one of the criteria used in the points-based admission process. This is worth factoring into where you choose to live, not just the school search itself.
UKShould my child stay on GCSEs and A-Levels, or switch to IB or the Spanish system?
This comes down to your own plans. If you expect to return to the UK, or your child is aiming at UK university admissions, staying on a British curriculum track at a GCSE/A-Level school preserves continuity and avoids a mid-course switch. If you're settling in Spain long-term, IB or the Spanish system may fit better and often broadens where your child can eventually apply to university. There's no single right answer — it depends on how long-term the move is.
USHow do US colleges view an IB diploma or American curriculum school compared to a US high school?
Both an IB diploma and an accredited American curriculum school abroad are generally recognized by US colleges, and AP courses taken overseas count the same as AP courses taken domestically. That said, admissions practices vary by institution, so this isn't something we can give definitive guidance on — it's worth checking directly with any university your child is likely to apply to.
How much do international schools in Spain typically cost?
As a general planning range, tuition runs roughly €7,000–18,000 per year depending on the school, city, and year group, plus separate enrollment or registration fees. Costs vary significantly between schools, so treat this as a starting point for budgeting rather than a specific quote.
When should we start applying to schools before our move?
For private or international schools, start 6 to 12 months ahead of your intended start date — popular schools, especially British and American curriculum options in major cities, can have waiting lists of 1 to 3 years for certain year groups. Public and concertado applications have more flexible timing but require your address registration to be in place first.
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