How to enrol your child in school in Spain 2026

In Spain, education from age 6 to 16 is compulsory and free in state schools — regardless of the parents' immigration status. If you've just arrived, you can enrol your child even in the middle of the school year. This guide covers the school types, the documents you need and how enrolment works.

School types

• Pública (state) — free, state-funded. The main option for most families.
• Concertada (state-subsidised private) — a private school with public funding; tuition is mostly free, though there can be voluntary contributions and charges for extras.
• Privada (private) — fully fee-paying.

What you'll need

1. Empadronamiento — your town-hall registration certificate (the key document)
2. Child's ID — passport or birth certificate
3. Parent's ID — passport/TIE (you don't need to be a resident — being registered is enough)
4. 2 passport photos of the child
5. Libro de vacunas — vaccination record (or whatever medical records you have)
6. Previous school records — report card/transcript, if available (can be added later)

Step-by-step process

1. Register (empadronamiento) at your local town hall (ayuntamiento).
2. Find your area. State-school enrolment usually depends on your catchment area — find the schools in your zone.
3. Submit the application:
   • Ordinary period (matriculación ordinaria) — usually in spring (roughly March–May) for the next school year.
   • Mid-year (new arrivals) — through the local education office / the comisión de escolarización, which places the child at a school with spaces.
4. Hand in the documents at your chosen school or via your autonomous community's education portal.
5. Wait for the placement and confirm the place (matrícula).

Common mistakes

1. Delaying the empadronamiento. Without it, enrolment stalls — do it first.
2. Waiting for the "ordinary period" when you arrive mid-year. New arrivals have a separate route via the escolarización commission — no need to wait for spring.
3. Not asking about the aula de acogida. Language support isn't everywhere by default — ask.
4. No vaccination record. Prepare the libro de vacunas in advance; if doses are missing, a paediatrician can help complete it.
5. Banking on a single school. Applications usually list several choices in order of preference — places at popular schools are limited.

Useful contacts

• Ayuntamiento (town hall): empadronamiento and information on local schools
• Your community's education department (Consejería/Conselleria de Educación): enrolment portals, dates, comisión de escolarización
• The school directly: confirm places, the aula de acogida, and the document list
• Ucrania Urgente (Ministry of Inclusion): official information for Ukrainians — ucraniaurgente.inclusion.gob.es

FAQ

Can I enrol my child without a NIE or residence? Yes. The empadronamiento is enough; the parents' legal residence isn't required to enrol in a state school.

Is tuition free? In state (pública) schools, yes. In concertada it's mostly free, though there can be contributions and charges for extras. Private schools are fee-paying.

Can I enrol mid-year? Yes — new arrivals are placed via the commission (comisión de escolarización); you don't have to wait for the spring period.

Is there Spanish-language support? At many schools, yes (aulas de acogida, support programmes). Ask the specific school.

Do Ukrainian documents need translating? A sworn translation of the birth certificate and school records is often useful, but requirements vary by school/region — check locally.

From what age is school compulsory? Compulsory education runs from 6 to 16. The infant stage (3–6) is very common but not compulsory.