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.
Every child has the right to education
You can enrol your child in a state school even if the parents don't yet have a NIE or residence — being registered (empadronado) is enough. The municipal register is separate from immigration enforcement.
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.
Language support for Ukrainian children
Many state schools run aulas de acogida (welcome classes) and Spanish-support programmes for foreign pupils — they help children settle in faster. Ask about them when you enrol.
What you'll need
- Empadronamiento — your town-hall registration certificate (the key document)
- Child's ID — passport or birth certificate
- Parent's ID — passport/TIE (you don't need to be a resident — being registered is enough)
- 2 passport photos of the child
- Libro de vacunas — vaccination record (or whatever medical records you have)
- Previous school records — report card/transcript, if available (can be added later)
Empadronamiento comes first
Don't wait for your immigration paperwork to finish. Register (empadronamiento) right away — it's often the very first step, even before the NIE. Without it the school can't assign your address and catchment area.
Step-by-step process
- Register (empadronamiento) at your local town hall (ayuntamiento).
- Find your area. State-school enrolment usually depends on your catchment area — find the schools in your zone.
- Submit the application:
- Ordinary period (admisión/matriculación ordinaria) — applications (préinscripción/admisión) usually open in spring (roughly February–May) for the next school year; enrolment formalisation (matrícula) runs from June to September depending on the region.
- Mid-year or if you missed the ordinary period — through the local education office / the comisión de escolarización, which places the child at a school with available spaces. For new arrivals this route works year-round — no need to wait for spring.
- Hand in the documents at your chosen school or via your autonomous community's education portal.
- Wait for the placement and confirm the place (matrícula).
Deadlines depend on the region
Exact dates and enrolment portals differ by autonomous community (Comunidad Valenciana, Cataluña, Madrid, etc.). Check your region's education website and the town hall.
2026/27 start — the school year begins in September
If your child needs a place from September 2026 and the ordinary préinscripción (spring) has already passed, don't wait for next spring. Contact your region's education office or the comisión de escolarización now: places for new arrivals are assigned year-round. Enrolment formalisation (matrícula) runs over summer and early autumn and varies by autonomous community (for example, in Andalusia, early September). Check your region's education calendar.
Common mistakes
- Delaying the empadronamiento. Without it, enrolment stalls — do it first.
- 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.
- Not asking about the aula de acogida. Language support isn't everywhere by default — ask.
- No vaccination record. Prepare the libro de vacunas in advance; if doses are missing, a paediatrician can help complete it.
- 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
Related guides
To enrol your child you first need to be registered (empadronamiento). See all our guides.
Check that it's current
Enrolment dates, portals and the exact document list depend on the autonomous community and change each year. Before applying, cross-check your region's education website and the town hall. Guide last updated: July 2026.