Free Spanish Courses in Spain for TP Holders

The question “є курси іспанської безкоштовно?” (“are there free Spanish courses?”) is one of the most frequent in Ukrainian chats in Spain, and the answer is rarely complete: some know only about Cruz Roja, others only about paid academies. This guide gathers every channel that officially exists, explains who each one suits, and gives a regional table with live links to primary sources. Availability of places, dates and prices change every academic year, so in each row we state exactly what was checked and on what date, with a link to where the current convocatoria is published.

Which free courses exist at all

1. Public adult education centres — the main channel

Every autonomous community has a network of public adult education centres. The name varies — CEPA (Centro de Educación de Personas Adultas) in Madrid and Murcia, FPA / CFPA (Formació de Persones Adultes) in the Valencian Community, CFA (Centre de Formació d'Adults) in Catalonia, CEPER / SEPER (Centro / Sección de Educación Permanente) in Andalusia — but the substance is the same: these are schools for adults run by the regional education department, and almost all of them offer a Spanish course for foreigners.

• Madrid. The official CEPA offer page puts “Español para extranjeros” first in the enseñanza básica list and describes it as “Destinado para personas adultas de otros países que necesiten aprender español”. The audience is “población adulta, mayor de 18 años y, excepcionalmente, al alumnado mayor de 16 años que tenga contrato de trabajo”. The instructions for 2026/27 confirm that centres “podrán ofertar cursos de español para extranjeros”, with a maximum of 20 people per group; how exactly a centre determines the level for this course the instructions do not describe — ask when you enrol.
• Valencian Community. The list of FPA programmes (Resolución de 25 de julio de 2024) includes “Valenciano y castellano como lengua extranjera” aimed at MCER levels A1 and A2, preparation courses for the B1 certification exam, and a “Curso de nacionalidad española y de obtención del DELE”. An example of a live centre is FPA Torrevieja: “preparem als nostres alumnes en els nivells d'Espanyol (Castellà) A1, A2 i B1”.
• Catalonia. The education department describes the “Llengua castellana” course for adult centres: three levels, “que corresponen als nivells A1, A2 i B1 del MECR”; at preinscripció the centre “li farà una prova de nivell”.
• Andalusia. The regulation of the permanent education centres (art. 1 as amended in 2007) explicitly names among their plans “planes educativos de patrimonio cultural andaluz y cultura y lengua españolas para la población inmigrante”.
• Murcia. The regional Resolución de 16 de julio de 2026 (BORM 21.07.2026) regulates two courses — “Español para Extranjeros” (levels I and II) and “Enseñanzas Básicas para Extranjeros” — and opens them to foreigners from age 17. In the 2025/26 offer the Spanish course for foreigners was available in all 16 CEPA of the region.

2. Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI) — paid, but at a state price and with a certificate

The Ministry of Inclusion, in its FAQ on temporary protection, answers the question “¿Dónde puedo apuntarme a cursos de aprendizaje del idioma?” like this: “La Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI) ofrece cursos de castellano para extranjeros, en todo el territorio nacional. Además, otras entidades y academias de idiomas ofrecen cursos gratuitos, para ello, diríjase al municipio en el que resida”.

The EOI are state language schools with official level certificates. Spanish as a foreign language is not available at every EOI, but in large cities it usually is: dedicated departamentos de español operate at EOI València-Saïdia, EOI Alicante and EOI Málaga (since the 1984/85 academic year). The conditions, using the Valencian Community as the example (Resolución de 27 de abril de 2026, 2026/27 academic year):

• age — “tener dieciséis años o cumplirlos el año en que se empiezan los estudios”;
• documents for citizens of non-EU countries — “fotocopia del NIE y documento que acredite el país en el que se ha realizado la escolarización obligatoria”;
• two admission periods: “en junio (convocatoria ordinaria) y en septiembre (convocatoria extraordinaria)”; in 2026 the ordinary online admission ran from 18 June to 3 July; after that comes the período de últimas vacantes;
• fees: under the 2026/27 tariff the matrícula for levels A2–C1 is 90 € per language and course, the placement test 12 €; discounts and exemptions follow Ley 20/2017 (50 % for familia numerosa/monoparental of the general category and people with a disability of ≥33 %, full exemption for the special category and several other groups); to pay online you need a NIF/NIE, without it “deberá acudir a la EOI adjudicada para que el centro le genere la tasa”.

3. Language courses inside the state reception system (Cruz Roja, Accem and other NGOs)

This is the channel people hear about most often: “Cruz Roja gives free Spanish”. True — but with an important condition. The reception system (Sistema de Acogida de Protección Internacional) is intended, in the ministry's own words, for “personas solicitantes y beneficiarias de protección internacional y temporal que carecen de recursos económicos”; the regulation explicitly includes in it “solicitantes y beneficiarios… de protección temporal, siempre que carezcan de recursos económicos suficientes” (RD 220/2022, art. 3.1). Among the reception-phase actions that “se podrán llevar a cabo”, the regulation names “proporcionar enseñanza del idioma y actuaciones de alfabetización y lectoescritura para el desenvolvimiento de las personas destinatarias en el territorio de acogida, en caso necesario” (art. 19 c); the same action is provided for in the autonomy phase (art. 22 c), which the regulation defines for beneficiaries of international protection and stateless persons (art. 21). This is a list of possible actions, not a guarantee of a course for everyone — the scope is decided by your reception itinerary.

In other words: if you were housed through the reception system (a Cruz Roja centre, Accem, etc.), language classes may be part of your itinerary — ask your técnico/a. If you live independently and are not in the system, these classes are not available to you. What else the NGOs and the Instituto Cervantes offer:

• Cruz Roja, under its convenio with the Instituto Cervantes (BOE, 2021), runs “cursos de español como lengua extranjera para personas migrantes”, which “serán ofrecidos de forma gratuita para los alumnos”; classes take place “tanto en los centros de la Cruz Roja como en las instalaciones del Instituto Cervantes”. But the circle of participants is limited: the courses are “para facilitar el aprendizaje del español a las personas migrantes a las que presta su apoyo la Cruz Roja”, that is, for people Cruz Roja already supports (not necessarily within the reception system). The convenio ran until 3 June 2025 and in April 2025 was extended “por 4 años más” (BOE-A-2025-9086) — that is, until June 2029. Whether there is a group in your town, check with the local asamblea.
• Accem names “Idioma” on its official website as one of its lines of work: “servicio integral que incluye la enseñanza del idioma y la cultura, así como servicios de traducción e interpretación”.
• Instituto Cervantes in 2022 allocated “licencias gratuitas de sus cursos en línea para facilitar el aprendizaje de español de los refugiados ucranianos acogidos en España” (AVE Global, up to 1000 licences through FEDELE schools). The term of that convenio is “como máximo de cuatro años” from its registration in 2022, so it expired no later than June 2026; we found no extension in the BOE — unless a new agreement was signed, the licences are gone; check with the Instituto Cervantes.

4. Municipal courses and local NGOs

Many town halls run their own free courses for foreigners — these are what the ministry FAQ means by “diríjase al municipio en el que resida”. Verified examples:

• Alicante — Centro Municipal de Formación de Personas Adultas (Calle Padre Mariana, 19; tel. 965 14 38 43): the course “Español para personas extranjeras, orientado a favorecer el aprendizaje del idioma, la integración social y la autonomía en la vida cotidiana”. “Matrícula: gratuita y sujeta a plazas vacantes. Período lectivo: de Septiembre a Junio. Preinscripciones: 1 al 18 de septiembre”.
• Torrevieja — Concejalía de Residentes Internacionales: beginner and intermediate courses for foreigners registered in the town. Requirements: “situación administrativa regular” and empadronamiento in Torrevieja; the document list names “Pasaporte, TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero), Certificado CUE, en el caso de ciudadanos de la Unión Europea y documento de identificación con fotografía del país de nacionalidad” plus the certificado de empadronamiento (whether a resguardo is accepted instead of the TIE, the page does not say — check at the Registro). Registration for the 2026 season ran from 1 to 15 September 2026, with classes starting in October; applications in person at the Registro (Plaza de la Constitución or La Mata) or via the sede electrónica, procedure “ES02”. Classes take place “en las instalaciones de la academia Be Magic”, and “estos cursos no cuentan con certificación oficial al finalizar la formación”. No price is given on the page.
• València — the Centro de Apoyo a la Inmigración (CAI, Plaça de l'Ajuntament 1, tel. 963 52 54 78) runs the Escuela de Acogida every year — a course on Spanish and Valencian society under Ley 15/2008. It is not a language course, but a good entry point: they can also tell you about current language groups in the city.
• Madrid — URDA Spain (Dolores Folgueras 4, tel. +34 919 353 759) in ACNUR's list of free training: “Curso de español: Ofrecemos un curso presencial y un curso online impartido por videoconferencia. Ambos cuentan con grupos divididos por niveles”.

5. Free online study

ACNUR España lists the free UNED courses: “dos cursos básicos de 25 horas de español. Se trata de cursos de autoaprendizaje, sin apoyo de profesores… Incluye certificado final” — “Curso de español para necesidades inmediatas (I)” and “(II)”. This is self-study without a teacher, but you can start today without waiting for September.

What you will need

1. A document with your NIE. The TIE card is the ideal option; until you have it, take your passport and the resguardo of the application or the temporary protection resolution: the NIE number is already in them (more in the NIE guide for Ukrainians). Torrevieja lists a passport and the TIE (with a resguardo — check first); the EOI of the Valencian Community ask for a copy of the NIE.
2. Empadronamiento. Mandatory for municipal courses (Torrevieja says so outright) and helps when places are allocated at public centres. How to get it — in the empadronamiento guide.
3. Age. 18+ as a rule (Madrid, Catalunya), 17+ for Spanish courses in Murcia, 16+ for the EOI. For 16–17-year-olds there are exceptions at adult centres — with an employment contract.
4. Education document — the EOI of the Valencian Community ask you to confirm the country where you completed compulsory schooling; adult centres determine your Spanish level at enrolment: in Catalonia a prova de nivell at preinscripció, in Murcia a prueba de valoración inicial to enter directly at level II.
5. Deadlines. The main windows are June (preinscripció/admisión) and September (matrícula and the second wave). Missed them — ask about vacantes: Madrid's instructions for 2026/27 allow CEPA to keep enrolling “a lo largo del curso escolar, siempre que exista la posibilidad de atender la demanda”, and EOI Málaga, by its indicative calendar, publishes vacancies from 10 September and accepts applications for them until 30 December.

Table by region

All facts come from official pages, checked on 1 November 2026. “Not confirmed” means the primary source does not say it, not that it is untrue.

Regions in detail

Comunitat Valenciana: València, Alicante, Torrevieja

The backbone is the network of FPA centres (centros públicos de Formación de Personas Adultas). The regional programme list places Spanish for foreigners among the programmes “que promuevan el desarrollo de la igualdad de oportunidades”: “cursos que tienen como referencia curricular los niveles A1 y A2 del MCER… así como cursos para la preparación de la prueba de certificación del nivel B1” — and separately a “Curso de nacionalidad española y de obtención del DELE”. The easiest way to find your centre is to search “FPA + town name” on portal.edu.gva.es: each centre has its own site there with matrícula dates (FPA Torrevieja, for example, has a “Matriculació 2026-27” section).

In Alicante there is also a municipal centre (CMFPA) with free Spanish for foreigners and pre-registration 1–18 September; the academic year runs from September to June, and enrolment is subject to available places. In Torrevieja the town hall runs separate courses for international residents — only for those registered in the town with legal status (the document list names a passport and the TIE), registration in the first half of September (in 2026, 1–15 September), start in October; classes take place on the Be Magic academy's premises, and the course gives no official certificate.

EOI: València-Saïdia and Alicante have departamentos de español. Admission for 2026/27 ran online via adminova.gva.es from 18 June to 3 July, followed by the September wave and últimas vacantes. To pay the tasa online you need a NIE; if you do not have one yet, the fee slip is issued at the school. Citizens of non-EU countries need a copy of the NIE and a document on the country of compulsory schooling.

Catalunya

Two parallel free tracks. Spanish — at the adult centres (CFA), the “Llengua castellana” course at three levels, A1–B1; the preinscripció for 2026/27 ran 19–29 June, documents — “original i còpia del DNI, NIE o passaport”; the tràmit itself is free. Catalan — through the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística: the Inicial (A1) and Bàsic (A2) levels cost 0 €, from Elemental (B1) onwards 25,50 € per 45-hour step (68 € per 120-hour level), with 50 % and 70 % discounts for eligible categories. You can register from age 18 (or from 16 if you did not complete compulsory schooling in Catalonia); a new student must take the prova de nivell before registration opens; “les dates de cada període d'inscripció es publicaran al web del CPNL com a mínim 15 dies abans”. Identity document — DNI, NIE, a Schengen-country document or a passport: the CPNL requires neither empadronamiento nor the TIE.

Comunidad de Madrid

CEPA — the network of adult education centres; Spanish for foreigners is the first item of their basic offer, and some CEPA “podrán abrir… un periodo” for preparation for the CCSE citizenship exam too. For 2026/27, applications were accepted 1–8 September 2026, lists published 9 and 15 September, matrícula 16–18 September, classes from 21 September; for 2027/28 pre-registration is 15–30 June 2027, plus a September window. The instructions allow centres to keep enrolling throughout the academic year as long as they can accommodate applicants. Groups are up to 20 people and open when 80 % of the quota is filled, so at smaller centres ask whether the group has filled up.

EOI: the admisión page of the Community of Madrid lists “español como lengua extranjera” among the languages with A2–C1 certification exams; which schools run in-person courses we did not verify against a primary source — ask at the nearest EOI. Among NGOs outside the reception system — URDA Spain with a free course in person and online.

Andalucía: Málaga

The CEPER/SEPER regulation of 2005 (as amended in 2007) assigns to them “planes educativos de… cultura y lengua españolas para la población inmigrante”. Which CEPER in Málaga run such a plan this academic year we did not check: find the nearest centre through the Consejería de Desarrollo Educativo and ask directly. EOI Málaga has taught Spanish since 1984/85; its calendar on the website is marked as indicative (“fechas aproximadas”): applications 1–20 May, matrícula 1–10 July, then vacancies from 10 September to 30 December; at those EOIs where ELE runs by cuatrimestre there is also a half-year intake — for 2025/26, applications for the second cuatrimestre were accepted 8–16 January 2026 (that window has passed; look for the 2026/27 calendar in BOJA). The requirement is to be 16 in the year studies begin.

Región de Murcia

The clearest regional rule: the Resolución de 16 de julio de 2026 (BORM núm. 166, 21 July 2026) describes the “Curso de Español para Extranjeros” (levels I and II, one academic year each) and the “Curso de Enseñanzas Básicas para Extranjeros” (one year) — the latter addressed to “personas inmigrantes con desconocimiento de la lengua castellana”. Access — “las personas extranjeras que tengan, al menos, diecisiete años de edad”; groups of 15–20 people (Enseñanzas Básicas: 15–25), in person; on completion the centre issues a “certificación de superación total o parcial”, which counts in the regional procedure for recognising basic competences. In the 2025/26 offer the Spanish course for foreigners was in all 16 CEPA of the region — Águilas, Alcantarilla, Altiplano, Alto Guadalentín, Bajo Guadalentín, Cartagena, Comarca Oriental, García Alix, Infante, Mar Menor, Noroeste, Puente Tocinos, Río Mula, Vega Alta, Vega Media and Yecla (Yecla level I only). The 2026/27 offer is approved by a separate resolution — in previous years it came out in October–November; admission dates are on educarm.es, section educación de personas adultas.

Catalan and Valencian: do you need them

In Catalonia — yes: children's schools and municipal services operate in Catalan, and the first two levels at the CPNL are free (see above). In the Valencian Community, Valencian is less needed in daily life, but FPA centres teach it under the “conocimiento de la realidad valenciana” programme at levels A1–C2 (Orden 7/2017) — ask your centre whether there is a group and a fee. A sensible strategy for a newcomer is Spanish first up to A2, then add the co-official language in parallel.

Common mistakes

1. Waiting only for Cruz Roja. Reception-system courses are for those in the system. If you live on your own, your channel is the public adult centre in your district.
2. Missing June. Preinscripció in Catalonia is late June, at the EOI in Valencia 18 June–3 July. September is the second wave, but with fewer places.
3. Going without a NIE. A resguardo with the NIE number is enough almost everywhere, but without it you cannot generate the EOI tasa online; in Torrevieja the document list names a passport and the TIE — with a resguardo, check in advance.
4. Enrolling in A1 when you already know the language at A2. There is a placement test everywhere — take it honestly and you will land in a less crowded group.
5. Paying an academy for A1 when a free CEPA/FPA is nearby. Private schools are good for intensive courses and DELE preparation; the A1–B1 basics the public system gives for free or for 90 €.

This article is for reference; the availability of groups, dates and prices are set each academic year by the autonomous community and the specific centre. Found a free course in your town that is not listed here? Write to us and we will add it to the table. For enrolling children in school see the schools guide, for recognition of Ukrainian diplomas — the homologación guide.