How do you enrol children in public school in Spain in 2026?

Compulsory education covers Educación Primaria and ESO (Educación Secundaria Obligatoria), generally from ages 6 to 16. Second-cycle infantil (ages 3 to 6) is widely offered in publicly funded centres and often uses the same admission machinery even when it is not the compulsory band. Younger nursery (0 to 3) is usually a separate paid or subsidised track; cost framing sits in childcare costs.

Register the household on the municipal padrón before the admission window closes. Empadronamiento does not invent the child's right to education, but proximity and zona de influencia scoring almost always use the registered address. A lease or TIE alone rarely replaces the certificado de empadronamiento your region asks for. Update the padrón if you move from Barcelona to Madrid, or from Valencia to Málaga, before you rely on the new catchment.

Each comunidad Autónoma publishes its own periodo de admisión (usually in spring for the following school year) and baremo (points system). Common criteria include siblings already enrolled, proximity of the family home or workplace, large or single-parent family status, and disability. Tie-breakers differ by region. Do not copy Madrid's calendar for Andalusia or Valencia.

Colegios públicos are fully state-run. Centros concertados are privately managed but publicly funded and use the same admissions framework as public centres in the community. They are not automatically easier to enter in busy expat districts. Fully private and international campuses set their own fees and waitlists; compare that budget in international school costs only after you know which publicly funded place your address can still secure.

Typical document packs ask for the child's birth evidence, parents' or guardians' identity (passport, NIE, TIE, or EU certificate as accepted), recent padrón proof, vaccination records, and prior school reports. Foreign civil and school papers may need apostille and sworn translation before equivalence desks will process them. Mid-year arrivals often enrol outside the spring window through the local education office or assigned school when places remain.

Family movers shortlist cities with best places for families before locking a lease that defines catchment. Instruction in publicly funded centres is mainly in Spanish, or in Spanish plus a co-official language (Catalan, Basque, Galician) where that community requires it. Newcomer language support exists, but day-to-day notices still assume the local school language.