International Schools in Spain: Curricula and Recognition
Checked against official sources on 10 October 2026
International schools in Spain are, in legal terms, foreign schools (centros docentes extranjeros): they teach the curriculum of another country at school level on Spanish territory. Royal Decree 806/1993 sets the rules. A school must be authorised and entered in the public register of schools, and the kind of authorisation decides whether it can admit Spanish pupils and whether its studies can later be recognised in Spain. This guide explains the rules, the curricula on offer, the Spanish school stages and the points to check before enrolling.
How international schools in Spain are authorised
The decree applies to centres that teach the system of another country at levels below university. Any person or company, Spanish or foreign, can own one. The main conditions are:
- The school meets the requirements that the country of the curriculum sets for creating schools and for the full official validity of their teaching. The embassy of that country certifies this.
- The building meets Spanish rules on safety, hygiene, acoustics and habitability, and is accessible to pupils with physical disabilities.
- The school is entered in the public register of schools of the competent education authority for the place where it is located. The entry shows the owner, the studies taught, the number of places and the regime the school follows.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives a report first, except for schools following the system of a European Union country.
- A school may identify itself only with the data in its register entry.
The education authority prepares its proposal within two months for systems of EU countries and within four months for other systems. Spanish education authorities inspect the schools on these points, alongside any inspection by the country of origin. A new authorisation is needed if the studies offered or the number of places change.
Three regimes, and who can enrol
| Type of school | What it teaches | Pupils it can admit |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory-age levels, mixed regime | The foreign curriculum plus Spanish language and culture and, where there is one, the regional language | Spanish and foreign pupils |
| Compulsory-age levels, foreign curriculum only | Only the foreign curriculum | Foreign pupils; Spanish nationals only if they also hold the nationality of the country of the curriculum |
| Non-compulsory levels | Foreign studies equivalent to stages that are not compulsory in Spain | Spanish and foreign pupils |
In the mixed regime, the Spanish authorities set the curriculum and timetable for Spanish language and culture. Culture includes geography and history. The teachers of these subjects need the qualifications Spanish law requires, and the marks appear on the pupil's academic certificates.
Curricula: British, American, French, German and IB
The country of origin of a school is the country whose education system it teaches, so a British school follows the British system and an American school the United States system, whoever owns it. The same applies to French and German schools. The Ministry of Education has specific equivalence rules for a number of systems, among them Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Schools and the International Baccalaureate (IB). France is covered by a general list of systems.
The IB is not a national system. Its diploma is issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization, based in Geneva. Royal Decree 534/2024 on university admission lets three groups enter Spanish universities without the entrance exam and without homologation. They are students from the systems of EU countries, or of countries with a reciprocal agreement, who meet the requirements for university in their own system; holders of the European Baccalaureate; and holders of the IB Diploma. Parents looking at American schools in Spain, or other schools from outside the EU, should ask each school how its leavers reach a Spanish university.
Some schools teach an integrated curriculum that leads to both the foreign and the Spanish qualification. The decree allows this through agreements with the foreign education authorities.
The Spanish school stages for comparison
| Stage | Usual ages | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educación infantil | 0 to 6 | - | Voluntary |
| Educación primaria | 6 to 12 | Six years | Compulsory |
| Educación secundaria obligatoria (ESO) | 12 to 16 | Four years | Compulsory; leads to the title of Graduado en ESO |
| Bachillerato | After ESO | Two years | Needs the ESO title; prepares for higher education |
Basic education in Spain is compulsory and free. It lasts ten years, normally from age 6 to 16.
Moving into the Spanish system
Two procedures exist for foreign school studies. Homologation (homologación) declares a foreign title or studies equivalent to a Spanish title. Validation (convalidación) declares foreign studies equivalent to Spanish school years so that the pupil can continue in a Spanish school. The Ministry of Education explains when they apply:
- No procedure is needed to join any year of primary education or ESO.
- A procedure is needed for studies that require the ESO title, such as bachillerato.
- The foreign studies must be officially valid in their own system and fully passed. Single subjects are not validated.
- If the studies were taken at a foreign school in Spain, that school must be duly authorised by the Spanish education authority. Studies taken outside the rules of Royal Decree 806/1993 are not recognised.
- Studies of Spanish pupils at a school not authorised to admit Spanish nationals are not recognised, unless the pupil also has the other nationality.
Applications are open all year. A fee is charged, except for homologation to the ESO title. Royal Decree 104/1988 sets a maximum of three months to decide, counted from when the file is complete. Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country handle these applications through their own services.
What to check before enrolling
- The school appears in the search tool for non-university schools of the Ministry of Education, with the studies it is authorised to teach.
- Its regime: whether it can admit Spanish nationals and whether it teaches Spanish language and culture.
- The levels covered by the authorisation, up to the final school-leaving qualification.
- How its leavers reach university in Spain and abroad.
- Fees, which each school sets. No official source publishes them, so ask the school for the full list of costs.
The directory lists primary and secondary schools in Spain, and the city pages give the local context.
Frequently asked questions
Can Spanish children attend an international school?
Yes, if the school is authorised in the mixed regime or teaches non-compulsory levels. Schools that teach only a foreign curriculum at compulsory ages cannot admit Spanish nationals without the second nationality.
Are the studies recognised in Spain?
Studies at an authorised foreign school can be homologated or validated under the general rules. Studies at a school outside the decree are not.
Does a child moving to a Spanish school at age 10 need validation?
No. No validation is needed to join primary education or ESO.
Do IB students need the Spanish university entrance exam?
Holders of the IB Diploma can enter Spanish universities without the entrance exam and without homologating the diploma.