Language Courses Schools and Programs in Malaga, Spain

About Language Courses Schools and Programs in Malaga, Spain

Most language courses in Málaga are Spanish courses for international students, but the city also has university programmes, long courses for students who need a visa, a public official language school and private academies that teach English and other languages to local learners. The right choice depends on how long you want to stay, whether you need credits or a visa, and which language you want to learn.

Spanish at private language schools

Private schools offer the widest choice of short courses. Instituto Picasso has taught Spanish since 1982, CILE since 1988 and Málaga Plus Andalusí since 1989. Group courses usually start every Monday, with fixed start dates for beginners, and follow the CEFR levels from A1 to C2. Instituto Picasso, Debla and Málaga Plus state that they are accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, whose accredited centres are evaluated again every three years; FEDELE, the national federation of these schools, has about a hundred members.

University Spanish courses

Spanish courses for foreigners linked to the Universidad de Málaga are presented on Malaga-University.org. According to that website, semester courses last three months, with 225 classes starting in October, January and April, and the minimum age is 16. The 2027 summer semester runs from 5 July to 30 September 2027, has 240 lessons with 24 ECTS credits available and costs €2,400. At higher levels part of the timetable is given to culture classes, which the website says are normally taught by professors or lecturers of the university.

Long courses and student visas

Study stays of less than 90 days do not require a study visa, while Spanish language studies of more than 90 days are among the activities covered by the student visa. Instituto Andalusí de Español, for example, offers long-term intensive courses of more than 12 weeks and states that a student visa requires an intensive course of 20 or 30 lessons a week; its 24-week course costs €2,900. The school also notes that most Spanish universities ask for a B2 level of Spanish.

Other languages

The Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI) de Málaga is a public school that teaches German, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Greek, English, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian, in face-to-face, blended and distance modes. For 2026 a new student pays €81.41 to enrol in one language, and pre-registration usually takes place in May. Private academies also teach other languages: Babel Idiomas, in the El Palo district, teaches English in person and online, and BEM Idiomas in Vélez-Málaga has taught English, French and Spanish for foreigners since 2002 in groups of 5 to 10. BEM states that its teaching is not official and does not lead to an official qualification, which is the case for most private academies.

Certificates

Private schools give their own certificates of attendance and level. For an official certificate of Spanish, the DELE diplomas, awarded by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education, cover all CEFR levels.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a student visa for a Spanish course in Málaga?

Yes, for stays of more than 90 days the student visa covers Spanish language studies. Schools such as Instituto Andalusí de Español state that the course must be intensive, with 20 or 30 lessons a week.

Can I earn university credits for a Spanish course in Málaga?

Yes. According to Malaga-University.org, the university's summer semester course carries 24 ECTS credits.

Where can I learn other languages in Málaga?

The public Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Málaga teaches eleven languages, and private academies such as Babel Idiomas and BEM Idiomas teach English and French.