Early Childhood Education in Spain: Nursery and Preschool for Expat Families

Early childhood education in Spain is called Educación Infantil and covers children from birth until age six.

It is divided into two cycles:

Age	Spanish stage	Compulsory?	Publicly funded education
Birth to 3	Primer ciclo de Educación Infantil	No	Availability and fees vary
3 to 6	Segundo ciclo de Educación Infantil	No	Free
From 6	Educación Primaria	Yes	Free in publicly funded schools

For families moving to Spain, the most important distinction is between 0–3 childcare, where costs and availability vary substantially by autonomous community, and 3–6 preschool, where publicly funded education is free.

The practical process is local. Admissions calendars, school zones, languages, nursery subsidies and documentation can differ depending on where in Spain you live.

Families with older children should also read our Spanish School System for Newcomers.

Is Preschool Compulsory in Spain?

No.

Educación Infantil is voluntary from birth until age six.

Compulsory education begins with Educación Primaria in the calendar year in which the child turns six.

Although attendance from ages three to six is not compulsory, most families choose to enrol their children during this period.

The second cycle helps children become familiar with:

• classroom routines
• other children
• Spanish and, where applicable, a regional co-official language
• communication and early literacy
• numbers and basic mathematical concepts
• physical development
• independence
• social interaction

It also makes the transition to compulsory primary school much easier.

How Does Educación Infantil Work in Spain?

Spain treats early childhood education as an educational stage rather than simply childcare.

First Cycle: Birth to Age 3

The first cycle covers children from birth until age three.

Families may hear several different expressions:

Escuela infantil generally refers to an early childhood education centre.

Guardería is the everyday Spanish word commonly used for nursery or daycare.

Centro de Educación Infantil is another term used for an authorised early-years education centre.

A properly authorised centre should provide more than supervision while parents work. The programme should support the child’s physical, emotional, social, cognitive and communication development.

Second Cycle: Ages 3 to 6

The second cycle covers the three years immediately before primary school.

Families commonly hear the classes described as:

Infantil 3 años → Infantil 4 años → Infantil 5 años

Children are normally grouped according to their year of birth rather than their exact age on the first day of school.

The emphasis remains development through play, communication, exploration, movement and social interaction rather than turning preschool into a miniature primary school.

Is Nursery Free in Spain for Children Under 3?

There is no single answer for the whole country.

Spain’s autonomous communities and municipalities can operate different systems for children under three.

Depending on where you live, you may find:

• public nursery places
• subsidised places
• income-related fees
• regional nursery vouchers
• municipal assistance
• private nurseries
• programmes providing broader free access for particular ages or families

As a result, two families with children of the same age can face very different nursery costs simply because they live in different autonomous communities.

When planning a relocation, check the rules for your specific municipality and autonomous community rather than relying on a national estimate.

Is Preschool Free From Ages 3 to 6?

Yes. The second cycle of Educación Infantil is free within publicly funded education. Spanish legislation continues to define the stage as voluntary and the second cycle as free. (BOE)

That normally means no tuition for the publicly funded teaching itself at public schools or qualifying publicly funded concertado places.

However, free education does not mean the entire school day costs nothing.

Families can still encounter charges for services such as school meals, extended childcare, transport, uniforms, materials and extracurricular activities.

Ask each school for the complete annual cost rather than comparing tuition alone.

Public, Concertado or Private Preschool?

International families typically encounter three main models.

School type	How it works	Best suited to
Public	Government-run	Families seeking local integration and low education costs
Concertado	Privately operated with public funding for covered stages	Families wanting a particular educational project with publicly funded teaching
Private	Family-funded	Families seeking greater flexibility, international programmes or specific languages

Public Schools

Public schools are run by the relevant education authority.

They are often attractive to newcomer families because they provide strong integration into the local community and usually continue into primary education.

Admission is regulated and places can become competitive in popular areas.

Concertado Schools

A colegio concertado is privately operated but receives public funding for certain educational stages or places.

Where teaching is legally covered by public funding, families should not be charged tuition simply for receiving that funded education.

Additional genuinely optional services may cost extra.

Families should therefore ask clearly which payments are:

required for education versus optional additional services.

Private and International Schools

Private schools set their own fees and admissions procedures.

They may offer:

• Spanish curricula
• bilingual programmes
• British curricula
• American programmes
• International Baccalaureate pathways
• other international education models

Private admission can sometimes be more flexible for families arriving from abroad, but popular international schools may have waiting lists.

If you expect to use an international school, begin researching before choosing your permanent home.

How Does Preschool Admission Work in Spain?

Spain does not have one nationwide preschool application calendar.

Education is administered largely by the autonomous communities.

The general sequence is:

Choose the area → research schools → check catchment zones → review the regional admission calendar → prepare documents → apply → receive the admission decision → formally enrol the child

For the following academic year, the main application process often happens months before September.

But families should never assume that the dates in Madrid, Valencia, Catalonia, Andalusia or another region are identical.

First-cycle nursery admissions may also follow a different timetable from second-cycle preschool admissions.

Does Your Home Address Affect School Admission?

Often, yes.

For publicly funded schools, proximity between the family home and school can be an important admission factor when there are more applicants than places.

Authorities may use terms such as:

zona de escolarización, área de influencia or zona educativa.

This creates an important relocation problem:

housing and school selection cannot always be done independently.

A beautiful apartment may place you outside the priority zone for the school you prefer.

Before signing a long-term rental, check:

1. The school’s official catchment area.
2. The admission rules for that year.
3. How your address must be demonstrated.
4. Whether the school is normally oversubscribed.
5. Which alternative schools are nearby.

This is one reason families moving to Spain should coordinate their school search with their housing search.

Our Long-Term Rentals in Spain page explains what newcomers should consider before committing to a permanent rental.

How Does the School Points System Work?

When applications exceed available places, public and publicly funded schools use admission criteria.

Factors can include the child’s siblings already attending the school, proximity to the family home or parents’ workplace, household circumstances and other protected or priority situations.

The exact points awarded are determined under regional rules.

This means a factor worth a particular number of points in one autonomous community may be treated differently elsewhere.

Never calculate your chances using an admissions table from another region or an old school year.

Do You Need Empadronamiento for School?

The empadronamiento, or padrón registration, is frequently important because it proves where the family actually lives.

For school admission, it may help establish eligibility for address-based priority.

However, documentation requirements can vary.

A school authority may accept or request documents such as a padrón certificate, rental agreement, property document or other proof of genuine residence.

Newcomers should complete the appropriate local registration after establishing their habitual home.

See our full explanation of empadronamiento in Spain.

What Documents Do Foreign Families Need?

There is no universal national preschool document checklist.

Depending on the autonomous community and school, families may be asked for combinations of:

Child documents

• passport or identification
• birth certificate
• NIE or TIE when already available
• previous educational information where applicable

Parent or guardian documents

• passport or identity document
• NIE or TIE where applicable
• documents establishing parental responsibility when relevant

Address evidence

• padrón
• rental agreement
• property documentation
• other accepted proof of residence

Documents supporting admission priority

• sibling information
• income information
• large-family documentation
• disability documentation
• employment information
• other qualifying circumstances

Foreign families should not assume that a child must already possess every Spanish document before an application can even be discussed.

If an NIE or TIE has not yet been issued, ask the relevant admissions authority which foreign identification documents it accepts.

Foreign civil-status or educational documents may sometimes require translation for administrative use. Newcomer.es can assist through its Translation Services.

For the wider relocation paperwork, see Documents Needed to Move to Spain.

What Language Will My Child Study In?

This depends heavily on where you live.

In many regions, Spanish is the principal teaching language.

But Spain also has autonomous communities where another language is co-official.

A preschool child may therefore encounter:

Region	Language you may encounter in education
Catalonia	Catalan and Spanish
Balearic Islands	Catalan and Spanish
Valencian Community	Valencian and Spanish
Basque Country	Basque and Spanish
Parts of Navarre	Basque and Spanish
Galicia	Galician and Spanish

The exact language model can depend on regional legislation and the individual school.

For an international family, this should be researched before choosing housing, particularly if a child will later continue into primary school in the same educational system.

What Does “Bilingual School” Mean in Spain?

Do not assume that every school using the word bilingual provides the same amount of English instruction.

One school may use English for several subjects.

Another may provide only a limited number of English sessions each week.

Ask the school:

How much of the school day is actually in English?

Also ask whether the bilingual programme continues through primary and secondary education.

For children entering with neither Spanish nor the regional language, ask specifically what support is provided during the transition.

Can a Child Start Preschool Without Speaking Spanish?

Yes, families regularly move to Spain with children who do not yet speak Spanish.

Young children often acquire language through daily interaction, play, routines and contact with classmates.

The adjustment period varies greatly between children.

Some children begin speaking quickly.

Others may initially listen rather than speak.

Parents can help by maintaining stability at home while gradually introducing basic classroom Spanish.

There is generally no reason to stop speaking the child’s home language simply because they are learning Spanish.

What Is the Periodo de Adaptación?

Many early childhood centres use a periodo de adaptación when children first begin.

Instead of immediately attending a full school day, the child may start with shorter periods and gradually increase attendance.

This can help the child build trust with teachers and adjust to separation from parents.

However, it can create practical difficulties for working parents.

Before accepting a place, ask exactly:

When will my child be able to attend the normal full schedule?

Do not discover after starting work that the first week or two involves very short school days.

What About School Meals and Extended Childcare?

The published school timetable does not always reflect the complete childcare day available to parents.

Depending on the centre, additional services may include breakfast care, early drop-off, lunch, afternoon childcare, transport, extracurricular activities and holiday programmes.

Families should also ask whether the centre remains open during summer.

This is especially important for children under three because a nursery’s annual calendar may differ substantially from the standard school calendar.

Can Families Receive Financial Help With Nursery Costs?

Possibly.

Financial assistance for childcare can come from different sources, including autonomous communities, municipalities and certain tax arrangements.

You may encounter the expression cheque guardería, but it does not describe one universal Spanish programme.

Eligibility and amounts can vary according to where the family lives and its circumstances.

There is also a national tax mechanism under which qualifying taxpayers can receive an additional increase of up to €1,000 in the maternity deduction for qualifying childcare expenses at nurseries or authorised early education centres. The current Agencia Tributaria guidance continues to provide for this benefit. (Agencia Tributaria)

It is a tax benefit, not an automatic €1,000 nursery discount.

Regional tax deductions may also exist, so families should check their individual tax situation.

How Can You Tell Whether a Nursery Is Good?

Cost and location should not be the only criteria.

Visit the centre if possible.

Pay attention to how staff interact with children rather than focusing only on modern furniture or marketing materials.

Important questions include:

• Is the centre officially authorised?
• How many children are normally in the group?
• How many adults are present?
• What qualifications do staff hold?
• How does the adaptation period work?
• What languages are used?
• How are allergies and medication handled?
• Are children taken outside regularly?
• What happens when a child is sick?
• Are meals prepared onsite?
• What are the full monthly costs?
• Is there extended care?
• Does the centre close during August?
• How does the school communicate with parents?
• Does attendance create any continuity into a connected primary school?

For younger children, the quality and stability of the adults providing daily care can matter more than impressive facilities.

What Happens If You Move to Spain During the School Year?

Do not assume that missing the ordinary admissions period means you must wait until the following September.

The process depends on the child’s age and local availability.

Children Under 3

Contact public, municipal and authorised private nurseries directly and ask about current vacancies and waiting lists.

Places may become available during the year when another family moves or changes arrangements.

Children Aged 3–6

Contact the education authority responsible for admissions in your municipality or autonomous community.

There may be a procedure for families arriving outside the normal application period.

However, because Educación Infantil remains voluntary, you should not assume that your preferred school will have an available place.

School First or Housing First?

For families with young children, the correct answer is often:

research them together.

A family moving to Spain might otherwise:

find a house → sign a long lease → discover the preferred school is outside the catchment zone → face a difficult commute every day.

A better sequence is:

Choose city → shortlist neighbourhoods → research schools → check admission rules → compare housing → confirm transport → commit to the area

This is especially important in large metropolitan areas and municipalities with high demand for popular schools.

Public or International School: Which Is Better for an Expat Child?

Neither is automatically better.

A public Spanish school can be an excellent choice for a family planning a long-term life in Spain because it encourages integration and rapid language development.

An international school may be preferable when a family expects another international move or wants continuity with a British, American or other foreign curriculum.

Think about where your child is likely to be five years from now, not simply which option feels easiest during the first month after arrival.

Common Mistakes International Families Make

The most frequent problems are usually practical rather than academic.

Families may choose housing before researching school zones, miss the regional admissions period, assume all 0–3 public childcare is free, misunderstand what concertado means, underestimate extra charges, rely on the word bilingual without checking how much English is actually taught, or prepare unnecessary paperwork while missing documents that affect admission priority.

Another mistake is treating education as something to organise only after immigration and housing are finished.

For families, these processes frequently overlap.

Early Childhood Education Checklist for Families Moving to Spain

Before choosing a nursery or preschool, confirm:

• Your child’s correct educational cycle
• Which autonomous community will manage admission
• Ordinary application dates
• Whether first-cycle and second-cycle dates differ
• School catchment areas
• Required proof of address
• Public, concertado and private options
• Teaching languages
• Availability for children arriving mid-year
• Full fees, including meals and extended hours
• Nursery subsidies or regional assistance
• Required identification and family documents
• Whether foreign documents need translation
• School hours
• Adaptation-period schedule
• Summer closure dates
• Commute from home
• Continuity into primary school

Frequently Asked Questions About Nursery and Preschool in Spain

What is preschool called in Spain?

The official stage is Educación Infantil.

For younger children, people commonly use escuela infantil or guardería.

What age does nursery start in Spain?

Educación Infantil begins from birth. The first cycle continues until age three.

Is preschool compulsory at age 3 in Spain?

No. Education from ages three to six remains voluntary.

When does compulsory school begin?

Primary education must generally begin in the calendar year in which the child turns six. (Educagob)

Is preschool free in Spain?

The second cycle, from ages three to six, is free within publicly funded education. Additional services can still cost money.

Is nursery free for children under three?

Not universally. Costs, subsidies and availability vary by autonomous community and municipality.

What is the difference between guardería and escuela infantil?

Guardería is the common everyday term for nursery or daycare. Escuela infantil is generally the more educationally focused terminology. More important than the name is whether the centre is properly authorised for the service it provides.

Can foreigners use public preschool in Spain?

Foreign families can access the Spanish education system subject to the applicable admission rules and availability. Documentation procedures should be checked with the education authority where the family lives.

Does a child need an NIE before applying?

Not necessarily in every situation. Identification requirements vary, particularly for newly arrived families. Ask the relevant regional admissions authority what alternative documentation it accepts if Spanish residence documentation has not yet been issued.

Do you need empadronamiento for preschool?

It is frequently relevant because a family’s genuine address can affect admission priority. The exact evidence accepted varies regionally.

Will my child have to learn Catalan, Valencian, Basque or Galician?

Possibly, depending on the autonomous community and the school’s language model.

Can my child start during the academic year?

Potentially yes, but the procedure and available places depend on age, municipality and autonomous community.

How Newcomer.es Can Help Families Moving to Spain

Choosing a school is connected to almost every other part of a family relocation.

Immigration status → city → neighbourhood → housing → empadronamiento → school admission → healthcare → everyday family life

A decision made at one stage can affect everything that follows.

Newcomer.es helps international families coordinate the wider process through our Relocation Services in Spain, including housing preparation, local administration, documents and practical settlement planning.

Families should also review Healthcare in Spain for Newcomers when preparing the move, because healthcare registration and schooling often become two of the first priorities after establishing a permanent address.

If you are moving to Spain with children and need help coordinating the process, contact Newcomer.es.