Moving to Spain with your family: school, nursery and paediatrician

In short: With children, it is not the beach that decides where you live, it is the school. School is compulsory from 6 to 16, public schools are free and teach in Spanish. Take care of the school place and registration deadlines first, then the flat.

How is the Spanish school system structured?

The system has the same structure nationwide, but it is implemented by the regions. For you this means: dates, forms and portals differ between Andalusia and the Canary Islands, but the stages do not.

Pre-school is voluntary, but in practice almost all children attend from the age of three. For your child, it is the easiest way into the language.

Public, semi-private or private?

There are three types of school. Public schools (colegios públicos) charge no school fees. Semi-private schools (concertados) are privately run and publicly funded; teaching is also free, though there are often fees for extras. Private and international schools charge school fees and often teach in English or German.

How do you register your child at a school?

Registration (escolarización) takes place once a year through the region’s education authority. It is based on your place of residence, so you need the Padrón first, i.e. registration at the town hall.

Canary Islands: the deadlines for 2026/27

The Canary Islands government publishes a fixed calendar every year. For pre-school and primary school in the 2026/27 school year, it looked like this:

The dates for 2027/28 will appear on the same government page. Ask the education authority for the secondary school dates. There is also an extraordinary procedure and rules for admission during the school year.

Andalusia: dates in the Junta’s portal

In Andalusia, registration also takes place in spring for the following school year, with enrolment following in early summer. The exact dates, the points system for allocating places and the forms are published by the regional government in the Escolarización portal of the Junta de Andalucía. Check there as soon as the year of your move is fixed, and also ask your preferred school directly.

Moving in the middle of the school year

If you move outside the deadlines, contact the local education authority. Because school is compulsory, your child will get a place. However, there is no right to your preferred school; places are allocated based on availability.

German schools: where are they and what do they cost?

There are four German schools abroad in Andalusia and the Canary Islands, all from kindergarten to Abitur (the German university entrance qualification). The fees come from the school websites and apply to the 2026/27 school year.

• Deutsche Schule Málaga in Ojén near Marbella: one-off admission fee, refundable deposit and monthly fees with a sibling discount. The current rates are in the school’s fee schedule.
• Colegio Alemán Sevilla: over 700 pupils. Monthly fee around 459 to 507 € (kindergarten 471.30 €, secondary school 506.79 €). For the first child, a 3,000 € admission fee plus a 4,500 € refundable contribution to the social fund. Canteen 7.50 € per day, school bus 120 to 180 € a month.
• Deutsche Schule Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: around 650 pupils. Primary school 4,704 € per year (392 € a month), years 5 to 8 5,580 €, years 9 to 11 6,120 €, year 12 6,168 €. A one-off 1,000 € admission fee and 1,000 € deposit, plus a 205 € enrolment fee per year.
• Deutsche Schule Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Tabaiba Alta: Abitur and Spanish Bachillerato. Years 1 to 8 425 € in ten monthly instalments (4,250 € per year), years 9 to 11 465 € (4,650 €), year 12 4,644 € per year. Kindergarten 465 € a month, nursery from one year 410 € a month. Enrolment fee for new pupils 425 € (years 1 to 4) or 850 € (years 5 to 12), deposit 900 to 1,030 €.

Places are limited and the journey to school can be long: the school near Málaga is in Ojén, the one on Tenerife in Tabaiba Alta near Santa Cruz. Ask early and plan where you live accordingly. You can compare which places suit you under Where in Spain?

Nursery and childcare: what applies to children under three?

The first cycle of Educación Infantil for children up to three is the Spanish nursery. Unlike pre-school from three, it usually costs money, with reductions depending on income and region. Prices, free places and application deadlines are set by Andalusia and the Canary Islands themselves and change regularly. You can get current figures from your region’s education portal or directly from the facility.

Lessons at public primary schools usually end in the early afternoon. Many schools offer early care, lunch (comedor) and afternoon activities for a fee. Ask about them when you register, because not every school has everything. And plan for the long summer holidays: they last much longer than in Germany or Austria.

Paediatrician and health card

Children are covered through their parents if the parents are in the public system. The paediatrician (pediatra) is based at the health centre (centro de salud) in your neighbourhood, not in a separate practice.

Every child needs their own health card. In Andalusia you apply for it at the health centre or online via ClicSalud+. You need your ID, the family book for the children, proof of entitlement to health cover and the Padrón. In the Canary Islands, the Servicio Canario de la Salud is responsible; ask at the health centre there which documents you need. All the ways into the system are explained in the article Health insurance in Spain.

Child benefit and parental leave: what changes?

For family benefits, the EU rule is: the country where you work is primarily responsible. If you live and work in Spain, you are therefore generally no longer entitled to German Kindergeld (child benefit) or Austrian Familienbeihilfe (family allowance).

• Both parents work in Spain: Spain is responsible.
• One parent continues to work in Germany or Austria or receives a pension from there: the entitlement may remain, partly as a differential payment.
• Application: an application in one country counts as meeting the deadline for all countries involved.

Report the move immediately to the Familienkasse (the German family benefits office) or the Finanzamt (tax office), otherwise you risk having to pay money back. Which Spanish family benefits you may be eligible for depends mainly on your income; the Seguridad Social can give you information. If you are covered by Spanish social security, you receive a benefit of 100 % of the contribution base when a child is born, paid by the social security institution INSS. What else you need to report when you move away is explained under Abmeldung (deregistration) in Germany and Austria.

What should families sort out before moving?

With children, it pays to allow an extra six months of lead time, mainly because of the registration deadlines in spring.

• Choose the type of school and check the region’s deadlines
• Ask German schools early about available places
• Bring birth certificates, vaccination records and the latest school reports
• Look for a flat in the school’s catchment area and register at the town hall
• Apply for a health card for each child
• Inform the Familienkasse about the move

Children usually learn Spanish quickly, and the younger they are, the easier it is. Many schools offer support lessons for newly arrived children, but not all. Ask about this before registering. How the whole move works is shown in the guide Moving to Spain step by step.

Frequently asked questions

Cover image: Infrogmation · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0