Good to know · Education

Schools teaching a foreign curriculum, and moving a child’s studies

Schools in Spain that teach another country’s education system must be registered in the public register of schools to operate legally, and school studies done abroad are recognized in Spain through homologación (equivalence to a Spanish qualification) or convalidación (recognition to continue studying at a Spanish school).

Why it matters

If your child studied abroad or at a foreign-curriculum school, their studies may need official recognition to continue in the Spanish system or to have their qualification count in Spain.

When

Moving to Spain with school-age children, choosing between a Spanish or a foreign-curriculum school, or enrolling a child who studied abroad.

Official page

Real Decreto 806/1993, de 28 de mayo, sobre régimen de Centros docentes extranjeros en España

Last checked

20 Oct 2026