Start by checking your child’s age group and the type of school or nursery you want. Funded places for children under three, publicly funded schools from age three, and independent schools can have different application routes. If you’ve arrived partway through the school year, contact your local schooling office and ask about an application outside the ordinary admissions period.
Nursery and escoleta places for ages 0 to 3
Use the Balearic Government’s 0–3 admissions information for publicly funded nursery places. Look up participating centres, available places, the relevant schooling office and the current calendar. Ask the nursery which hours are funded, what it charges for extra hours or meals, and how it handles its waiting list. A private nursery outside the publicly funded process may take applications directly.
School places from age three
The second cycle of infant education covers ages three to six. Compulsory schooling begins with primary education at age six. For public schools and publicly funded private schools (concertados), use the Balearic admissions service to check the calendar and which centres serve your address. Fully private or international schools normally take applications directly.
Check the application instructions for your child’s year group, rank your preferences where asked and keep the submission receipt. If you claim admissions points, check what evidence is required and when to provide it. Read the provisional results and challenge anything that looks wrong during the published window. Once a place is offered, complete matrícula within the stated dates.
Public, concertado, private and international schools in Mallorca
Public schools (colegios públicos) are state-run. Publicly funded private schools (concertados) are privately managed but have publicly funded places. Apply through the Balearic admissions process for those places. Ask about the language of instruction, school meals, activities and any optional costs.
Is homeschooling allowed in Mallorca?
Spain’s education law provides for compulsory basic education, normally from ages six to sixteen. In judgment 133/2010, Spain’s Constitutional Court upheld compulsory attendance in the case before it, where parents wanted to educate their children at home. The legal uncertainty families hear about can concern how a particular arrangement is treated in practice. There is no general recognised exemption allowing families to choose home education instead of compulsory schooling.
Moving during the school year or applying late
Contact the schooling office for your municipality and explain when you arrived, where you live and which school year your child was in. Ask about available places and the current late or in-year route. The 0–3 process has its own late application page. Tell the office early if your child has additional support needs.
Documents and questions to prepare
Check the current list for your route. Useful documents to have ready include parent or guardian identification, proof of the child’s age and family relationship, proof of address and any reports from a previous school or relevant support services. Check what must be translated and whether the school needs anything else at enrolment.
Ask how Catalan and Spanish are used at the school, what support is available for children new to either language, and how to arrange meals, early drop-off or after-school care.
Listen to the Majorca Mallorca Podcast
- Listen to Martyn Staley on state and private education and helping children settle in
- Listen to Julie Holdsworth on relocating with children and navigating Mallorca’s schools
Useful vocabulary in English, Spanish and Catalan
| English | Spanish | Catalan |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / early years centre | escuela infantil | escoleta / escola infantil |
| Schooling office | oficina de escolarización | oficina d’escolarització |
| Application for a place | solicitud de plaza | sol·licitud de plaça |
| Enrolment after a place is offered | matrícula | matrícula |
| School catchment area | zona escolar | zona escolar |
| Application outside the usual window | solicitud fuera de plazo | sol·licitud fora de termini |
| Proof of municipal registration | certificado de empadronamiento | certificat d’empadronament |
Frequently asked questions
Do I apply for a nursery place and a school place the same way?
No. Publicly funded 0–3 provision has its own admissions information and timetable. From age three, use the school admissions portal for public and concertado places, or apply directly to a fully private school.
What if we move to Mallorca mid-year?
Contact the schooling office for your municipality and ask about current vacancies and in-year admissions. For ages 0–3, use the separate late application route.
Can I homeschool instead of enrolling my child?
Spain’s compulsory schooling framework generally applies from six to sixteen. Home education by parental choice has no general recognised exemption from that duty. Ask the Balearic education authority and a Spanish education lawyer how your proposed arrangement would be treated.
Official information and useful links
- Balearic Government school admissions portal
- Balearic Government information on 0–3 admissions
- Late applications for 0–3 places
- Balearic directory of education centres
- Spanish education law, article 4
- Constitutional Court judgment 133/2010 summary
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