School for children in Barcelona: how to set up your own school, from padró to ESO

Barcelona school: 15 steps

1. Register the child in the padró

   The Padró (empadronament, registration of residence) defines the area, schools of your zone and the points for the address. The child registers a legal representative with the documents of kinship.

   • Child passport and passport or NIE parent
   • Birth certificate or libro de familia, apostille and translation if the document is foreign
   • Tenancy agreement or agreement of the owner of the dwelling
   • If one parent registers a child: check whether the other parent has to sign or consent

   Where:Oficina d'Atencio Ciutadana, recording via barcelona.cat/cita or 010Duration: pending application for schoolCost: free of charge

   When you need help, your parents are divorced, your second parent is abroad or you don't have a lease. Empadronamiento in Barcelona.

2. Form the child TSI and select a pediatrician

   TSI (Targeta sangitària individual) needs every member of the family, including children. Children at CAP (primary care centre) are led by a paediatrician, and you will go to him for vaccinations and certificates.

   • Applyed for TSI at CAP's registration address or Tramits.gencat.cat
   • Got a locked-in pediatrician in CAP.
   • I've got La Meva Salut on the digital map.

   Where: CAP at Padró, CatSalutDuration: immediately after padróCost: See CatSalut page

   When you need help, the child without insurance and status has been denied the CAP. TSI in Catalonia.

3. Translate the vaccination certificate and show it to the pediatrician.

   The vaccinations from the Catalonia calendar are free of charge, and the CAP teacher or nurse will check the foreign certificate with the local calendar and will assign a follow-up scheme (calendari accelerat) to pass.

   • I took a vaccination certificate or a card card with vaccine dates and names.
   • I've translated into Spanish or Catalan.
   • Saved a copy for matricula: the school may ask

   Where: CAP, translatorDuration: to matriculaCost: free vaccinations, transfer paid separately

4. Prepare the study papers: translation and, if necessary, homologación

   The following is not necessary for admission to any course of primària and ESO convalidación: this is clearly stated in the Ministry ’s order of 14 March 1988. Homologación is needed for batxillerat: it is accepted with the ESO certificate or recognized foreign equivalent; the application in Catalonia is considered by the Department d ’ Educación.

   • School records and certificates for recent years with translation
   • For batxillerat: filed homologación on tramits.gencat.cat, apostille and official translation
   • For consideration: received volante de inscripción condicional (effective 6 months)

   Where: Department d'Educación, trades.gencat.catDuration: homologación served in advanceValue: duty is on the agency page

   When you need help, a child aged 15 to 17 is not clear as to what course he will be in. apostille at the certificate and juror transfer.

5. Figure out how the system works.

   Compulsory studies last 10 years, from 6 to 16. Infantil 3-6 years (I3-I5, P3-P5) voluntary, primària 6 courses, ESO 4 courses, followed by batxillerat 2 courses or pro-phobia (FP).

   • Set the stage and course for the year of birth
   • I understand the difference: pública public, concertada private with funding, privada paid
   • I know that escola leads infantil and primària, institute leads ESO and batxillerat, institut escola unites both

   Where: educational.cat, segment sectionDuration: until school selectionCost: free of charge

6. Identify when to serve

   Preinscripción is a year-long entry for September. 2026-2027 has been accepted: applications from 4 to 18.03.2026, for ESO from 6 to 18.03.2026, matricula from 22 to 30.06.2026. The next campaign is conducted on the Department calendar. If you come after it, you apply outside the period.

   • I understand my case is preinscripción or reception outside the period.
   • Note: As long as preinscripción is in progress, applications are not accepted outside the period
   • I put the next campaign on the calendar.

   Where: educational.cat, preinscripcio.gencat.catDuration: Department calendarCost: free of charge

7. Apply outside the online period

   The Tramitment d'Educación "Admissio a un centre educatio fora del procés de preinscripicio" is served on the Internet, with or without digital signature, and is assisted by Consorci d'Educación de Barcelona on a provisional basis in other municipalities of the OFCina Municipal d'Escolarzacio.

   • The foundation chosen was "the child did not study in Catalonia".
   • Filled in the complainant's data, the child, up to 4 schools and attached documents
   • Saved the submission confirmation.

   Where: Tramits.gencat.cat, Consorci d'Educación de BarcelonaDuration: whole year except preinscripciónCost: free of charge

   When you need help, you don't have access to online form or a child needs a special school: you need an EAP report. Cl@ve.

8. Select schools and get your score straight.

   In preinscripción, places are allocated by score: brother or sister at school 50, address in the school area up to 30, parent's place of work in zone 20, recipients of renda garantida or IMV 15, large, single family, disability 10. No one decides drawing; outside the point of the score period, the commission does not consider: the seats available, your choice and the equal distribution of pupils.

   • Found his schools in educational.cat tools.
   • Compared distance, availability of dining room, institut escola or separate escola and institut
   • Set up schools to make a real priority.

   Where: educational.cat, open school daysDuration: pending submissionCost: free of charge

   When you need help, choose a residential area for school. Barcelona for the family.

9. Collect the application documents

   Documents are applied to scans or photos on both sides. The address on the padró system checks itself if you do not refuse the check.

   • Child passport (for foreigners instead of DNI)
   • Birth certificate or libro de familia if the child has not studied in Catalonia
   • DNI or NIE parent, if refused volante de convivéncia
   • Pockets if you're in preinscripción

   Where: online form, investmentsDuration: with applicationCost: Translation and apostille are paid separately

   When assistance is needed, should the certificate from your country be apostulated: How to understand.

10. Get the result and get the matricula

    For 2026-2027, Consorci tried to distribute the applications submitted before 09.08.2026, by the beginning of the course, the rest of the course, if possible by the end of September.

    • Checked the school appointment notice
    • I signed up for matricula and brought the originals.
    • I got a list of materials and start dates from the school.

    Where: School appointedDuration: two weeksCost: free of charge in pública

    When help is needed, they have set up a school far from home or none of the chosen ones.

11. Find out about aula d'acollida and Catalan.

    The Catalan Basic Language of Education (art. 11 of Act 12/2009). The Newcomers support aula d'acollida: up to 12 hours a week, the rest of the time of the child in their class, and for ESO in Barcelona there are ale d'acollida accelerada from September to January.

    • Asked the school about the reception plan (la d'acollida)
    • For 1-3 ESO, he learned about aula d'acollida accelerada at Consorci
    • I picked up some Catalan house lessons.

    Where: school, ConsorciDuration: from the first weeksCost: free of charge

    More detailed: Do you need Catalan?.

12. Give it to ajut de menjador

    The school canteen is available from I3 to 4 ESO in pública and concertada at below the threshold. 2026-2027 is an order 70 per cent price, extraordinari to 100 per cent, lunch price 7.83 or 7.41 per cent depending on the duration of the break.

    • Found the current delivery period: third from 28.09 to 29.11.2026
    • I've been online on ajutsmenjador.ceb.gencat.cat
    • If you ask for papers, you're on time.

    Where: Consorci d'Educación de BarcelonaDuration: by period, documents up to 02.12.2026 for the thirdCost: free of charge

    When assistance is needed, there is no Spanish income declaration for 2025 and it is unclear how income is perceived.

13. Decide on extraescolars and AFA

    Extraescolars (post-school circles) are voluntary, and the school is required to report the price in advance. AFA, the student family association, often organizes and collects a voluntary contribution.

    • I've learned the program and the prices of the extraescolars.
    • I decided if I wanted to join AFA.
    • I learned about morning and lunchtime (collida matinal, menjador)

    Where: school, AFADuration: Start of courseCost: at school or AFA

14. Connect with school and tutor

    Every class has a tutor, a class manager, and through tutoria the family receives information on the child's success (art. 25 of Act 12/2009), upon entry the family signs a carda de compremís pedkatiu.

    • Signed carda de compremís
    • I signed up for a meeting with the tutor in the first weeks.
    • Connected the app or mail to the school for notification

    Where: schoolDuration: First weeksCost: free of charge

15. Plan the transition to ESO

    After the sixth year of the primária, the child goes to the first year of ESO through preinscripción; schools are attached to institutions (adscripción), which gives priority. After the fourth year, the ESO is issued by GESO, without which they are not admitted to the batxillerat.

    • I found out which school school is attached to.
    • I put it on the preinscripción ESO calendar
    • For older children: time limits for homologación to batxillerat

    Where: school, ebbcn.catDuration: one year to the first ESO courseCost: free of charge

    When you need help, the child arrived between 15 and 16 without a certificate, and is selected between ESO, FP and Batxillerat.