Whether you’ve been living in Marbella for a while or you’re moving your family to Spain for the first time, it’s not easy to decide which of the area’s school will best suit your child. Each type of school has its pros and cons so it’s all about figuring out where you see your child fitting in. Luckily though, we’ve put together a rough guide to the types of schools in the area as well as a list of schools and their contact details to make life that little bit easier for you.

Decisions, decisions…

When it comes to schools in Marbella, you basically have three options:

1. Send your child to a Spanish State-Funded School

Enrolling your child at a Spanish state-funded school is free and will enable your child to intergrate fully into Spanish life as well become fluent in the language very quickly. Around 80% of British expats opt for state education for their children and the younger they are, the quicker and easier it is for them to integrate. However, parents must pay for any extra curricular activities and supply their child with school books and materials, although it’s possible for low-income families to apply for a grant for these.

2. Send your child to an International School

There are a large number of international schools to choose from in the Marbella area, many of which offer billingual education (English and Spanish) and prepare puplis for the ‘Bachillerato’ – an internationally recognised qualification. Most international schools also offer excellent facilities (such as tennis courts, horse stables, swimming pools and golf courses), a varied range of extra curricula activities, private bus lines and high security.

There are fees for international schools but your child will intergrate with mixed nationalities and receive a higher standard of education than that of a Spanish state school. Fees start at around 4,000€ per annum and can rise to as much as 10,000€ for the higher-end international schools.

There are a number of British schools along the Costa del Sol, including Marbella, which teach the British curriculum and prepare pupils for their GCSEs. Classes are smaller and a wider range of subjects are taught.

Some British schools belong to NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain) – an accredited organisation which ensures high standards are maintained by British inspectors.

3. Send your child to a Spanish Private School

There are a number of Spanish schools which also charge fees. They teach entirely in Spanish and generally follow the same curricula as the state schools. Fees vary but on average start at no less than 700€ per annum.

Applying

Once you’ve decided on the best school for your child, it’s time to start applying. However, there are different ways of doing this, depending on the type of school you’re aiming for.

Applying to a private or international school:

You need to do this as soon as possible as demand for places is extremely high.
You must contact the school directly at any time during the school year. You also need to provide school reports, exam results and any other records from your child’s previous school.

Applying to a Spanish state school

Most Spanish schools accept applications around May for that September’s intake but this can be a lengthy process so get the ball rolling as soon as possible. First, you need to obtain the appropriate forms from the UK Department of Education in order to submit ‘proof of convalidation’ to the Spanish school. This is an official record of your child’s previous education and without it; they cannot be accepted at any school. It’s much simpler to apply for the record while you’re still in the UK as it could take up to 6 months to process.

Once you have the required documents, you need to contact the school to arrange an interview.
To find out more, contact The Department of Education, Spain on 0034 917 018 000.

Next, you need to apply for an ‘empadronamiento’ – this is a document which must be registered at your local Town Hall in Spain. Make sure you take your passport (and photocopies) with you, as well as proof of your address and details of your Spanish bank account, rent receipt or lease.

You’ll also need a copy of your child’s birth certificate/passport, vaccination records, proof of residence and two passport-sized photographs.
School in Spain: The Facts

* In Spain, compulsory education begins at the age of 6 when children must attend their local primary school for 8 years.

* The school day, for most, begins at 09.00 and finishes at 17.00 with a two hour break for lunch when pupils have the option to go home and eat with their families and perhaps even a nap. However some schools open at 9.00 and don’t offer any break, instead finishing for the day at 14.00.

* The school year runs from mid September till the end of June.

* There are no half-terms (except in some British Schools) but there are local holiday days besides Christmas and Easter.

* Like the UK, all Spain’s schools offer inclusive learning policies for children with special needs wherever possible.

* It’s possible to educate children at home in Spain, however in some areas there may be resistance from the authorities.

* School uniform must be worn at International and Private schools but for pupils of most state schools, it’s not compulsory.

International Schools in the Marbella area:
* Aloha College, Marbella: www.aloha-college.com
* Swann School, Marbella: www.swansschool.net
* Mayfair Acadamy School, San Pedro: www.mayfairacademy.com
* Colegio San Jose, Marbella: Tel. 0034-952 883 858
* ECO’s International Boys’ School, Marbella: www.ecos.attendis.com

Private British Schools in Marbella:
* Calpe College School, San Pedro: www.calpecollegeschool.com
* The English International College, Marbella: www.eic.edu
* St George’s School, San Pedro: 0034-952 786 606

Spanish schools in Marbella:
* Grupo Monseñor Rodrigo Bocanegra: Tel.  0034-952 770 077
* Colegio Las Chapas (Girls’ School): www.laschapas.attendis.es
* Colegio El Alboran SL (Private School):

In order to legally work in Spain, all EU citizens and non-EU citizens must be issued with an NIE (Número de Identidad/Identificación de Extranjero). The NIE is also required for opening a Spanish bank account, starting a new buiness and obtaining rental properties.

Although it’s possible to obtain your NIE ahead of time at the Spanish Embassy before you leave your home country, or even through a Gestor (this costs around 100€) many expats opt for a slightly less simple process once they arrive in Spain.

Filling in the form

Unless your Spanish is up to scratch, filling in the NIE can cause confusion so we’ve made it easier for applicants with by translating each section of the form:

1er Apellido: Surname

2er Apellido: Second surname

Nombre: Name

Fecha de Nacimiento: Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY)

Lugar de nacimiento: Place of Birth

Sexo: Gender – Use ‘H’ for male (Hombre) and ‘M’ for female (Mujer)

Estado Civil: Status – Use ‘S’ for single,  ‘C’ for married, ‘V’ for widow and ‘D’ for divorced.

País de Nacimiento: Country of Birth

País de Nacionalidad: Current Nationality

Nombre del Padre: Father’s Name

Nombre de la Madre: Mother’s Name

Domicilio en España: Address in Spain

Localidad: Town

CP: Post Code

Provincia: Province

Section 2
Razones del Uso: Reasons for application – the options are: Economic, Professional or Social
(Tick professional for work reasons or social for house purchase)

Section 3
Domicilio a Efectos de Notificaciones: Leave blank
At the bottom of the form, you’ll find the words ‘firma de solicitante’.  Write your signature underneath.
Standing at the Station

Once you’ve completed your form, you need to take it to your local Police Station, along with a photocopy of the form, your passport plus a photocopy.

Most local Police Stations open for NIE applicants at 9am however, the queue can often be extremely long, particularly between June and September, when a large number of foreigners require the NIE for summer bar jobs. Deli-style tickets are given out to the first 50 people in the queue and if you’re not one of them, you will simply be turned away. Therefore, it’s recommended that you arrive at the Police Station as early as 7am during these months, in order to secure a good place in the queue. 

Once you’re inside the station, you’ll need to wait until your number is called. The Police Officer will then check your documents and issue you with a date on which to go back to the station to collect your NIE number. It usually takes around 4 weeks for the NIE to be processed and once you have it, you’re ready to work in Spain!

Once you’ve been issued with an NIE, you need to apply for a Número de la Seguridad Social (Social Security Number) in order to legally work in Spain. This number will entitle you to unemployment benefits, maternity leave, retirement and free medical care (except in private health clinics/hospitals) depending on what you’ve contributed to the system throughout your working life in Spain.

Who’s entitled?

Whether you’re self-employed (Autonomo) or working for a company and a citizen of the EU, you’ll be entitled to a Social security Number and the all the relevant benefits if you become unemployed.  
Get your number

If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to go to your local Oficina de Seguridad Social and fill in the relevant paperwork, provided you speak good Spanish! If you don’t, then it’s advisable to get a lawyer of gestor to help you with this.

If you’re going to work for someone else, your new employer needs to request a Social Security Number for you by presenting the following documents to the local Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social:

* TA1 Application Form
* Your NIE Certificate
* Your Residency Certificate or Passport

Once your application has been submitted, you’ll receive a Certificate of Registration (Documento de Afiliación) and a registration number.
When things go wrong

If you’re made redundant or you stop working for any other reason, you must notify the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social as soon as possible so that you can claim your contributions back, provided you’ve been working in Spain 6 months or longer.

The Social Security Office is located at:

Plaza de Leganitos, 5 Marbella

Tel: +34 - 952 77 15 99

Spanish registration – a mandatory requirement for British babies

Before you can obtain a British Birth Certificate/register your baby’s birth with the British Consulate General, it’s advised that you register the birth at your nearest Civil Register Office during the first 8 days following the birth. If there’s a justified reason for the delay, this period can be extended to 30 days, however if you miss this deadline, you may have to start an administration procedure with the Spanish authorities, which will be a costly and lengthy process. This could also affect your child’s access to the state healthcare system, nursery and school.
Registering a British birth with the British Consulate General

It’s now possible to register your baby if he or she was born is Spain and is a British national. Although regsitration with the British Consular isn’t compulsory, it ensures that a permanent record of the birth is kept at the General Register Office in the UK. Certified copies of Birth Certificates are also available in Spain and produced in English.

Birth registration application forms are available from your nearest British Consulate and once filled out should be returned to the British Consulate General in Madrid, along with the appropriate fees, the following documents and photocopies of each:

1. Child’s Spanish Birth Certificate
This means the FULL Spanish Birth Certificate, showing names of both parents (certificado literal de nacimiento, NOT the Libro de Familia). This is available from the Civil Register Office where you registered the birth.

2. Parents’ Birth Certificates
* If both parents are British, send full UK Birth Certificates
* If one of the parents is not Bristish, send the Local Birth Certificate of this parent or a copy of their passport/DNI.
* If only one of the parents is British and born outside the UK, send their Consular Birth Certificate which states that their father was in Crown Service at the time of the birth
* If either of the parents have been granted British nationality, send the original Certificate of Registration or Naturalisation.

3. Parents’ Marriage Certificate
You need to provide your FULL Marriage Certificate (not to be mistaken with the Libro de Familia).

4. Photocopies of Parents’ Passports

5. Divorce Decree
Only provide this if either parent was previously divorced.

Applying for British Birth Registration if the child’s parents are not married

If the mother of the child was born in the UK and the child was born after 01/01/83, he/she is entitled to British Citizenship. Similarly, if the father is British, they can register the birth of their child born in Spain after 01/07/06.

For more information, click here. 

If you live in Spain and your passport is about to expire, there’s no need to go back to the UK to renew it – the British Consulate General in Madrid issues full 10 year passports for adults and 5 year passports for children under 16.

To renew your passport, you need to obtain the C1 (for adults) and C2 form (for under 16s). If you live on the Costa del Sol, you can obtain these from the British Consul in Malaga. You’ll also need 2 passport sized photographs, one of which must be countersigned by a person of suitable standing (e.g. a doctor, teacher). 

Once you have all these items and have filled out the forms carefully, you need to send them all (as well as your payment) to the following address:

UK Passport Service Iberia
British Consulate-General Madrid
Torre Espacio
Paseo de la Castellana 259D
28046 Madrid

(You can also deliver your application in person to this address, Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08:30 – 13:30).
 

Lost or stolen passports

If your passport is lost or stolen in Spain, the first thing you should do is report it to the local police. You should also contact your nearest British Consulate and apply to the Consulate general in Madrid for a replacement passport.

Once you’ve reported your passport lost or stolen, it’ll be electronically cancelled and you’ll no longer be able to use it as proof of identity or nationality as it may be recognised as a potential act of fraudulence.
Similarly, you won’t be able to use your passport for travel purposes as it may be impounded by the Borders and Immigration Authority at UK airports and ports or you could face arrest or deportation in foreign countries.

If you find a passport belonging to someone else, you need to take it to your nearest British Consulate immediately.

If you’re visiting or living in the Málaga region, the nearest British Consulate can be found at:

Edificio Eurocom, Bloque Sur
Calle Mauricio Moro Pareto 2-2°
29006 Málaga
Spain

The office is open from Monday to Friday, 08:30 – 13:30
Alternatively, you can contact the office Tel:    0034 95 235 23 00
Fax: 0034 95 235 92 11
Website: http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/