The school system in the Balearics: levels, languages and equivalences

In the Balearics, school follows the Spanish national structure: Educacion Infantil (ages 0-6, free and near-universal from age 3), Primaria (6-12), ESO (12-16, compulsory), then Bachillerato or Formacion Profesional (16-18, vocational track). The big local specificity: public teaching is delivered mostly in Catalan (the Balearic variant), with Castilian co-official. The competent authority is the Conselleria d'Educacio i Universitats of the Balearic Government. Good news for foreign families: to enrol a child in Primaria or ESO, no equivalence process is needed, enrolment happens directly by age.

How are the levels organised?

The path is the same as everywhere in Spain:

• Educacion Infantil (ages 0-6): first cycle 0-3 (fee-paying depending on the centre), second cycle 3-6 free and near-universal.
• Educacion Primaria (ages 6-12): six years, roughly equivalent to primary school.
• ESO (ages 12-16): compulsory secondary education, ending with the Graduado en ESO qualification.
• Bachillerato (ages 16-18, two years) or Formacion Profesional (the vocational route), a choice between the two.

Three networks coexist: public, concertado (privately run under a state contract, subsidised, often religious), and fully private. For the 2025-2026 school year, the Balearics counted more than 161,000 pupils and 18,779 teachers, with the concertado network gaining ground on the public one.

Catalan or Castilian: what language is taught in?

This is the point that surprises newcomers the most. In the public network, the default teaching language is Catalan (in its Balearic variant), with Castilian taught as a subject and used alongside it. Since 2024, Marga Prohens' government has launched a pilot scheme for free language choice: families at certain participating schools can request Castilian as the teaching language from age 3.

Worth keeping in mind: this scheme stays marginal. For 2025-2026, it covered around 5,900 pupils across just 19 schools and institutes, out of several hundred establishments; its extension to secondary school is planned from 2026-2027. In other words, in the large majority of public schools, your child will be taught in Catalan. It is not an obstacle (children quickly become trilingual), but it is worth planning for. To prepare, read our guide to Catalan in the Balearics: should you learn it when you settle?

A foreign child: do you need equivalences?

For the most part, no, and it is simpler than you might think:

• To join Primaria or ESO, no conversion of qualifications is needed: the school enrols the child directly, matched by age and level.
• The formal homologation process only becomes necessary for end-of-cycle diplomas (Graduado en ESO, Bachillerato), filed through the Education Ministry's electronic office. Homologating the Graduado en ESO is free.

In plain terms: you can arrive mid-year and enrol your child without waiting on a heavy administrative process.

What international school options exist in the Balearics?

Mallorca offers several British-curriculum schools (Bellver International College, Baleares International College in Calvia, King Richard III College), covered in detail in our guide to schooling options in the Balearic Islands. There is also a French option for bilingual or French-speaking families: the Lycee Francais International de Palma (Carrer Illes Balears, 142A), homologated by the French education ministry, covering ages 3 to 18 and awarding the French baccalaureate alongside the Spanish Bachiller. In Ibiza, the Lycee Francais International d'Ibiza (founded in 1975, in Sant Jordi de ses Salines) takes pupils from primary through to lower secondary, with annual fees around 5,600 to 6,300 euros.

In Menorca and Formentera, by contrast, no French or major international school exists: families turn to the local public system or to Mallorca instead.

How do you enrol your child, in practice?

The process is called admissio (or escolaritzacio), run by the Conselleria d'Educacio through its official site, with a calendar published every spring, specific to each level. An important change from 2026-2027: Palma moves to a single school zone. Any family living in the municipality can now apply to any school in Palma with the maximum proximity score.

The result: geographic proximity no longer separates most applicants in Palma (everyone gets the full score), so other criteria decide instead, notably a sibling already enrolled at the school, family income, and special circumstances (large families, single-parent households). The single zone also applies to most municipalities in Mallorca and Menorca, with a few exceptions that keep their own zoning (Calvia, Andratx, Selva, Santa Margalida, Mao). Also plan for school transport (well developed on the islands) and canteen support at public and concertado schools.

Frequently asked questions

What language will my child be taught in in the Balearics?

In the public system, Catalan (Balearic variant) by default, with Castilian taught alongside it. A pilot scheme for free language choice has existed since 2024, but it stays limited to a minority of participating schools in 2026.

Do you need an equivalence to enrol your child in primary or secondary school?

No. For Primaria and ESO, enrolment happens directly by age, with no conversion of qualifications. Homologation is only required for end-of-cycle diplomas (ESO, Bachillerato).

Is there a French school on every island?

No: the Lycee Francais is present in Palma (through to the baccalaureate) and in Ibiza (through to lower secondary). There is none in Menorca or Formentera.

What is Palma's single school zone?

From 2026-2027, any family in Palma can apply to any school in the municipality with the maximum proximity score. Siblings, income and social criteria then decide between applications.

Rules and criteria change; confirm current requirements with the Conselleria d'Educacio before you enrol. Information verified in August 2026. The Daily Baleares is an AI-assisted publication with human review.