Quick answer: how do international school admissions work in Mallorca? Families enquire between October and March for September, visit, apply with reports and passports, then sit English and maths assessments. Baleares International College (ages 5 to 18) and its Sant Agustà campus (ages 3 to 11) follow the English curriculum, while CIDE in Palma follows the Spanish system. A deposit of roughly €500 to €2,000 secures the place.
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Catherine from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.
Moving to the island is the easy part. Getting a school place lined up before the flights are booked is where most relocating parents lose sleep. This guide to international school admissions in Mallorca walks through the process as it actually runs on the island: when to enquire, what each school asks for, which Spanish paperwork matters, and how year groups are worked out, which catches out a surprising number of British and American families.
The choice on Mallorca is smaller than in Madrid or Barcelona, and that changes the admissions game. With only a handful of English-medium schools around Palma and Calvià , popular year groups can fill well before summer, and a late application can mean a waiting list rather than a seat. We focus here on three schools listed on International School Advisor and the steps that apply to each.
Mallorca as a place to apply: geography, areas and timing
Families come to Mallorca for remote work, the yachting and hospitality industries, tourism businesses, retirement plans that turned into a full family move, and simply the quality of life. Most settle in and around Palma, along the south-west coast towards Calvià , or in inland towns with a commute into the city. That spread matters for admissions, because a school that looks close on a map can be a 30 to 45 minute drive in summer traffic on the Ma-1 or the Palma ring road.
The schools in this guide sit in three distinct spots. CIDE is in the city itself, on Carrer de l'Arner in Palma. Baleares International College Sant Agustà is in the coastal village of Sant Agustà on the western edge of Palma, convenient for Cala Major, Gènova and Bonanova. Baleares International College Sa Porrassa is in Calvià , close to Magaluf and Palmanova, and suits families living in Portals, Bendinat, Santa Ponça or Son Ferrer. If you have not yet signed a lease, apply to schools first and then rent near the one that offers a place.
The Spanish school year runs from September to June. International schools follow broadly the same calendar, so the main intake is September, with smaller numbers of places opening in January and after Easter.
Curricula you will be applying into
- English National Curriculum: both Baleares International College campuses, with the Early Years Foundation Stage at Sant Agustà and IGCSE and A Levels at Sa Porrassa.
- Spanish national system: CIDE, from the second cycle of Educació Infantil through Primà ria, ESO, Batxillerat and vocational training, with English listed as a language of instruction.
- Languages alongside: Spanish and Catalan are taught at Sant AgustÃ, with German or French from Year 3; Sa Porrassa employs native-speaker specialist language teachers.
The curriculum decides which documents you need and how your child is placed, so settle it before you apply. A child heading for a Spanish university can follow either route, but the paperwork differs.
The schools and what their admissions involve
Baleares International College, Sa Porrassa
This campus in Sa Porrassa, Calvià , takes boys and girls aged 5 to 18 and follows the English National Curriculum from Primary to Sixth Form. Key Stage 4 leads to IGCSE at the end of Year 11, and Sixth Form students usually take three or four A Level or career-based courses, with an optional Extended Project Qualification. It is British owned, part of the Ariston Education group, and teachers are recruited from the UK.
Tip: if your child is joining in Year 10 or Year 12, ask early about which IGCSE and A Level options still have room. Entry to A Levels depends on prior results, so bring the most recent reports and predicted grades to the first meeting.
Baleares International College Sant AgustÃ
Sant AgustÃ, on Carrer de Marià de Villangómez, takes children aged 3 to 11 only, following the Early Years Foundation Stage in Nursery and Reception and the English National Curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6. The school was founded in 1957, joined the Ariston Education network in 2026, and keeps group sizes reduced.
Tip: because Sant Agustà stops at Year 6, families should map out the move to secondary at the point of admission. Ask how pupils typically transfer to Sa Porrassa and whether siblings are given priority across the two campuses.
CIDE, Centro Internacional de Educación
CIDE is a large cooperative school in Palma with around 2,000 pupils and 227 staff, running five class groups per year in Infantil, Primà ria and ESO, then Batxillerat and vocational training. It offers early-morning care from 7.30, an afternoon service, a nurse for most of the school day, its own kitchen and school transport on three morning and two afternoon routes.
Tip: CIDE is a Spanish-system school, so admission follows Spanish rules on year groups and documents. Ask the admissions office directly whether your child's stage is covered by the Balearic Government's spring admissions process or handled by the school, as this changes your deadlines.
Step-by-step admissions timeline
Step 1, enquiry (September to January). Email each school with your child's date of birth, current school and curriculum, and target start date. Ask which year group they would place your child in and whether there is space.
Step 2, visit (October to March). Book a tour or open morning. If you are still abroad, most schools will run a video call, but try to visit before you commit to a lease.
Step 3, application. Submit the form with the documents listed below and pay the registration fee, typically non-refundable.
Step 4, assessment. Older children usually sit English and maths assessments and may be interviewed. Younger children often have a play session or a short taster morning.
Step 5, offer and deposit. An offer letter usually sets a short deadline, often one to three weeks, to pay a deposit or entry fee. Miss it and the place can go to the next family on the list.
Step 6, mid-year entry. Joining in January or after Easter is possible where a class has room, and the same steps apply on a compressed timescale.
Year groups, documents and indicative costs
The single most common misunderstanding is age placement. In Spain, school year groups are set by calendar year of birth (1 January to 31 December), not by a September cut-off; in the Balearic Islands both Catalan and Spanish are official languages. A child born in October may therefore sit in a different year group from the one they would join in England. British schools in Spain handle this in different ways, so ask each school how it places a child born between September and December.
Fees are not published on the profiles, so treat these as rough working figures. English-curriculum day fees on Mallorca run from roughly €7,000 to €11,000 a year (about US$7,500 to US$12,000) in Early Years, and roughly €10,000 to €17,000 (about US$11,000 to US$18,500) in secondary and Sixth Form. Spanish-system schools such as CIDE generally cost far less; confirm which stages carry fees.
- Registration fee: roughly €100 to €300, usually non-refundable.
- Deposit or entry fee: roughly €500 to €2,000; ask whether it is refundable when you leave.
- Uniform: roughly €200 to €400 for a first set.
- Transport and meals: billed separately; ask about routes before choosing where to live.
- Exam entries: IGCSE and A Level fees can be charged on top of tuition.
- Devices and trips: laptop or tablet requirements and residential trips in later years.
Documents to have ready: passports for child and parents, birth certificate, the last two years of school reports, vaccination record, and any learning support or educational psychology reports. For Spanish residence and enrolment you will usually also need an NIE and a certificate of registration on the local padrón. Spanish-system schools may ask for official validation of earlier foreign studies at secondary level, so start that early.
Practical advice for Mallorca applications
Apply before you rent. Mallorca's housing market and school capacity both tighten towards summer. Families who secure a place first and then look for housing near the school avoid long daily drives along the south-west coast.
Be clear about languages. Catalan is a co-official language and appears on the timetable in many schools. If your child will move into a Spanish-system school later, ask how Catalan and Spanish are taught and whether exemptions apply to recently arrived pupils.
Keep paperwork in order. Get birth certificates translated if they are not in Spanish or English, and ask whether an apostille is required. Arriving with a complete file can turn a three-week process into a few days.
See the full ranking for the Balearic Islands
Comparing schools before you apply saves time and avoids wasted assessments. See our list of the Best international schools in the Balearic Islands for profiles, locations and stages at a glance.
More guides to schools in Mallorca
Frequently asked questions
When should I apply to an international school in Mallorca?
Ideally between October and March for a September start. English-curriculum schools around Palma and Calvià have limited places, and popular year groups such as Reception and Year 7 can fill by spring. Mid-year entry in January or after Easter is possible when a class has room, but you should expect to join a waiting list if you apply in summer.
What year group will my child join in a Spanish school?
Spain groups children by calendar year of birth, from 1 January to 31 December, rather than the English September cut-off. A child born in November may be placed a year differently from the UK. British schools in Mallorca handle this in their own way, so ask each school how it places children born between September and December.
Do I need an NIE and padrón to enrol my child in Mallorca?
Most schools ask for passports, a birth certificate and recent reports first, and the NIE and padrón certificate follow as part of settling in. Spanish-system schools such as CIDE in Palma are more likely to require local registration for enrolment, and may ask for official validation of earlier foreign studies at secondary level.