Moving to Valencia with kids: schools, areas and costs

Last reviewed: November 2026 by Emma from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Most families moving to Valencia with kids start with the flat and only then look at schools. In this city it works better the other way round. The international schools are spread across a wide metropolitan area, from Russafa in the centre to Puçol on the coast to the north, and a school run that crosses the city twice a day can undo the appeal of a lower rent.

This guide follows the order that saves time: which kinds of school exist, where the families who use them tend to live, what the 2026-27 fees and rents look like, and which papers you need before the first day of term. Every figure comes from a school's own fee schedule, the regional government or a named data source.

Is Valencia a good place for families who need an international school?

Yes, if you plan around geography. Valencia has British, American, French and German schools, plus Spanish private, concertado (state-funded private) and state schools, but the international ones cluster in a few pockets. The two campuses of British School of Valencia sit a five-minute walk apart in Russafa, and Deutsche Schule Valencia is on Calle Jaume Roig in the Pla del Real district. A second belt of schools runs north-west through Godella, Rocafort, La Cañada and L'Eliana, served by Metrovalencia lines 1 and 2. The American School of Valencia and Caxton College are both in Puçol, north of the city on the Cercanías C6 line.

That split shapes the choice of home more than anything else. A family with a child at a Russafa school can live car-free in the centre; a family at a Puçol or La Cañada school usually relies on the school bus or a car.

Which types of school can your children attend?

• British curriculum: British School of Valencia (Russafa) and Caxton College (Puçol) both take pupils through IGCSE and A Level, according to their admissions and fee pages. Cambridge House (Rocafort) and British College La Cañada (Paterna) are the other British options in the north-west.
• American and IB: the American School of Valencia runs from Nursery to Grade 12 and lists an IB Diploma fee for Grade 12 students.
• French and German: the Lycée Français de Valence in Paterna and Deutsche Schule Valencia, which runs Spanish as a foreign language (SpaF) courses for pupils who join mid-stream.
• Concertado and state schools: free or low cost, allocated through the regional admissions process and teaching the Spanish curriculum.

Entry rules change with age. British School of Valencia asks for no English from Pre-Nursery to Year 1, while pupils from Year 2 upwards need an age-appropriate level, previous reports and an interview. Its Sixth Form asks for five IGCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or the equivalent, and English at C1 to C2.

Where do families with children at international schools live?

Near the school, or near a metro line that reaches it. The table pairs each area with the schools around it, the average asking rent and the main public transport link.

Rents are idealista's average asking prices per square metre per month for October 2026; L'Eliana is not listed separately. Metro and rail lines are those that stop in each town on the Metrovalencia and Cercanías networks. Asking rents rose fastest outside the city: Puçol was up 16.6%, Paterna 15.4% and Godella 12.2% year on year, against 4.2% in València.

How much will school and housing cost in 2026-27?

Expect roughly €7,400 to €10,000 a year in tuition at an English-medium school, before joining fees and extras. These are the published 2026-27 figures:

• British School of Valencia: ten monthly payments of €760 (Early Years), €830 (Years 1 to 6), €960 (Years 7 to 11) and €995 (Years 12 and 13). Admission fee €3,250, or €1,600 for siblings and for entry from Year 7; €445 annual re-registration; school materials €242 a term; lunch €210 a month, compulsory up to Year 4.
• American School of Valencia: €7,427 (Nursery to Kinder) to €9,862 (Grades 11 and 12) a year, lunch included. Application fee €150, capital fee €1,500 for new students and an annual enrolment fee of €1,250 for families who are not shareholders.
• Caxton College: €8,420 (Nursery and Reception) to €9,980 (Years 12 and 13) a year in ten payments, lunch included; €900 registration for a new pupil (€480 for a second sibling); Valencia city bus route €182 a month.
• Deutsche Schule Valencia: €6,103 a year for Kindergarten and Klassen 1 to 4, €5,541 for Klassen 5 to 8; one-off admission fee of €1,750 for a first child joining from 2027-28.

A worked example. Two children at British School of Valencia in 2026-27, one in Year 3 and one joining Year 8: tuition is 10 x €830 plus 10 x €960, so €17,900. Add the admission fees (€3,250 plus €1,600) and the first year comes to €22,750, before materials at €242 per child per term, lunch for the younger child, uniform and books. A 90 m² flat in L'Eixample at the October 2026 average asking rate would be roughly €1,674 a month; the same space in Paterna, at €13.0/m², roughly €1,170.

What paperwork do you need before the first day of school?

Three steps come first, and the rest of the move depends on them.

1. Register on the padrón. València city hall asks for a passport or residence card, the children's birth certificate or family book (foreign documents apostilled or legalised), and a signed rental contract of more than six months with rent receipts for the last two months. You can book an in-person appointment through 010 or apply online with a digital certificate.
2. Residence documents. EU citizens staying more than 90 days apply for the EU registration certificate at the police station on Calle Bailén; non-EU residents must request the TIE card within one month of arrival, at the Patraix police station, according to the University of Valencia's guide for new staff.
3. Health card. Request the SIP card, which gives access to the regional health service, by booking an appointment through the Conselleria de Sanidad's online system, and ask which documents your health centre needs.

When does the school year run, and when are admissions?

Under the regional resolution of 15 June 2026, classes in Infantil, Primaria, ESO and Bachillerato started on 9 September 2026 and finish on 18 June 2027. Christmas holidays run from 22 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 and Easter from 25 March to 5 April 2027; 9 and 12 October, 8 December and 19 March are also non-teaching days, and each town can propose up to three local days. International schools publish their own calendars, so check the dates with yours.

For state and concertado schools, the 2026-27 round for Infantil and Primaria opened online on 7 May and closed on 18 May 2026, with final lists on 18 June and enrolment from 18 to 29 June. The 2027-28 calendar had not been published by early November 2026; the 2026-27 one appeared in the regional gazette on 2 March 2026. Private international schools admit during the year when they have places, and our step-by-step guide to international school admissions in Valencia covers tests and deadlines.

Moving to Valencia with kids: what to do before you sign a lease

Visit schools before flats. British School of Valencia makes a time-limited offer of a place and puts applicants on a waiting list when a year group is full, so secure the place first and then look for a home on the right metro line.

Check the bus map. Caxton College prices its Valencia city route separately and quotes other routes on request; ask each school for its stops before choosing between Alboraya, Godella or the centre.

Prepare the paper trail early. Apostilled birth certificates and a rental contract of more than six months are needed for the padrón, and schools will ask for identity documents and previous reports, so gather them before you travel.

Compare schools across the Valencia area

Once you know which area suits your family, compare curricula, fees and locations in our list of the best international schools in Valencia.

More guides to schools in Valencia

• Best international schools in Valencia
• How to choose an international school in Valencia
• International school fees in Valencia
• International school admissions in Valencia
• Bilingual schools in Valencia
• best international schools in Valencia

Further reading: moving to Alicante with kids, guide to moving to Lisbon with kids, British schools in Valencia and their 2026-27 fees.

Frequently asked questions

Do children need to speak English to join a British school in Valencia?

Not at the youngest ages. British School of Valencia says children joining Pre-Nursery, Nursery, Reception or Year 1 need no prior English. From Year 2 it asks for an age-appropriate level of spoken and written English, previous school reports and proof of level, plus an interview, and Sixth Form candidates need English at C1 to C2.

Can my child start school in Valencia in the middle of the year?

Often, if the year group has room. British School of Valencia agrees an entry date with each family and keeps a waiting list when a year is full. Deutsche Schule Valencia runs Spanish as a foreign language courses for pupils who join mid-stream, priced at €805 to €1,035 a year in 2026-27. State school places depend on remaining vacancies.

When are the school holidays in Valencia in 2026-27?

For Infantil to Bachillerato, the regional calendar sets Christmas holidays from 22 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 and Easter from 25 March to 5 April 2027, and classes end on 18 June 2027. Each town can propose up to three local days, and international schools such as the American School of Valencia publish their own calendars.