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Learning Spanish in Spain: public schools, the DELE, and nationality

Public language schools and adult education centres teach Spanish at low cost. If you may apply for nationality later, one article of the nationality decree matters more than the school you pick.

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On this page
  1. Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas (EOI)
  2. Adult education centres (CEPA)
  3. The Instituto Cervantes and the DELE
  4. Which certificate for nationality
  5. Sources
  6. Who can do this for you

Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas (EOI)

An Escuela Oficial de Idiomas is a public language school run by each region. The education law (LOE, article 60) says these schools should give particular weight to official EU languages, Spain's co-official languages and "del español como lengua extranjera".

Levels follow the European framework: article 59 divides the courses into basic, intermediate and advanced, which map to A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.

The access rule is in article 59.2: you need to be 16 or over in the calendar year you start. People over 14 can enrol only to study a language different from the one they studied in compulsory secondary school, which does not apply to a foreigner learning Spanish.

It depends on the region and the school. Each region runs its own admission calendar, fees and course list, and not every EOI teaches Spanish. We confirmed one official example: the Comunidad de Madrid's 2025-2026 course list shows the EOI de Madrid-Tribunal offering Español como lengua extranjera at A1 and A2, plus B1 in the evening. Catalonia's official page says the pre-registration is free but you pay the enrolment fee if you get a place, and it points to the Department of Education for the amounts. Check your own region's education site for dates, because they move every year.

Adult education centres (CEPA)

A Centro de Educación de Personas Adultas is another public route. The Comunidad de Madrid describes its CEPA "Español para extranjeros" course as for adults from other countries who need to learn Spanish, aimed at people over 18 (16 in limited cases, such as a work contract). The regional page does not say whether the course is free. One Madrid CEPA states on its own page that, being a public centre, its teaching is free, and lists levels A1 and literacy classes. Ask the centre you are considering.

We did not confirm CEPA or EOI Spanish courses in other regions on an official page, so ask your ayuntamiento or regional education office what exists near you.

The Instituto Cervantes and the DELE

The Instituto Cervantes runs the DELE diploma. It is an exam you sit and pay for, not a course. Its official calendar lists general exams at A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 (some sessions offer only some levels). You buy the exam through the Cervantes online shop, and each session has its own registration deadline. We have not printed fees because the pages we could read did not state them.

Which certificate for nationality

The nationality rules name the DELE at A2 or higher plus the CCSE. They are covered in Spanish nationality by residence, and you can practise the CCSE with the free CCSE quiz.

What that guide does not cover is the official-school route. The same decree, in its fourth additional provision, says applicants can prove basic Spanish by giving the Instituto Cervantes "los certificados oficiales de los niveles básico (A2), intermedio y avanzado de las enseñanzas de español como lengua extranjera, expedidos por la correspondiente Administración educativa". In that case you are exempt from the Spanish-language tests in article 6.

In plain terms: an A2 or higher certificate from a public Spanish-as-a-foreign-language course can replace the DELE. The CCSE is a separate test about Spain, and the provision only exempts the Spanish-language tests, so plan to sit the CCSE either way.

Check before you rely on it. The provision refers to the course framework of an older royal decree (1629/2006), and we could not find an official Cervantes page that explains how it handles EOI certificates in practice. If you plan to use an EOI certificate instead of the DELE, confirm with the Instituto Cervantes or a lawyer that your certificate qualifies before you pay for either route.

Sources

Who can do this for you

Private language schools can prepare you for the DELE and the CCSE, or give you classes while you wait for a place at a public school. A lawyer can tell you whether an EOI certificate will be accepted for your nationality file.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It was checked against the sources above on the date shown. Fees, calendars and course lists change each year and differ by region. Confirm them with the school and with the Instituto Cervantes before relying on any of it.

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