Moving to Europe with children means one question comes first: where will they go to school? Every child living in Portugal, Spain or France has the right to education, and public schools are free for residents — regardless of the family's immigration status.
Each country has its own enrolment portal, application window, catchment rules and process for recognising foreign school reports. Missing a deadline or filing the wrong document usually means waiting for the next window or accepting a place far from home.
Eagles Ocean Blue guides families through the whole path — choosing between public, private and international schools, preparing and translating the documents, filing the enrolment on time, and following the equivalence of your child's previous studies.
Talk to our school teamNames and exact ages differ by country, but school systems across Europe follow the same four broad stages. Compulsory schooling starts at 3 in France and at 6 in Portugal and Spain.
Pré-escolar, educación infantil or école maternelle. Optional in Portugal and Spain, compulsory from age 3 in France. Public places are free or heavily subsidised.
The first years of compulsory education. Places are usually assigned by catchment area, so your registered home address decides which schools you can apply to.
Ensino básico 2.º and 3.º ciclo, ESO or collège. Children arriving from abroad are normally placed after an assessment of their level and language.
Ensino secundário, Bachillerato or lycée — general or vocational tracks leading to the diploma used for university admission.
We support families enrolling children in Portugal, Spain and France. Dates and rules are reviewed every school year — always confirm the current calendar before you file.
Schools in Portugal
Enrolment in public pre-school, basic and secondary education runs through the national Portal das Matrículas. Children arriving from a foreign system file the enrolment first, and the school group runs the equivalence of studies in parallel.
Schools in Spain
Admission is organised by each autonomous community. Your municipal registration (padrón) sets your catchment zone and the points that decide the place. Families arriving mid-year are placed through the local schooling commission.
Schools in France
For maternelle and élémentaire you register at the town hall, which issues a certificate for the assigned school. For collège and lycée the académie assigns the school after a level assessment, usually organised through the CASNAV.
The standard choice for most resident families. Teaching is in the national language, with free support classes for children who do not speak it yet.
Fee-paying schools following the national curriculum, often with smaller classes, extended hours and a bilingual or religious programme.
British, French, German, American or IB curricula taught in the original language. The usual choice when your stay is medium-term or your child is already 12 or older.
Register your home address with the municipality. In Spain the padrón sets your catchment zone and admission points; in Portugal and France proof of residence decides the school group or sector.
Each country and each school year publishes its own windows, and they differ by grade. We confirm the current dates for your child's level before anything else.
Birth certificates and school reports from outside the EU usually need an apostille and a certified translation. This is the step families most often underestimate.
We submit through the correct channel — Portal das Matrículas, the regional portal in Spain, or the mairie in France — and keep the receipt and reference number.
Do not wait for the recognition of foreign studies before filing: the enrolment window closes first. Schools admit the child provisionally while the equivalence is processed.
Once the place is assigned we formalise the registration and arrange the language support class your child is entitled to as a new arrival.
We map the public, private and international schools around your address and shortlist realistic options for your child's age and language level.
We build the complete application, file it through the right portal within the window, and track the decision for you.
Certified translations, apostilles and the equivalence request for your child's previous school reports.
Address registration, proof of residence, housing near the chosen school, and the local paperwork that comes with it.
Family reunification and residence files so your child's legal status matches the school enrolment requirements.
Language support classes, school transfers, yearly renewals and any issue that comes up during the school year.
Tell us your city, your child's age and their current school level — we will map your options and the next deadline.
