What does Swedish school cost in Spain?

What it costs, level by level

The ranges below apply to Swedish schools in Spain for the 2026/2027 school year and are given per school year and student. A school year is two terms.

Always compare like with like. Ask whether lunch is served and whether there is a separate charge, as this affects the total. A price that assumes a government grant is not a price until the grant is approved. Fees are also adjusted every school year – always check the school’s own page before you calculate.

What is included, and what is extra

Lunch

Ask whether lunch is served at school, whether there is a separate charge or whether children bring food from home. This affects both the total cost and the family’s daily routine, even when two term fees look similar.

After-school care

Priced either per term or by number of days per week. With us after-school care costs €750 per term and €1,300 for the full year. Always ask what scope the price covers.

Enrolment fee

A one-off fee of between €350 and €1,000, charged either per child or per family. It is often binding and non-refundable if you change your mind. Ask explicitly what applies if you do not get the place you applied for.

Distance learning for Years 7–9 and sixth form

Swedish schools in Spain rarely run secondary school and sixth form themselves. Instead, the student follows Sofia Distans or Hermods with on-site supervision. The school's fee covers the supervision, premises and school day – the distance school's course fee may be extra. Check which applies.

Also ask how often the supervisor is actually on site. This varies a lot between schools, and the difference is not visible in the price. Some have a supervisor in the room all school day, every day. Others are only available certain days or hours, and in between the student works alone.

For a fifteen-year-old who needs to plan their own schoolwork, this is the difference between getting stuck for ten minutes and getting stuck for three days. It is the single most important question to ask about distance learning, and it is almost never asked.

Ask one more thing: is the supervisor a qualified teacher? There is no requirement for a teaching qualification to supervise distance studies, so it varies. The difference shows when the student needs help understanding the subject, not just navigating the portal.

Other costs

Materials, trips, school photos and insurance are normally outside the term fee. Some schools also charge membership, reminder or instalment-plan fees. Individually small, but they add up.

Prices “with government grant” do not apply to everyone

Some schools show a lower price that assumes the family is approved for a Swedish government grant from Skolverket. This is a conditional price, not a price.

The grant is aimed at children of posted employees – a parent stationed abroad by the Swedish state, a Swedish company or a Swedish organisation, or where there are special reasons. Simply moving to Spain and working from there is normally not enough. If you run your own business, work remotely for Swedish clients or have simply chosen to live abroad, you usually fall outside.

For secondary and sixth-form distance learning there is a separate system. Sofia Distans and Hermods charge a study fee that is reduced by the grant, and the level depends on the family's situation. At Sofia Distans the difference between grant paragraphs for full-time studies is large, and the school itself writes that the grant "only covers part of the school fee" – the guardian always pays a share.

The fee is set by the distance school, not by the local school that provides supervision. Ask Sofia Distans or Hermods for written confirmation of what applies to your family before comparing total costs between schools. This is the item that varies the most, and it does not appear in any school's price list.

The application is also made per school year, requires documentation proving the posting, and the decision comes afterwards. Never count on the lower price until the grant is approved. If a website shows two figures, the higher one applies until proven otherwise – and it is the one you should compare.

Calculate by full year, not term

Most schools quote a price per term, but the full-year price is often lower than two term fees. At Swedish International School preschool costs €4,000 per term and €7,400 for the full year – €600 cheaper to pay for the whole year at once. Ask for the full-year price even when the school does not show it.

Siblings and shorter stays

If you have several children there is almost always a sibling discount, but how it applies varies. At Swedish International School the third child gets 20% off and the fourth child 50% off, calculated on the lowest fee. Other schools use 25% and 50%, and some calculate per family instead.

Not all families move permanently. If you are trying a half-year or a single term, ask for a short-term price – it is not available everywhere. At Swedish International School a week in preschool costs €500 and a month costs €1,650, with a cap of two weeks and two months respectively.

Six questions to ask before signing

• Is lunch served at school, and is there a separate charge?
• What does after-school care cost, and is the price per day or per term?
• Is the enrolment fee refundable if we do not get a place?
• Does the price shown assume a government grant, and what does it cost if we are not approved?
• How often is the supervisor on site if my child studies remotely?
• How do you help new children settle into the group, and how do you notice if a child is thriving?

What matters more than price: how your child is welcomed into the group

Moving abroad is an adjustment. New country, new language, and a child who has to find friends from scratch. That part is not visible in any price table, and it is the most common reason a school change feels successful or not.

So ask for two numbers: how many students are in the class, and how many adults are around the group. In a small group a new student is noticed immediately, and the teacher has time to see how the first weeks go. In a large, established class friendships are often already set, and a new student has to break in alone.

Also ask what the school concretely does in the first weeks for a child starting mid-year. If they have an answer to that question, it says more than the fee does.

Swedish International School

Swedish International School is in Cancelada, between Estepona and Marbella. We follow the Swedish curriculum, with extended Spanish and English. Lunch is served at school on regular school days at no extra charge at present. We have six to seven children per adult in the school, so a new student is seen from day one, and for those who study remotely the supervisor is in the room all school day. Our prices are not conditional on government grants – what you see is what you pay. See our fees for 2026/2027 →