Virtual School in Spain: Bilbao, Zaragoza, Seville and the Years After ESO

By Brendaliz Chelangat, Head of Academics · October 2026 · 9 min read

Writing about online schooling in Spain tends to focus on the coasts and the visa families, and our own guide does too. This one looks elsewhere: at the industrial and administrative cities inland and in the north, where international families work but international schools are fewer, and at the point where Spanish compulsory education ends, at sixteen, with the end of ESO. Together those two things define a group of families who are rarely written about: a teenager in Zaragoza, Seville or A Coruña deciding between the Bachillerato and an international qualification.

The cities beyond Madrid and Barcelona

Spain’s international schools are concentrated in Madrid, Barcelona and the coastal expatriate regions. Its international employers are spread more widely. Bilbao is home to Iberdrola’s headquarters and a long industrial tradition. Zaragoza has the large car plant at Figueruelas, now part of Stellantis, and a major logistics hub. Seville assembles military transport aircraft at Airbus’s plant, and A Coruña is home to Inditex’s headquarters at Arteixo. Valladolid has Renault’s Spanish factories. Engineers, managers and specialists move to these cities from across Europe and beyond, and their children often attend good Spanish schools. What these cities usually lack is the depth of English-medium upper-secondary options available in Madrid, particularly for A-Levels.

The legal picture during the compulsory years

Spanish law requires compulsory education from six to sixteen, and it neither mentions nor regulates home education. That silence is a genuine grey area, with outcomes varying by autonomous community, and we do not suggest families rely on it. For children of compulsory age our advice is simple: keep the child enrolled at a Spanish or international school and use a virtual school alongside it. That keeps the enrolment that visa renewals and local authorities commonly expect, and the small time difference makes it easy: mainland Spain is two hours behind Nairobi in winter and one hour behind in summer, so live classes land after the Spanish school day. Families with visa or legal questions should speak to a Spanish lawyer.

What changes at sixteen

When ESO ends, compulsory education ends. The Bachillerato that follows is a choice, not an obligation, and so is the alternative of studying Cambridge A-Levels, Pearson Edexcel International A-Levels, the IB Diploma or an AP programme full-time. For a student who wants a UK, US or other international university, A-Levels started at sixteen can be a cleaner route than combining the Bachillerato with a second qualification. For a student aiming at a Spanish university with no plans abroad, the Bachillerato and the university entrance exam, still widely known as selectividad, remain the natural route, and we say so. One caution: families whose residence depends on a visa should confirm whether dependants’ enrolment conditions still apply after sixteen before changing anything.

Running both, and when it is worth it

Some families want both records, and it is achievable: a Bachillerato place continuing in the morning, with two or three A-Levels taught live in the afternoon. It is a heavy two years and it needs discipline about subject choice, with A-Levels chosen strictly for the target course. It is worth it when the family genuinely does not know which country the student will study in, which is common among families who have moved for work and may move again. Where the destination is clear, one route done well beats two done partially. Our lessons are recorded, which helps a student balancing a Spanish timetable, but recordings are a back-up rather than a substitute for attending live.

Exams and university routes

Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel examinations are sat at authorised exam centres, which families book; in Spain these include British Council centres in the larger cities and schools that accept external candidates, and the centre is confirmed per family, per session. From Zaragoza or Valladolid that may mean a journey, so we plan sittings early. For Spanish universities, students with A-Levels or the IB Diploma apply through UNED’s recognition service, UNEDasiss, which converts their grades to the Spanish admissions scale, and they can sit specific entrance-exam subjects to raise their score for competitive courses. UK universities read A-Levels directly through UCAS, and US universities read AP and the full record through the Common Application.

Spain’s international families live in Bilbao, Zaragoza, Seville, A Coruña and Valladolid as well as on the coasts, and the end of ESO at sixteen opens a real choice for their teenagers. A virtual school can sit beside a Spanish school through the compulsory years and offer a full A-Level route after them, on almost the same clock as Nairobi. Book an assessment and we will help you weigh the Bachillerato against the international route honestly.

Frequently asked questions

Is full-time online school legal in Spain?

During compulsory education, from six to sixteen, home education is a legal grey area, so we recommend staying enrolled at a school and using us alongside. After sixteen education is no longer compulsory, but visa families should check their own conditions with a lawyer.

Can my child take A-Levels instead of the Bachillerato?

Yes, once ESO is complete. It suits students aiming at universities outside Spain; for a Spanish university alone, the Bachillerato is usually the better route.

Can A-Levels get my child into a Spanish university?

Yes, through UNEDasiss, which converts A-Level or IB grades to the Spanish admissions scale. Specific entrance-exam subjects can be added for competitive courses.

When are classes?

Mainland Spain is two hours behind Nairobi in winter and one hour behind in summer, so live classes land after the Spanish school day. Every session is recorded.

Next steps

What parents say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 130+ reviews. Read our Google reviews

“I'm very much pleased by the teaching methods at Smartious eschool, the tutors are caring, they never fail to reach out to their students in any need. Highly recommend!” — Valentine M., Google review