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School Registration Mallorca: The Escolarización Process Step by Step

Anyone moving to Mallorca with children, or already living on the island and wanting to change school, cannot avoid the so-called Escolarización process: the official registration procedure run by the Balearic education authority for all public and semi-state (concertado) schools. The process is split into two parts, Adscripción (automatic transition between stages) and Admisión (new application), runs mainly online via the GestIB portal, and follows a staggered calendar every year from the end of March to July. For the 2026/2027 school year there is also a fundamental change: a new, unified Escolarización regulation as well as a reformed school zoning system in Palma. This guide explains the specific deadlines, the necessary documents, the points system (Baremo) used when places are scarce, and the most common pitfalls in the Mallorca School Registration.

School Enrolment Mallorca 2026: Deadlines & Process

Do you need support with registration, translating documents, or choosing a school?

What exactly is the Escolarización process?

Escolarización is the official umbrella term for the annual admissions procedure at public and concertado schools in the Balearics, managed by the Dirección General de Planificación y Gestión Educativas of the Conselleria d'Educació i Universitats. It regulates how children obtain a place at a publicly funded school, from nursery (0-3 years) through pre-school (Infantil), primary school (Primaria), and ESO, up to Bachillerato. Private schools are excluded from this and handle registration directly themselves.

For the 2026/2027 school year, the Conselleria published a new Escolarización regulation in the Boletín Oficial de las Illes Balears (BOIB), which for the first time consolidates the entire process from 0 to 18 years into a single set of rules and aligns it with Decreto 43/2024 as well as the new curriculum decrees from 2025. Until now, the procedure had been spread across several regulations from 2012 and 2016. The specific annual resolution containing deadlines, documents, and operational Baremo details is published separately each year – for 2026/2027 this was scheduled for 5 March 2026.

Note: For children already attending a school and automatically moving up to the next affiliated stage (e.g. from pre-school to the assigned primary school), the Adscripción applies. Anyone applying for a place for the first time or wanting to change school goes through the Admisión.

Adscripción and Admisión: the two phases in detail

The overall process is divided into two clearly separate procedures, which start one after the other:

Phase Who is it for? Procedure
Adscripción Pupils with an automatic transition between stages at linked institutions (e.g. Infantil → Primaria at the same site) Starts first in the calendar year, from 26 March 2026
Admisión New enrolments, school transfers, first applications for nursery school, newcomers to the island Runs in stages by age group from April to June

For emigrant families, the Admisión is generally the relevant process, as the children are entering the Balearic system for the first time. Important: Solicitud (application) and Matrícula (binding enrolment) are two separate steps, each with its own timeframe – an assigned place must be confirmed within the Matrícula deadline, otherwise it is forfeited.

Deadlines and calendar for the 2026/2027 school year

The dates are set anew each year by the Conselleria and published in stages according to age group. So far, only the start of the Adscripción and the deadlines for the 0-3 age range have been officially confirmed by the Conselleria. The remaining dates for Infantil, Primaria, ESO and Bachillerato are based on current media reports and should additionally be checked on the Conselleria's official calendar page before the deadlines begin:

Procedural step Affected stage Period
Adscripción (assignment) Primaria, Special Education, ESO, Bachillerato from 26 March 2026
Solicitud (application) 0-3 years Nursery school 13-21 April 2026
Matrícula 0-3 years Nursery school 1-12 June 2026
Solicitud Infantil, Primaria, ESO, Special Education 3-16 years 4-14 May 2026 (provisional)
Matrícula Infantil/Primaria/Special Education 3-16 years 22-29 June 2026 (provisional)
Matrícula ESO 12-16 years 25 June - 1 July 2026 (provisional)
Solicitud Bachillerato 16-18 years 19-25 June 2026 (provisional)
Matrícula Bachillerato 16-18 years 16-20 July 2026 (provisional)

Note:Anyone who misses the Solicitud deadline must submit the application through the relevant Oficina de Información y Escolarización for their zone. Registration is generally possible all year round, but only subject to availability of places and no longer within the regular procedure with the full points system.

Step by step: How to apply for a school place

Process for School Place Enrolment (Escolarización) on Mallorca: from deadlines to enrolment (Matrícula)
  1. Complete the Empadronamiento before the deadline begins.The registration certificate from the town hall is a prerequisite for proof of residence in the Baremo – plan this step in good time before April/May. More on this in the guide to Empadronamiento on Mallorca.
  2. Set up access to GestIB/Cl@ve.Applications are preferably submitted digitally via the escolarizacion.caib.es portal; this requires Cl@ve or GestIB access. Anyone who doesn't test this in time loses valuable days in the tight time window.
  3. Check whether Adscripción or Admisión applies.New arrivals and those changing schools usually start within the Admisión time window for their age group.
  4. Submit the Solicitud online.Prioritise your school preference (list several schools in order of preference) and upload documents relevant to the Baremo.
  5. If in doubt, ask in person.The Oficinas de Información y Escolarización provide advice on site and also help with technical problems with online access.
  6. Check the result.The assigned place can be viewed via the "Consulta Resultado del Proceso" function on the CAIB portal.
  7. Confirm the Matrícula on time.The place is only secured once enrolment has been completed within the Matrícula deadline.

Required documents

Which documents are specifically required depends on age, year group and, in some cases, on the individual municipality. In practice, the following documents are almost always required:

Document Note
Child's international birth certificate Often required with a certified translation
Parents' ID card/passport Required for the application
Empadronamiento certificate Proof of residence for the "Domicilio" Baremo criterion
Residencia/NIE Not compulsory everywhere, but frequently required additionally in some municipalities – such as Palma
Proof of parents' workplace Alternative to the residence criterion, if relevant for the Baremo

Note: Since foreign-language birth certificates usually require a certified translation, it's worth contacting a sworn translator in Mallorca early on – as experience shows, things get tight shortly before the deadline.

Baremo: How places are allocated when demand exceeds supply

If there are more applications than places at a preferred school, a points system, the Baremo, decides the allocation. The Conselleria takes into account a whole range of family and social criteria:

Criterion Effect
Siblings already at the school Clear advantage in the allocation
Residence (Ubicación del domicilio) Proximity to the school counts
Parents'/pupil's workplace Can be used as an alternative to residence
Renta per cápita Household income
Familia numerosa / familia monoparental Large families or single-parent families
Siblings from a multiple birth Additional criterion
Disability of the child or close relatives Priority criterion
Chronic illness of the child Priority criterion
Forced family mobility (movilidad forzosa) Taken into account, e.g., for job-related relocation

If the Baremo doesn't resolve a tie in points, additional criteria for the draw (Sorteos Desempate) apply, which the Conselleria publishes every year.

The 2026/2027 school zone reform: what's changing

One of the biggest changes for 2026/2027 concerns the territorial structure of allocation. Palma will, for the first time, have a single unified school zone instead of the previous eight zones – a transition that was already initiated two school years ago. Satisfaction figures seem to confirm the decision: in the 2025/2026 school year, 94.28% of families received a place at their first-choice school.

In the island's other municipalities, the Conselleria is introducing the unified zone wherever it seems sensible, to make school choice easier for families. In cases of large distances, single-class schools, or where a balanced distribution of pupils with specific support needs (NESE) must be ensured, the Ministry retains existing zone divisions or adjusts them according to technical criteria. In addition, the Localidad (the municipality) will now be used as the basic unit of allocation instead of the old zone logic – a system change that, according to the Conselleria, is meant to create more flexibility in school choice within a clear territorial framework.

Public, Concertado, or Private: A Cost Overview

Relevant for Escolarización are public and concertado schools; private schools operate outside this process. For an overview of costs:

School type Costs Special features
Public (Colegio/Instituto Público) Free of charge Runs through the Escolarización process
Concertado Basically free of charge, in practice often "voluntary" contributions Church-run or secular provider, in some cases also via Escolarización
Private Approx. €200-400 enrolment fee + approx. €400-1,000/month depending on grade level Runs outside the Escolarización procedure, direct registration with the school

For a detailed comparison of public, semi-state, and international schools, as well as the role of Catalan in teaching, it's worth taking a look at the guide School Mallorca for German children.

Most common mistakes when registering for school

  • Confusing Solicitud and Matrícula. An allocated place that is not confirmed with a timely Matrícula is automatically forfeited.
  • Applying for Empadronamiento too late. Without a registration certificate, a key Baremo criterion is missing – and the appointment at the town hall sometimes takes longer than expected.
  • Assuming that Residencia is mandatory everywhere. The requirements differ from municipality to municipality; in Palma, experience shows it is enforced more strictly than in smaller towns.
  • Mixing up Adscripción and Admisión. Anyone who mistakenly believes they'll be automatically assigned misses their own application window.
  • Testing Cl@ve access only on the last day. Technical problems cost valuable time within a window that is often open for only a few days.
  • Commissioning translations too late. Certified translations of birth certificates or school reports need lead time.
  • Forgetting the Homologación for older children. Foreign school reports may need to be officially recognised for moving into higher year groups – more on this in the guide to Homologación of qualifications.

What comes next? After allocation

Once the place has been confirmed via the Matrícula, further organisational steps usually follow: the school's list of materials, possibly placement tests for older children, and clarifying whether foreign school reports require a Homologación. Since state schools in the Balearics mostly teach in Catalan, it's also worth getting in touch early with the school about language support programmes for newly arrived children.

Checklist: School Enrolment Mallorca

  • Empadronamiento completed before the deadline started
  • Cl@ve/GestIB access set up and tested
  • Birth certificate certified and translated
  • Checked whether Residencia is required in your own municipality
  • Applicable deadline (0-3, Infantil/Primaria/ESO or Bachillerato) noted
  • Solicitud submitted with prioritised school selection
  • Result checked via Consulta Resultado
  • Matrícula confirmed on time
  • For older children: Homologación of previous school reports clarified

Conclusion

The Escolarización process on Mallorca is well structured, but tightly timed: anyone who knows the staggered deadlines between the end of March and July, organises Empadronamiento and translations early, and understands the difference between Adscripción, Admisión and Matrícula, will get through the process with ease. The new Escolarización regulations for 2026/2027 and the unified school zone in Palma are intended to make school choice even easier for families – make use of the official information offices if any questions remain.

Official sources

When does school registration for the 2026/2027 school year start in Mallorca?
The Adscripción begins on 26 March 2026, and the Solicitud for nurseries runs from 13 to 21 April 2026. For Infantil, Primaria, ESO and special education, it is expected from 4 to 14 May 2026, and for Bachillerato from 19 to 25 June 2026 – these dates are based on current reports and should also be confirmed via the official calendar page of the Conselleria.
Do I need the Residencia for school registration in Mallorca?
That depends on the municipality: in some places, especially in Palma, it is often required in addition to the Empadronamiento, while elsewhere the registration certificate is sufficient.
What is the difference between Adscripción and Admisión?
Adscripción applies to children who automatically move on to a linked next education stage, while Admisión applies to new registrations, school changes and first-time applications, and is generally relevant for families who have recently moved to the area.
What happens if I miss the registration deadline?
Registration is generally possible throughout the year, but must then be carried out via the responsible Oficina de Información y Escolarización and depends on available places rather than the regular Baremo procedure.
What changes with the new Escolarización regulation 2026?
The new regulation, published in the BOIB, unifies the entire process from 0 to 18 years for the first time in a single set of rules, introduces the Localidad instead of rigid zones as the basic unit, and strengthens the digitalisation of the procedure while still maintaining in-person advice.
How does the points system (Baremo) work when allocating places?
In cases of oversubscription, criteria such as siblings already at the school, proximity of residence, parents' workplace, household income, Familia numerosa or monoparental status, as well as health and social factors, determine the allocation.
Do I need to have my child's birth certificate translated?
In practice, a certified translation is often required for birth certificates in a foreign language; plan for this early on so that the deadline is not jeopardised by waiting times at the translator.
What does a state school cost compared to a private school?
State schools are free of charge, Concertado schools often charge voluntary contributions, while private schools charge an enrolment fee of around 200 to 400 euros as well as roughly 400 to 1,000 euros per month depending on the grade level.