European School Alicante: eligibility, languages and 2026/27 fees

European School Alicante is a co-educational Type 1 European School at Avenida Locutor Vicente Hipólito s/n in Playa de San Juan. It is a day school and does not provide boarding.

The school primarily serves children of European Union institution staff, including staff of the European Union Intellectual Property Office. Other families may apply when the European Schools rules and available places allow it.

The leaving qualification is the European Baccalaureate. It is not the International Baccalaureate Diploma or the Spanish Bachillerato.

Admission categories

An applicant’s category determines priority, fees and the route into the school.

Category I covers eligible children of staff employed directly and continuously by a European institution or an assimilated organisation for at least one year. These pupils are exempt from the annual tuition fee, called the minerval.

EUIPO staff use their institution’s internal application route. Other Category I families should obtain the required employer confirmation. Category I applications may be made during the year.

Category II applies when an employer or organisation has a contract that pays the full cost of a place. The family should confirm that its employer has an applicable contract with this school. Category II applications may also be made during the year.

Category III covers other families when places remain. These families pay the annual tuition set by the Board of Governors of the European Schools.

For a new Category III pupil without a sibling already at the school, the 2026/27 application window ran from 17 April to 8 May 2026 at 16:00. The school now marks that window as closed.

The school does not accept applications outside the Category III window. It also says there is no pre-enrolment and no waiting list. No 2027 Category III dates or available classes have been published.

Pupils already enrolled continue into the next year without a new application. The Category III process is intended for at least one complete school year, but the reviewed pages do not publish detailed early-withdrawal liability.

Ages, stages and language sections

Nursery admission normally begins in September of the calendar year when the child turns four. Primary Year 1 begins in the calendar year when the child turns six.

Later year groups follow the corresponding age progression. In principle, a pupil cannot be more than two years above the usual age. The allowance extends to three years for Secondary Years 4–6.

The school has German, Spanish, French and English sections. The application should use the child’s mother tongue or dominant language, not simply the family’s preferred section.

The Director may arrange comparative language testing, including for a nursery applicant. Families should ask how first-language, second-language and later language choices shape subjects and progression.

The school does not arrange visits or open days before admission. It also does not offer in-person information appointments for Category III applicants. Families should review the application material before seeking clarification.

Category III tuition for 2026/27

The published figures below apply to Category III pupils. The first child pays the full rate, the second receives a 20% reduction, and the third and subsequent children receive a 40% reduction.

Cycle	First child	Second child	Third and subsequent children
Nursery	€4,457.80	€3,566.24	€2,674.68
Primary	€6,129.55	€4,903.64	€3,677.73
Secondary	€8,358.46	€6,686.77	€5,015.08

A non-refundable 25% advance was due before 30 June 2026 to confirm admission or continued enrolment.

Cycle	First child	Second child	Third and subsequent children
Nursery	€1,114.45	€891.56	€668.67
Primary	€1,532.39	€1,225.91	€919.43
Secondary	€2,089.62	€1,671.69	€1,253.77

The remaining 75% is due before 30 November 2026. Families can request three instalments in writing before 15 October 2026.

Those instalments fall before 31 October 2026, 31 January 2027 and 31 March 2027. Late requests are not accepted. The school accepts bank transfer, not cash.

Category II fee and common expenses

For Alicante, the 2026/27 Board table gives €15,067.04 for a new Category II contract. The amount for an existing contract remains marked tba. This is an employer-contract price, not Category III family tuition.

Common expenses apply to every pupil, including Category I pupils. The school states that these charges have no sibling reduction, instalment option or pro-rata adjustment. They are non-refundable.

The amounts are described as indicative, except for the 2027 European Baccalaureate charges.

Expense	Nursery	Primary	Secondary
School insurance	€7	€7	€7
Printing	€25	€29	€35
School diary	€10	€10	€7.40
Intermath	—	€30	—
Extracurricular activities	—	—	€70
Creative Development Initiative, voluntary	€5	€5	€5

Other published charges apply only when relevant. They include €23 for the Secondary 3 Mediterranean World book and €535 for the music project.

For the 2027 European Baccalaureate, registration is €108.10 and an extra examination is €40.50. A university-application file costs €130 for the short version or €260 for the long version.

What to confirm before applying

This school is worth considering when the child fits an available language section and the family qualifies for an admission category. It is less suitable for a Category III family needing a guaranteed place or flexible arrival date.

First establish the child’s admission category and obtain any employer documentation. Then confirm the correct language section, year group and whether that class can accept applications.

Category III families should wait for the school’s 2027 notice rather than reuse the closed 2026 dates. All families should request current costs for meals, transport and any optional activity the child needs.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.