Morning group course
A light morning module or a semi-intensive course leaves the afternoon free for the family. Ask for the exact end time before committing.
Language classes · Spain · Spanish
Spanish classes for au pairs in Spain
Spain has no standalone au pair visa, and course time is not childcare time. Here is how classes, the placement agreement and the long-stay student visa fit together, with verified schools in Bilbao, Salamanca, Madrid, Valencia and Cádiz.
Learning Spanish without confusing course time and childcare
In Spain the au pair stay is organised through a placement agreement with the host family. For stays over 90 days, third-country nationals go through the long-stay student au pair visa under Royal Decree 1155/2024. Spanish law does not impose a minimum number of course hours, and a course alone does not create a right to stay.
What the law does frame is the task side: consular guidance for the au pair student visa refers to a maximum of 5 hours of tasks per day. Course time is separate from that, and the timetable has to be agreed with the family.
Fitting a course around childcare
Schools in Spain offer morning, afternoon and one-to-one formats. The right choice depends on the family timetable, not on a legal quota.
Afternoon or evening course
Works when the family needs help earlier in the day. Keep the 5-hour daily task reference in mind when agreeing the plan.
One-to-one or flexible format
Useful for a short stay or an irregular timetable. It is usually the most expensive option per hour; compare the published rates.
The law sets no minimum number of course hours. “25–30 hours a week” is a guide for childcare, not a legal quota for classes.
Verified Spanish schools
Each school below has a full partner page with its timetable, levels and published prices. We do not invent an “au pair rate”.
Instituto Hemingway
- 3h or 20h · Per week, two rhythms
- 17:00–20:00 · Afternoon course slot
- from €30 · Afternoon course per week
Instituto Hemingway is AuPair Connect’s recommended Spanish school in Bilbao. Cervantes-accredited and an official DELE/SIELE centre, it runs two distinct rhythms: an afternoon course built around childcare, and an intensive morning course that meets the legal requirement for a student visa.
See the full school pageBerceo Salamanca
- 09:10–11:00 · Class in school hours
- 10h · Semi-intensive, per week
- €180 · One week
Berceo has taught Spanish to foreigners in the historic centre of Salamanca since 1994. Its semi-intensive course runs Monday to Friday, 09:10–11:00, while the children are at school: an au pair can study in the oldest university city in Spain without giving up a full childcare week.
See the full school pageSpanish in Cádiz
- 09:45–11:30 · Light morning module
- €35/h · Flexible one-to-one
- 150 € · Booking deposit
Cádiz combines a small, walkable city with the warmth of Andalusian daily life. Spanish in Cadiz offers a flexible one-to-one formula and a light morning module that fit around childcare, so an au pair can learn Spanish without giving up the family week.
See the full school pageTANDEM Escuela Internacional Madrid
- 0 € · Registration waived
- 156 € · 4 weeks of classes
- 17:00–18:30 · Late-afternoon option
TANDEM teaches Spanish in a 19th-century mansion on Calle Marqués de Cubas, between the Retiro, the Prado and the Barrio de las Letras. Its au pair course runs on two mornings a week, with a late-afternoon option from 17:00 to 18:30 and registration waived for AuPair Connect.
See the full school pageVive Spanish
- −10% · Exclusive AuPair Connect discount
- 54 € · Extensivo 4, per week
- A1–C2 · All levels
Vive Spanish is a small school with a family atmosphere in Benimaclet, Valencia, specialised in Spanish for international students, adults and professionals. Its Extensivo 4 is built for an au pair week: four hours a week in late-afternoon slots, from A1 to C2, with a 10% exclusive discount for au pairs who enrol through AuPair Connect.
See the full school pageEscuela Delengua
- 10:00 ⇄ 13:30 · Group course, or your own hours
- €190 · Intensive course, first week
- Any Monday · Start, all year round
Escuela Delengua teaches Spanish in a typical Andalusian building in the heart of the Albaicín, with more than 25 years of experience. Its group course runs from 10:00 to 13:30; its private lessons and DELE/SIELE preparation take place before 10:00 or after 13:30, so an au pair can study around a full childcare week.
See the full school pageThe “Recommended Partner” label describes a partnership with AuPair Connect, not an official accreditation or state recognition. Prices are set by the school and may change.
Legal notice and childcare compatibility
Legal notice and childcare compatibility
- Course and childcare: Course time is not childcare time. The au pair placement agreement sets the tasks; the consular instruction for the au pair student visa refers to a maximum of 5 hours of tasks per day. The law does not impose a minimum number of course hours: the timetable is agreed with the host family. “25–30 hours a week” is a guide, not a legal quota.
- Visa: Spain does not issue a standalone “au pair” visa. Stays over 90 days for third-country nationals go through the long-stay student au pair visa (estancia por estudios, au pair modality) under RD 1155/2024. A language course alone does not create a right to stay; the consulate decides.
- Transparency: Prices and conditions are set by the school and may change. A “Recommended Partner” label means a partnership with AuPair Connect, not an official accreditation or state recognition. AuPair Connect adds no extra fee; enrolment is directly with the school.
AuPair Connect cannot be held liable for legislative changes after the verification date or for the interpretation of the texts cited.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Is there an au pair visa in Spain?
No. Spain does not issue a standalone “au pair” visa. Stays over 90 days for third-country nationals go through the long-stay student au pair visa (estancia por estudios, au pair modality) under RD 1155/2024. A language course alone does not create a right to stay; the consulate decides.
How many hours can I study and how many can I work?
Spanish law does not impose a minimum number of course hours: the timetable is agreed with the family. Consular guidance for the au pair student visa refers to a maximum of 5 hours of tasks per day. Course time is not childcare time.
Do I need a minimum Spanish level before enrolling?
There is no legal minimum level. Schools usually place you after a free level test, from beginner upwards. What matters for the visa is the consulate’s decision, not the course itself.