Recommended Partner · Spanish in Bilbao · Basque Country
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.
Partner data validated by the school on 4 November 2026. Prices and timetables checked with the school.
Instituto Hemingway has taught Spanish to international students in Bilbao since 1999. It is accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, a member of FEDELE and APD, and an official DELE and SIELE examination centre. Its two campuses sit in the centre of Bilbao, near the Abando and Casco Viejo metro stations.
The Heros campus is a few minutes from the Abando metro station; the Bailén campus is on the other side of the river, in the old town. Between classes, Bilbao gives you the Guggenheim, the Casco Viejo and pintxos counters — and the coast is 30 minutes away.
Accreditations and exam centres
The course you need depends on your nationality and your visa, not on your level. The school keeps the two formats separate so that each group moves at the right pace.
EU au pairs · no study visa
An evening course designed for au pairs who spend the day with the children. Three hours a week, in a small group, with a schedule that leaves the afternoon free.
Non-EU au pairs · student stay visa
The intensive morning course is the one that meets the legal requirement for a student stay visa (visado de estancia por estudios). It is the format to choose if your visa depends on enrolling in a full-time Spanish course.
Not sure which one applies to you? The rule follows your visa status, not your Spanish level. Check with the school and your consulate before paying.
Both formats follow the same teaching approach and the same CEFR levels. What changes is the weekly volume and the time of day.
Recommended course
One-off enrolment fee: €60. The school also prepares candidates for the DELE and SIELE exams (see below).
Yellow marks the course most au pairs start with. Prices are the “from” rates validated by the school on 4 November 2026.
Two examples. In the first, an EU au pair takes the afternoon course after the children’s day. In the second, a non-EU au pair takes the intensive morning course required by the student visa.
3 hours a week, 17:00–20:00, childcare during the day
20 hours a week in the morning, childcare in the afternoon
Example timetables. Your exact hours are set with your host family in the au pair agreement. Class time is not childcare time: show the timetable to your family before enrolling, so that 17:00–20:00 or the morning block matches their real needs. The school confirms the final times.
From the first “hola” to a conversation with your host parents. For each level, one sentence you could really say in Bilbao.
At the market in the Casco Viejo
«Hola, ¿me pone medio kilo de naranjas, por favor?»
Complete beginners: ask the school for the next start date
At the school gate
«Hoy recojo a los niños a las cinco de la tarde.»
Join according to your placement test
A Saturday with the family
«¿Vamos el sábado al Guggenheim o damos un paseo por el río?»
Join according to your placement test
Talking to your host parents
«¿Podemos organizar el horario para que yo llegue a clase a las cinco?»
Afternoon course or intensive course, depending on your visa
Preparing for the DELE
«Quiero presentarme al DELE sin descuidar mi trabajo como au pair.»
Ask the school about DELE preparation
Levels A1 to C1 follow the CEFR scale used by the Instituto Cervantes. The Spanish sentences are AuPair Connect examples, not school material, and the school may correct them.
The school validates these amounts. The final price depends on the length of your stay and the course: confirm it with the school before paying.
EU au pairs
from €30
per week
3 hours a week, 17:00–20:00, 5–6 students on average, maximum 12.
Non-EU au pairs
from €145
per week, stays over 24 weeks
20 hours a week, mornings, the format required for a student stay visa.
Prices validated by Instituto Hemingway and recorded in the partnership file on 4 November 2026. Published rates may change: confirm the current amount with the school.
Instituto Hemingway is an official DELE and SIELE examination centre. If you need a certificate for a visa, a university or a future employer, you can sit the exam where you study.
Any weekday
SIELE
SIELE exams can be taken on any working day, Monday to Friday, subject to availability. Ask the school for the next free slot.
Official Cervantes calendar
DELE
DELE sessions follow the official Instituto Cervantes calendar. Registration deadlines are set by the Cervantes Institute, not by the school.
A1 to C1
Levels
The school prepares students across the CEFR levels. Check which level you need before booking.
DELE is the long-established diploma of the Instituto Cervantes; SIELE is a modular, faster-turnaround exam. Ask your consulate or university which one it accepts before you pay for an exam session.
Exam centre status and session rules confirmed with the school on 4 November 2026. Session dates and fees are set by the Instituto Cervantes and SIELE.
EU au pairs can take the afternoon course. Non-EU au pairs on a student stay visa need the intensive course. Confirm this with the school and your consulate before paying.
Show your family the 17:00–20:00 slot or the morning block. Class time is not childcare time: the schedule must fit the children’s real routine.
The school places you in the right group. Complete beginners should ask for the next dedicated start date.
Then settle the course fee according to the length of your stay. Ask for a receipt and a certificate for your visa file.
The photos show the city around the school. The school’s own classroom photos are being added: the partners’ original set is expected from Instituto Hemingway.
Photos de Bilbao : David Vives, Atie van Hoorn, Geert Rozendom, Aritz Jauregui et uğur art (Pexels). Photo de l’école : Instituto Hemingway.
Partnership transparency: AuPair Connect and Instituto Hemingway are partners. The “Recommended Partner” badge is made available to the school for its own website. This page is editorial: prices, timetables and conditions are those validated by the school on 4 November 2026 and may change. Spotted an error? Write to [email protected].
It depends on your visa, not your level. EU au pairs without a study visa usually take the afternoon course (curso de tardes): 3 hours a week, 17:00–20:00, 5–6 students on average and a maximum of 12, from €30 per week. Non-EU au pairs on a student stay visa must take the intensive course (curso intensivo): 20 hours a week in the morning, from €145 per week for stays over 24 weeks.
There is a one-off enrolment fee of €60. The afternoon course starts at €30 per week. The intensive course starts at €145 per week for stays of more than 24 weeks. Exact prices depend on the length of your stay: confirm the current amount with Instituto Hemingway before paying.
Yes. Instituto Hemingway is an official DELE and SIELE examination centre. SIELE can be taken on any working day, Monday to Friday, subject to availability. DELE sessions follow the official Instituto Cervantes calendar, with registration deadlines set by the Cervantes Institute.
The afternoon course was designed for that: three hours a week, 17:00–20:00. The intensive course takes place in the morning, which leaves the afternoon for the family. In both cases, agree the exact timetable with your host family before enrolling: class time is not childcare time.
No. The school places you according to a level test. Complete beginners should ask for the next dedicated start date. Levels A1 to C1 follow the CEFR scale used by the Instituto Cervantes.
Partnership data validated by Instituto Hemingway on 4 November 2026. Course and exam rules remain those of the school and the Instituto Cervantes.
Timetables, current prices and enrolment are on Instituto Hemingway’s website.
See Spanish courses at Instituto Hemingway ↗
