Spain

Spain is a diverse country, with many unique towns, varying cultural history and assorted climates. There is a reason it is ranked third in most visited countries, whether you’re visiting the mountains up North, the beaches down South, or the world heritage sites and cities in between, you are bound to fall in love with Spain. If you are lucky enough to be in Spain during August, you can head to the world’s largest food fight La Tomatina.

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Program Summary:

Program: Classic program

Program length: Short and Long programs

Vaccinations: Yes

Discounts and Scholarship: Yes

Language criteria: Yes

Language course: No

Soft Landing Camp: Yes

Classic Program

Our Classic program will match you with a welcoming host family and place you in a nearby school. We find the host family and choose the school, and you can enjoy immersing yourself in local culture & community. These are perfect for students who:

* Flexible about location, and the academic experience
* Want to have a cultural experience
* Interested in joining sports, clubs, and activities
* Grow as a person and improve language skills

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Classic Program Information

Age and eligibility

Applicants are eligible to apply from 14 – 17 years of age. Students with special diets (including personal preferences) or health conditions must be disclosed at the time of application. Students with special dietary requirements should be open to buying or preparing their own meals, and may be required to pay an additional fee.

Language criteria

You are required to be able to converse in basic conversation.

Program length

Academic Semester program duration can vary between 4 ½ to 5 months, depending on the academic year you will be enrolled in.

Academic Year program duration can vary between 9 to 10 months, depending on the academic year you will be enrolled in.

January Academic Year Programs: Students may be placed in 3+ host families for the duration of the exchange program.

Short programs are available for 2 or 3 months. Area choice options are not available in Spain.

Schools

As a student in Spain, you’ll experience everyday life alongside Spanish teenagers. The education system consists of four stages, with primary and secondary school being compulsory. As an exchange student, you’ll likely attend Bachillerato or the final years of ESO. You’ll have a timetable in one of three high school programs: Science, Social Science, or Humanities. Core subjects include Spanish, English, Spanish literature, Physical Education, and Philosophy. Depending on your program length, you may choose one or two elective courses. While extracurricular activities may vary, some schools have soccer and basketball teams. Outside of school, you can join local clubs for specific sports with the help of your Local Coordinator.

Visa

Students applying for Classic Academic Semester or Year programs will apply for a student visa. For short programs, students will travel on a tourist visa. Further information will be provided by your program coordinator.

Students traveling on Australian & New Zealand passports, with programs up to 90 days, generally travel as “tourists” and do not need to apply for a visa prior departure. However, for programs extending beyond the 90-day period (including Semester & Academic Year programs), students are usually required to apply for the necessary visa.

Program Coordinators will provide the essential visa documents so students can lodge their visa application. Please note that Program Coordinators are not Registered Migration Agents and cannot represent the applicant. Program Coordinators will provide “guidance” where possible, however the responsibility of lodging the visa falls upon the student/parents. Visa application requirements differ per destination and, on top of the visa documents provided by your Program Coordinator, students will need to provide additional documents such as birth certificate, bank statements, police check certificate, passport photos, letter of parental consent, etc.

Visa application fees (set by the foreign Authority) fluctuate depending on the destination and may vary from $180 to $700. These costs exclude expenses such as translations, official stamps (Notary Public stamp, Apostille stamp), national police certificate, passports photos, express post envelopes, etc. In some cases, students must attend an in-person consulate / visa agency appointment, which may incur additional personal expenses for travel such as purchasing flights (Interstate flight or international flight if no representation in your home country), petrol costs, tolls, accommodation, etc.

Canada:
Students must have received their routine childhood vaccinations appropriate for their age. In addition, Canada requires full vaccination against Meningococcal (MenACWY). The Covid-19 vaccine is recommended but not mandatory.

USA:
Students must be up to date with their routine childhood vaccinations for their age group. Additionally, your host school in the USA will require further immunisations to meet national guidelines, such as the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine and a TB test conducted within six months before arrival. While Covid-19 vaccination is recommended, it is not mandatory.

Other Countries:
Students must be up to date with their standard childhood vaccinations. While the Covid-19 vaccine is recommended, it is not compulsory.

Classic Program Prices for Spain

Length	Arrive	Depart	Program fee NZD	Application deadline
Academic Semester	Sept 6, 2025	Jan 24, 2026	$17,450	Please contact us
Academic Year	Sept 6, 2025	Jun 27, 2026	$19,950	Please contact us
3 Months	Oct 25, 2025	Jan 17, 2026	$12,950	Jun 15, 2025
2 Months	Nov 22, 2025	Jan 17, 2026	$11,950	Jun 15, 2025
Academic Semester	Jan 31, 2026	Jun 27, 2026	$17,450	Aug 31, 2025
Academic Year	Jan 31, 2026	Mid Dec 2026	$19,950	Aug 31, 2025
3 Months	Jan 10, 2026	Mar 28, 2026	$12,950	Aug 1, 2025 (students born in 2010/2011 only)

Each destination has a budget for flights included in the fee. If flight costs are above this budgeted amount, a Flight Surcharge may apply. Please see our Money Matters page for program inclusions, the flight surcharge policy and other important pricing information.

Program start dates are indicative arrivals in the destination & students attending the Soft Landing Camp (if available) will depart earlier. Program start dates serve as approximate arrival dates at the destination and subject to change. We will notify you of your confirmed program dates ahead of time to prevent any confusion or inconvenience.

Scholarship & Early Bird Discount Application Deadlines
October 31, 2024: classic programs departing between April 2025 – September 2025
March 31, 2025: classic programs departing between October 2025 – March 2026
Find out more about Scholarships and Early Bird Discounts.

Two girls reading at lookout in Barcelona

Soft Landing Camp in Barcelona

This program is only available to some September programs. Your Program Coordinator will confirm if this is an option available.

5 days/4 nights arrival camp in Barcelona, at an additional cost (AU$1,095/NZ$1,195). Only available to students departing on exchange in September.

The Soft Landing Camp in Barcelona is an exciting way to kick-start your Academic Year or Semester exchange adventure. Over a span of five days, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the highlights of this vibrant city while also preparing yourself for your new life in Spain. The camp is open to exchange students from Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the world, ensuring a diverse and engaging experience.

LIVE Online sessions

If you would like to find out more information on our programs, please attend one of our free LIVE Online Information Sessions to:

Meet our staff
Hear comprehensive information on all aspects of exchange
Ask questions
See questions asked by other students and parents

Information evenings run for about an hour.
They are friendly, free and are the best way for us to address your specific questions in person.

“My adventure has already taught me so much obviously am learning Spanish more and more each day learning about my friends their lives and my amazing family and all the things that make them normal and amazingly crazy at the same time. But more than anything it’s taught me so much about myself, how I react and handle situations alone without the safety net of my friends and family, a will power I have within myself to push to achieve what I want and need to be here living my dream, my adventure, my life.”

Paige – Australia to Spain

“During my time as an exchange student in Spain I become a better version of myself. I became more confident, more responsible and more fun. I had the time of my life and learnt so much, from being an independent person on the other side of the world and meeting so many amazing people! I will always look back on it as the best experience of my life.”

Sienna – Australia to Spain