One’s feelings about relocating to a new country can run from excitement to terror; these emotions are likely to be amplified if you have children in tow. This is why most recommend working with a relocation expert. Madrid Estate has an experienced Madrid relocation team that can help your family have a seamless move.
How we can help your family relocate to Madrid
Finding the optimal school
Many relocation experts recommend looking at schools before choosing a property in a new city. Finding a home close to where your child(ren) will be attending school will not only make your life much easier; it will save you a lot of money in transportation costs. Madrid Estate’s expert relocation team will help you find the best school for your family in tandem with your property search. We can also help you manage the entire admissions process, including (but not limited to):
- Providing a detailed list of schools optimal for your family
- Arranging and accompanying you on school visits
- Helping complete, and submit, school applications
- Managing communications with the schools’ admissions teams
Will relocating to Madrid be a good experience for your child?
First, let’s take a step back and ask whether this move will be good for your kid. It’s likely the case that if you are relocating to Madrid for business, you have little choice but to bring your children with you. However, to give you peace of mind we would like to point out that there are many benefits of children moving to a new country.
Relocating to Madrid will provide your child the opportunity to learn a new language. Learning a second language provides many benefits. Arguably the most important of these is the enhanced cognitive skills, which includes improving memory, multitasking and problem-solving skills. If they go on to speak Spanish throughout the course of their lives, there are proven benefits to long-term brain health, potentially delaying age-related decline like dementia. Finally, learning a second language at an early age will help them if, in the future, they wish to learn additional languages.
In addition to the benefits of learning a second language, relocating to Madrid will enable your child to meet another culture. In this new, interconnected world, being able to adapt to new cultures will give them a leg up in life. When they become older, it will make them less fearful of, and even excited about, exploring job opportunities and lifestyle choices in different countries and cultures.
Finally, moving to a new country and attending a new school will allow them to evolve through experiencing new things in life. They will learn to make new friends, be more flexible, resilient and compassionate.
The different types of Spanish schools
Expats have many different options when it comes to choosing their child’s school. There are many different types of schools in Spain (post nursery).
State funded schools and concertados
State funded schools can be run privately or by the state. There are also concertados; privately-run schools that receive state subsidies, acting as hybrids between public and fully private education. In English they are called “semi-private” or “charter schools.” They follow the official Spanish curriculum and adhere to public school admission rules, but charge parents moderate fees for extras. Concertados often have a religious affiliation (usually Catholic); they provide a more personalized environment than purely public schools.
In bilingual state schools and concertados, typically a third of all classes are taught in English. These teachers have specific accreditation allowing them to teach in English.
Keep in mind the curriculum in state funded schools and concertados is Spanish, which is different than British or American curriculum. Nearly all the other pupils will be Spanish-speaking.
Private bilingual schools
In private bilingual schools, most classes are taught in English. They usually have a British curriculum, with co-validation of GCSE and A-Levels. Obviously, this is preferred if you want your child to attend university in the UK. If you want your child to attend a school that follows the American curriculum, there is an increasing amount of choices. Historically, The American School, located in the suburb of Pozuelo de Alarcón, was the best choice. In 2023, the prestigious Brewster Academy opened its first international campus in Madrid, in the coveted Trafalgar neighborhood. Many of Madrid Estate’s clients are strongly drawn to this school. The campus was such a success that in September 2025 it opened its second campus in the posh suburb La Moraleja. Given the large number of Americans relocating to Madrid, and the success of these new schools, we expect to see many new American schools opening.
Who attends private bilingual schools?
In private bilingual schools, typically half of the students are Spaniards, or binational children. The other half is expats of different origins, as in the British Council School and The Brewster Academies.
Less commonly, a large majority (two thirds at least) of students in private bilingual schools are Spaniards, sprinkled with a small portion of expats. In some rare cases, the majority of the students are expats. The Brewster Academy in Trafalgar is moving in this direction.
Although the choice of schools may seem overwhelming, we can eliminate the stress. Schedule a call to discuss your family’s unique school and residency needs with our dedicated team. You can contact our founder, Fabiana Greci, directly at fabiana@madrid-estate.com or WhatsApp +34 680 306 337.
Other ways our Madrid relocation team can help with your move
Madrid Estate offers a full spectrum of relocation services, so we can help with every step to make sure your family’s move to Madrid is seamless. Aside from helping you find the perfect home, we can help with:
Visa and other immigration paperwork
If you are relocating for work, your company will typically help you with this. If you are an entrepreneur or freelancer, you will have first need to figure out which type of visa is best suited to your situation. Spain offers many visa options for expats: non-lucrative visas, digital nomad visas and entrepreneur visas are the ones that typically best match the needs of our clients. Our Madrid relocation team can help you decide on which is optimal for you and your family. Once this is decided, you will need to hire an immigration lawyer. We have trusted immigration lawyers that can help you every step of the way.
Relocating pets
Depending upon where you are coming from, there are different procedures that need to be followed to bring your beloved pets into Spain. If you are coming from a country such as the US or UK, the procedure is fairly simple. You need to make sure their vaccinations are up to date, particularly rabies, and fill out the required paperwork. Booking safe, comfortable air transport can be a little trickier, particularly if you are traveling with a large dog.
If you are emigrating from a high rabies risk country, which includes most Latin American countries, it can provide far more preparation. We can help you manage and organize this process.
Finding a good moving company
There are many moving companies out there, but some are far more reputable than most. Madrid Estate has connections with the safest, most reliable moving companies.
If you are relocating with fine art or antiques, it’s best to go with a firm that specializes in these items. They are more costly than regular moving companies, but not nearly as costly as having your precious items damaged or destroyed. Again, we have a trusted network of fine art movers that we work with.
All other post-move needs
Once you arrive in Madrid, we can help with any need you may have. The most popular are:
- Setting up Spanish bank accounts
- Tax advantage consulting
- Finding the best health insurance
- Getting the utilities put in your name (not nearly as easy as it sounds)
- Finding the best mobile and wifi provider, and the best plan for you and your family
- Paying Spanish utility bills
- Connecting with the best, most trusted accountants and lawyers
- Purchasing a car
- Finding a car and driver
However, the list doesn’t end here. We can help you find a private chef, a private club (there are many excellent options in Madrid), a private concierge and more. The universe is the limit.
Ready to eliminate the stress? Schedule a call with our founder, Fabiana Greci, to discuss your family’s unique relocation needs with our dedicated Madrid relocation team. You can contact her directly at fabiana@madrid-estate.com or WhatsApp +34 680 306 337.
