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Studies & Degrees in Spanish Courses

Spanish courses teach Spanish as a foreign language to people of any age and level, from complete beginners to advanced speakers who want a diploma. Most students take them in a Spanish-speaking country, so that the language is also practised outside the classroom.

The language is large. According to the Instituto Cervantes yearbook for 2025, native speakers of Spanish passed 500 million for the first time in 2025 and reached 520 million, and potential speakers exceed 630 million worldwide. The number of learners grew by 1.5% between 2024 and 2025.

Types of course

  • Intensive group courses. The standard format: classes every weekday morning, usually about 20 lessons a week, with more lessons in "super-intensive" versions. AIL Madrid, for example, describes an intensive course of 20 to 35 group classes a week, with 50-minute classes and an average of 6 students per room, for all levels from A1 to C2.
  • Part-time and evening courses. Fewer hours a week, for people who work or study during the day. The same school describes an evening course of 10 hours a week.
  • Private lessons and courses combined with an activity such as cooking, dance or sport.
  • Exam preparation for the DELE or SIELE.
  • Spanish for specific purposes: business, tourism or health.
  • Long-term courses of several months up to a year, and university programmes of language and culture for study abroad students.
  • Online courses.

Schools place students with a level test. Most also arrange accommodation: a host family, a shared flat or a student residence.

Levels and certificates

Courses follow the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): A1 and A2 (basic), B1 and B2 (independent), C1 and C2 (proficient). At the end of a course the school gives its own certificate of attendance or level. For an official diploma there are two main options.

  • DELE. The Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera are official diplomas granted by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. They cover all six CEFR levels, are officially valid and do not expire. Candidates can register for any level without taking a course first. A DELE A2 or higher meets the Spanish language requirement in applications for Spanish nationality.
  • SIELE. The Servicio Internacional de Evaluación de la Lengua Española is a digital exam promoted by the Instituto Cervantes, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the Universidad de Salamanca and the Universidad de Buenos Aires. It has four tests (reading, listening, writing and speaking), gives results within three weeks at most, and each test combines at least three varieties of Spanish.

Choosing a school

The Instituto Cervantes runs an accreditation system for schools of Spanish as a foreign language (SACIC). Accredited centres pass an evaluation that is repeated every three years and may use the "Centro Acreditado por el Instituto Cervantes" logo. Other neutral points to compare are the number of lessons per week and their length, the size of the group, whether the school is a DELE or SIELE exam centre, the accommodation it offers and what is included in the price.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 59 active schools for Spanish courses. Spain has 30, Argentina 7, Ecuador 4, Bolivia 3, and the United States and Mexico 2 each; there are also schools in Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Germany, Denmark and Portugal.

Some examples from Spain: Escuela Montalbán, in Granada, has taught Spanish to adults and teenagers since 1986, states that it has been accredited by the Instituto Cervantes since 2002 and is a DELE examination centre. Instituto Mediterráneo Sol, also in Granada, and Camino Barcelona present themselves as accredited by the Instituto Cervantes; Camino Barcelona offers student apartments and host families. Alcalingua, the Spanish centre of the Universidad de Alcalá in Alcalá de Henares, runs language and culture courses, holds the DELE and SIELE exams and offers residences, shared flats and host families.

In Latin America, Expanish has schools in Buenos Aires and Costa Rica as well as in Spain, with courses from one week to one year. Mundo Español teaches in Buenos Aires, Madrid and Montevideo and online. The Spanish you learn is the same language everywhere; accent and some vocabulary change from country to country, and the SIELE deliberately mixes varieties.

Visas for a course in Spain

According to the Spanish consulate in London (page dated September 2025), study stays of less than 90 days do not require a study visa, although some nationalities need a short-stay visa. For longer stays, Spanish language studies are among the activities covered by the study visa, and the applicant must show acceptance at an authorised teaching centre for a full-time programme. Check the page of the Spanish consulate in your own country before you book a long course.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the DELE and the SIELE?

The DELE is an official diploma for one chosen level that does not expire. The SIELE is a digital exam with four tests and results within three weeks at most.

Do I need a visa for a Spanish course in Spain?

Not a study visa if the stay is under 90 days, although some nationalities need a short-stay visa. For more than 90 days, non-EU students apply for a study visa at the Spanish consulate.

Is a school certificate the same as an official diploma?

No. A school certificate shows the course and level you completed. The official diplomas are the DELE and the SIELE certificate, which you obtain by passing the exam.