Free Spanish classes in Barcelona are those at the state adult education centres: the Consorci d'Educació counts 25 in the city and describes their courses as free. The Spanish language course has three levels, from A1 to B1. The Official Language School also teaches Spanish, but you pay: 305 euros for levels A1 and A2 at EOI Barcelona Vall d'Hebron.
Anyone moving to Barcelona for a few months without speaking Spanish tends to look for free classes, and they exist, though not where most people look first. The state network of adult education centres teaches Spanish at no cost; the Official Language School teaches it too, but you pay. Here is each option, with dates and prices taken from official websites.
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Genuinely free: adult education centres
The Consorci d'Educació de Barcelona explains that the city has 25 schools specifically for adults and young people aged 16 and over. They are called adult education centres (CFA) or adult education classrooms (AFA), and the Consorci describes their courses as «flexible, free and accredited». Most courses are for people who turn 18 in the year they enrol.
One of those courses is Spanish language. According to the Departament d'Educació's official course sheet, updated on 14 October 2026, its aim is for adults to reach a basic level for communicating in Spanish, and it is taught in three levels, llengua castellana 1, 2 and 3, corresponding to A1, A2 and B1 on the European framework. When you pre-register, the centre gives you a level test to place you in the right group, and passing the course earns the certificate of instrumental training.
To see which centre teaches each level and at what time of day, the Consorci publishes the 2026-2027 course offer for the city of Barcelona, a table by district showing whether each group runs in the morning or the afternoon. The Departament's course sheet also lists, with address and phone number, every centre in Catalonia that teaches the course.
When to sign up, and what to do if the course has started
The official pre-registration calendar for adult education in 2026-2027 set applications from 19 to 29 June 2026 and enrolment from 2 to 10 September. For latecomers there is a door left open: on courses with vacant places, centres can enrol people without pre-registration from 14 September 2026. So if you arrive in autumn, the practical thing is to ask the nearest centres directly whether they have Spanish places left.
For pre-registration you need your DNI, NIE or passport; EU citizens can use their national identity card. The procedure is free. Checked in October 2026.
The Official Language School: official, but not free
The official language schools (EOI) also teach Spanish. Barcelona International Welcome, the City Council's website for people moving to the city, counts six in Barcelona. They are public but charge an enrolment fee: they are not the answer to «free», though they are to «official», because their certificates prove your level.
Pre-registration at the EOI is online, once a year. For 2026-2027 it ran from 31 August to 7 September 2026, with results from 14 September. You must turn 16 in the year you start, and pre-registering costs nothing; what you pay is the enrolment fee if you get a place.
To give an idea of the price, EOI Barcelona Vall d'Hebron publishes its fees: first enrolment for levels A1, A2 and C1 costs 305 euros, and for B1 and B2, 303.55 euros plus a 30-euro contribution, with a 50 % reduction in the cases set by the Departament d'Educació. The same school runs Spanish conversation sessions of 10 hours, in groups of 10 to 15, for 42 euros if you are not enrolled on its official courses and 27 euros for its own students. Prices checked in October 2026.
What the City Council offers
The City Council's new citizens website brings together where to learn the two official languages. For Spanish it points to the adult education centres and classrooms, notes that Barcelona's public libraries have materials for teaching yourself languages, and links to two free methods with downloadable material: ORALPHA, for literacy and spoken communication, and HABLAMOS, promoted by EICA and Barcelona City Council.
The Welcome Network search tool also lets you filter organisations in the city that run language courses. It is handy if the state centres' timetables do not suit you or you want a group near home.
If you want a paid course
For anyone who prefers a language school, Barcelona International Welcome points to the Instituto Cervantes, which runs courses in person and online, and to its list of Spanish schools accredited by the Cervantes. These are paid courses and each school sets its own price. The same website notes that universities also offer Spanish courses.
And Catalan, separately
If you also want to start on Catalan, the first levels are free too, but a different network runs them; it is all in the guide to free Catalan courses. And if you have just arrived, many formalities go faster once you have registered on the padró.
Checked
Checked on 18 October 2026 against the Consorci d'Educació de Barcelona website (adult education and the 2026-2027 course offer), the Departament d'Educació's Spanish language course sheet, the Generalitat's adult education pre-registration calendar and page, the EOI pre-registration page, the EOI Barcelona Vall d'Hebron website (fees and conversation sessions), the City Council's new citizens website and its organisation search tool, and the local languages page of Barcelona International Welcome.
Quick questions
Can I join an adult education centre once the course has started?
If there are places left, yes: from 14 September 2026 centres can enrol people without pre-registration on courses with vacancies. The practical thing is to ask the nearest centres directly.
What do I need to sign up for Spanish at an adult education centre?
For most courses, you must turn 18 in the year you enrol, and you need your DNI, NIE or passport. The centre gives you a level test.
Is the Official Language School free?
No. At EOI Barcelona Vall d'Hebron, first enrolment for levels A1 and A2 costs 305 euros, with a 50 % reduction in the cases set by the Departament d'Educació.