Newcomer guide
Schools for kids
Public schools in the City are free and you enrol online through the City system. Private and bilingual schools set their own fees and admissions. This guide links to the official enrollment system, the school lookups and the process for recognising schooling done abroad. The calendar is published fresh each year, so check the education hub for the current dates.
Public schools, free and by address
Public schools in the City are free and you enrol through the City's online system with a miBA account. Your child generally goes to the school that serves your address, though there is a preference process. The Ministry of Education page lists what each level offers and links to the enrollment system. The process opens at set times of year, so check the education hub for the current window before you start.
- Create or use a miBA account for the online enrollment
- Have your child's DNI or passport and proof of address ready
- Check the current enrollment window on the education hub
Find the right school
The City publishes two lookups: a search by name, barrio, address and management type, and a map version. Use them to see which public school covers your address and which private or bilingual schools are nearby. The lookups let you filter by public, private or both, so you can compare what is actually around you rather than going by word of mouth.
- Filter by management type, public, private or both
- Note the school's address and level before you visit
- Cross-check the school against your address for public enrollment
Private and bilingual schools
Private schools in the City, including bilingual and international ones, are regulated by the City's Dirección de Educación de Gestión Privada. They set their own fees and admissions, but the law says they cannot deny enrollment without cause. If you are looking at a bilingual school, ask directly about its language of instruction, its calendar and its fees, since these vary a lot. The City's private education page is the official reference for how these schools are supervised.
- Ask the school directly about language of instruction and fees
- Confirm the school is under City supervision via the private education page
- Apply early, bilingual schools often have waiting lists
Children who studied abroad
If your child did part of primary or secondary school in another country, the City has an official process to recognise that prior schooling so they can continue at a state school. It is called articulación de estudios, and the City also handles legalisation of school documents online. Bring translated and legalised records, and start this before the school year if you can, because it takes time.
- Gather translated and legalised school records from abroad
- Start the articulación process early, it is not instant
- Use the City's online legalisation for educational documents
How the school system is structured
Argentina's school system has four levels set by national law: initial (kindergarten), primary, secondary and higher. The national Ministry of Education page explains the levels and modalities, and its foreigners hub points to the procedures a family new to Argentina needs, including student residency. Reading it once helps you know which level to ask for and what papers go with it.
- Match your child's age and prior schooling to the right level
- Check the national foreigners hub for student residency if needed
The school calendar is published fresh each year by the City. Check the education hub for the current start and end dates rather than trusting an older document.
Next steps
Once school is sorted, the rest of family life is on Pásala.