Schools and education in Argentina for expat families: public and private schools, enrolment, fees and recognising foreign studies

Key rules

1. Structure of the system and compulsory ages

Law 26.206 art. 17 sets four levels (initial, primary, secondary and higher) and eight modalities: technical and vocational, artistic, special, permanent youth and adult education, rural, intercultural bilingual, education in contexts of deprivation of liberty, and home and hospital education. Jurisdictions may define other modalities as an exception (art. 17, last paragraph).

• Compulsory schooling "se extiende desde la edad de cuatro (4) años hasta la finalización del nivel de la educación secundaria" (art. 16, as replaced by Law 27.045 art. 2, BO 7 January 2015).
• Initial education is a pedagogical unit from 45 days to 5 years inclusive, with the last two years compulsory (art. 18). The State, provinces and CABA must universalise services for 3 year olds (art. 19).
• Primary is compulsory and starts at 6 (art. 26). Secondary is compulsory and is for those who have completed primary (art. 29).
• Duration. Each jurisdiction chooses between 6 years of primary plus 6 of secondary, or 7 plus 5 (art. 134). CABA runs primary from 1st to 7th grade and secondary from 1st to 5th or 6th year, depending on the school (Reglamento IEL art. 11).
• Foreign language. At least one foreign language is compulsory in all primary and secondary schools, with timing set by the Federal Education Council (art. 87).
• Children temporarily abroad may complete compulsory schooling through distance education services (art. 144). This matters for Argentine families or children of Argentines living abroad.

In CABA, ages for compulsory schooling are calculated at 30 June of each year (Reglamento IEL art. 1, which refers to Law 26.206 art. 16 and CABA Law 898).

2. Free public education and the right to a nearby school

• The national State, provinces and CABA have "la responsabilidad principal e indelegable" to provide education, guaranteeing equality, free access (gratuidad) and equity (Law 26.206 art. 4). Education is a public good and a personal and social right guaranteed by the State (art. 2).
• Children and adolescents have the right to free public education, respecting their cultural identity and language of origin (Law 26.061 art. 15). They have the right to access and remain in a school near their residence (art. 15, second paragraph). Public education is free in all State services, levels and special regimes (art. 16).
• No restriction of access. "Por ninguna causa se podrá restringir el acceso a la educación" and the certificate or diploma must be delivered (Law 26.061 art. 15).
• Funding target removed. Law 26.206 art. 9 is shown in the Infoleg updated text as repealed from fiscal year 2026 by Law 27.798 art. 30 a) (BO 2 January 2026). The repealed text is not shown in the file (unconfirmed).

3. Foreign children: access regardless of status or documents

Three provisions work together:

What changed in 2025. The recitals of DNU 366/2025 quote the former art. 7: "En ningún caso la irregularidad migratoria de un extranjero impedirá su admisión como alumno en un establecimiento educativo, ya sea este público o privado; nacional, provincial o municipal; primario, secundario, terciario o universitario." The new art. 7 drops tertiary and university. For school age children the practical guarantee is unchanged. For university, see Key rule 11. Whether Congress has ruled on DNU 366/2025 under Law 26.122 is not recorded in the files (unconfirmed). The Infoleg updated texts of Laws 25.871, 26.206 and 24.521 show the DNU wording as in force.

DNU 681/2026 (BO 30 July 2026) amended Law 25.871 again, but a search of its text in the files found no reference to education.

4. Private schools: authorisation, rights and duties

• Private, confessional or non confessional, cooperative and social management schools are recognised, authorised and supervised by the national State, the provinces and CABA (Law 26.206 art. 13). Private schools are subject to the authorisation, recognition and supervision of the jurisdictional education authority (art. 62).
• Who may run them: the Catholic Church, registered religious denominations, companies, cooperatives, social organisations, unions, associations and foundations with legal personality, and individuals (art. 63).
• Rights: to create and run schools; to enrol, assess and issue certificates and titles with national validity; to appoint staff; to design study plans; and to approve the institutional project according to their ethos (ideario) (art. 63 a)).
• Duties: to follow national and jurisdictional education policy, to meet community needs and to provide all information needed for pedagogical supervision and accounting and labour control (art. 63 b)).
• Teachers at recognised private schools are entitled to a minimum pay equal to public school teachers, under the equalisation regime, and must hold officially recognised titles (art. 64).
• State contributions to teacher salaries at recognised private schools are based on objective criteria of social justice, considering the school's social function in its area, the type of school, the educational project and the fee charged (art. 65).

CABA. Private schools in the City are supervised by the Dirección General de Educación de Gestión Privada (DGEGP). Its page offers guidance on "matrículas, aranceles, becas, licencias y haberes docentes" and control of the State contribution, and states that under CABA Law 2681 and its amendment Law 6872 "la matriculación o rematriculación no podrá negarse sin causa" in private schools (CABA DGEGP page). The text of those laws was not downloaded (unconfirmed).

5. Law 13.047: the old national statute on private schools

Law 13.047 governs the relations of all private schools with the State and with their staff (art. 1). Its enactment date is not shown in the source file. As far as the text in the files states:

• Three categories of school: (a) adscriptos a la enseñanza oficial (incorporated into the official system), (b) libres (following official plans but not incorporated) and (c) other private schools (art. 2).
• Minimum pay for teachers at incorporated schools: not less than 60% of the nominal salary of public school teachers with the same specialty, task and seniority (art. 18 a)). This is superseded in substance by the equal pay rule in Law 26.206 art. 64 (unconfirmed).
• Share of fee income for salaries: the Consejo Gremial de Enseñanza Privada sets each year the percentage of fee income to be spent on staff salaries, never less than 50% (art. 21).
• Fees at incorporated schools: the Consejo Gremial classifies schools into three categories and proposes minimum tariffs to the Executive before 1 January each year. These fees "serán percibidos únicamente durante el período lectivo" (art. 22). Schools in categories b) and c) must report their fees to the Consejo Gremial within 30 days of setting them (art. 23).
• State contribution: incorporated schools that show they cannot pay the minimum salaries receive a State contribution of up to two thirds of those minimum salaries (art. 24).

How far these 1940s rules still operate after the transfer of schools to the provinces is not settled in the files. Decree 787/2025 itself says the 1991 contribution scheme was issued when education was run by the national government and must be reviewed for the current federal distribution of powers (recitals) (unconfirmed).

6. Private school fees after Decree 787/2025

Until 10 November 2025, Decree 2417/1993 (published 25 November 1993 according to the Infoleg list for Decree 2542/91) required private schools to:

• inform parents in writing before 31 October of each year, for the next school year, of the enrolment fee (matrícula) and its refund conditions, the number of monthly instalments (only during the school year), the amount of each instalment ("mensuales, iguales y consecutivas"), and payment terms and late charges (art. 1);
• file this information with the education and trade authorities before 30 November (art. 2);
• obtain authorisation for extraordinary charges or fee changes at subsidised schools (art. 3);
• keep fees unchanged during the school year (art. 8), except that they could pass on mandatory teacher salary increases in proportion, with labour cost presumed at 50% of the fee, 60% for subsidised schools and 70% for special education schools (art. 9);
• refund overcharges (art. 11) and display the decree on their premises (art. 16).

In 2025 the Secretaría de Industria y Comercio extended the deadlines for the 2026 school year: parents could be informed until 15 November 2025 and the filings made until 15 December 2025 (Res. SIyC 368/2025 arts. 1 and 2, BO 1 October 2025).

From 11 November 2025, Decree 787/2025 repealed Decree 2417/1993 (art. 1), in force on publication (art. 3). Its recitals say that advance notice and prior authorisation of fees limited schools' ability to adapt to costs and that the principle of free contracting should allow institutions to set their pricing policies. The consequences for families are:

• There is no national rule in the files that now requires advance notice of fees, a fixed fee during the year, or a cap on mid-year increases.
• The general consumer duty to give truthful, detailed and sufficient information (Law 24.240 art. 4, as summarised in the recitals of Res. SIyC 368/2025) still applies to schools as service providers (unconfirmed).
• Law 13.047 art. 22 (fees only during the school period, for incorporated schools) remains in the Infoleg text (unconfirmed).
• Jurisdictional rules may still apply, especially to subsidised schools, but none was found in the files (unconfirmed).

Practical consequence: read the school's contract. It is now the main source of the fee rules, the refund policy for the enrolment fee and the increase mechanism.

7. CABA public schools: who must use the online system

The Inscripción en Línea (IEL) system was created by Resolution 3337-MEGC/13 (Reglamento, introduction). It must be used by anyone entering a CABA State school for the first time, at any level and any grade, and by anyone changing level (Reglamento art. 4). "First time" includes children coming from State schools in other jurisdictions, from private schools in CABA or elsewhere, and children starting school (art. 5). The CABA enrolment page and FAQ state expressly that students coming from schools abroad, private or State, in any grade, must pre-enrol through the system.

It does not apply to transfers (pases) between CABA State schools, which follow Resolution 481/MEDGC/26 (art. 6). It does not apply to private schools (CABA IEL FAQ). Children already in a CABA State school who stay at the same level do not pre-enrol (FAQ).

8. CABA enrolment: stages, priorities and tie breaks

Stages (Reglamento art. 9): pre-enrolment, document check (validation), processing, control of pre-allocation, result.

• Pre-enrolment creates a unique pre-enrolment number (art. 10). It is done online with a miBA account (CABA enrolment news; FAQ).
• Periods. There is a single enrolment period (Período Único de Inscripción) for initial (from lactation rooms to age 5), primary (1st to 7th grade), secondary (1st to 5th or 6th year) and special education (art. 11). After it, a Período de Excepción opens for those who could not apply for exceptional reasons. They must state the reasons under sworn statement and receive places only where vacancies remain (art. 11). After that period, requests go through "alternative means" set by the Ministry, depending on availability (art. 11).
• School choice. The system proposes 5 schools based on the data entered and the family may add up to 3 more, so each child is pre-enrolled in 5 to 8 schools, ranked by the family (art. 12). In the Período de Excepción it proposes only schools with places (art. 12).
• Siblings. Applications can be linked so siblings are considered for the same school, but this gives no right to the same school (art. 13).
• Validation. Documents are uploaded online. In person checks are only for those who cannot upload (art. 15). An application that is not validated is not processed and cannot claim priorities (art. 16). The Ministry may waive documents it already holds (art. 17).
• Allocation. Each grade of each school is a unit. The system first places everyone who ranked that unit first, ordered by priority rules, then second choices, and so on (art. 19). Applying early gives no advantage within the period (art. 20). The result is a place or a waiting list (art. 20). A child with no place in any chosen school goes onto the waiting list of the first choice school (FAQ).
• Rejection of an allocated place means the family is treated as not needing any State school place (art. 26).
• Documents after the summer. When schools reopen after the summer recess, families must present documents at the allocated school before classes start. Failure to present the required documents correctly causes loss of the place (art. 27). A child who does not show up on the first day without justification loses the place (art. 28).
• Claims. Claims about the procedure must be filed before results are published. Claims about the allocation must be filed within 10 business days of notification (art. 29).

Tie breaks. Where priority depends on distance, the walking distance from home (then from the parent's workplace) decides before the lottery (art. 33). Otherwise the Sorteo Público Anual decides, then the first letter of the surname and then of the first name (art. 34). For the lottery, the reference is the last three digits of the DNI "o del documento que presente el aspirante". If there is no identity document, or it does not end in three digits, the last three digits of the pre-enrolment number are used (art. 35). This is the only express rule in the Reglamento on how a child without a DNI is ranked: it puts foreign documents and no document on the same footing as a DNI. The 2027 lottery took place on 21 October 2026 (CABA enrolment page; FAQ).

Primary priority rules (art. 52). First order: (1) children covered by an agreement between the school and an institution; (2) children in the age 5 room of the kindergarten in the same building (inside, then outside, a 2,000 m radius); (3) siblings in the same building; (4) children of staff of the school or the kindergarten in the same building; (5) children of CABA State school teachers meeting hours and seniority tests in the same Comuna; (6) linked applications. Second order: (7) children living in CABA within 2,000 m (with sub priorities for family hotels and single breadwinners); (8) and (9) children who attended a CABA kindergarten age 5 room; (10) CABA residents whose parent works within 2,000 m; (11) other CABA residents; (12) PBA residents whose parent works within 2,000 m; (13) other PBA residents.

Secondary priority rules (art. 67). First order: (1) siblings at the school (1st to 4th year); (2) children of school staff; (3) linked applications. Second order: (4) 7th graders from a CABA primary school with an articulation project with that secondary school; (5) CABA residents; (6) PBA residents. Ties are broken by the lottery. Sections that certify English bilingualism allocate places by an aptitude test ranking, with the lottery as tie break (art. 68). Aptitude test dates are set in the Agenda Educativa (art. 14).

A family that has just arrived from abroad has none of the first order priorities unless a sibling is already at the school. It will usually compete under "CABA resident" (rule 11 in primary, rule 5 in secondary), within which distance and then the lottery decide.

9. CABA documents, including for foreign children

Primary, compulsory documents (Reglamento art. 57): the child's declared identity document or a sworn statement with name, document type and number and real address (if there is no document, the form must record "Sin Documento"); the same for the principal responsible adult with workplace address; and, from 2nd to 7th grade, proof that the child was promoted from the previous grade. Proof of address is listed in art. 59 (copy of DNI showing the address, police certificate, title deed or lease, utility bill, bank or credit card statement in the name of the responsible adult). If none is available, a sworn statement signed in person at a designated point is accepted as an exception (art. 59, last paragraph).

Secondary, compulsory documents (art. 72): the same identity documents or sworn statements; for 1st year, proof of enrolment in the last primary year or a primary completion certificate; for 2nd to 5th year, proof of enrolment in or completion of the previous year; and if the child comes from a jurisdiction with a different study plan, a certificate of completion of the year immediately before the one applied for.

After the place is confirmed (secondary, arts. 75 to 77): the family presents an official study certificate, duly legalised, showing the previous year was passed. "Tratándose de extranjeros deberán acreditar los estudios cursados en el país de origen con la documentación original debidamente legalizada y la respectiva traducción en caso de ser necesario" (art. 76). Foreigners without national documents prove identity with documents from their country of origin (passport, identity card, birth certificate, parents' marriage book and others), under CABA Law 203 (consolidated by Law 6764) (art. 77). Families of accredited diplomatic staff use the passport or the diplomatic or consular card plus proof of the family link (art. 77).

Placement by age. Primary is offered from 6 to 14. From 14 the child must enrol in the adult and adolescent offer (art. 49). Grades are assigned by the age the child turns between 1 July of the previous year and 30 June of the school year (art. 50). The text gives overlapping two year bands for each grade (for example, 2nd grade "7 u 8" and 3rd grade "8 o 9"), so the promoted grade certificate and the school supervisor decide in practice. Supervisors may pre-enrol older or younger children for pedagogical reasons (art. 51). Secondary day shifts require a minimum age of 12, turning 13 by 30 June of the first year. Evening and night shifts require 15 (art. 62, with art. 63 allowing exceptions).

Gap: placing a foreign student mid-way through secondary. Neither the Reglamento nor the downloaded national pages set out how CABA decides which year a foreign student enters or which subjects must be made up (equivalencias). The Reglamento only requires the previous year's completion certificate (art. 72) and legalised and translated originals (art. 76) (unconfirmed).

10. Recognising completed foreign secondary studies

The national Dirección de Validez Nacional de Títulos y Estudios convalidates, recognises and revalidates certificates and titles of secondary and non university higher education, issued in Argentina or abroad. It does not handle university degrees (argentina.gob.ar validation guide). Its powers come from Decree 862/2024 (Res. SE 480/2026, recitals).

Three routes (validation guide):

Countries with an agreement listed on the convalidación page: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, France, Honduras, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The page links a document list for each country. Those PDFs were not downloaded (unconfirmed). Titles from any other country (for example the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany or Canada) go through reconocimiento.

Resolution SE 480/2026 (dated 3 August 2026, BO 5 August 2026) of the Secretaría de Educación of the Ministry of Human Capital states:

• Art. 1: to convalidate a complete secondary title or equivalent issued by institutions recognised by a foreign education authority, "en orden a la prosecución de estudios en la República Argentina", the obligation to sit the Formación Nacional subjects does not apply.
• Art. 2: the procedure starts on the platform the Dirección de Validez Nacional de Títulos y Estudios designates.
• Art. 3: the applicant presents an identity document and the title issued by the competent authority, translated into Spanish by an authorised translator where applicable, with the Hague Apostille or ministerial and/or consular certification in the country of origin.
• Art. 4: the Dirección grants or rejects the convalidación and notifies the applicant.
• Art. 5: agreements should seek reciprocal treatment for Argentine studies abroad.
• Art. 6: the Subsecretaría de Políticas e Innovación Educativa may issue complementary rules.
• Art. 7: Resolutions 497/2006 and 3356/2019 are repealed.
• Art. 8: in force the day after publication and applicable to procedures started after that date.

What changed: under Res. 497/2006 the exemption from Formación Nacional covered Argentine citizens and their children with complete foreign secondary studies, and only to continue to higher studies. Under Res. 3356/2019 art. 1 Formación Nacional was not required to recognise complete foreign secondary studies for continuing studies in Argentina (Res. SE 480/2026, recitals). Resolution 480/2026 unifies both into a single rule with no nationality distinction. The resolution text speaks of "convalidación" in both cases. It does not say whether the convalidación and reconocimiento routes on the website will merge (unconfirmed).

Stale pages. As downloaded on 27 October 2026, the convalidación page still says Argentines and their children "te podés beneficiar con la normativa de excepción, según la Resolución 497/2006", and the reconocimiento page still cites Resolution 3356/2019. Both resolutions were repealed on 6 August 2026.

Procedure on the pages (both routes): book an appointment (turno) online; upload one single PDF with the school records, a valid identity document and the sworn statement (declaración jurada) form; confirm the booking by email; download the recognition from the website with the personal code assigned at the start. Both pages say "Gratuito" and "En línea". The time taken is blank on both pages (unconfirmed). The reconocimiento page adds that the recognition "no caduca" and is done once only. The turnos page says these procedures are virtual and that "no requiere de intermediarios ni gestores".

Legalisation chain (reconocimiento page): the school authority's signature is certified by the Ministry of Education of the issuing country, then by its Foreign Ministry, then by the Argentine consulate. The consular step is not needed for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents in a foreign language must be translated in Argentina by a Traductor Público and legalised by the relevant Colegio de Traductores. Names on all school documents must match the identity document exactly. Foreigners without a DNI use the passport or identity card they entered with. Note the conflict: Res. SE 480/2026 art. 3 speaks of an "authorised translator" without saying where, while the page requires a translation made in Argentina (unconfirmed).

International Baccalaureate. IB certificates are issued by the IB Organization, "entidad que no constituye autoridad educativa nacional o estatal". On its own, the IB programme "no es suficiente para ser equivalente a un título secundario en la Argentina" and is a complementary certification under Res. CFE 132/14 (IB page). A foreigner who completed the IB abroad without the national title of the country of residence must sit the missing subjects to complete Argentine secondary education, after the Secretaría de Educación analyses their records (IB page). Res. CFE 132/14 itself was not downloaded (unconfirmed).

Resolution ME 1588/2012 is sometimes cited for "validez nacional". Its text in the files concerns national validity of titles from teacher training institutes in Argentina (arts. 1 to 5, Annex I: applications to the Dirección before 31 July of the year before the cohort starts). It does not regulate foreign titles held by families.

11. University: free study, admission and foreign degrees

• Admission. Anyone who has passed secondary education may enter undergraduate higher education "de manera libre e irrestricta". People over 25 without that condition may enter through evaluations (Law 24.521 art. 7, as replaced by Law 27.204, BO 11 November 2015). Admission must be complemented by levelling and orientation processes that cannot be selective, exclusionary or discriminatory (art. 7). A foreign applicant therefore needs a recognised secondary title first (Key rule 10).
• Free study, narrowed in 2025. Undergraduate studies at State higher education institutions "serán gratuitos para todos los ciudadanos argentinos nativos o por opción y para todo extranjero que cuente con residencia permanente en el país" (Law 24.521 art. 2 bis, first paragraph, as replaced by DNU 366/2025 art. 35). State institutions may charge those not included, under art. 59 c) (art. 2 bis, second paragraph). Students without permanent residence may hold scholarships where statutes or agreements provide for them (art. 2 bis, third paragraph).
• Universities' own resources. National universities may set rules on additional resources, including "derechos o tasas por los servicios que presten". Contributions go first to scholarships and student aid and cannot fund current expenses (art. 59 c)).
• Autonomy over admission. Universities set their own rules on admission, retention and promotion of students and on equivalences (art. 29 j)).
• Foreign university degrees. Revalidating foreign titles is "solo como atribución de las universidades nacionales" (art. 29 k)). The Ministry of Education pages on convalidating foreign university titles returned 404 when the sources were downloaded (SOURCES.md, Gaps) (unconfirmed). Titles with official recognition enable professional practice throughout the country, subject to provincial control of professions (art. 42). Regulated professions have extra requirements (art. 43).
• Fee levels. No university resolution setting fees for foreigners was found in the files (unconfirmed).

The DNU recitals give the government's reasons: foreign students at State universities rose from 35,202 in 2015 to 82,797 in 2023. In 2023 the Universidad de Buenos Aires had 326,421 undergraduate and pre-degree students, 38,185 of them foreign (DNU 366/2025, recitals).

12. Student residence

The DNM grants a temporary residence as student (Law 25.871 art. 23 j), regulated by Decree 616/2010 and Disposición 2802/2023) to foreigners entering to study secondary, tertiary, university or specialised recognised studies as regular students at officially recognised public or private schools (DNM student page). Categories: full course student, intern (pasante) and scholar (becario). Each needs an electronic enrolment certificate (Constancia de Inscripción Electrónica) issued by the school, which must be registered with the DNM.

• Minors must present a legalised birth certificate and authorisation from a parent, who attends with a valid DNI. If the parents do not live in Argentina, a guardian with legal residence must be appointed by public instrument (DNM student page).
• Criminal records are required only from age 16 (DNM student page).
• Procedure: online through RaDEX, payment of fees, upload of documents, then an in person appointment. The applicant must be in Argentina (DNM student page).
• Term: one year, renewable (DNM student page).
• Fee: temporary or permanent residence, 50 UMSM for Mercosur nationals and 100 UMSM for others (DNM fee table); 1 UMSM = ARS 1,000 (Decree 584/2024 art. 2; DNM fee table note). That is ARS 50,000 (US$ 31.97) or ARS 100,000 (US$ 63.94).

Children who come with working or resident parents normally obtain residence through the family, not as students. That route is outside this page (unconfirmed). Their school access does not depend on it (Key rule 3).

13. Income tax: education expenses and employer paid school fees

• Deduction for education expenses. Taxpayers may deduct amounts paid for "servicios con fines educativos y las herramientas destinadas a esos efectos" for dependent children counted as family charges under art. 30 b) 2, and for children aged 18 to 24 in regular studies who cannot support themselves (Income Tax Law art. 85 j), added by Law 27.701, BO 1 December 2022, from fiscal year 2022). The cap is 40% of the art. 30 a) amount (art. 85 j)). For 2026, the art. 30 a) amount is ARS 6,019,671.36 (ARCA table of art. 30 deductions, 2026 annual period), so the cap is ARS 2,407,868.54 (US$ 1,539.66). The text does not say clearly whether the cap is per child or per taxpayer (unconfirmed). This matters only to Argentine income tax payers.
• School fees paid by the employer are taxable income. Since 2024, benefits granted by the employer, directly or through third parties, including "pago de gastos de educación del grupo familiar", are subject to income tax even if not remunerative for social security (Income Tax Law art. 82, paragraph added by Law 27.743 art. 81, BO 8 July 2024, for fiscal periods from 1 January 2024). Expat packages that pay school fees should be grossed up or budgeted for the tax.

Tax residence and the taxation of expats are covered at /guide/taxes/individuals-and-personal-assets-tax/.

Step by step

A. Enrolling a child in a CABA State school (next school year)

1. Who: a parent, guardian or authorised person (Reglamento art. 1; FAQ). Adults may apply for themselves.
2. Before the window: create a miBA account (CUIL or email). Gather identity documents, proof of address in the name of the principal adult (a lease is acceptable), proof of work address, and the child's latest school report or promotion certificate. Start the legalisation and translation of foreign school records early.
3. Pre-enrol online between 5 October and 6 November 2026 at inscripciones.buenosaires.gob.ar. Review the 5 suggested schools, add up to 3, and rank them. Rank carefully: the first choice determines the waiting list (FAQ; art. 12). Link siblings' applications if you want them together (art. 13). Note the pre-enrolment number.
4. Document check by 17 November 2026: upload documents, or book an in person appointment if you cannot (art. 15). Without validation the application is discarded (art. 16).
5. Results: check the platform from 4 December 2026; accept or reject through the email link (news item). If you disagree, file a claim within 10 business days (art. 29).
6. After the summer: take the original documents to the school before classes start (art. 27). For secondary, bring the legalised and translated foreign study certificate (art. 76).
7. Time: about 9 weeks from opening of pre-enrolment to results, then the summer gap. Cost: free. Online vs in person: online, with in person help points by appointment.

B. A child who arrives after the window or mid-year

1. If the Período Único has closed, use the Período de Excepción in the IEL system, explaining the reasons under sworn statement (art. 11). Only schools with places are offered (art. 12).
2. After that period, apply through the "medios alternativos" the Ministry announces (art. 11). These are not described in the files (unconfirmed).
3. Remind the school, if needed, that a child without a DNI must be admitted on foreign documents (Law 26.206 art. 143; Law 25.871 art. 7) and enrolled provisionally if undocumented (Law 26.061 art. 15).

C. Enrolling in a private school

1. Contact the school directly. The IEL system does not apply (FAQ).
2. Ask for the written contract: enrolment fee and refund policy, number of instalments, how and when fees increase, late charges, extras (meals, transport, trips, materials). Since Decree 787/2025 there is no national rule fixing these terms.
3. Check that the school is recognised by the jurisdiction (Law 26.206 art. 62), so its titles have national validity (art. 63 a)). In CABA the DGEGP supervises private schools (unconfirmed).
4. Foreign records: the school will usually ask for the same legalised and translated documents (unconfirmed).

D. Recognising a completed foreign secondary title

1. Who: the student (or a third party with authenticated copies of the student's ID, per the reconocimiento page).
2. Where: Dirección de Validez Nacional de Títulos y Estudios, Ministry of Human Capital. Booking at titulosvalidez.educacion.gob.ar (link on the procedure pages).
3. Documents: ID; final title and transcript; apostille or legalisation chain; translation; sworn statement (Res. SE 480/2026 art. 3; procedure pages).
4. Steps: book a turno, upload one PDF, confirm by email, download the result with the personal code.
5. Time: not stated (unconfirmed). Cost: free. Online.

E. Student residence (secondary or university student coming to study)

1. Obtain the school's or university's electronic enrolment certificate. The institution must be registered with the DNM (DNM student page).
2. Apply on RaDEX from inside Argentina, pay the fee (ARS 50,000 Mercosur or ARS 100,000 others), upload documents, attend the appointment.
3. Minors: legalised birth certificate and parental authorisation, or a guardian if parents live abroad.
4. Term: 1 year, renewable.

Costs and timelines

Table 1. Education levels and compulsory ages

Table 2. Public, private and international schools compared

Table 3. CABA enrolment calendar for the 2027 school year

Help: phone 147 option 2.3 in the City, 0800-999-2727 option 2.3 from elsewhere; in person offices by appointment; the BAX chat (CABA enrolment page).

Table 4. CABA documents for pre-enrolment

Copies certified or authenticated are accepted; documents shown in person are returned, not kept (FAQ; Reglamento art. 15).

Table 5. Recognition routes for foreign secondary studies

Steps: (1) obtain the final title and transcript abroad; (2) legalise or apostille; (3) translate (Traductor Público in Argentina, per the page); (4) download and sign the sworn statement; (5) merge into one PDF; (6) book a turno on titulosvalidez.educacion.gob.ar; (7) confirm by email; (8) download the result with the personal code.

Table 6. University access for foreigners

Table 7. Timeline of norms

Worked examples

Example 1. Family with two children (8 and 15) arriving in CABA on 1 July 2026

Facts (hypothetical). A family from a country without an education agreement with Argentina (for example the United States) moves to a rented flat in CABA on 1 July 2026. Child A is 8 (born March 2018) and has finished 2nd grade abroad. Child B is 15 (born May 2011) and has finished the 9th year of a 12 year system abroad. The parents want State schools. Both children have passports but no DNI yet.

Step 1. Rights on arrival (week 0). Both children have the right to be admitted to a State school now, on their passports (Law 25.871 art. 7; Law 26.206 art. 143). Their residence procedure does not have to be finished first.

Step 2. The current 2026 school year (weeks 0 to about 22). The 2026 Período Único closed in 2025. The family uses the Período de Excepción, if still open, or the alternative means (Reglamento art. 11). Only schools with places are offered (art. 12). Dates and waiting times are not in the files (unconfirmed). The children may not get schools close to home in this route.

Step 3. Placement grade for Child A. In 2026 Child A turns 8 between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. Under art. 50 that age appears in both the 2nd grade band ("7 u 8") and the 3rd grade band ("8 o 9"). The foreign report showing that 2nd grade was passed (art. 57) points to 3rd grade for the rest of 2026. The supervisor has discretion (art. 51). For 2027 Child A turns 9 within the reference window, which again fits two bands (3rd "8 o 9" and 4th "9 o 10"). The grade then depends on promotion (unconfirmed).

Step 4. Placement year for Child B. Child B needs a certificate of completion of the year before the one applied for, because the foreign plan is different (art. 72). After the place is confirmed, the family must present the foreign original, legalised (apostille) and translated (art. 76). Res. SE 480/2026 does not apply to Child B now. It covers complete secondary titles "en orden a la prosecución de estudios" (art. 1), not a student in the middle of secondary school. Which CABA year Child B enters, and any make-up subjects, depends on a CABA equivalence decision that is not in the files (unconfirmed).

Step 5. The 2027 school year through IEL (weeks 13 to 23). If the children obtain a mid-year seat in a CABA State school, they stay there in 2027 without using IEL, because neither changes level. A later change of school is a transfer (pase), not IEL (FAQ; Reglamento art. 6). The IEL route below applies if the family does not take a mid-year State seat, for example because the children finish 2026 at a private school, which counts as entering "for the first time" (art. 5).

Under the secondary rules Child B has no first order priority. Child B competes as a CABA resident (art. 67, rule 5), with the lottery as tie break. Child A competes as a CABA resident within 2,000 m (art. 52, rule 7 c)) for schools close to the flat.

Step 6. Later: Child B goes to university. If the family leaves CABA and Child B finishes secondary abroad, then returns to study, the foreign title is recognised under Res. SE 480/2026 without Formación Nacional (art. 1). The procedure is free and online. Child B then enters a university freely (Law 24.521 art. 7). Undergraduate tuition at a State university is free only if Child B is Argentine or holds permanent residence. Otherwise the university may charge (art. 2 bis).

Step 7. Costs.

Result. A realistic target is a CABA State school seat for 2027 confirmed about 22 to 23 weeks after arrival. The current year depends on the exception route, with no timetable in the files.

Example 2. Annual cost of a private bilingual school and its weight in family income

Assumptions (all hypothetical, not official data). Monthly fee ARS 900,000 (US$ 575.48). Enrolment fee (matrícula) equal to one monthly fee, ARS 900,000. Fees billed for 12 months, as some secondary summaries asks. Note that Law 13.047 art. 22 limits fees at incorporated schools to the school period, and that the repealed Decree 2417/1993 art. 1 b) had the same limit. Many schools bill 10 instalments (unconfirmed). Household net income ARS 6,000,000 per month (US$ 3,836.56), 12 months, ARS 72,000,000 per year (US$ 46,038.75).

Step 1. 2026 annual cost per child.

• Monthly fees: 12 × 900,000 = ARS 10,800,000 (US$ 6,905.81)
• Enrolment fee: ARS 900,000 (US$ 575.48)
• Total: ARS 11,700,000 (US$ 7,481.30)

Step 2. Share of income. 11,700,000 ÷ 72,000,000 = 16.25% for one child. Two children: ARS 23,400,000 (US$ 14,962.59), or 32.50%.

Step 3. Projecting 2027 with the education CPI. INDEC's education division in Greater Buenos Aires (GBA) rose 41.1% in the year to September 2026, against 33.5% for the general level (INDEC CPI September 2026, table 3; INDEC division series, GBA, 202609). Since Decree 787/2025, no national rule caps the increase. If the school's fees rise in line with the GBA education index:

• 2027 annual cost per child: 11,700,000 × 1.411 = ARS 16,508,700 (US$ 10,556.11 at the same exchange rate)
• Monthly equivalent: ARS 1,375,725 (US$ 879.68)

This uses past inflation as a proxy. It is not a forecast. With the year to date rate instead (Jan to Sep 2026, GBA education 35.3%, table 2), the figure would be 11,700,000 × 1.353 = ARS 15,830,100 (US$ 10,122.19).

Step 4. Share of income in 2027.

• If income stays flat: 16,508,700 ÷ 72,000,000 = 22.93% per child.
• If income rises with the GBA general CPI (33.5%): income = 72,000,000 × 1.335 = ARS 96,120,000 (US$ 61,461.73). Share = 16,508,700 ÷ 96,120,000 = 17.18% per child, or 34.35% for two children (ARS 33,017,400, US$ 21,112.22).

Because education prices rose faster than the general CPI, the school bill takes a larger share of income even when income keeps pace with general inflation.

Step 5. Income tax deduction (Argentine taxpayers only). The education deduction is capped at ARS 2,407,868.54 for 2026 (40% × ARS 6,019,671.36; ITL art. 85 j); ARCA 2026 table). Against an annual cost of ARS 11,700,000 per child, the cap covers at most 20.6% of the cost (2,407,868.54 ÷ 11,700,000). The tax saving depends on the marginal rate and on whether the cap is per child (unconfirmed). If an employer pays the fees instead, the amount is taxable income for the employee (ITL art. 82).

Not included: uniforms, books, materials, meals, transport, trips, insurance and voluntary contributions to parents' associations (unconfirmed).

Example 3. Recognising a Spanish Bachillerato for a 19 year old after Res. SE 480/2026

Facts. A 19 year old Spanish national with temporary residence completed the Bachillerato in Spain and wants to study at a national university in 2027.

1. Spain is on the convalidación list (country with agreement).
2. Since 6 August 2026 there is no Formación Nacional requirement, whatever the nationality (Res. SE 480/2026 arts. 1 and 8). Before, under Res. 497/2006, the exemption applied to Argentines and their children.
3. Documents: passport or DNI, title and records legalised per the Spain PDF (unconfirmed), Apostille (Res. 480 art. 3), sworn statement. Submit as one PDF with the turno booking.
4. Cost: ARS 0. Time: not stated (unconfirmed).
5. University: free entry (Law 24.521 art. 7), but as a temporary resident the student may be charged tuition at a State university (art. 2 bis). Student residence fee if needed: 50 UMSM is for Mercosur nationals; a Spanish national pays 100 UMSM, ARS 100,000 (US$ 63.94).

Practical traps

1. Missing the IEL window. The Período Único runs for about a month (5 October to 6 November 2026). Late applicants only get leftover places (Reglamento arts. 11 and 12).
2. Pre-enrolment is not enough. Without the document check by 17 November the application is discarded and priorities are lost (arts. 16; FAQ).
3. Ranking your priority school last. The system processes first choices first. A school where you have priority may be full by the time it reaches your last choice (FAQ).
4. Applying on day one gives no advantage (art. 20). Use the time to get documents right.
5. Rejecting an allocated place means you are treated as not needing a State school place at all (art. 26).
6. Not turning up on the first day without justification loses the place (art. 28).
7. Proof of address in someone else's name. Documents must be in the name of the principal responsible adult. If there is no document, the sworn statement must be signed in person (art. 59).
8. Legalisation chain not completed abroad. The apostille or consular legalisation must be obtained in the issuing country. It is much harder to fix from Argentina. Get the final transcript apostilled before leaving.
9. Names that do not match. Names on school documents must match the identity document exactly (reconocimiento page).
10. Relying on stale web pages. The convalidación pages still cite Res. 497/2006 and 3356/2019, repealed by Res. SE 480/2026.
11. Assuming the IB diploma is enough. It is a complementary certificate. Without the national title of the country of residence, subjects must be completed in Argentina (IB page).
12. Assuming university is free for every foreigner. Since 29 May 2025 free undergraduate study at State institutions is guaranteed only to Argentines and permanent residents (Law 24.521 art. 2 bis).
13. Assuming private fees are fixed for the year. The national freeze was in Decree 2417/1993 art. 8, repealed on 11 November 2025. Read the contract.
14. Using a translation made abroad. The reconocimiento page asks for a Traductor Público in Argentina, while Res. 480 art. 3 only says "authorised translator" (unconfirmed).
15. Employer paid school fees are taxable for the employee since 2024 (ITL art. 82).
16. Assuming PBA works like CABA. Calendars, systems and documents in PBA are not covered by the files (unconfirmed).

Recent changes

• 8 July 2024. Law 27.743 makes employer paid family education expenses taxable (ITL art. 82).
• 29 May 2025. DNU 366/2025: new Law 25.871 art. 7 (initial, primary and secondary; tertiary and university removed), new Law 26.206 art. 143 (migrants without DNI), new Law 24.521 art. 2 bis (free university only for Argentines and permanent residents; others may be charged).
• 1 October 2025. Res. SIyC 368/2025 extends the fee notice deadlines for the 2026 school year (15 November and 15 December 2025).
• 11 November 2025. Decree 787/2025 repeals Decree 2417/1993 on private school fees and orders a review of Decree 2542/1991.
• 2 January 2026. Law 27.798 repeals Law 26.206 art. 9 from fiscal year 2026.
• 2026. New CABA Reglamento IEL (IF-2026-43978123-GCABA-SSGDA) and Res. 481/MEDGC/26 on transfers. From 2027 CABA schools are grouped by Comunas (Law 6.888; FAQ).
• 5 August 2026. Res. SE 480/2026: no Formación Nacional for complete foreign secondary titles, for everyone; Res. 497/2006 and 3356/2019 repealed; procedures started from 6 August 2026.
• 5 October 2026. CABA IEL 2027 opens; lottery on 21 October 2026.

Pending changes

• Decree 2542/1991 review. Decree 787/2025 art. 2 orders the Ministry of Human Capital to propose changes to the State contribution scheme for private schools. No proposal or new decree was found (unconfirmed).
• Operational rules under Res. SE 480/2026 art. 6. Whether the platform, documents and the convalidación and reconocimiento pages will be updated (unconfirmed).
• University fees for foreigners. Which State universities have adopted fees under Law 24.521 art. 2 bis, and on what terms (unconfirmed).
• Congressional control of DNU 366/2025 under Law 26.122 (unconfirmed).
• Ministry procedure for foreign university degrees. Pages returned 404 (unconfirmed).
• CABA equivalence rules for foreign students entering mid-way through secondary (unconfirmed).
• CABA private school fee rules after the national repeal, especially for subsidised schools (unconfirmed).
• PBA enrolment procedure and calendar (unconfirmed).
• Income tax deduction under ITL art. 85 j): whether the cap is per dependant (unconfirmed).

FAQ

1. Can my child go to a public school in Argentina without a DNI? Yes. Foreigners have the right to be admitted to initial, primary and secondary schools even if their migration status is irregular (Law 25.871 art. 7). The State must guarantee access on documents from the country of origin (Law 26.206 art. 143). In CABA, a child without a document is recorded as "Sin Documento" and ranked for the lottery by the pre-enrolment number (Reglamento arts. 57, 72 and 35).

2. Are public schools really free? Yes. Public education is free in all State services and levels (Law 26.061 art. 16; Law 26.206 art. 4). CABA pre-enrolment is free (FAQ). Families still pay for materials and uniforms where required (unconfirmed).

3. When do I apply for a CABA public school for 2027? Pre-enrolment runs from 5 October to 6 November 2026 and the document check until 17 November 2026. Results appear from 4 December 2026 (CABA enrolment page).

4. We arrive in July. Can the children start school straight away? They have the right to be admitted, but in CABA the main allocation happens once a year. Mid-year entry goes through the Período de Excepción or alternative means, depending on vacancies (Reglamento art. 11). The files do not give dates or waiting times (unconfirmed).

5. Do private schools have to keep fees fixed during the year? Not under any national rule in the files since 11 November 2025, when Decree 787/2025 repealed Decree 2417/1993. Check the contract and any CABA or provincial rule (unconfirmed).

6. Does my teenager need to convalidate foreign studies to enter a CABA secondary school? Not through the national convalidación procedure, which is for completed secondary titles. CABA requires the previous year's completion certificate and the original foreign documents, legalised and translated (Reglamento arts. 72 and 76). How the entry year is set is not in the files (unconfirmed).

7. What did Resolution 480/2026 change? It removed the Formación Nacional subjects for everyone convalidating a complete foreign secondary title to continue studies in Argentina, regardless of nationality. It requires ID and the apostilled or legalised title with translation, and repeals Res. 497/2006 and 3356/2019. It applies to procedures started from 6 August 2026 (arts. 1, 3, 7 and 8).

8. How much does convalidating a foreign secondary title cost? The procedure itself is free (argentina.gob.ar pages). Apostille and translation costs are extra (unconfirmed).

9. Is university free for foreigners? Undergraduate study at State institutions is free for Argentines and foreigners with permanent residence. Institutions may charge other students (Law 24.521 art. 2 bis, as replaced by DNU 366/2025). Entry itself is free and unrestricted for anyone with a recognised secondary title (art. 7).

10. Is an IB diploma recognised? Not on its own as a secondary title. It is treated as a complementary certificate (Res. CFE 132/14, per the IB page). Without the national title of the country where the student lived, the student must complete missing subjects.

11. How do I get a foreign university degree recognised? Revalidation is reserved to national universities (Law 24.521 art. 29 k)). The Ministry's convalidation pages for university degrees under agreements were not available (unconfirmed).

12. Can I deduct school fees from income tax? Argentine taxpayers may deduct education expenses for dependent children up to 40% of the art. 30 a) amount, ARS 2,407,868.54 for 2026 (ITL art. 85 j); ARCA table). Whether the cap is per child must be checked (unconfirmed).

13. Do international schools follow special rules? No specific national norm was found. They are private schools under Law 26.206 arts. 62 to 66 and jurisdictional supervision. Their national title has validity only if the school is recognised (art. 63 a)).

14. Does my child need a student residence? Only if they come to Argentina to study (secondary or higher) and not under the family's residence. The DNM student residence lasts one year, renewable, and costs 50 or 100 UMSM (DNM pages).

Primary sources

• Law 26.206, National Education Law, updated text
• Law 26.061, Children's Rights, updated text
• Law 24.521, Higher Education, updated text
• Law 13.047, private school teachers statute
• Decree 2417/1993 (repealed), original text
• Infoleg list of norms affecting Decree 2417/1993
• Infoleg list of norms affecting Decree 2542/1991
• Decree 787/2025
• Res. SIyC 368/2025
• Res. SE 480/2026
• Res. ME 1588/2012
• Convalidar título secundario de países con convenio
• Reconocer título secundario de países sin convenio
• Guía para validar títulos y estudios realizados en el exterior
• Reconocimiento de Estudios Extranjeros (turnos)
• Estudios de Bachillerato Internacional
• CABA Educación de Gestión Privada (DGEGP)
• CABA Inscripción escolar 2027
• CABA Preguntas frecuentes IEL
• CABA Reglamento IEL 2026 (IF-2026-43978123-GCABA-SSGDA)
• CABA news, enrolment 2027 opened
• Law 25.871, Migration, updated text (root)
• DNU 366/2025 (root)
• DNM, residencia temporaria como estudiante (root)
• DNM, Cuadro Tasas Migratorias (root)

Related pages

• /guide/immigration/visas-residence/
• /guide/living/healthcare-prepagas/
• /guide/taxes/individuals-and-personal-assets-tax/
• /guide/regulation/consumer-protection/
• Cost of living in Argentina in 2026: official baskets, inflation, rents, services and what it costs an expat household
• Driving in Argentina: foreign licences, licence exchange, buying, registering, insuring and importing a car
• Moving to Argentina: importing household goods, a car and pets (customs franchises, ARCA procedures and SENASA rules)
• How much does private health insurance (prepaga) cost in Argentina?