FAQs (Frequently asked questions)

Registration and payment

How do I register?
You can register at Inhispania by filling out our online form or you can also register by visiting one of our offices.

How do I make the payment?
When you register with us, you will have to make an upfront payment. The amount of this payment will vary depending on the duration of your course and whether your programme includes accommodation.

This payment can be made:

• by credit card on the internet (secure environment);
• by bank transfer (the charges of the transfer will be the responsibility of the student);
• in cash, by visiting one of our offices.
• The rest of the cost of the programme must be paid on the first day of the class.

Do I have to pay anything else on top of the price of the course and accommodation?

You have to pay a registration fee of 50 euros for all of our programmes. This includes the text book for your entry level, unlimited internet connection in the school, a welcome pack, use of our library and an attendance certificate.

The price of the course also includes the costs of the organisation of our extracurricular activities and the accompanying monitor/teacher. Students only have to pay the direct costs of transport, food, entrance tickets, etc. for some activities.

The registration fee covers the text book for your entry level. If you advance to a higher level/s, you will need to buy a new book for each level for the cost of 15 euros (level A/B) and 22 euros (level C).

Any taxes (VAT etc.) are included in the price.

Is there a minimum age for participating in the courses?
Parents should take into account that the minimum recommended age for taking part in Inhispania’s general courses is 16. Inhispania’s courses are designed for adult students and we don’t offer specific programmes for under 16s (except for programmes for private groups). However, we accept registrations for students who are under 16 if their parents consider their child to be sufficiently motivated and possess the necessary maturity to participate in an adult class.

How long is each “class”?
Inhispania’s courses are structured into classes. For the intensive and super-intensive courses in groups, each “class” lasts for 45 minutes. For the regular/evening courses (twice a week) and for the private courses, each “class” lasts 60 minutes. For the rest of the programmes, the “classes” are always 45 minutes, unless indicated otherwise.

Which programme should I choose?
When you are choosing your programme you should take into account the number of classes you would like to have per day and the duration of these classes. You must also decide whether you want to have a shared course with a group or if you would prefer to include private classes. You can email us at info@inhispania.com and our team will recommend the best programme to meet your needs.

How many levels are there?
Inhispania offers courses in 6 main levels, which are divided into sub-levels. The levels at Inhispania follow the guidelines of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and are adapted to the curriculum plan of the Instituto Cervantes.

How do I know which level to register for?
Before beginning the course, you will have to take a level test (this is completely free). You can take the test on our website or in person at the school. You must take the level test at least one week before the start of your course. Using the results of the test we will assign you a level.

When will I be given my timetable?
We will give you your timetable during the week before the beginning of your course. The intensive and super-intensive courses are always from Monday to Friday. For the intensive courses the timetable can be from 10am to 1.05pm o from 2pm to 5pm. For the super-intensive courses the timetable is from 10am to 3.30pm (with a lunch break from 1.15pm to 2pm.) The Spanish culture course (Module +5) is always from 1.15pm to 2pm. The regular/evening courses are in the evenings on Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday from 7pm to 9pm. The rest of the courses have variable timetables.

What are the payment and cancellation conditions?
The payment and cancellation conditions can be found on the registration form and at the following link.

Preparation

Do I need to study anything before beginning the course?
No, this is not necessary.

What materials do I need to bring?
We recommend that you bring a notebook, a dictionary and writing materials.

Will I receive a Student Manual?
Yes, during the week before your course starts we will send you a Student Manual in which you will find detailed information about your stay.

How can I personalise my course?
In the same email as that of the Student Manual, you will find a needs analysis questionnaire. You can print this and give it to your teacher on the first day of class.

Is there a minimum number of students needed for the course to go ahead?
No, if we have accepted your registration, your course is guaranteed for the level and dates that you have chosen.

What insurance does the school offer?
To receive medical assistance, EU students and students from countries that have an agreement in this field with Spain, should apply for a European Health Insurance Card. All other students must buy private medical insurance.

Students have the option to buy student travel insurance (Segurviaje) through the school with Mapfre Asistencia or through the international insurance provider CareMed. For more information about insurance, please follow this link.

Inhispania has several insurance contracts with the company Allianz. The total cover of our civil responsibility is 600,000 euros per accident (with an annual limit of 2,400,000 euros) and 90,000 euros per victim. The details of this cover can be found at the following link.

During the course

What is the school philosophy, mission and vision?
Inhispania was founded with our students in mind, with the goal of offering a positive and motivating learning experience during their stay in Madrid. Mainly targeted towards adult learners as well as young adults, we provide a motivating environment with the student in the center of the learning process.

That being said, Inhispania aims to provide high quality language learning programs with a solid academic foundation as well as additional services (after-school activities, accommodation, etc.) that allow our students to develop their communication skills in Spanish – and at the same time, discover a new culture and meet other international students.

Outside the course timetable, can I stay in the school?
Of course, this is what we want you to do! Unlike other schools, Inhispania offers large comfortable areas for taking a break and for studying. You can spend as much time as you want in this area, within our opening hours.

Does Inhispania offer self-study materials?
Yes. All students can participate for free in a complimentary course of self-study (available for levels A1, A2, B1 and B2). On the computers in the library there are also study programs. Also, you can make use of books, reading series, grammar books etc. from our wide bibliography.

Can I request a level change?
Yes. In this case, the school will be able to do evaluation tests. Level changes are completely free. However, the student will have to buy the text book for the new level.

Can I request a timetable change? And can I change my teacher?
Yes, but these changes depend on our availability. These changes are free.

Can I change my programme once I have registered for it?
Students can always add additional weeks to their programme or add additional modules (e.g Culture Course, DELE Preparation Course, individual classes) depending on the availability of the school.

According to the conditions of registration and payments, it is not possible to change from one programme to another without having previously finished the programme for which the student is registered (e.g it is not possible to change from an intensive course in group to an individual course).

Can I take a holiday/vacation during my course?
Yes, if the course is more than 4 weeks long. The student must inform the school of the vacations that they would like to take with at least 2 weeks notice. For courses that last for less than 12 weeks, the student can take a maximum of 2 weeks vacation. If the course lasts for more than 12 weeks, the student can take a maximum of 4 weeks holiday.

What happens if I can’t go to class for one day?
If you can’t come to one day of classes, you must tell your teacher so that they can tell you the contents covered in the class during your absence. Inhispania doesn’t offer refunds for these missed classes. Individual classes can always be recuperated if the school is informed of the absence with a minimum of 48 hours notice.

What happens if there is a public holiday?
The school closes for public holidays.
For courses of 1 or 2 weeks, public holidays will be automatically discounted from the total price of the reserved course.

If two public holidays are in the same week, one of these days will be recuperated during the week by adding extra time to the existing classes.

If two public holidays are in the same week, one of these days will be recuperated during the week by adding extra time to the existing classes.

At the end of the course

Will I receive a certificate for my course?
At the end of the course the student receives a certificate from the school which specifies the dates of the course, the number of hours of the course and the level reached according to the evaluation made by the teacher. To obtain this certificate the student must haver attended at least 85% of the programme for which they were registered. This certificate is free of charge.

Can I have an official qualification for my course at Inhispania?
The certificate that students receive at the end of the programme certifies their attendance at the school and the level reached. If the student wants to receive an official qualification they must take the exams for the DELE qualification (Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language), which is awarded by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. Alternatively, the student can register for the SIELE exam which can be taken at Inhispania. Please contact us before your course or during your stay regarding the SIELE exam, how to book it and possible exam preparations.

Accommodation and additional services

Do I have to book my accommodation with the school?
No. The school’s accommodation service is optional and is only available to our students of the intensive Spanish courses.

Is the accommodation available with any course?
No it is only available for intensive or crash courses.

When will I be told the address of my accommodation?
We will send you the address of the accommodation during the week before the first day of your course.

Which day do I enter and leave the accommodation? And at what times?
The entry day for the accommodation is Sundays, and the exit day is Saturdays. You can reserve additional nights for an extra charge and depending on availability. You must leave your room before 12pm. You can arrive between 9am and 11pm (except when staying in a hotel or pension, where the reception is open 24 hours). You will have to wait until 1pm for the room to be made ready. If you will arrive in the center of the city after 11pm we will organise your first night in a hostal (at additional cost).

On the day of my arrival, who will give me the keys?
On the day of your arrival someone will be waiting for you in the accommodation to give you the keys and to explain everything to you. In some of our accommodation you will have to pay a 20 euro deposit for the keys which will be returned at the end of your stay.

If I share my room- with whom will I share?
If you booked a shared room the school will assign a roommate to you, of the same gender and with a maximum age difference of 10 years to you.

Will I have a contact number if there are any problems?
Yes. We will send you the telephone number of the person responsible for your accommodation and a telephone number for emergencies.

What are the rules of accommodation?
Rules of the landlord/ apartment have to be accepted. If the student does not follow these rules, student can be expelled from accommodation. Each accommodation has its own individual rules which you will receive in the accommodation. General rules you can find HERE.

Will I be able to practise my Spanish in my accommodation?
Under this link you can find some tipps how to practise Spanish in your accommodation.

Please keep in mind that in our student apartments there are mainly international students and you can practise your Spanish but many of them might prefer to speak in English or other languages they are more comfortable with. But maybe you can try and establish times when you all speak preferably Spanish and practise together.
In our home stay options you will be with native speakers and therefore more exposed to Spanish. We recommend you to make an effort to speak to your hosts in Spanish and this way they will see that you are interested in speaking Spanish.

Can I reserve a collection service from Madrid airport?
Yes. Our collection service from the airport to your accommodation costs 80 euros each way per person. We will also send you instructions for how to get from the airport to the accommodation by metro. You would need to reserve this service when registering and can only modify/cancel this service with a minimum of 72 hour notice.

Activities

Is it compulsory to take part in the extracurricular activities?
No, it is completely voluntary.

When do the activities take place?
Activities take usually place after class. E.g. our tapas tours can take place at 13.30 or at 17.00. Sightseeing tours and museum visits usually take place at 13.15 or 17.00. The welcome meeting takes place on Mondays at 13.15. Our Saturday excursions start around 9.00 o´clock.

How much do the extracurricular activities cost?
The organisation of the activities and the costs of the accompanying teacher/monitor are already included in the price of the course. During the activities organised by the school the student pays the direct costs of transport, entrance tickets and food/drink. Detailed prices for each activity are published on the activity board in the school. For guidance only, the prices are:

• Transport by train or bus for an excursion outside Madrid: 10-18 euros.
• Tapas: 2 euros for a drink and tapa.
• Set menu of 2 or 3 courses: 9-12 euros.
• Entrance to a museum or exhibition: 2-6 euros (in some cases these are free for EU students).

Is travel insurance included with my course?
To receive medical assistance, EU students and students from countries that have an agreement in this field with Spain, should apply for a European Health Insurance Card. All other students must buy private medical insurance.

Students have the option to buy student travel insurance (Segurviaje) through the school with Mapfre Asistencia or through the international insurance provider CareMed. For more information about insurance, please follow this link.

Inhispania has several insurance contracts with the company Allianz. The total cover of our civil responsibility is 600,000 euros per accident (with an annual limit of 2,400,000 euros) and 90,000 euros per victim. The details of this cover can be found at the following link.

If I have a health problem, can I still take part in the activities?
If students have health problems or eating restrictions (diabetes, celiac disease, allergies…) they must inform the reception staff at the school when they complete their registration. Students must take into account the fact that their state of health may affect their participation in some of the proposed extracurricular activities (tapas, walking tours, excursions etc.) and the school cannot be held responsible for any accidents caused by a previously known health condition.