How Much Does a DELE Exam Cost and Where to Sit It in Spain

Many people in Spain need a DELE certificate for Spanish nationality, a university place or a job that asks for proof of Spanish. They usually have the same questions: how much will it cost, where can they sit it, and what happens if they miss the deadline. This guide gives the official fee for every level, explains how registration works in Spain, lists the session dates and closing dates, and covers the refund rules.

What the DELE Exam Costs in Spain

The Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera are issued by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of Spain’s Ministry of Education. The figures below come from the Instituto Cervantes’ official DELE pages and its official 2026 fee table, as of October 2026.

There is one national price for each level. Every centre in the country charges the same amount. Whether you sit the exam at a language academy in Málaga, a university in Salamanca or a centre in Bilbao, the cost of a given level is identical.

Official 2026 DELE Fees by Level

These prices are final and include VAT. You will not be asked for anything extra at the door.

The fee covers sitting the exam on the date and at the centre you choose, and the issue of your diploma once you pass. The diploma never expires, so you pay once for a credential that lasts for life.

How the School Versions Are Priced

Parents of teenagers at Spanish secondary schools or international schools sometimes assume the school versions are cheaper. They are priced the same as the matching general level:

• A1 for schools costs the same as A1, €112.
• A2/B1 for schools costs the same as B1, €173.
• B2/C1 for schools costs the same as C1, €225.

The difference is in the content. The topics and tasks are designed for younger candidates. The price is not discounted.

Why the Fee Changes From Year to Year

The Instituto Cervantes revises its fee table each year. As of October 2026, the 2027 fees had not been published. If you are planning for an exam next year, check the official table once it appears.

In practice, the price you pay depends on only two things: the level and the country where you register. The centre and the city make no difference. Your nationality and residency status make no difference either.

How to Register and Where to Sit the DELE in Spain

I went through Spanish paperwork for years before sitting my own DELE. The surprising part was how straightforward registration turned out to be, once I understood that the general exam and the school versions are booked in different ways.

Registering for the General Levels Online

For the general levels, A1 through C2, you register and pay online by card on the Instituto Cervantes exam portal. You do not pay the centre directly, and you do not need to visit the centre beforehand.

The process works like this:

1. Decide on your level. If you are unsure, see DELE vs SIELE: Which Spanish Exam Should You Take? to check whether the DELE is the right exam for your goal.
2. Use the official “Dónde” search on the DELE portal to find a centre. You can filter by country, choosing España, and then by region, province, session and level.
3. Check that your chosen centre actually examines your level in your chosen session. Not every centre runs every session.
4. Complete the online registration form with your details exactly as they appear on your identity document. The name on your diploma comes from this form.
5. Pay the fee by card on the portal.
6. Keep your registration confirmation. You will need it if you later want to change your session or ask for a refund within the cancellation window.

Booking the School Versions Through a Centre

The school versions follow a different route. They are booked through the exam centre rather than the general online portal.

If your child’s school, or a nearby language academy, is an examining centre, ask them directly how they handle school-version bookings. Many international schools coordinate this for their pupils, which takes a lot of the stress off parents.

Finding an Exam Centre Near You

The DELE is given at Instituto Cervantes centres and at more than 1,000 examining centres in over 100 countries. Inside Spain, the examining centres include universities, official language schools and private academies, spread across most provinces.

Say you live in a small town in Extremadura and the nearest centre does not offer B2 in the session you want. Filter the “Dónde” search by neighbouring provinces. You may find that a centre in Cáceres or Badajoz examines your level on the right date, and a short train or bus trip is easier than waiting months for the next session.

If you are still choosing where to study before the exam, see How to Find Spanish Language Schools That Offer Intensive Courses. Some academies are examining centres themselves, so you can sit the exam in a building you already know.

2026 DELE Exam Sessions and Registration Deadlines

The DELE is not available on demand. It runs in fixed sessions throughout the year, and each session has its own published registration closing date. In 2026 those closing dates fell between about five and seven weeks before the exam. If you miss a closing date, you cannot register for that session.

The 2026 Session Calendar

Two patterns stand out:

• A2 has the most dates. This reflects demand from people applying for Spanish nationality, who need A2 or higher.
• C2 appeared only in the May and November sessions in 2026. If you are aiming for C2, plan around those two windows.

Planning for 2027

Registration for the 2027 sessions opens on 18 November 2026. That is a good date to put in your calendar if you are targeting next year’s exams.

Here is how a sensible timeline might look for someone aiming at a spring exam:

1. Assess your current level in the autumn, using practice papers or a trial lesson with a tutor.
2. Register as soon as 2027 registration opens on 18 November 2026, once you have checked which levels your chosen session offers.
3. Use the months before the closing date to study with a fixed goal in front of you.
4. Treat the closing date as a hard wall, not a target. Registering early also gives you the most room to change your session, level or centre if your plans shift.

For a realistic picture of how long it takes to move between levels, see DELE Exam Prep With a Tutor: Which Level and How Long It Takes.

Choosing the Right Session for Your Situation

If you are applying for nationality, the many A2 sessions give you flexibility. Pair the language exam with the CCSE and you can often complete both in the same season. See How to Prepare for the Spanish Citizenship Language Exam (DELE A2) for a focused study plan.

University applicants usually need to show B2 or C1 by a fixed admission date. Work backwards from that date. Remember that the diploma is issued some time after the exam, so build in a margin. Language Exams in Spain (DELE/SIELE): What Students Need explains how academic requirements tend to work.

Professionals who need to show Spanish for a regulated role or a promotion should match the level to the employer’s request first, then pick the session that fits their work calendar.

Refunds, Changes, Resits and Related Costs

This is where people lose money without realising it. The official rules are clear once you know them.

The 14-Day Refund Rule and Its Exceptions

Here is how that plays out in practice. Imagine you register for B2 at €204 for the November session, then a work trip lands on the exam date. If registration is still open for both November and another session in the same year, you can switch for free.

Now suppose you realise your Spanish is stronger than you thought and you want to move up to C1 at €225. You pay the €21 difference. If you go the other way, from B2 down to B1 at €173, you do not get the €31 back.

The most painful case is simply not showing up. The fee is lost and cannot be carried over. If your plans are wobbling, act while you still have options: within 14 days for a refund, or while registration is open for a free change.

What Happens If You Fail

There is no reduced resit fee. If you do not pass, you register and pay the full fee again, and you resit every paper, not just the one you struggled with.

That makes preparation the best way to protect your budget. Failing B2 once means paying €204 twice, a total of €408. A few targeted lessons before the first attempt cost less than that. Many people use iTalki to book one-to-one sessions with tutors who know the DELE format. The oral exam in particular rewards practice with a real person. See Speaking Practice for DELE Oral Exams: Structuring Lessons Around the Format for ideas on structuring those lessons.

If you are preparing for nationality, How Many Tutor Hours to Pass DELE A2 and CCSE? A Realistic Lesson Budget helps you estimate how much study time to set aside. iTalki lets you filter for tutors who teach exam preparation, which is useful if you want someone familiar with the DELE tasks rather than general conversation practice.

CCSE and SIELE Fees for Comparison

The DELE is often one part of a bigger plan, so it helps to see the related official fees side by side.

The CCSE fee of €85 includes the exam, the certificate and preparation materials, and it allows a second attempt. That makes it more forgiving than the DELE.

For a nationality applicant, the core exam budget is DELE A2 at €138 plus the CCSE at €85, a total of €223. Turn to How to Prepare for the CCSE Spanish Citizenship Test for study tips, and see Spanish Citizenship: Requirements, Exams, and Application Process for how these exams fit into the full application.

The key difference between the DELE and SIELE is validity. SIELE certificates have a limited validity, while the DELE diploma does not expire. If you need a certificate you can use for years, for nationality, a career or future study, the DELE is usually the safer long-term choice. If you need a quick result for a single application, SIELE may suit you. See Spanish Language Certificates (DELE and SIELE): Which One You Need for a fuller comparison.

Fitting the Exam Into Your Wider Move

For many expats, the DELE sits alongside a long list of other admin tasks.

Freelancers who invoice international clients through a platform such as Xolo sometimes find that a recognised Spanish certificate helps when they pitch to local businesses. That makes the exam an investment in their work, not just a personal goal.

Americans living in Spain should keep the exam receipt with their other records. A service like Taxes for Expats can advise on whether education or professional development costs matter for their US return.

Whatever your reason, the cost is the same everywhere in Spain. The real savings come from three habits:

• Choose the right level the first time.
• Register early so you have room to make changes.
• Prepare well enough that you only pay once.

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.

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