Move to Spain and Teach English
Have you ever dreamed of moving to Spain? If you’re a native English speaker and have a bachelor’s degree, now is your chance! The North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP) is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year this February. The NALCAP offers placements across Spain as part of the Auxilaires de Conversación (language assistant) program where you can teach English in Spain. See my video tutorial below for application assistance!
Program Overview
The Education Office of the Embassy of Spain promotes diverse educational outreach programs in the United States. Located in Washington D.C., the primary goal of the Education Office of Spain is to foster collaborative educational programs between the USA and Spain, building long lasting ties among their citizens.
The NALCAP program offers paid placements for North American citizens all across Spain. It’s an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture, live abroad for a year (or more!), and get paid. See my post on How to Find the Right Region for You if you decide to apply!
My Experience
I participated in the NALCAP program from 2020-2022. Even though my program started during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was a truly life-changing experience. I became more independent, made lifelong friends, learned Spanish, and even met my fiancé! The auxiliar program changed my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Important Considerations
While the NALCAP program is an incredible opportunity, it’s important to remember that it’s still a job. Most auxiliares work 12-18 hours per week in a public school. You may have a long commute, you might not be placed in a big city, and you’ll likely have a lot of downtime between classes. The pay is enough to live a simple lifestyle, but many auxiliares supplement their income with private English lessons or other work.
The following requirements must be met in order to participate in the program.
- Be a U.S. citizen and have a valid passport through the date of the last day of your participation in the program (May 31st, 2026 in all of Spain except for Madrid which is June 30th, 2026)
- Have a conferred BA, BS, AA or AS degree or be enrolled as a sophomore, junior or a senior in a BA or BS program.
- Be a native-like speaker of English
- Be in good physical and mental health
- Have a clean background check
- Be aged 18 – 60. You must be at least 18 years old as of January 1, 2025 and not be 60 or over on January 1, 2026, to participate in the program. Disclaimer: Age ranges have to do with labor regulations in Spain.
Does this sound perfect for you?
If you’re ready to take the leap and move to Spain, check out my how-to video on setting up your PROFEX account below. Click to the right to see the video recording. PROFEX is the online platform you’ll use to submit your NALCAP application. Keep in mind that this video was made for the most recent application round, so some PROFEX materials may be updated in February 2025. Click here to access the application.
NALCAP Overview by Amanda