School in Argentina: compulsory from age 4, and a place even without papers

Children who move with you to Argentina must attend school there from age 4 until they finish secondary school. That is article 16 of the education law, Ley 26.206. A public school is free. And the migration law says that a foreign child has the right to a place, even if the residence is not yet settled. So you do not have to wait for the DNI to enrol your child.

What	Rule	Source
Compulsory schooling	from age 4 to the end of the secundaria	Ley 26.206, art. 16
Pre-school	from 45 days up to and including 5 years, the last two years compulsory	art. 18
Primary school	from age 6, 6 or 7 years long, per province	art. 26 and 134
Secondary school	6 or 5 years, per province	art. 29 and 134
Public education	free	art. 11
Access for foreign children	also without settled residence, public or private	Ley 25.871, art. 7
Recognition of a Dutch secondary diploma	free, at the Dirección de Validez Nacional	Ministerio de Educación

How is education structured?

There are four levels: educación inicial (pre-school), primaria, secundaria and higher education. The provinces choose between two structures: six years of primaria and six of secundaria, or seven years of primaria and five of secundaria. In one province a twelve-year-old is still in primary school, in another already in secondary. That matters if you move within Argentina or have a child join part-way.

Does your child have the right to a place?

Yes. Article 7 of the migration law, set out again since Decreto 366/2025, gives foreigners the right to be admitted as pupils to pre-school, primary or secondary education, public or private, run by the state, the province or the municipality. That also applies if their residence is irregular. The school must then help you get your papers in order.

Your children get their own residencia through reunificación familiar: as a child under 18 of a temporary resident, for at most the period of your residence. How that works is in the residence routes. After that you also get a DNI for them; see registration and numbers.

Whether a twelve-year-old starts in the primaria or the secundaria depends on the province. Ask at enrolment which documents the school wants to see to place your child. Bring the school reports and the latest school recommendation, with an apostille, and have them translated in Argentina by a traductor público.