The Bachibac in Valencia: schools, exams and equivalences

The Bachibac lets a student earn the French Baccalauréat and the Spanish Bachillerato at the same time, with no extra exam in the other country. In the Valencian Community it is offered in six state secondary schools (IES), one of them right in the city of Valencia, IES José Ballester Gozalvo, according to the regional education department (Conselleria d'Educació).

The short version: what should you know?

The Bachibac awards the French Baccalauréat and the Spanish Bachillerato together, with no additional examination. Six state IES offer it across the Valencian Community, including one in the city of Valencia. The Bachillerato is granted automatically once the student passes every subject; the Baccalauréat also requires passing a separate external exam. The dual diploma opens both the French route (Parcoursup) and the Spanish university entrance exams (PAU). It is a free, public programme, distinct from the fee-paying Lycée Français International de Valencia (private, AEFE-accredited).

What exactly is the Bachibac?

It is a bilingual track running across the two years of Bachillerato (1º and 2º), the equivalent of the last two years of secondary school in the Spanish school system. On top of the standard Spanish curriculum it adds two subjects taught in French: French Language and Literature, and History of Spain and France. According to the Conselleria d'Educació, roughly a third of class time is delivered in French for those two subjects, while the rest of the programme stays that of the ordinary Valencian Bachillerato.

Which schools offer the Bachibac in the Valencia region?

Six state schools in the Valencian Community are authorised at present, under the June 2025 resolution of the Conselleria d'Educació that extends the programme for the 2025-2026 year.

One caveat: the Spanish Ministry of Education lists a slightly shorter set of centres, without IES José Ballester Gozalvo in València. The Conselleria d'Educació resolution, more recent and specific to the region, is the reference for the current year; even so, it is worth checking each year with the school itself, since the Bachibac is still formally an "experimental programme" renewed by annual resolution.

What does the programme look like day to day?

The student follows the ordinary Bachillerato (the general subjects of the Spanish system), with French Language and Literature and History of Spain and France added on top, both taught in French. According to the Conselleria d'Educació, schools may round out the programme with extra activities such as exchanges, volunteering or cultural outings tied to the French language. The French level expected of students rises over the course.

How do the Bachibac exams work?

There are two clearly separate routes. The Spanish Bachillerato title is granted automatically if the student passes every subject on the course, like any Spanish pupil. The French Baccalauréat diploma, by contrast, also requires passing a specific Bachibac external exam, run by the Conselleria d'Educació.

For the 2025-2026 session, the official call for this external exam was published by resolution on 25 March 2026, and the examiners and boards were appointed by a resolution of 30 April 2026, according to the Conselleria d'Educació. The exact dates are republished every year on the Conselleria website, so it is better to check them each session rather than rely on the previous year's calendar.

What does the Bachibac count for in France and Spain?

In practice, a student who earns both diplomas can then apply to higher education in Spain and in France alike, with no further recognition step. On the Spanish side, the Bachillerato title allows the student to sit the Spanish university entrance exams (PAU) on the same terms as any pupil in the Spanish system. On the French side, holding the Baccalauréat through the Bachibac opens access to French higher education, including Parcoursup, under the same rules as a Baccalauréat taken in France. A student who passes the Bachillerato without clearing the Bachibac external exam is still treated as holding a Spanish diploma recognised across the European Union for higher-education access, but without the linked French diploma.

Is the Bachibac the same thing as the Lycée Français in Valencia?

No, they are two clearly different options. The Bachibac is prepared in Spanish state schools (IES), with a course taught overwhelmingly in Spanish and firmly anchored in the local education system. The Lycée Français International de Valencia (LFVAL), in Paterna, is a private school accredited by the AEFE that follows the French curriculum from nursery onward and prepares directly for the French Baccalauréat, with annual tuition fees. If you are planning a long-term move with strong Spanish immersion, the Bachibac is a free, public option; if you want continuity with the French school system, the LFVAL is the other reference point in Valencia. To weigh it up, our guide on choosing between a French or a Spanish school in Valencia covers the other factors that matter (languages, neighbourhood, budget), and our first 90 days guide to moving to Valencia sets the school choice within the wider arrival timeline.

Frequently asked questions about the Bachibac

Is the Bachibac recognised automatically by French universities?
Yes: a student who earns the Baccalauréat through the Bachibac is recognised as a full French baccalaureate holder, with access to Parcoursup and to French higher education on the same terms as a Baccalauréat taken in France.

Can you get into a Spanish university with only the Bachillerato, without sitting the Bachibac external exam?
Yes. The Bachillerato title is granted as soon as every subject on the course is passed, regardless of whether the Bachibac external exam is cleared. It gives access to the Spanish university entrance exams (PAU) like any ordinary Bachillerato, but without the linked French diploma.

Is the Bachibac free?
Yes, since it is offered in state schools (IES) of the Valencian Community, on the same free-tuition terms as the rest of the Spanish state system.

Do you already need to speak French to join a Bachibac section in the Valencian Community?
A good level of French is needed to follow the subjects taught in that language from the first year of the programme. The precise admission conditions (including any level tests) are set each year by the Conselleria d'Educació and can vary by school, so it is best to contact the target IES directly before enrolling.

Sources (facts cross-checked and rewritten, never copied): Conselleria d'Educació, Cultura, Universitats i Ocupació de la Generalitat Valenciana, official Batxibac page (list of centres, extension and exam-call resolutions for 2025-2026), Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes (national list of Bachibac centres), El Periòdic (how the programme works, at its 2022 expansion), Expat-Valencia (cross-check of the school list on the French expat side). Consulted in July 2026. The list of schools was cross-checked between the official regional source and an independent local source; the gap with the national ministry list is flagged rather than resolved.

Information verified in July 2026. Admission conditions and the exam calendar are republished every year: always check with the Conselleria d'Educació or the school itself before starting any enrolment. This article was prepared with the help of AI, then cross-checked, verified and edited by our newsroom, which takes editorial responsibility for it.