Marbella opens procedure for transfer of land for Swedish school in Nagüeles district

International education options in Marbella are expanding. The newest addition is the future bilingual Swedish school that will cover all educational levels (from pre-school to high school) and accommodate approximately 600 students.

Marbella town hall has just initiated the procedure to transfer municipal land to Colegio Sueco Property SL (a company established in 2022 and owned by Svenska Skolan Marbella Holding Ab).

The same company is behind the Swedish school in the La Alzambra development in the Nueva Andalucía district.

The process began in October 2024 with the company's request, followed by a public review process. It is now proceeding with a public tender. Any investor can participate in this tender until 8 June.

The land in question comprises four plots totalling 12,510 square metres, classified as consolidated urban land in the Lomas del Virrey area, in the Nagüeles district, north of Puente Romano and near the AP-7 motorway.

The concession will be for a period of 50 years, during which the town hall will receive an annual fee of 181,577 euros. This takes into account the cost of constructing the centre, which must include sports facilities and children's play areas. The estimated budget is 14.94 million euros.

It also includes the acquisition of equipment and furniture (315,000 euros), the time it will take to open the centre and operating expenses, starting with the 2.82 million euros per year to pay the salaries of 62 employees. Other expenses include electricity and water, gardening, cleaning, excursions and insurance.

The tender also takes into account the income and the increase in the cost of living during the concession period, with an estimated annual economic growth of 2.5 per cent. Assuming amortisation of the investment starting in the third year and the payment of financial expenses over 20 years for a loan of 11.5 million euros, the economic study forecasts accumulated losses of 1.13 million euros during the first two years.

Profits from the third year onward will be slightly less than 96,000 euros and would increase annually until reaching 2.14 million euros in the tenth year, continuing to grow to over six million euros from the 45th year onward.

The school must be operational within a maximum of three years from the granting of the building permit. The works, which must begin within one month of receiving approval, are going to last 30 months.

The contract winner will have a total of five months to submit the basic and detailed design plans. Therefore, if the deadlines are met, the school could be ready in 36 months from the signing of the contract.

The company behind the project began its operations in 2003 with a small centre that had only five students. Its aim was simply to offer the children of Swedes living in Marbella an education based on the Swedish curriculum.

In 2005, Svenska Skolan Marbella moved to the Swedish forestry centre. Eight years later, in 2013, it achieved a milestone by opening larger facilities in the La Alzambra residential area, where it remains today. The centre has a sports hall, three paddle courts and an artificial turf soccer field.

The move allowed the school to grow from 45 to 200 students in 2019. "The demand for Swedish classes in Marbella is increasing rapidly," the school says. According to town hall data, the Swedish population in Marbella increased by 258 people in 2025, reaching 2,033 inhabitants, representing an annual growth of almost 15 per cent.

The Swedish school in Marbella offers education from age three up to the equivalent of the final year of primary school in the Spanish education system, and from the first year of secondary school onwards through tutored distance learning. In total, it teaches approximately 200 students between the ages of three and 18.

The school, where students learn Swedish, English and Spanish, states that it operates "from a holistic perspective where movement and knowledge go hand in hand". The school combines "Swedish values" with integration into Spanish society.