Spanish diplomats have taken legal steps to defend changes to salary supplements tied to studies conducted abroad. On January 14, a lawsuit was filed against the Ministry of Finance, alleging that the bonuses received while stationed overseas were improperly updated. Today it became clear that they are preparing to pursue further legal action if education subsidies are not adjusted this year.
The Association of Spanish Diplomats, ADE, reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs informed his team, headed by José Manuel Albares, about plans to sue the Treasury if tuition aid is not updated. Diplomats and other expatriate officials assigned abroad maintain these rights, having been frozen for 23 years.
The information came from El Objetivo, which gained access to the circular in which ADE communicated the decision to its members. The Ministry answered that it had requested updates from both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and that the Treasury had signaled its intention to coordinate with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to implement any changes.
The subsidy, established in 2001, covers up to 60% of tuition and school fees, with a limit of 3,906 euros per child or dependent minor.
The update to this subsidy reflects a long-standing request from Spanish authorities stationed abroad. It is argued that securing access to quality schooling in certain locations is challenging, making it difficult to balance family needs with professional duties.
ADE described the situation in a 2023 statement, noting a clear lack of adequacy in education assistance for the children of Spanish civil servants posted overseas. The association emphasized that the annual amount had not been updated for more than two decades and remained far below the average cost of education per child in Spain. Given the modest value of this aid, many civil servants struggle to afford the high cost of international schooling, a burden not chosen by the civil servants themselves but caused by the absence of a robust network of Spanish schools abroad to maintain continuity in their academic programs.
Diplomats from major European countries often rely on networks of public schools abroad, such as the French Lycée, the German Institute, or the Italian Scuola. ADE adds that the European External Action Service covers the full cost of these schools, recognizing that children’s education is a fundamental right the state must protect wherever diplomats are posted.
Prospective updates
On January 15, a lawsuit contending that bonuses were updated incorrectly was accepted by officials pursuing diplomatic careers abroad. A number of officials filed claims against the Ministry of Finance, arguing that the reduction in purchasing power was unfair. They contend that inflation, currency exchange rates, and other site-specific factors were not adequately considered by the calculations used to re-evaluate payrolls. Sources indicate that monetary losses could reach up to 1,500 euros per month under revised criteria for the “purchasing power equalization module” that governs diplomat salaries.
Civil servants abroad receive supplements based on several modules. The first is the “purchasing power equalization,” which helps bridge living-cost gaps between Spain and the destination country. The second is the “quality of life module,” which accounts for issues ranging from health concerns and communication barriers to air quality, climate, and the distance from Spain. These modules are added to the annual salary and destination allowances to determine the overall income of an officer overseas, shaping the financial feasibility of international postings for families and their educational choices [ADE, 2023].