How to register for the CCSE exam in 2027: where, documents, payment, changes and refunds

You register for the CCSE exam online, in the Instituto Cervantes online shop. There you create your account, choose the session and the exam centre, and pay. Registration for the 2027 exams opens on 23 November 2026, and each session closes about three weeks before the exam.

Nacionaliza is not an official website and does not sell registrations. All payments go to the Instituto Cervantes. Check the details on its website before you pay.

Where do I register for the CCSE exam?

Only on the Instituto Cervantes website. Its official exams page says the exams are in its online shop, tienda.cervantes.org. From the same page you reach your personal space, where you later see your result and download the certificate.

In October 2026 the Instituto Cervantes is rebuilding its exams website. The old examenes.cervantes.es addresses lead to a temporary page on cervantes.org. If an older guide sends you to examenes.cervantes.es, go to cervantes.org/es/examenes/dele instead. It has the calendar and the link to the shop.

The exam centre does not charge for registration. Some centres help you register at their office. TANDEM Madrid, for example, offers this. But the payment always goes to the Instituto Cervantes.

What do I need to register?

• An email address you use and will not lose. Your receipt, notices and result arrive there.
• A valid identity document.
• A way to pay online.

Enter your first name, surnames, date of birth and document number exactly as they appear on your official document. The Universidad de Sevilla points out that these details are the ones printed on the certificate. A mistake in your name or number can cause problems later in your nationality file.

Use a document you will bring on exam day. The FEDELE centres (an association of Spanish schools) ask non-EU candidates for their original passport and their TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero, the foreigner's identity card). The TIE may be expired, but you must bring both. Each centre tells you in its exam notice which documents it accepts.

How do I register, step by step?

1. Go to the Instituto Cervantes online shop and create your account.
2. Find the CCSE test and choose the session, that is, the month of the exam.
3. Choose the exam centre.
4. Fill in your personal details exactly as on your document.
5. Pay online.
6. Keep the registration receipt (resguardo de inscripción) that you receive by email.

If you cannot read or write, there are special sessions with an oral exam (CCSE-NA). To register you need an authorisation from the Ministerio de Justicia (Ministry of Justice). We explain it in the exam guide.

How much does the CCSE exam cost in 2026 and 2027?

In 2026 registration costs 85 euros. The price is the same at every centre. The universities of Sevilla and Málaga and TANDEM Madrid confirm it.

The 2027 fee has not been published as of 25 October 2026. The Instituto Cervantes reviews the price every year. Check the price in the shop when you register.

One registration gives you two attempts. If you fail or do not show up, you can sit the exam again at the same centre without paying. The Universidad de Málaga gives a maximum of six months in 2026.

When can I register for 2027?

Registration for all 2027 sessions opens on 23 November 2026, according to the Instituto Cervantes. Each session has its own deadline, about three weeks before the exam date. The first 2027 session, in January, closes on 7 January 2027.

All the 2027 dates and deadlines are in the guide CCSE exam dates 2026 and 2027.

If you still want to take the exam in 2026, the 26 November session closes on 5 November 2026.

What if the centre I want is full?

Each centre has a limited number of places per session. If your centre is full, the session is closed for you at that centre, even if the official deadline has not passed.

You have two options:

• Choose another centre in your province or in a nearby city for the same session.
• Choose the same centre in a later session.

Keep in mind that the second attempt is at the same centre. Choose one you can go back to.

Which emails do I get after paying?

First you receive the registration receipt by email. Keep it. It is your proof of payment and of your place.

Then the centre sends you the exam notice, called the convocatoria or citación. It gives the exact day, time and place of the exam. The Universidad de Sevilla sends it about 20 days before the exam. Each centre decides when. If the exam is a week away and you have no notice, write to the centre.

About 20 days after the exam you get another email when the result is out.

Can I change the date or the centre?

Yes, with conditions. You can change the session, the centre or both if all of this is true:

• The registration period of your session is still open.
• The new session also has its registration period open.
• The new centre has free places.

You request the change in your private space, in the "Inscripciones" (registrations) section. Once your session's registration period closes, you can no longer change. These are the Instituto Cervantes rules as published by the Universidad de Jaén for 2026.

If you do not show up, you use your first attempt. You still have the second one, at the same centre and within the time limit.

Do I get my money back if I cancel?

You have 14 days from the registration date to ask for a refund. You ask with the form of the Instituto Cervantes user support service, choosing the option "Solicitar devolución del pago" (request a refund).

We have not found any official refund rule after those 14 days. Do not count on getting your money back if you cancel later.

Are there adapted exams for people with disabilities?

Yes. Article 6.7 of Real Decreto 1004/2015 (Royal Decree 1004/2015) requires the Instituto Cervantes to give people with disabilities support and reasonable adjustments in the CCSE.

This is how you ask, according to the Instituto Cervantes programme for 2026:

1. Register at the exam centre.
2. Fill in the special needs form and send it to that centre.
3. Attach a copy of your disability certificate or a signed and stamped medical report.
4. Do it when you register or, at the latest, two weeks before the exam.

The centre has to approve it and the Instituto Cervantes decides. If you ask late, it can be refused. So talk to the centre before you pay and check that it can provide the adjustment you need.

What do I do on exam day?

Bring the receipt, the centre's exam notice and your original identity documents. Arrive early, because the centre checks each person's identity before starting. Some centres ask you to arrive one hour before.

The exam format, results and certificate validity are in the guide how the CCSE exam works. To practise, you have the 300 CCSE questions and a free mock exam.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay for the CCSE at the exam centre?

No. Registration and payment are online only, on the Instituto Cervantes website.

When does CCSE registration for 2027 open?

On 23 November 2026. Each session closes about three weeks before its exam.

How much does the CCSE cost in 2027?

It has not been published yet. In 2026 it costs 85 euros, with two attempts included.

Do I get my money back if I cannot go?

Only if you ask within 14 days of registering. If you do not show up, you lose the first attempt but keep the second.

Can I move my registration to another month?

Yes, from "Inscripciones" in your private space, if your session and the new one both have their registration period open and there are places.