Terms and conditions

Who we are

TEFL Iberia Barcelona S.L., CIF B10610319, registered at Carrer d’Aragó 403, Entresuelo 1º, 08013 Barcelona, Spain. In these terms we call ourselves “TEFL Iberia”, “we” or “us”, and we call you “you” or “the student”.

What these terms cover

Sections 1, 2, 8, 9 and 10 apply to everyone. The remaining sections apply only to the specific product you have booked: section 3 to the Trinity CertTESOL, section 4 to the Spanish course and student visas, section 5 to visa refusals, section 6 to accommodation and section 7 to the TEFL Gap Year Programme.

If you book more than one course, each course is treated separately and is subject to its own section. Cancelling or being refunded for one does not cancel or refund the other.

When these terms apply

These terms apply from the moment you submit an application and pay a deposit. The version that applies to you is the version in force on the date you paid your deposit, and we will keep a copy of it on file.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Any change applies to bookings made on or after the date the new version comes into effect, and does not change the terms of a booking you have already paid a deposit on.

How to give us notice

Where these terms refer to giving notice, cancelling, postponing or notifying us of something, you must do so by email to coordination@tefl-iberia.com. Notice takes effect on the working day we receive it, and we will acknowledge it in writing. A conversation in person or by telephone is not notice until it has been confirmed by email.

Some words we use

Deposit is the non-refundable amount you pay to reserve your place. Balance is the rest of the course fee. Course fees means the deposit and the balance together. Enrolment letter (also called a course registration letter) is the document we issue for a consulate confirming that you have enrolled and paid. Notice means notice given under clause 1.5.

Once you have been accepted onto a course, a deposit is required to reserve your place. You are only accepted onto the course once we have received your deposit. The amount of the deposit for each course is set out in the section for that course.

Deposits are non-refundable except where these terms expressly say otherwise.

We may cancel your application if payment is not made when it is due.

Where a refund is due under these terms, we will pay it within 90 days of the date we confirm the refund in writing.

Where a refund is due, any bank charges relating to the transfer, and any loss caused by movements in the exchange rate between payment and refund, will be deducted from the amount we return.

If you booked through an agency, your refund is subject to that agency’s terms and conditions as well as these.

We may exercise discretion on refunds and look at cases individually. If we do so in your case, that is a one-off decision on those particular facts. It does not change these terms and it does not set a precedent for any other case.

A €500 deposit is required to reserve your place. The deposit is non-refundable.

The balance of the course fees must be paid one month before the course start date.

If the balance is not paid by then and the course reaches capacity, your place may be released to another applicant and you will lose it. Your deposit can be transferred to a different start date.

Cancelling or postponing with more than 4 weeks’ notice

There is no penalty. Your deposit and any other course fees you have paid stay valid towards a future course for 12 months. If you would rather cancel than postpone, you will be refunded everything you have paid except the deposit.

Cancelling or postponing with less than 4 weeks’ notice

Your deposit and any other course fees you have paid stay valid towards a future course for 12 months. If you would rather cancel than postpone, you will lose your deposit, and 50% of the remaining course fees you have paid is also non-refundable.

The four-week point falls at 5pm Spanish time on the Thursday preceding the Monday of the course start date.

A fee of €80 applies for the re-submission of a failed assessment.

If you have started a course and need to move to a later course date for any reason, including illness, accident or other unforeseen circumstances, you will need to pay the Trinity moderation fee.

If we cancel

We may cancel a course that has not reached the minimum number of students. If we cancel a course that has not yet started, we will refund in full everything you have paid, including the deposit. Where we can, we will also offer you the course in another format, online or in person.

Online courses

If you are taking the course online, you must confirm that you have what you need to follow it: a laptop or computer with a working camera, speaker and microphone, a reliable internet connection, and a quiet, well-lit place to work.

A non-refundable €500 deposit is required to reserve your place. If you are enrolling on two courses, for example the Trinity CertTESOL and the Spanish course for the student visa, a separate deposit is payable for each.

The balance must be paid three months before your course start date, so that your visa can be processed in time.

The balance must in any event be paid in full before your visa appointment, because we cannot issue your enrolment letter and proof of payment until it has been.

Once your enrolment letter has been issued

Once we have issued your enrolment letter, whether for a first visa or a renewal, no refund of course fees can be made unless the consulate refuses your application and you provide us with the refusal letter. Where the consulate does refuse you, section 5 sets out what happens.

If you need the physical visa documentation sent by express courier, the shipping cost is payable in advance. This is usually €60 to €70 and the documents are sent by DHL.

Postponing before you apply

If you tell us you want to postpone your start date before you have submitted your application to the consulate, we will issue an updated enrolment letter free of charge. If you postpone again after that, we charge a €50 administration fee for each new letter.

Once you have submitted your application to the consulate, no changes can be made.

If your visa is granted, no refund of course fees can be made.

Visa renewals

When you have completed your studies you may be able to renew your visa. To receive your course certificate and letter of completion (certificado de aprovechamiento) you must have attended at least 60% of the Spanish course.

Renewals follow the same rules as a first application. You must pay in full before we can issue the enrolment letter, and 10% of the fee is non-refundable if you cancel. Once the enrolment letter has been issued no refund can be made, for the reason given in clause 4.4.

If your renewal is delayed

If a decision on your renewal is delayed and it is ultimately refused, you remain responsible for the course fees covering the period up to the refusal. For example, if you apply in January and are refused in June, the fees for January to June are payable, and any refund runs only from the date of the refusal.

Holidays and missed classes

Over a 12-month student visa you will have four weeks’ holiday in August, three weeks at Christmas and one week at Easter. These are holidays and are not made up.

Classes falling on a public holiday are not made up.

Classes you miss are not made up.

Changes to your group

If a group falls below four students, we may adjust it: change the time, reduce the hours, merge it with another group or arrange alternative study activities.

We may substitute teachers on these classes, and we may move the Spanish classes online at our discretion.

If we cancel

We may cancel a course up to five days before the start date. If we do, your course fees and deposit are refunded in full. We recommend taking out cancellation insurance for your flights.

The general rule

Subject to clauses 5.2 and 5.3, if the consulate refuses your visa we will refund the course fees you have paid for the Spanish course for the student visa, less a €300 administration fee.

If you also enrolled on the Trinity CertTESOL, that course is treated separately and section 3 applies to it.

Refusals you must appeal or reapply on first

If your visa was refused because documentation was missing or incomplete, you must appeal or reapply before a refund can be considered, because a refusal of that kind can usually be put right. If the appeal or the new application is then definitively refused, clause 5.1 applies and you are refunded less the €300 administration fee.

Refusals that are not refundable

No refund of course fees is due where the consulate refused your application:

1. because you did not meet a substantive requirement for the visa, such as not holding sufficient financial means, or because of a criminal record;
2. because information or documents you provided were false, inaccurate, invalid or misleading, whether deliberately or through carelessness; or
3. for a general or discretionary reason, such as the consulate expressing doubts about the credibility of your application as a whole.

This clause takes precedence over clauses 5.1 and 5.2.

What we need from you

Before we can consider any refund under this section, you must send us a copy of the consulate’s official refusal letter, and, if clause 5.2 applies, evidence of the outcome of your appeal or fresh application. We may review those documents to establish which clause applies.

What is included

The accommodation service covers four weeks, which is 27 nights. You check in the day before your course starts, on the Sunday, and check out the day after it finishes, on the Saturday.

You must tell us you need accommodation at least four weeks before you arrive. If you ask for it later than that, we cannot guarantee we will be able to arrange it.

Accommodation fees must be paid in full at least four weeks before your course start date or arrival. We do not make any arrangements with a host until payment has been received. €100 of the accommodation fee is non-refundable.

What we can and cannot promise

We cannot make guarantees about location, the type of flat or the amenities included.

Buildings in Barcelona, and in Europe generally, are older and smaller than you may be used to. We provide accommodation that meets the standards normally expected in Spain, and we cannot change your accommodation on the basis of personal taste or preference.

Security deposit

You pay a refundable €200 security deposit directly to your host on arrival, in cash or electronically at the host’s choice. The host returns it when you leave, provided there is no damage to the flat and no excessive use of water or electricity.

The security deposit is an arrangement between you and your host. If there is a disagreement about damage, it is resolved between you and the host, although we will help where we reasonably can.

If you cancel your accommodation

1. More than four weeks before arrival: everything you have paid is refunded except the €100 non-refundable deposit.
2. Within four weeks of arrival: you lose 50% of the accommodation fees.
3. Within two weeks of arrival: you lose all of the accommodation fees.

These amounts cover the fees we have committed to your host, which we cannot recover at short notice.

If you change or postpone your dates

This applies to any change of date, including one caused by a delay in your visa.

1. More than four weeks before arrival: a €50 administration fee.
2. Within four weeks of arrival: 50% of the accommodation fee.
3. Within two weeks of arrival: the accommodation fee is payable again in full, to cover the fees committed to the host.

Arriving late or leaving early

If you arrive late, for any reason including illness, a visa delay or an accident, the nights you have missed are not refunded and cannot be used later. If you arrive after 10pm the host charges a €30 late arrival fee.

If you decide after arriving that you do not want to stay in the flat you have been given, no refund is due. Your €200 security deposit is still returned, provided there is no damage.

If you have booked two months or more, you may be placed with more than one host over the course of your stay.

Hosts are not responsible for loss or theft of personal belongings. We recommend taking out travel insurance that covers your possessions.

We may remove a student from accommodation for behaviour that affects the host or other guests. No fees are refunded in that case and we are not obliged to find you somewhere else to stay.

Deposit

A €500 deposit is required to reserve your place on any Gap Year package. The deposit is non-refundable.

Balance

The balance of the programme fee is due 4 weeks before the start date.

If the balance is not paid by then and the package is full, your place may be released to another applicant and you will lose it. Your deposit can be transferred to a different start date.

Paying in full

If you pay the programme fee in full when you are accepted, you receive a €150 discount.

Payment plan

We can agree a payment plan that spreads the balance over the months before the start date. Ask us when you apply. The final instalment is due 4 weeks before the start date.

Double Semester

The Double Semester requires a student visa. 50% of the programme fee must be paid before your visa appointment. That payment covers the Spanish course in full, and we then issue the enrolment letter and the proof of payment for it that the consulate asks for. We cannot issue them before the payment is received.

What the programme includes

The programme is made up of several components: the TEFL course, Spanish classes, cultural activities and job interview support. Once the programme has begun, its content, schedule and structure cannot be changed.

You may choose not to take part in particular elements, but doing so does not entitle you to a refund or to take them at a later date.

If your visa is refused

Section 5 applies, including the €300 administration fee and the exclusions in clause 5.3.

Cancelling or postponing with more than 4 weeks’ notice

There is no penalty. Your deposit and any other programme fees you have paid stay valid towards a future package for 12 months. If you would rather cancel than postpone, you will be refunded everything you have paid except the deposit.

Cancelling or postponing with less than 4 weeks’ notice

Your deposit and any other programme fees you have paid stay valid towards a future package for 12 months. If you would rather cancel than postpone, you will lose your deposit, and 50% of the remaining programme fees you have paid is also non-refundable.

The four-week point falls at 5pm Spanish time on the Thursday preceding the Monday of the start date.

Once your enrolment letter has been issued

If we have already issued your enrolment letter for a visa application, clauses 7.10 and 7.11 no longer apply. No refund is due, apart from any accommodation fees for nights you have not used, unless your visa is refused, in which case section 5 applies.

Misconduct

We may remove a student from the programme for serious misconduct, breach of school rules or disruptive behaviour. No refund is due in that case.

Employment

On the Double Semester programme we support and guide you through finding work, and we guarantee interview opportunities with schools and academies in Barcelona and the surrounding area. We do not guarantee that you will be offered a job.

TEFL Iberia operates inside a working language academy. We expect students to treat the academy, its staff and other students with respect.

We may remove a student from a course and from the academy for behaviour that affects staff or other students. No course fees are refunded in that case.

If you miss part of a course through illness, we will need a doctor’s note.

Medical declaration

We ask every student to tell us, in confidence, about any physical or mental health condition that could affect how they get on with the course. We ask so that we can put the right adjustments in place and give you the best chance of a good experience.

If you miss more than two days of a course you may lose your place on it, and an administration fee of €100 applies to make up the missed time on a later course.

We are not responsible if a student does not successfully complete a course, and we do not refund fees for a course that has not been completed. We will consider a request to re-attend on the individual facts.

Certificates

Your TEFL Iberia course certificate is available one month after the course finishes. You can collect it from the school, or we can post it to you by standard post for €15.

We store uncollected certificates for two years. After that you will need to contact Trinity College London directly for a replacement hard copy.

Insurance

All students must hold travel and medical insurance covering the whole of their time on the programme. If you do not need a visa, you must send us proof of valid travel insurance before you arrive.

Visas and permits

You are responsible for obtaining any visa or residence permit you need. We provide support and documentation for the student visa process, but the application is yours and the final responsibility for it rests with you. We are not responsible for problems arising from a failure to obtain the right legal documentation or insurance cover.

What we are not liable for

We are not liable for:

1. injury, illness, accident or medical costs incurred during a course or programme;
2. loss, theft or damage to personal property;
3. flight delays, missed flights or disruption to transport;
4. accommodation issues beyond the scope of the refundable security deposit in clause 6.5; or
5. dissatisfaction with a job, loss of a job, or not securing preferred employment, on the Double Semester programme.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law, including your rights as a consumer under Spanish law.

Events outside our control

We are not liable for disruption caused by circumstances beyond our control, including natural disasters, strikes, public health emergencies, government action or acts of terrorism. If something of that kind happens we may change, delay or cancel part or all of a course or programme, and we are not obliged to give a full refund. Where we can, we will offer an alternative format or alternative dates.

If something goes wrong

Please tell us first, by email to coordination@tefl-iberia.com. We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and give you a considered reply within 30 days. Most things are resolved quickly once we know about them.

Official complaint forms

As a business operating in Catalonia we hold official complaint forms (fulls oficials de queixa, reclamació i denúncia). You can ask for one at reception at any time.

Your personal data

We handle your personal data in line with our privacy policy, which explains what we collect, why we collect it and what rights you have over it.

Applicable law

These terms are governed by Spanish law, and any dispute arising from them falls to the courts of Barcelona. If you are a consumer, this does not affect your right to bring proceedings in the courts of the country where you live, or to use any out-of-court dispute resolution scheme available to you.