GENERAL CONDITIONS
These General Conditions of Enrolment regulate the contractual relationship between Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, S.L. (hereinafter, “Instituto Hispánico de Murcia” or “the school”) and the natural or legal person who formalises the enrolment in any of the courses, programmes or services offered by the School (hereinafter, “the student” or “the participant”).
It is recommended that you read these General Terms and Conditions carefully before registering or making any payment, as they constitute a binding contract between both parties. The formalisation of the enrolment, the sending of the registration form, the electronic acceptance of these conditions or the total or partial payment of any of the services offered will imply the express and full acceptance of its content, without any reservation.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, S.L. is a limited liability company with N.I.F. B-73840183, registered in the Mercantile Registry of Murcia, Volume 3038, Book 0, Folio 132, Page MU-84712, Entry 1. “Instituto Hispánico de Murcia” is also its trade name and registered trademark.
The School reserves the right to modify these General Conditions when necessary to adapt them to legislative changes, administrative resolutions, jurisprudential criteria, organizational improvements or modifications in the services offered. In any case, the conditions applicable to the student will be those in force on the date of formalisation of their enrolment.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia carries out its activity applying criteria of quality, safety, transparency and continuous improvement, adopting the organisational and health measures that, at all times, are required in accordance with current legislation or are reasonably recommended to guarantee the adequate provision of its services.
In the event that extraordinary, unforeseeable or force majeure circumstances – including, but not limited to, pandemics, epidemics, armed conflicts, natural disasters, governmental decisions, administrative restrictions or any other circumstance beyond the control of the School – affect the normal development of the courses or services contracted, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will adopt the most appropriate organisational measures to minimise their effects and may offer, depending on the circumstances, changes of dates, adaptation of the teaching modality, rescheduling of services or other reasonable solutions, without this necessarily implying the automatic right to the termination of the contract or the reimbursement of the amounts paid, unless the applicable regulations expressly provide otherwise or are so established in these conditions.
Likewise, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia maintains a permanent commitment to the quality of its services and applies the requirements established by the UNE-EN 14804 Standard, relating to travel or stay providers for the study of languages, as well as those other quality standards or procedures that, where appropriate, are applicable during the provision of its services.
Definitions
School: Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, S.L.
Student: Enrolled person.
Program: Course or contracted service.
Accommodation: Host family or shared housing.
Agency: Any intermediary.
Force majeure: Unforeseeable events beyond the control of the School.
Business day: Monday to Friday, excluding official holidays
Enrolment in any of the courses at Instituto Hispánico de Murcia does not guarantee a specific timetable or assignment to a specific group. The distribution of timetables, teachers, classrooms and groups will depend, among other factors, on the student’s level of Spanish, the number of students enrolled, the organisational availability of the School and pedagogical criteria.
In order to make a correct group assignment, the student must take the level test when required by the School. In the event of not taking this test before the start of the course, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may provisionally assign the student to the group it considers most appropriate or delay their incorporation until their language level can be determined.
The formalisation of enrolment entails the payment, for a single time, of a registration fee of €39, which will remain in force for future enrolments of the same student as long as the School maintains this registration system.
The registration fee includes, among other services:
Administrative management of enrolment.
Level test.
Complementary material prepared by the School.
Participation in the activities organized by the School, when appropriate.
Administrative assistance and support during the stay.
Issuance of the corresponding certificate, provided that the established requirements are met.
Use of the Internet connection available on the School’s premises.
Each student must acquire the teaching material corresponding to the level at which they are studying. In general, the initial material consists of a textbook and an exercise book, with a joint cost of €45, VAT included.
Each level of the academic program uses specific and independent materials. Consequently, when the student is promoted to a higher level, he or she must acquire the corresponding new material. The approximate price of the textbook is €30, while the workbook costs €15, both including VAT. Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may update these amounts when there are modifications in the prices of edition, printing or distribution, informing the student in advance.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may change the student’s group, teacher, schedule or level when there are pedagogical, organizational or disciplinary reasons, without this generating the right to compensation, refund or reduction of the price of the course.
The acquisition of the teaching material is personal and non-transferable and will not be refundable once delivered to the student, except in the cases provided for by law.
Certificates of attendance or achievement will be issued only to those students who have fulfilled the academic and administrative conditions established by the School. In general, it will be necessary to have attended at least 80% of the teaching hours of the enrolled course, in accordance with the applicable academic criteria and with the quality standards assumed by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
The minimum attendance required is an essential requirement for the issuance of the certificate, but it does not in itself imply the accreditation of a certain language level, nor does it guarantee the achievement of specific academic objectives, unless expressly indicated otherwise in the corresponding programme.
The general minimum age to participate in the courses of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia is 14 years old, unless the School expressly authorizes the enrolment of younger students within specific or personalized programs.
The admission of children under 14 years of age will be subject to the prior assessment of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia and may require special conditions of participation, accompaniment or supervision.
All students under 18 years of age must provide, before the start of the course, the corresponding authorisation signed by their parents, legal guardians or legal representatives, as well as the documentation that the School considers necessary to correctly formalise the enrolment.
Parents, guardians or legal representatives will be responsible for the veracity of the information provided during the registration process and must communicate in writing any personal, medical, nutritional, psychological, educational or any other circumstance that may be relevant for the proper development of the stay or the course.
Unless a programme has been expressly contracted that includes specific supervision, custody or accompaniment services, the participation of a minor in any of the courses of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia does not imply the assumption by the School of functions of guardianship, custody or permanent surveillance, such responsibilities corresponding to the parents, legal guardians or persons designated by them.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may deny enrolment or resolve in advance the participation of a minor student when it considers that the appropriate conditions do not exist to guarantee the correct development of the programme, the safety of the student himself or the adequate coexistence with the rest of the participants.
Host families do not act as parents, guardians, caregivers, healthcare personnel, or legal guardians of the student. Their function is exclusively to provide the contracted accommodation service and facilitate family coexistence during the stay.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia is committed to equal opportunities and will try to facilitate the participation of students who require specific support needs, reasonable adaptations or individualized attention measures, always within the organizational, material and human possibilities of the School.
In order to properly assess the needs of the student and determine the viability of requested adaptations, it will be essential that these circumstances are communicated in writing to Instituto Hispánico de Murcia before formalizing enrolment or, in any case, as far in advance as possible before the start of the program.
The student, or their parents or legal guardians in the case of minors, must provide truthful, complete and up-to-date information on any circumstance that may require specific support measures during the course, accommodation or complementary activities, including, but not limited to, situations arising from a disability, reduced mobility, illness, allergy, medical treatment, special educational needs, learning disorders, sensory limitations or any other condition that may affect the normal development of the stay.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will study each application individually and will adopt, when possible and reasonable, adaptation measures it deems appropriate, taking into account the nature of the programme, the characteristics of the facilities, available resources, safety of the student themselves and that of the rest of the participants.
The School will not be able to guarantee adaptations that are technically, organisationally or economically unfeasible or that impose a disproportionate burden on its organisation. In these cases, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will inform the student of existing limitations and, when possible, will propose reasonable alternatives.
When needs communicated may affect contracted accommodation, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may propose a different type of accommodation than initially requested or establish specific conditions to guarantee adequate care, coexistence and safety of all people involved. Any additional costs arising from such adaptations will be communicated in advance and, unless expressly agreed otherwise, will be borne by the student.
Failure to communicate in advance, concealment or provision of incomplete or inaccurate information on any relevant circumstance that requires specific support measures may prevent the adoption of necessary adaptations and will exempt Instituto Hispánico de Murcia from any liability arising from such omission. Likewise, when these circumstances make it impossible or inadvisable to provide contracted services correctly, the School may propose alternative solutions or, in exceptional and duly justified cases, terminate enrolment or modify conditions of the programme, without prejudice to rights that correspond to the student in accordance with applicable legislation.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, all prices published by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia correspond to a single person and include any taxes that are legally applicable.
All payments must be made exclusively in Euros (EUR).
In general, the amount corresponding to the course and the contracted services must be fully paid and effectively received by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia before the start of the program, respecting the deadlines established for each type of course.
Unless the School expressly communicates different conditions in writing:
Courses of ordinary duration must be fully paid for at least seven (7) calendar days before the start date.
Long-term courses, visa programmes or other special programmes must be paid in full at least thirty (30) calendar days before the start of the course or within the specific period indicated in the corresponding invoice, budget, contract or enrolment document.
The reservation of a place will not be considered confirmed until Instituto Hispánico de Murcia has received the corresponding payment or, where appropriate, has expressly accepted other payment conditions in writing.
The mere sending of the receipt of a bank transfer will not imply confirmation of payment, which will be considered to have been made only when the amount has been effectively paid and is paid into the School’s bank account.
Payments can be made through any of the systems enabled by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, including:
Bank transfer.
Bank card through a secure payment platform.
PayPal, when available.
Any other means of payment expressly authorised by the School.
In the case of bank transfers, the student must clearly indicate the full name of the participant and, where available, the reference number of the reservation or enrolment, as well as send the corresponding proof of payment to facilitate identification.
All bank charges, commissions, transfer costs, exchange differences, withholdings or any other charge derived from the sending of the money will be fully assumed by the payer, and Instituto Hispánico de Murcia must always receive the full amount of the invoiced amount.
The existence of amounts pending payment will entitle Instituto Hispánico de Murcia to temporarily suspend or deny access to classes, accommodation, activities, certificates, letters of acceptance, certificates of enrolment, documentation for visas or any other contracted service, without this generating any right to compensation, refund or extension of the teaching period.
Likewise, the School may cancel the enrolment or terminate the contract when the student fails to comply with the financial obligations assumed or does not make payments within the established deadlines.
The published prices may be corrected when there is a manifest material, typographical, computer or arithmetical error. In this case, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will inform the student before the final formalisation of the contract so that they can accept the correct price or withdraw from the contract without penalty.
Enrolment certificates, acceptance letters, invoices, documents for consulates, visas or any other official document issued by the School may be null and void or revoked when the student fails to comply with the economic conditions of the contract, cancels his or her enrolment or ceases to meet the requirements that motivated its issuance.
The student will be responsible for having, before the start of the program and throughout their stay in Spain, adequate insurance that covers, at least, health care, hospitalization, accidents, illness, civil liability and, when advisable or required by the applicable regulations, repatriation, cancellation of the trip and loss or theft of luggage.
When taking out health insurance is a legal requirement for obtaining a visa, residence permit or any other administrative procedure, it will be the student’s sole responsibility to ensure that the policy taken out meets the requirements established by the competent authorities.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia strongly recommends that the insurance remains valid for the entire duration of the course, including travel to and from Spain and any activities carried out during the stay in Spain.
Except in cases of legally enforceable liability, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be liable for personal damages, accidents, illnesses, losses, theft, deterioration or damages suffered by the student or their property during classes, accommodation, complementary activities, excursions, travel or any other circumstance related to their stay.
As an additional service, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may offer or facilitate the contracting of medical or travel insurance through collaborating insurance companies. The contracting of these policies will be carried out directly between the student and the corresponding insurance company, which is solely responsible for the coverage, conditions, exclusions, management of claims and provision of the insured services.
The intermediation of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia in the contracting of insurance will be merely informative or administrative and will not imply that the School assumes any responsibility with respect to the content of the policy, the coverage contracted or the decisions taken by the insurance company.
Failure to take out or the loss of validity of the insurance required by the applicable regulations will be the sole responsibility of the student and will not constitute cause for termination of the contract with the right to a refund, nor will it generate any liability for Instituto Hispánico de Murcia for the administrative, health or economic consequences that may arise from such circumstance.
Obtaining a student visa or any other administrative authorisation to enter or stay in Spain is the sole responsibility of the student.
The applicable requirements, procedures and deadlines may vary depending on the country of origin, the nationality of the applicant and the regulations in force at any given time. Instituto Hispánico de Murcia recommends consulting the competent Spanish Consulate or Embassy in advance before formalizing the enrolment.
The School may provide general information on visa procedures, but such information is for guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or guarantees as to the granting of the visa.
7.1. Documentation issued by the School
Once the corresponding payment has been received, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may issue, when appropriate, the necessary documentation to prove the student’s enrolment, including, among others:
Confirmation of enrolment.
Letter of acceptance or Certificate of enrolment.
Invoice for the contracted services.
Any other documentation related to the contracted program.
The documents issued by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia exclusively prove the existence of an enrolment or reservation at the School and do not constitute official documents issued by the Public Administration nor do they guarantee, in any case, the obtaining of a visa or authorisation to stay.
The issuance of original documents, legalisations, express courier shipments or any extraordinary procedure may generate the corresponding additional expenses.
7.2. Student Responsibility
It is the exclusive responsibility of the student to:
submit the visa application within the deadlines set by the competent authorities;
provide complete, truthful and updated documentation;
attend interviews or requirements that may be made by consulates or embassies;
take out the medical insurance required by the applicable regulations;
prove the availability of sufficient economic resources;
comply with any other requirement required by the Spanish authorities.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be responsible for damages arising from applications submitted after the deadline, incomplete documentation, errors made by the student, administrative decisions or any other circumstance beyond the control of the School.
7.3. Visa refusal
When the visa application is denied for reasons not attributable to Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, the student may request the corresponding refund in accordance with the refund policy in force on the date of formalisation of the enrolment.
To this end, it will be essential to provide:
a full copy of the official decision of refusal issued by the Consulate or competent authority, where the reasons for the refusal are expressly stated;
certificate of bank ownership corresponding to the account to which the refund is to be made;
any other documentation reasonably necessary to verify the application.
Failure to submit any of these documents will prevent the processing of the return file until the documentation is complete.
Refunds will be calculated after deducting administrative expenses, bank commissions, exchange differences, services effectively provided and any other amount whose deduction is provided for in these General Conditions or in the current economic policy of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
When the student has started the course, the amount corresponding to the weeks actually taken or made available to them in accordance with current rates will also be deducted.
Refunds will be made by bank transfer to the account designated by the student, within the period provided for in the School’s internal policy, once all the documentation provided has been checked.
7.4. Deadline for requesting reimbursement
The refund application must be submitted within a maximum period of six (6) months from the official notification of the visa refusal.
If this period has elapsed without Instituto Hispánico de Murcia having received all the necessary documentation, the right to request reimbursement will be understood to have expired, without prejudice to those rights that may legally correspond to the student.
7.5. Limitation of Liability
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia does not guarantee the granting of visas, stay permits or any other favourable administrative resolution.
Likewise, the School will not be responsible for decisions adopted by consulates, embassies, immigration offices or any other Spanish or foreign administrative authority, nor for economic or personal damages that may arise from such decisions.
The issuance of registration certificates, letters of acceptance or any other documentation by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia does not imply any guarantee as to the outcome of the corresponding administrative procedure.
7.6. Obligation to initiate the visa procedure well in advance
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia recommends that the application for a student visa be submitted at least two (2) months before the scheduled start date of the course. The School will not assume any responsibility when the student initiates the procedure outside a reasonable period of time or when the administrative procedure prevents their incorporation on the initially scheduled date.
When contracting of services is carried out remotely or outside the commercial establishment and the student has legal status of consumer, they may exercise the right of withdrawal under terms provided for in Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007, of 16 November, which approves the revised text of the General Law for Defence of Consumers and Users and other applicable regulations.
In general, the period for exercising the right of withdrawal will be fourteen (14) calendar days from the conclusion of the contract, provided that legally enforceable requirements are met.
However, the student acknowledges that, when he/she expressly requests start of the course, accommodation or any other service before end of said period of fourteen (14) days and the School has begun its execution with his/her consent, the right of withdrawal may be extinguished or limited to extent provided for by current legislation. In such a case, if the service has begun, but has not been fully executed, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may demand payment of proportional part corresponding to services effectively provided up to date on which withdrawal is communicated.
Exercise of the right of withdrawal must be communicated in writing to Instituto Hispánico de Murcia by means of an unequivocal declaration of will to withdraw from the contract. The student may use the withdrawal form provided by the School or any other means that allows them to prove its submission and content.
Valid exercise of the right of withdrawal will be without prejudice to corresponding legal obligations of reimbursement and deductions allowed by applicable regulations when the student has requested early start of services.
Complete information regarding the right of withdrawal, as well as the official form, is available on the website of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia and forms an integral part of these General Conditions.
9.1. How to request a cancellation or modification
Any request for cancellation, modification, postponement, change of dates or any other incident related to enrolment must be made in writing by email addressed to Instituto Hispánico de Murcia or by any other means of communication that the School has expressly authorised.
The application will only be considered submitted when it has been effectively received by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia. It is the student’s responsibility, their legal representative’s, or the intermediary agency’s to keep proof of its sending and receipt.
The absence of an immediate response from the School will not imply, in any case, the acceptance of the request nor will it produce legal effects by silence.
9.2. Cancellation before the start of the program
Cancellations communicated before the start of the course may lead to a total or partial refund of the amounts paid, in accordance with the Cancellation Policy in force on the date of formalisation of the enrolment.
In any case, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may deduct the amounts corresponding to administrative services already provided, management expenses, teaching material delivered, bank commissions, shipping costs, insurance, reserved accommodation or other costs effectively assumed by the School.
9.3. Cancellation after the course has started
Once the course, programme or any of the contracted services have begun, no refund of the amounts paid will be made, except in those cases expressly provided for in these General Conditions or when required by applicable legislation.
Partial attendance, late arrivals, temporary absences, voluntary abandonment of the course, early departures or lack of academic achievement will not generate any right to reimbursement, financial compensation, extension of the course or recovery of classes.
9.4. Failure to join the course
When the student does not join the course on the scheduled date and has not communicated in writing its cancellation or modification at least five (5) working days in advance, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may consider the program to have started on the initially scheduled date.
Consequently, the weeks elapsed from the official start date will be understood to have been consumed for all economic and academic purposes.
9.5. Changes to dates
Requests for change of date or postponement will always be subject to the availability of places and will require the express written acceptance of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
The School may apply the administrative expenses that, if applicable, are in force at the time of the application.
The authorisation of a change of dates will not imply the modification of the rest of the economic conditions initially accepted, unless expressly agreed between the parties.
9.6. Credits for future bookings
When appropriate in accordance with current policy or by express decision of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, the School may substitute a financial refund for the issuance of a credit for future reservations.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, such claims:
they will be personal and non-transferable;
they cannot be exchanged for money;
they will not accrue interest;
they must be used within the validity period indicated by the School;
will be subject to availability at the time of the new booking.
9.7. Non-Refundable Services
Regardless of the time at which the cancellation occurs, those amounts corresponding to services already provided or expenses already assumed by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be subject to refund, including, among others:
administrative fees or expenses;
enrolment;
didactic material delivered;
acceptance letters;
registration certificates;
certificates for consulates or administrative authorities;
courier costs;
bank fees;
currency exchange fees;
insurance premiums;
accommodation bookings already confirmed;
any other service effectively provided.
9.8. Force majeure
When the normal development of the course is affected by extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia – including, but not limited to, pandemics, epidemics, armed conflicts, natural disasters, government restrictions, general strikes, border closures or similar situations – the School will adopt the organisational measures it deems most appropriate to ensure, as far as possible, the continuity of training.
Such measures may include:
temporary teaching of online classes;
change of dates;
postponement of the programme;
issuance of credits for future reserves;
reorganization of the academic calendar;
any other reasonable solution.
These circumstances will not automatically generate the right to the termination of the contract or to the full refund of the amounts paid, unless established by applicable legislation.
9.9. Individual lessons
Individual classes may only be cancelled or modified when the student notifies it in writing at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance.
Cancellations made outside this period or the student’s non-attendance will result in the loss of the corresponding class, without the right to recovery, credit or refund.
9.10. Personal nature of the enrolment
All courses, programs, reservations, credits and contracted services are strictly personal.
They may not be assigned, transferred or used by third parties without the express written authorisation of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
9.11. Reservation of rights
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia reserves the right to individually analyse any request for cancellation, modification or return taking into account the specific circumstances of each case, without the solutions adopted in previous files constituting a precedent, generating acquired rights or being invoked as a mandatory criterion for future applications.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia offers, among other modalities, accommodation in host families and shared housing with other students, always subject to availability at the time of booking.
The hiring of the accommodation constitutes an independent service, although complementary to the Spanish course, and will be subject to these General Conditions, as well as to the specific rules of coexistence established by the host family or by the owner of the property.
10.1. Allocation of accommodation
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will take into account, as far as possible, the preferences expressed by the student during the registration process (diet, allergies, pets, smokers, etc.). However, these preferences will be indicative in nature and will not constitute a contractual obligation for the School.
The final allocation of accommodation will depend on availability at the time of booking.
Information regarding the host family or accommodation will be provided, in general, during the week prior to the student’s arrival, without prejudice to the fact that organizational circumstances may make it necessary to communicate later or replace the accommodation initially assigned with another of similar characteristics.
10.2. Arrival and departure
Unless expressly indicated otherwise, entry to the accommodation may be made from 12:00 noon on the day of arrival and must be vacated before 4:00 p.m. on the day of departure.
The student must communicate well in advance the date, expected time of arrival and any subsequent modifications. Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be responsible for any inconveniences arising from delays, changes of itinerary or lack of communication by the student.
10.3. Last minute bookings
Accommodation requests made shortly before the start of the programme will be subject to availability and may not meet the preferences initially indicated by the student.
10.4. Rules of coexistence
Throughout the stay, the student undertakes to respect the rules of coexistence of the accommodation, as well as to maintain a respectful behaviour towards the host family, the owner, the other residents and the neighbours.
The repetition of inappropriate conduct, serious non-compliance with the rules of coexistence, any violent, offensive, discriminatory, intimidating action or action contrary to good faith, as well as any action that compromises the security or tranquillity of the accommodation, will entitle Instituto Hispánico de Murcia to immediately terminate the accommodation service, without the right to a refund of the amounts paid.
10.5. Liability for damage
The student will be financially responsible for all damages, losses or imperfections caused by action or omission, whether intentionally or due to negligence or improper use, in the accommodation, furniture, facilities or property of third parties.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may claim from the student the full amount of the corresponding repair, replacement or compensation.
10.6. Host families
The host families collaborate with Instituto Hispánico de Murcia exclusively by providing a service of accommodation and family coexistence.
Unless a specific program has been expressly contracted that includes other services, the host families do not act as parents, legal guardians, caregivers, health personnel or medical managers of the student, nor do they assume permanent functions of surveillance, custody or supervision.
It is the responsibility of the student and, in the case of minors, their parents or legal representatives, to inform Instituto Hispánico de Murcia in advance in writing of any medical, psychological, food, behavioural or any other circumstance that may be relevant for the proper development of the stay.
The omission or inaccuracy of such information will exempt Instituto Hispánico de Murcia and the host family from any liability arising from such circumstances.
10.7. Personal Items
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be responsible for the loss, theft, deterioration or misplacement of money, documents, electronic devices, jewellery, valuables or any other personal effects of the student, both inside and outside the accommodation, except in the cases provided for by law.
It is recommended to have adequate insurance that covers this type of incident.
10.8. Force majeure Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be responsible for incidents arising from circumstances of force majeure or beyond its control, including, among others, natural disasters, health emergencies, social conflicts, administrative restrictions, supply breakdowns, actions of third parties or any other unforeseeable circumstance that affects the provision of the accommodation service.
10.9. Shared housing When the student stays in a shared home managed by third parties, they must respect the conditions established by the owner or manager of the property, as well as the corresponding lease agreement or internal rules document, which will complement these General Conditions.
10.10. Uncommunicated special needs The School may refuse or cancel accommodation when, once the stay has begun, it becomes aware of medical, psychological, behavioural or any other needs that have not been previously communicated and that make it impossible or inadvisable to live with the host family or with other students. In these cases, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will try to offer an alternative solution, when possible, the additional costs of which may be borne by the student.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will remain closed during national, regional and local holidays, as well as on those dates on which the academic calendar of the School so establishes.
When the first day of the course coincides with a public holiday, the student will join on the following school day, maintaining the official end date initially scheduled, unless the School expressly communicates another organization of the calendar.
Holidays will not give the right to make up classes, financial compensation, extension of the course or total or partial refund of the amount paid. Consequently, the weekly price of the course will remain unchanged regardless of the number of school days in that week.
Likewise, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may exceptionally suspend, reorganize or modify certain classes when necessary for the correct organization of official exams, institutional activities, teacher training, academic meetings, organizational causes, circumstances of force majeure or any other situation that reasonably affects the normal functioning of the School.
In particular, during the celebration of official exams organized or hosted by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, the School may temporarily suspend certain classes, modify schedules or redistribute groups when necessary to guarantee the correct development of said tests.
Whenever possible, these modifications will be communicated in advance through the official website of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, the academic calendar, the public holidays section or through any other usual means of communication used by the School.
Classes that, exceptionally, cannot be taught due to the circumstances described above may be replaced, at the discretion of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, by cultural activities, workshops, visits, seminars, conversation classes or other academic or complementary activities of equivalent value, without this generating the right to recover the initially scheduled classes, financial compensation or refund of the amount paid.
It is the student’s responsibility to consult, before formalising their enrolment and during the development of their stay, the academic calendar and the information relating to holidays, extraordinary closures and organisational modifications published by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia or communicated through its official channels.
The holding of official exams, audits, inspections, institutional visits, accreditation processes, actions required by the Instituto Cervantes or by any other competent authority will have organisational priority over the ordinary operation of the School when necessary, and may lead to temporary modifications of timetables, classrooms or distribution of groups without this implying a breach of contract on the part of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will organize its courses trying to maintain the groups and schedules announced. However, certain programmes will be subject to a minimum number of students to ensure their adequate academic and organisational viability.
In general, a minimum of three (3) students will be required for the opening of group courses, except in those programs for which a different requirement is expressly established, such as individual classes or certain special programs.
When a group does not reach the minimum number of students or when, once the course has started, the number of participants decreases significantly, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may adopt, among others, any of the following organisational measures:
Maintaining the course through individual or semi-private classes with an adapted teaching load, maintaining a pedagogical equivalence with respect to the initially contracted program;
Reorganize groups or modify schedules;
Postpone the start of the course until the formation of the minimum group;
Offer an alternative modality of equivalent training.
In the case of specific programmes aimed at ERASMUS participants or other programmes that require a higher minimum number of students, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may establish particular operating conditions, including the reorganisation of the calendar or the adaptation of the teaching load when the minimum number provided for said programme is not reached.
The organisational adaptations provided for in this section will not constitute a breach of contract nor will they generate the right to termination of the contract, refund of the amount paid or financial compensation, provided that Instituto Hispánico de Murcia guarantees a reasonably equivalent academic alternative.
The School will endeavour to inform the student as far in advance as possible when it anticipates that a group will not reach the minimum number of participants. However, the composition of the groups may vary until the beginning of the course and even during its development as a result of new enrolments, changes of level, cancellations or termination of programmes.
The adaptation of a course due to insufficient students is an exceptional and rare situation, being adopted only when strictly necessary to guarantee the academic quality and viability of the program.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia reserves the right to introduce the organizational, academic or administrative modifications that are reasonably necessary to guarantee the correct provision of the contracted services. Such modifications may affect, among other aspects, the timetables, calendar, teaching staff, classrooms, methodology, location of classes, composition of groups, teaching materials or any other organisational element of the course, provided that they do not substantially alter its purpose or quality.
The School will try to communicate these modifications as far in advance as possible. However, when there are pedagogical, organizational, technical, health, security, force majeure reasons or any other circumstance beyond the control of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, such modifications may be adopted even after the course has started, without this generating the right to compensation, price reduction, termination of the contract or refund of the amounts paid.
The prices of the courses and services may be reviewed periodically by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia. However, price modifications will not affect those enrolments that have already been formalised and paid, unless both parties expressly agree otherwise or the modification is imposed by a legal or tax provision.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may modify the schedule of classes, change the student’s group, assign another teacher or temporarily teach through a different modality when this is necessary for academic, organizational or force majeure reasons, always trying to maintain the level of quality of the contracted service.
All courses, programs, reservations and enrolments are strictly personal and may not be assigned, transferred or used by third parties without the prior written authorisation of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
When the student, his/her legal representative or the intermediary agency does not communicate in writing, at least five (5) working days before the scheduled start of the course, his/her decision not to join the contracted program, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may consider the course to have started on the initially agreed date, counting this period as time effectively consumed for all academic and economic purposes.
The application of any of the powers provided for in this section will respond exclusively to criteria of organization, quality of service or compliance with legal obligations and will not imply, in itself, a breach of contract on the part of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
All students must maintain at all times a respectful, responsible behaviour in accordance with these General Conditions, the internal rules of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia and current Spanish legislation.
The coexistence between students, faculty, administrative staff, host families and other collaborators is an essential element of the School’s educational project. Consequently, any conduct that seriously alters said coexistence may lead to the adoption of disciplinary measures.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may adopt the measures it deems proportionate depending on the seriousness of the facts, including verbal or written warnings, change of group, temporary suspension of activities, loss of certain services, expulsion from accommodation, definitive expulsion from the course or early termination of the contract, without the right to refund the amounts paid when the breach is attributable to the student.
By way of example and not limitation, the following conduct shall constitute breaches of these General Conditions:
Endangering the safety, physical integrity or well-being of other students, workers, host families or third parties.
Assaulting, threatening, intimidating, harassing or disrespecting any member of the educational community.
Discriminating on the basis of nationality, origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability or any other personal or social circumstance protected by current legislation.
Seriously altering the normal development of classes or the functioning of the School.
Accumulating repeated and unjustified absences that prevent the proper monitoring of the academic programme, especially when the course is linked to visa or authorisation to stay procedures.
Committing plagiarism, academic fraud, document falsification, identity theft or any other dishonest conduct related to academic activity.
Intentionally or grossly negligently damaging the facilities, furniture, equipment, materials or property of the School, host families, other students or third parties.
Consuming, possessing, distributing or facilitating illegal drugs or any other prohibited substance in the School’s facilities or in the accommodations managed by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
Attending class or remaining in the facilities under the influence of alcohol or substances that seriously alter behaviour when this affects safety, coexistence or the normal development of activities.
Seriously or repeatedly failing to comply with the rules of coexistence of host families or the accommodation managed by the School.
Carrying out illegal activities or participating in conduct contrary to Spanish legislation that may directly or indirectly affect Instituto Hispánico de Murcia or any of its collaborators.
Deliberately disseminating false, offensive or seriously damaging information to the reputation of the School, its staff, other students or host families through social networks, digital platforms or any other means of communication.
Failing to comply with any other essential obligation arising from these General Terms and Conditions or the School’s internal operating rules.
When the seriousness of the facts so advises, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may adopt immediate precautionary measures, including the temporary suspension of access to the facilities, accommodation or certain activities, while the circumstances of the case are analysed.
Disciplinary expulsion will not give the right to a refund of the amounts paid corresponding to services not enjoyed and will be compatible with the student’s obligation to compensate for the damages caused when appropriate.
The application of disciplinary measures will correspond exclusively to the Directorate of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, which will act according to criteria of proportionality, good faith, security and protection of the educational community, being able to assess the particular circumstances of each case.
When the student’s conduct could constitute an administrative infraction or a crime, or could affect immigration procedures, public security or protection of minors, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may communicate the facts to the competent authorities, providing the information strictly necessary in accordance with the applicable legislation, without this generating any liability for the School when such communication is legally required or reasonably necessary.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will carry out its activity with the required diligence, adopting the reasonably appropriate organisational and security measures for the correct provision of the contracted services.
However, the student will be responsible for the custody of their personal belongings throughout their stay. Except in cases where there is intent, gross negligence or legally enforceable liability, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be liable for the loss, theft, deterioration, misplacement or theft of money, documentation, electronic devices, jewellery, luggage or other personal belongings, both within the School’s facilities and in accommodation, means of transport or any other place.
Each student will also be responsible for contracting, when convenient or required, insurance that covers, among other risks, medical assistance, accidents, illness, hospitalization, civil liability, trip cancellation, loss of luggage and repatriation.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia strongly recommends having an adequate insurance policy for the duration of your stay in Spain.
The School will not assume responsibility for accidents, illnesses, injuries or damages suffered by the student outside the scope of the services whose provision corresponds directly to it, including, among others, travel, activities carried out on their own initiative, excursions organized by third parties, accommodation managed by third parties or any other activity beyond the effective control of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
In those cultural, sports, recreational activities or excursions organized directly by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, the responsibility of the School will be limited to the correct organization of the activity, without prejudice to the liability that may correspond to transport companies, hotel establishments, specialized organizers, sports facilities or other independent service providers that intervene in their execution.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will also not be liable for damages, delays, cancellations or losses arising from circumstances of force majeure or actions of third parties beyond its control, including, but not limited to, strikes, labour disputes, meteorological phenomena, natural disasters, breakdowns, administrative restrictions, decisions of public authorities or incidents in transport services.
The student will be personally liable for any material or personal damage caused by action or omission to the School, host families, other students, staff, third parties or any facility or property used during the development of the program, without prejudice to the civil or criminal liabilities that may arise from their conduct.
These limitations of liability shall be without prejudice to those inalienable rights that current legislation recognises to consumers and users.
Risk in sports and recreational activities
The student’s participation in sports, recreational, cultural activities, excursions or any other complementary activity organized or promoted by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will always be voluntary. Unless there is negligence attributable to the School, the student assumes the risks inherent in the practice of such activities and declares that he or she is in adequate physical and health conditions to participate in them. It will be the student’s responsibility to communicate, prior to the start of the activity, any illness, injury, physical limitation or medical circumstance that could affect their participation or put their own safety or that of third parties at risk.
Medical treatments and medication
The student will be solely responsible for the management of their medical treatment, the correct administration of their medication and following the indications prescribed by health professionals. Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, its employees, collaborators and host families will not assume functions of health care, administration of medicines, control of treatments or continuous medical follow-up, except in emergency situations in which it is reasonably necessary to provide assistance or contact the competent health services. The student, or their parents or legal guardians in the case of minors, must inform in writing, before the start of the program, of any illness, allergy, disability, medical treatment or relevant circumstance that may affect the normal development of the stay or require special care measures.
The student declares that all medical, food, psychological or any other information provided to Instituto Hispánico de Murcia during the registration process is complete, truthful and up-to-date. The concealment, omission or falsification of information that may affect the safety of the student himself, other participants, host families or School staff may lead to the adoption of the necessary organizational measures, including, when the circumstances justify it, the modification or termination of the contract, without the right to a refund of the amounts paid.
During the development of courses, academic, cultural, sports or social activities organized by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, photographs, video recordings or any other audiovisual material may be taken for organizational, informative, academic or promotional purposes.
When these images feature students individually or clearly identifiable and their use is for promotional, advertising or commercial purposes, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will previously request the corresponding authorisation, in accordance with current regulations on the protection of personal data and the right to one’s own image.
The student may authorise or reject the use of their image through the enrolment form or through the procedure provided by the School. Likewise, you may revoke said authorisation at any time for future publications, without prejudice to the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to the revocation.
Refusal to authorise the use of the image will not affect in any way the student’s participation in courses nor will it imply any discrimination or limitation with respect to contracted services.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will adopt reasonable measures to respect preferences expressed by the student in relation to the use of their image, without prejudice to those photographs or recordings in which the student appears as an accessory, incidental detail, or as part of general images of activities or events, under terms permitted by applicable legislation.
When enrolment is processed through an agency, representative, organisation, educational institution or any other intermediary, the latter will act as a link between the student and Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, without prejudice to the contractual relationship that may exist between the student and said intermediary.
The agency or intermediary will be responsible for transferring to the student, in a complete, faithful and updated manner, all information provided by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia regarding courses, prices, enrolment conditions, cancellation policy, visa requirements, accommodation and other contracted services.
Likewise, the agency must inform the student in advance of its own commercial conditions, cancellation policies, management fees, commissions or other particular conditions applicable to the relationship between both parties.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be responsible for incorrect, incomplete, outdated or misleading information provided by the agency, nor for any commitments, offers, discounts, guarantees or conditions it has assumed without express written authorisation from the School.
Unless Instituto Hispánico de Murcia expressly communicates otherwise, communications related to enrolment, modifications, cancellations, refunds or any other administrative matter may be made through the agency that managed the registration, being understood to be validly made when sent to the designated intermediary.
Disputes arising from the contractual relationship between the student and the agency, including, among others, the collection of commissions, management expenses, fees, particular conditions or any other aspect unrelated to services provided directly by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, must be resolved exclusively between both parties, without the School being obliged to intervene, mediate or assume any responsibility for such disputes.
These General Conditions will also be applicable to all students enrolled through agencies or intermediaries, without prejudice to specific commercial agreements that Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may have with said collaborators.
The agency will not be empowered to modify these General Conditions, grant exceptions, assume commitments on behalf of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, authorize returns, extend deadlines, issue certificates, guarantee the obtaining of visas or make any statement that contradicts information officially provided by the School, unless expressly authorized in writing by the School.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia maintains a firm commitment to the quality of its services and makes available to its students different communication channels to make suggestions, communicate incidents or file complaints and claims.
Suggestions or incidents may be communicated personally at the School’s reception, by email or through any other channel enabled by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
When the student considers that there is an incident that affects the proper development of the course, accommodation or any other contracted service, they must report it in writing as soon as they become aware of it and, in any case, within the first week from the occurrence or from the start of the affected service, so that Instituto Hispánico de Murcia can analyse the situation and, where appropriate, adopt the appropriate corrective measures.
The School will acknowledge receipt of the communication and will try to evaluate the incident within approximately two (2) working days, without prejudice to the fact that certain situations may require a longer period due to their complexity or the need to collect additional information.
The student agrees to cooperate in good faith in the resolution of any incident and to provide Instituto Hispánico de Murcia with a reasonable opportunity to examine the facts and propose a solution before making claims to third parties.
Failure to report an incident within a reasonable period of time, when this has prevented Instituto Hispánico de Murcia from knowing the facts or adopting measures to solve them, may be taken into consideration when assessing any subsequent request for compensation, refund or claim related to said incident.
The submission of a suggestion, complaint or claim will not suspend the financial obligations assumed by the student nor will it imply, in itself, the right to a refund of amounts, compensation or termination of the contract.
All of the above is without prejudice to the student’s right to request the official complaint forms provided for by current regulations or to exercise the actions that legally correspond to them.
Exceptional solutions, discounts, group changes, course extensions, credits, partial refunds or any other courtesy measure that Instituto Hispánico de Murcia voluntarily agrees to resolve an incident will be strictly exceptional, will not constitute any acknowledgement of responsibility and may not be invoked as a precedent for future situations.
In addition to expressly contracted services, Instituto Hispánico de Murcia may offer its students certain services, activities, advantages or resources at no additional cost during their stay.
The updated list of services included can be consulted on the official website of the School or in information provided to the student before the start of the course or during it.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, these complementary services are ancillary and may be modified, replaced, extended or eliminated for organisational, academic, technical or availability reasons, without this entailing a substantial modification of the contract or generating the right to financial compensation, price reduction or refund of amounts paid.
Participation in those free activities that require prior registration will be subject to availability of places and compliance with specific rules established for each activity.
Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will process personal data provided by the student in accordance with provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Organic Law 3/2018, on Protection of Personal Data and Guarantee of Digital Rights (LOPDGDD) and other applicable regulations.
Personal data will be processed for the purpose of managing enrolment, providing contracted services, maintaining the administrative and academic relationship with the student, complying with applicable legal obligations and, when there is a sufficient legal basis, sending information related to activities and services of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
The legal basis for processing will be, as appropriate, the execution of the enrolment contract, compliance with legal obligations, consent of the interested party when necessary, and legitimate interest of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia in those cases provided for by current regulations.
Personal data may be communicated to public bodies, competent authorities, banks, insurance companies, service providers or collaborators whose intervention is necessary for the correct provision of contracted services or when there is a legal obligation.
Data will be kept for the time necessary to fulfil purposes for which they were collected and for legally required periods to meet possible administrative, fiscal, academic or judicial responsibilities.
The student may at any time exercise their rights of access, rectification, deletion, opposition, limitation of processing, portability and any others recognized by current regulations, by sending a written request to Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, Calle Enrique Villar nº 13, 1C, 30008 Murcia (Spain), or through contact channels enabled by the School.
Complete information regarding processing of personal data, as well as the exercise of rights and rest of information required by current regulations, is available in the Privacy Policy published on the official website of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, forming an integral part of these General Conditions.
The student guarantees that all personal data and documents provided during the enrolment process are accurate, complete and up-to-date, undertaking to communicate any modification that may affect the correct provision of contracted services. Instituto Hispánico de Murcia will not be responsible for consequences derived from provision of false, incomplete or outdated data.
The website of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia uses its own and third-party cookies in order to guarantee its correct functioning, improve the browsing experience, carry out statistical analyses and offer content and services adapted to interests of users, in accordance with current regulations.
Complete information on use of cookies, their purpose, duration, configuration and procedure for accepting, rejecting or modifying consent can be found in the Cookies Policy published on the official website of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia.
Use of the website implies acceptance of the Cookies Policy under terms provided therein, without prejudice to the possibility of configuring or withdrawing consent in accordance with current regulations.
These General Conditions will be governed and interpreted in accordance with Spanish law.
The parties undertake to try to resolve in good faith any discrepancy or conflict that may arise in relation to interpretation, execution or compliance with these General Conditions before going to court.
When the student is a consumer or user, any dispute that cannot be resolved amicably will be submitted to Courts and Tribunals that are competent in accordance with current legislation and, in particular, to those that correspond to the domicile of the consumer or user when established by consumer protection regulations.
When the contract is made by a legal person, an agency, an intermediary or a professional who does not have the legal status of consumer, the parties, expressly waiving any other jurisdiction that may correspond to them, will submit to Courts and Tribunals of the city of Murcia, unless a mandatory rule provides otherwise.
In accordance with European regulations, consumers will be able to access, where appropriate, the European Commission’s online dispute resolution platform through the link provided on the official website of Instituto Hispánico de Murcia. The use of this platform does not limit the right of parties to apply to competent judicial bodies.
Possible nullity, invalidity or inapplicability of any of the clauses of these General Conditions shall not affect the validity of the rest of their provisions, which shall remain in full force and shall be interpreted in such a way as to preserve, to greatest extent possible, the purpose pursued by the parties. Failure by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia to exercise any of the rights recognised in these General Conditions shall not imply a waiver of them or prevent their subsequent exercise.
Since these General Terms and Conditions are translated into other languages, the Spanish version will prevail over any translation in the event of a discrepancy, contradiction or difference in interpretation, unless otherwise provided for by applicable mandatory legislation.
Formalisation of enrolment, total or partial payment of any of the services offered by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia or start of participation in any of its courses, programmes or activities imply that the student declares that they have read, understood and accepted these General Conditions in their entirety, undertaking to comply with them throughout their relationship with the School.
When the student is a minor, acceptance of these General Conditions must be made by their parents, guardians or legal representatives, who will assume obligations and responsibilities that correspond to them in accordance with applicable legislation.
Likewise, the student declares to have been informed of the existence of the Privacy Policy, Cookies Policy and other documents or complementary rules published by Instituto Hispánico de Murcia that are applicable to contracted services, accepting their content in what is applicable to them.
Any failure to read these General Terms and Conditions by the student, their agency, representative or their parents or legal guardians will not exempt them from complying with obligations arising from them.
These General Conditions, together with enrolment, accepted quote, invoice, Privacy Policy, Cookies Policy and any other contractual document expressly incorporated into the contract, constitute the entire agreement between the student and Instituto Hispánico de Murcia, replacing any previous communication, negotiation or agreement, verbal or written, relating to same object.
Nullity, invalidity or unenforceability of any of the clauses of these General Conditions shall not affect validity of rest of its provisions, which shall continue to be fully effective.
The fact that Instituto Hispánico de Murcia does not exercise at any time any of the rights recognised in these General Conditions may not be interpreted as a waiver of them nor will it impede their implementation.
