Amsterdam, Netherlands
International schools in Amsterdam: what families need to know
Amsterdam is unusual in Europe: alongside private international schools, the Netherlands runs state-subsidised Dutch international schools (DISs), which follow international curricula at a fraction of private fees for families who qualify. Those places are limited and admission rules are specific, so understanding which route you are eligible for is the first job, not the last. This guide covers admissions, curricula, the school year, fees, areas and how places actually work here.
Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Your request
- Where you are moving
- Amsterdam
- Children
- Sofia (age 8) · Luca (age 5)
- Curriculum
- British preferred
- Start
- August
One request. We ask relevant schools whether they have places for each child. Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Example request. School names in these examples are fictional.
Amsterdam in short
- Curricula available in Amsterdam: IB, British, and Dutch international (IPC, MYP, IB Diploma).
- The Amsterdam school year runs Late August or early September to early July, with the main intake at the start of it.
- Schools are overseen by Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap; Inspectie van het Onderwijs inspects subsidised schools.
- Tuition is published per year group by each school. Registration, deposit, transport, uniform, meals and examination entries are normally billed separately.
- Availability is decided per child, per year group and per campus, so two children in one family can get two different answers from the same Amsterdam school.
- You can create one request and we ask relevant Amsterdam schools whether they have places for your children and what happens next.
Prepared by InternationalSchools.orgPublished September 2026Last reviewed September 2026
Amsterdam at a glance
The facts that shape a Amsterdam school search
- Oversight
- Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap; Inspectie van het Onderwijs inspects subsidised schools
- Main curricula
- IB, British, and Dutch international (IPC, MYP, IB Diploma)
- School year
- Late August or early September to early July
- Ages served
- 4 to 18
- Language
- English, with Dutch taught as a subject
How admissions work in Amsterdam
Most Amsterdam schools follow the same stages, whatever the curriculum.
- 1
Enquire and check the year group
Confirm the year group each child would enter in Amsterdam. Age cut-offs differ between systems, so the same child can be placed a year apart in two schools.
- 2
Assessment
Most schools assess before offering a place. This can be a short online task, a classroom visit or a subject test, depending on age.
- 3
Offer, deposit and registration
An offer is usually held only after a registration fee or deposit is paid. Check whether either is refundable before you accept.
Documents to prepare
Some documents can take time to arrange from abroad. Start collecting them before you have chosen a school.
- Passport and, where required, visa or residence documents for each child
- Birth certificate
- School reports for the last two years
- Transfer or leaving certificate from the previous school
- Vaccination and health records
- Any learning support or assessment reports, shared early rather than late
More detail: how international-school admissions work.
Curricula families meet in Amsterdam
We explain each system once, in the curricula library, rather than repeating it city by city.
British curriculum
IGCSE and A Level, and how English year groups are set by age.
International Baccalaureate
PYP, MYP and the Diploma, and who the IB suits on a later move.
American curriculum
US grades, high-school credits and AP, with their own placement rules.
Changing curriculum mid-move
What transfers cleanly between systems and where a child may repeat or skip a year.
The Amsterdam school year and when to apply
Timing decides how much choice you have. These are the stages most families move through.
Six to nine months ahead
Start looking for the main intake
Popular year groups in Amsterdam fill first, and assessment slots become scarce close to the intake.
Three to six months ahead
Assessments and offers
Schools assess, then make offers within days or weeks. Registration fees and deposits usually follow immediately.
One to three months ahead
Places confirmed, waiting lists move
Waiting lists move as leaving families release places, so keep asking rather than assuming a school is closed.
Start of the school year
Term begins
The Amsterdam school year runs late August or early September to early July.
Mid-year
In-year entry
Possible, but limited to whichever year groups have room. This is where asking schools directly saves the most time.
What school costs in Amsterdam
Published tuition is the starting figure, not the total. These are the charges to budget for.
What the Amsterdam market costs, in round numbers
High band- Primary, per year
- EUR 5,000 – 25,000
- Secondary, per year
- EUR 6,000 – 30,000
- Roughly, in US dollars
- US$5,500 – 33,000
Indicative annual tuition across mainstream international schools, for the stated academic year. Individual schools publish their own fees per year group, the top of each market runs above these ranges, and registration, deposits, transport, uniform, meals and examination entries are billed separately. Figures refer to the 2025/26 academic year. Compare fees across cities.
- Tuition
- Published per year group by each school
- Registration fee
- Charged at application or offer stage, usually non-refundable
- Deposit
- Secures the place and is often deducted from the first term's tuition
- Transport
- School transport is charged separately and varies by distance and route
- Uniform, books, devices
- One-off costs at the start of the year, higher in the first year
- Meals and activities
- Optional at most schools, but a real part of the annual budget
- Examination entries
- IGCSE, A Level, IB and AP entries are billed in the exam years
See also understanding international school fees.
Places and waiting lists
Which Amsterdam schools have places for your children?
A place is not something a school has in general. It exists for one year group, at one campus, for one intake. Two children in the same family can get two different answers from the same school on the same day.
School websites cannot tell you this. Availability changes when a family leaves, when a contract ends, or when a new year group opens. That is why we ask schools directly instead of publishing a number that would be out of date by the time you read it.
For each child, a Amsterdam school can answer that a place is available, that there is a waiting list, that the intake is full, or that it cannot confirm yet. You see the answer, the fees and the next step, and you decide where to focus.
Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Answers from schools · 2 children · British curriculum · Starting August
Westbrook International School
Answered in 1 day
North campus · British · Annual fees: Shared with your answer
- Sofia · Year 4Place available for AugustPlace available
- Luca · Year 1Place available for AugustPlace available
Next step: Assessment, then offer
Harbour Ridge Academy
Answered in 2 days
City campus · British · Annual fees: Shared with your answer
- Sofia · Year 4Place available for AugustPlace available
- Luca · Year 1Waiting list, reviewed monthlyWaiting list
Next step: Campus visit, then assessment
Elmfield International College
Answered in 3 days
Main campus · British · Annual fees: Shared with your answer
- Sofia · Year 4Full for the August intakeFull for this intake
- Luca · Year 1Place available for AugustPlace available
Next step: Register interest for January
Your contact details are shared only with the schools you continue with.
Example answers. School names in these examples are fictional.
Choosing where to live in Amsterdam
We do not rank areas. These are the questions that decide whether a school works day to day.
Amstelveen
Long the centre of international family life, with subsidised and private international schools, family housing and a direct tram into the city.
Amsterdam Zuid and the Rivierenbuurt
Close to the Zuidas business district and to several schools. Apartments rather than houses, and highly competitive rentals.
Haarlem, Hoofddorp and the west
More space and easier access to Schiphol, with international provision serving families who commute into the city or work at the airport.
Bikes and trams, not cars
Most Amsterdam children cycle to school from a young age. Distance matters less here than in almost any other city we cover, but the route still needs to be safe and practical.
Moving to Amsterdam with children: a checklist
The school-related steps that decide how smooth the first term is.
- Confirm each child's year group under the curriculum you are moving to in Amsterdam.
- Collect and, where required, attest school reports and certificates before you leave.
- Ask schools about places for every child in the same request, not one at a time.
- Check whether registration fees and deposits are refundable if your move date changes.
- Check the visa or residency steps that enrolment can depend on.
- Ask about learning support early, since capacity is decided case by case.
- Line up housing only after you know which school can take all of your children.
See also the moving-abroad timeline.
Moving with more than one child
One school that works for every child, not one child
Most families moving to Amsterdam are moving with more than one child, and the hardest part is rarely finding a good school. It is finding one school that can take all of your children in the same year.
Checking each child separately, school by school, is where the search becomes slow. A school that has room in Year 1 may be full in Year 4, and you only learn that after two emails and a wait.
One request covers every child. Each school answers for each child, so you can see immediately where all of your children could start together, and where you would be splitting the family across two schools.
- Ask once for the whole family, not once per child.
- See sibling answers side by side before you contact anyone.
- Ask about sibling priority and start dates while places are still open.
Answers side by side
Westbrook International School
Harbour Ridge Academy
Elmfield International College
Sofia · Year 4
Luca · Year 1
Curriculum
British
British
British
Area
North campus
City campus
Main campus
Annual fees
Shared in answer
Shared in answer
Shared in answer
Next step
Assessment, then offer
Campus visit, then assessment
Register interest for January
Example comparison. School names in these examples are fictional.
How schooling works in Amsterdam
The Netherlands operates two parallel routes. Dutch international schools are part of the state-subsidised system, inspected by the Inspectie van het Onderwijs, and charge a limited parental contribution — but admission is normally restricted to children who are internationally mobile, for example whose parents are on a temporary posting. Private international schools have no such restriction and charge full fees.
Subsidised versus private is the key decision
Dutch international schools charge a parental contribution that is far below private international fees, and they follow international curricula leading to the IB Diploma or IGCSE.
Eligibility usually depends on the family's mobility: nationality, the parents' employment and the expected length of stay all feature. Ask the school to confirm eligibility in writing before you plan around it.
Places are limited and admission runs early
Subsidised international places in and around Amsterdam are in short supply, and waiting lists are common in the busiest year groups.
Private schools have more flexibility but also fill in popular years. Either way, applying six to nine months out changes the outcome.
Dutch schools are an option many families overlook
Regular Dutch primary schools are free, high-performing and close to home, and younger children often transition well with language support.
For a family expecting to stay several years this can be both the cheapest and the best-integrated route. For a short posting the language transition may not be worth it.
Registration and the BSN
Enrolment normally requires registration with the municipality and a citizen service number (BSN) for each child, plus previous school records.
Municipal appointments can take weeks in Amsterdam. Book them as early as your arrival date allows.
What families get wrong in Amsterdam
The local details that cost families a term, a deposit or a long daily drive.
Assuming you qualify for a subsidised place
Eligibility rules for Dutch international schools are specific. Get written confirmation before you build a budget around the lower contribution.
Applying after arrival
Both routes run waiting lists in the popular year groups. Six to nine months ahead is the realistic timeline.
Discounting regular Dutch schools
For younger children and longer stays, the local route is often the strongest option, and it is free.
Signing a rental before a school offer
The Amsterdam rental market is tight and expensive to get wrong. Confirm places first.
Delaying municipal registration
No BSN, no completed enrolment. Book the appointment as soon as you have an address.
Official Amsterdam resources
Primary sources for regulation, inspection and enrolment. We link out rather than paraphrase.
How InternationalSchools.org works in Amsterdam
One request. We ask relevant Amsterdam schools whether they have places for your children and what happens next.
- 1
Create one request for Amsterdam
Where you are moving, each child's age, the curriculum you prefer and when you want to start. One request covers the whole family.
- 2
We ask relevant Amsterdam schools
We start with schools that serve your children's ages in Amsterdam. Curriculum, budget and area help us decide which relevant schools to ask first.
- 3
Schools answer for each child
Availability, fees, timing and what happens next. Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Schools cannot pay to be prioritised, and we do not publish scores or predict availability. How we select schools.
Questions families ask about Amsterdam
Find out which Amsterdam schools have places for your children
One request, every child, answers from the schools themselves.
Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Go deeper on Amsterdam
How fees compare across cities
What is published, what is billed separately and how Amsterdam compares with the other markets we cover.
Compare the main curricula
British, IB and American side by side, and what a later move between countries changes.
How admissions work
The stages most international schools use, and where relocating families lose time.
Continue reading
Waiting lists and availability
How waiting lists really work, and what to ask before you join one.
School year and intake timing
When places open, and what a mid-year move changes.
How it works
From one request to answers from the schools themselves.
Other destinations
You can create a request for any destination, published guide or not.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Guide version 3.0. Amsterdam information is compiled from official regulators, curriculum authorities and school-published material. Fees, intakes and requirements are set by individual schools and change, so confirm details directly with a school before you rely on them.
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