Family guides
How international-school admissions work
Admissions practice differs by country and by school, but the sequence is broadly consistent. Knowing it makes it far easier to see when you are behind.
Prepared by InternationalSchools.orgPublished July 2026Last reviewed July 2026
Everything below describes what is typical rather than universal. Each school publishes its own admissions policy, and that policy is what applies to you.
The typical stages
- 1
Enquiry
You contact admissions with your child's age, intended start date and curriculum. The school confirms whether the entry year is open and what happens next.
Ask: Is there availability in this specific year group for this start date?
- 2
Application
A formal form, supporting documents and usually a non-refundable application or registration fee. Documents commonly include school reports, a passport and immunisation records.
Ask: What is the fee, is it refundable, and does paying it hold a place?
- 3
Assessment or interview
Practice varies widely. Younger children may have an informal observation; older children may sit subject or English-language assessments; some schools interview the family.
Ask: What is assessed, how, and what happens if the result is borderline?
- 4
Placement decision
The school confirms the year group, which may differ from the one you expected if systems or cut-off dates differ, and any support the child would receive.
Ask: Which year group, and on what basis was that decided?
- 5
Offer
A written offer normally states the entry year, start date, fee schedule, deposit and an acceptance deadline.
Ask: How long do we have, and can that deadline be extended?
- 6
Acceptance and enrolment
You accept, pay the deposit or first instalment, and complete enrolment paperwork, transport and uniform arrangements.
Ask: What is the full schedule of payments for the first year?
Entry-year placement
Placement is normally by age, but the cut-off date differs between systems and sometimes between schools in the same city. A child moving from an American school to a British one, or the reverse, can find themselves offered a year either side of the one they expected. Schools may also place a child differently after assessment, particularly where the language of instruction is changing.
Ask for the placement decision in writing, with the reason. If you disagree, ask what evidence would cause the school to review it.
Waiting lists
Popular year groups fill, and waiting lists are common. They are rarely a simple queue: many schools prioritise siblings, staff children, or applicants matching a particular profile. Ask how the list is ordered, how many families are ahead of you, how often places have come free in recent years, and whether joining costs anything.
Offers, deadlines and deposits
- Offer deadlines are often short, and can be shorter than the time you need to make a relocation decision. Ask early rather than at the point of offer.
- A deposit usually secures the place and is frequently non-refundable, or refundable only under stated conditions. Read those conditions before paying.
- Some deposits are credited against the first term's fees; others are held until the child leaves. These are very different commitments.
- Where a relocation is not yet confirmed, tell admissions. Schools deal with this constantly and may be able to hold a place under stated terms.
What varies most by country and school
- When the academic year starts, and therefore when applications peak.
- Whether assessment is routine, occasional or not used at all.
- Whether fees and fee increases are regulated by an authority.
- Which documents must be legalised, translated or attested.
- Whether a residence visa or local identity document is needed before enrolment.
Costs are covered in the fees guide.
Continue reading
Waiting lists and availability
What a full year group means and how places free up.
Entry year and age cut-offs
Why schools disagree about which year group a child enters.
Understanding fees
Application fees, deposits and what is refundable.
School year and intake timing
When to apply, and where the real intake points fall.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Stages and terms are described as typical international practice. A school's own published admissions policy always takes precedence.
Something look wrong? Report a correction.