How to Apply to International Schools in the Netherlands
Applying to an international school in the Netherlands involves a few extra steps compared with many countries, particularly around checking subsidised-school eligibility. Here's a practical, step-by-step walkthrough.
Quick answer
A step-by-step guide to applying to international schools in the Netherlands, including subsidised eligibility checks, documents, timelines and deposits.
At a glance
- Country: Netherlands
- Sections: 18
- Questions answered: 8
- Schools listed: 4
- Read time: 13 min read
Start earlier than you think you need to
Popular international schools in the Randstad, particularly in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, can see strong demand for certain year groups, and lead times for relocation-related paperwork such as visas and housing often overlap with school application windows. Starting your school search as soon as a move to the Netherlands becomes likely, even before every other detail of your relocation is confirmed, generally gives you more options than waiting until you have a firm arrival date.
This is particularly true if you are hoping to access a subsidised international school, since these places can be limited and eligibility needs to be established before a place can be confirmed.
Step one: work out whether subsidised schooling is even an option for you
Before building a shortlist, it's worth understanding whether your family is likely to meet the eligibility conditions typically applied by subsidised international schools, since this affects both your budget and which schools are realistically open to you. Conditions often relate to whether a parent's stay in the Netherlands is expected to be temporary, for example tied to a fixed-term work assignment, rather than a permanent relocation.
Contact a subsidised school directly, early, and ask plainly what evidence they require and whether your specific situation is likely to qualify, rather than guessing based on general descriptions you find online. If you don't qualify, or if no subsidised school offers your preferred curriculum in your city, you'll need to plan your budget around fully private fees instead.
Step two: build a realistic shortlist
With eligibility considerations in mind, build a shortlist based on curriculum, location relative to likely housing, and budget. Our guide to international schools in the Netherlands and our city-specific rankings guides for Amsterdam and Rotterdam are useful starting points, but treat any ranking as one input rather than a final answer, and try to visit or at least have a video call with each shortlisted school if at all possible.
Step three: make initial contact
Most schools have an admissions or registrar team you can contact directly, usually via an online enquiry form or email, to express interest and ask about current availability for your child's year group. Be specific about your child's age, current school, curriculum background, and your expected arrival date in the Netherlands, since this helps the admissions team give you an accurate answer about realistic timelines rather than a generic response.
Ask at this stage whether the school currently has a waiting list for your child's year group, and if so, roughly how it is expected to move, understanding that any answer given is necessarily an estimate rather than a guarantee.
Step four: gather your documents
Requirements vary by school, but commonly requested documents include your child's most recent school reports, any records of special educational needs or additional learning support, a copy of your child's passport, proof of your address or intended address in the Netherlands, and, for subsidised schools, evidence supporting your eligibility such as an employment contract confirming the nature and duration of your assignment.
Having these documents translated into English (or occasionally Dutch, depending on the school) and ready to submit in advance can meaningfully speed up the process, particularly if you're applying from a country where document processing or courier times are slow.
Step five: assessments and interviews
Depending on the school and your child's age, an assessment, entrance test or interview may form part of the process, particularly for older children joining a specific IB, British or American curriculum programme partway through. This is generally used to confirm the school can meet your child's academic needs and, at some schools, to support appropriate class placement rather than as a strict pass-or-fail gate.
If your child has additional learning needs, raise this directly and early with the admissions team, since schools vary in the support they can offer and it's better to establish this before rather than after an offer is made.
Step six: receiving and accepting an offer
If a place is offered, you'll typically be asked to accept within a set window and pay a registration fee and/or deposit to secure it. Read the terms carefully, particularly around what happens to your deposit if your plans change before the start date, since policies vary between schools and are not always fully refundable.
Once you've accepted, ask for a clear list of what happens next, including any pre-arrival paperwork, uniform or equipment requirements, and orientation events for new families, so you're not scrambling to catch up once you arrive.
Not sure which schools fit your family?
Choosing an international school depends on your child's age, curriculum preference, location and budget. Tell us what you're looking for and we'll help you identify schools worth considering.
Timing your application around the Dutch school year
The Dutch academic year generally starts around late August or early September, similar to many other Northern European systems, though exact start dates vary by school and by the regional school holiday zone a school follows. Many international schools also accept new students at other points in the year to accommodate mid-year relocations, though options and availability at that point can be more limited than at the start of the year. Our term dates guide explains the regional holiday structure that affects planning around this.
Applying to more than one school at once
Given the uncertainty around subsidised eligibility and waiting lists at popular Randstad schools, it's generally sensible to apply to more than one school in parallel rather than waiting for a decision from your first choice before approaching a second. Be transparent with each school that you are applying elsewhere too, since most admissions teams expect this and it avoids any confusion later if you need to withdraw from one process after accepting an offer elsewhere.
Applying for a child with additional learning needs
If your child has an existing diagnosis or support plan, share this information with prospective schools as early as possible, ideally before a formal application, so you can gauge realistically whether a specific school is set up to support your child well. Schools vary considerably in the resources and staff training they have for different needs, and this is not something to discover after enrolment.
Applying mid-year after an unplanned relocation
Sometimes a relocation happens with little notice, and children need to join a school partway through the academic year. This is more logistically complex, both because places may be scarcer outside the normal admissions cycle and because a child may be joining a curriculum stage partway through, for example mid-way through an IB Diploma or A-level course. Contact schools directly and explain your situation candidly; some are considerably more flexible about mid-year entry than others, and it's worth casting a wide net rather than assuming any single school will be able to help.
What to do if you're placed on a waiting list
Being wait-listed is common at popular schools and doesn't necessarily mean a place won't eventually become available. Ask the school how the list works, whether it's ranked by application date or by other criteria, and how often you should expect an update. In the meantime, keep a backup option moving forward in parallel, including seriously considering the mainstream Dutch state system as described in our comparison guide, rather than putting all other planning on hold while you wait.
A realistic application checklist
Application checklist
- Confirm whether your family is likely to meet subsidised eligibility conditions, if relevant
- Build a shortlist based on curriculum, location and budget, applying to more than one school
- Gather school records, ID documents and any additional needs documentation early
- Ask each school directly about current waiting lists and realistic timelines
- Read deposit and refund terms carefully before accepting any offer
Bringing the steps above together into a short working checklist can help keep a relocation-era application process on track.
A decision framework for choosing which school to prioritise
When juggling several possible schools, it helps to rank your shortlist against a small number of criteria rather than trying to weigh everything at once: subsidised eligibility (if relevant), curriculum fit, realistic commute from likely housing, and current availability for your child's specific year group. Treat the school offering the best combination across these factors as your priority application, but keep at least one backup moving in parallel, since even a strong-looking match can fall through on availability alone.
Revisit this ranking as new information arrives, for example if a school confirms you don't meet subsidised eligibility, or if a waiting list turns out to be longer than expected, rather than treating your original shortlist as fixed once you've started the process.
A realistic application timeline, month by month
As a general guide, families relocating on a known timeline often begin contacting schools four to six months ahead of their move where possible, submit full applications and documents two to four months ahead, complete any assessments or interviews six to ten weeks ahead, and finalise deposits and paperwork in the final month before arrival. This is only a general shape, not a fixed rule, and popular schools or specific year groups can require considerably more lead time, while some schools can accommodate much faster turnarounds for genuinely urgent relocations.
If your own timeline is compressed, communicate this clearly and early to every school you contact, since admissions teams are generally better able to help when they understand your real constraints from the outset rather than discovering them partway through the process.
Questions to ask during a school visit or video call
Visit or call questions worth asking directly
- What is current capacity and realistic timeline for our child's specific year group
- What experience does the school have supporting recent international relocations
- How and how often is progress communicated to parents, especially in the first term
- What settling-in or buddy support exists for new arrivals joining outside the usual start of year
- What is the process and notice period if our plans change after paying a deposit
Whether you can visit in person or only manage a video call, a focused set of questions tends to be more useful than a general tour. Ask specifically about current capacity for your child's year group, the school's experience with families relocating from your home country or region, how progress and settling-in are communicated to parents in the first term, and what would happen practically if your family's plans changed shortly after enrolling. Also ask how the school supports children joining outside the usual start-of-year point, since this is common for relocating families but handled differently from school to school.
Handling conflicting timelines across multiple applications
Applying to more than one school in parallel is sensible, but it can create a genuine scheduling challenge if offers and deadlines from different schools don't align. If one school asks for a decision before another has even completed its assessment, it is reasonable to ask the faster school for a short extension, explaining honestly that you are still completing a parallel process elsewhere; many admissions teams will accommodate a brief, clearly communicated delay rather than lose a family who is engaging in good faith.
Keep a simple written record of every deadline, required document and contact person across your applications, since juggling several schools' processes by memory alone is a common source of avoidable mistakes during a busy relocation.
After enrolment: what to prepare before the first day
Once a place is confirmed, ask the school for a clear pre-arrival checklist covering uniform or dress code if applicable, required equipment or technology, immunisation or health records the school needs on file, and any orientation sessions for new families before term starts. Building a simple household folder with copies of everything submitted to the school, including confirmation emails and receipts for deposits, saves time if any question arises later and gives you a single reference point during an otherwise busy relocation period.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start applying to international schools in the Netherlands?
As early as possible once a move becomes likely, ideally several months ahead, since popular schools in the Randstad can have limited availability for certain year groups and subsidised eligibility needs to be confirmed early.
Do I need to prove eligibility for a subsidised international school?
Generally yes. Subsidised schools typically apply conditions related to the temporary or work-related nature of a parent's stay, and will usually ask for supporting documentation such as an employment contract.
Can I apply to more than one school at the same time?
Yes, and it's generally sensible to do so given waiting lists at popular schools. Be upfront with each school that you are applying elsewhere too.
What documents will I typically need?
Common requirements include recent school reports, identification documents, proof of address, and, for subsidised schools, evidence supporting eligibility. Requirements vary by school, so confirm the exact list directly.
Is there an entrance test for international schools in the Netherlands?
Some schools use an assessment or interview, particularly for older children joining partway through a curriculum stage, generally to support appropriate placement rather than as a strict pass-or-fail gate.
Can my child join partway through the school year?
Some schools accept mid-year entries, though availability is generally more limited than at the start of the academic year. Contact schools directly to discuss your specific situation.
What happens if we're placed on a waiting list?
Ask the school how the list is managed and how often updates are given, and keep other options, including the Dutch state system, moving in parallel rather than waiting exclusively for one outcome.
Is the deposit refundable if our plans change?
This varies by school and is not always fully refundable. Read the terms carefully before accepting an offer and paying a deposit.
International schools in Amsterdam
International schools in Rotterdam
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