International schools in Amsterdam & Amstelveen

🧭 Three routes, not two

Most expat parents think the choice is "Dutch school or international school". In practice there are three routes, plus a fourth in between:

• A regular Dutch school (basisschool): free, local friends, and your child learns Dutch. Most expat families with young children end up here. See our primary school guide.
• A subsidised international school (DIS, Dutch International Schools): partly paid by the Dutch government, so the fees are much lower, but only for children who meet the admission rules below.
• A private international school: no government money, much higher fees, and no rules about how long you stay.
• In between: bilingual Dutch schools and newcomer classes for children who don't speak Dutch yet (further down).

✅ Who can get a place at a subsidised school (DIS)

Your child needs to meet at least one of these three conditions:

• Your child does not have Dutch nationality (it may be a second nationality) and a parent works in the Netherlands for a limited period.
• Your child is Dutch and has lived and gone to school abroad for at least two years because a parent was posted there.
• Your child is Dutch and a parent will be posted abroad within two years, for at least two years (with a written statement from the employer).

Each school applies the rules itself. AICS, for example, describes itself as a school for children who live in the Netherlands temporarily and checks the conditions again when a child moves up to secondary. Amstelland International School mentions families who typically stay three to five years. Planning to stay for good, or have a Dutch partner? Ask the school directly how they read your situation before you count on a place.

🏫 The schools in Amsterdam & Amstelveen

Fees are for the 2026/27 school year as published by each school. They change every year, so always check the school's own page.

• The two AICS campuses are separate schools in practice: you can't move between them, and siblings go to the same campus.
• More subsidised international schools are within commuting distance in Haarlem, Almere, Hilversum, Hoofddorp and Laren. The DIS website has a map of all of them.
• There are other private and community schools too (for example in your home language). Check fees and admission directly with them.

💶 What it costs, and who pays

• Subsidised schools may only charge fees within an agreed range, which is why they are so much cheaper. AICS notes that, as a subsidised school, it cannot offer scholarships.
• School fees are often paid by the employer, especially with relocation packages. Ask before you sign your contract, not after.
• Tax treatment of employer-paid fees depends on your situation and contract. Ask your employer or a tax adviser; we can't give you a general answer here.

⏳ Waiting lists & when to apply

• Apply as soon as your move is certain. AICS handles applications in the order they arrive, but only once the registration fee is paid. Some year groups and campuses have waiting lists. Siblings come first, then children of staff, then children returning within two years.
• At AICS a child must turn 4 by 1 November to start in Group 1 that school year. For children under 4, a place is usually offered 4 to 6 months before the start of the school year.
• Amstelland International School accepts applications all year round, including the summer holidays.
• Hand in the Amsterdam form as well. International schools admit through their own system, separately from the city. If your child is around 3, also fill in the Amsterdam school registration form (it arrives by post around the 3rd birthday) as a back-up, so you keep a place in the Dutch system.

🗣️ Bilingual Dutch schools: the free option

• New since 1 August 2026: a Dutch primary school may teach up to half of its time in English, German or French (before, the limit was 15%). This followed a ten-year pilot in which every school chose English.
• In Amsterdam, DENISE (Nieuw-West) and De Visserschool (West) teach in Dutch and English.
• They are regular Dutch schools: no tuition, admission through the normal Amsterdam system, and no temporary-stay condition.
• No school has to do it, and more may start. If English matters to you, ask about it at every open day (open dag).

🌱 No Dutch yet? Newcomer classes

• Ages 4–5: children usually go straight into a regular class and pick up Dutch there, through play.
• Primary age: contact a school near you. The school registers your child and, if they don't speak Dutch, signs them up for a newcomer group. After about 40 weeks your child returns to their own school.
• Ages 12–17: an international transition class (ISK) for one to two years, mostly Dutch plus maths and English. Amsterdam offers it at four schools, including DENISE.
• No reply from a school? The Amsterdam leerplicht (compulsory education) office can help: 020 252 8010.

💛 A teacher's honest tip

• The younger the child, the easier Dutch school is. Four-year-olds learn Dutch at an amazing speed, often within a year, and they get neighbourhood friends for free.
• Keep your home language strong: read, sing and talk in it every day. Children can hold two or three languages, and the home language is the one that carries your family's stories.
• Moving again within a few years, or have an older child who needs to keep the same curriculum? Then an international school often makes the transition gentler.
• International schools have their own holiday calendar, which doesn't always match Dutch schools or your partner's work. Plan childcare for those days early.