International School Applications for 2027: A Month-by-Month Timeline for Relocating Families

Last checked: September 2026. Application windows, fees and deposit rules change every year and differ from school to school. Treat figures as a starting point for your own research.

If your family is planning a move for the summer of 2027, the school clock is already running. Many international schools open applications for August and September 2027 between September and November 2026. Some make offers as early as January. Popular year groups in some cities fill long before families have signed a lease or even received a job contract.

That is manageable once you can see the whole year laid out. This guide walks you through it month by month, from shortlisting now to the first day of school. It covers fees and deposits, entrance tests, documents, waiting lists, what to do if your visa is not ready, and how to handle special educational needs. There is a separate section for countries where the school year starts in January, and a checklist at the end.

This article is about when to do things. If you are still working out which school suits your child, start with our guide to choosing a school abroad, then come back here to plan the deadlines.

When should you start applying for an August 2027 school place?

The short answer: now, or as soon as the move looks likely. Admissions teams at many international schools suggest starting 12 to 18 months before the date you want your child to begin. For an August 2027 start, that means autumn 2026.

You do not need a confirmed move to begin. Shortlisting, virtual tours and gathering documents cost nothing but time. Applications usually cost a fee, so most families wait until the move is fairly certain before paying for more than two or three.

If you are reading this later in the year, do not panic. Many international schools admit students all year round, because families arrive and leave at every point in the calendar. Starting late mostly means fewer choices in popular year groups, not no choice at all.

What does the month-by-month timeline look like?

This timeline assumes a school year that starts in August or September 2027, which is the pattern for most international schools in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Individual schools will differ, so always check each school's own dates.

September to October 2026: shortlist and research

• Agree as a family what matters most: curriculum (IB, British, American, national or bilingual), language of teaching, commute time, class size, fees and the support your child needs.
• Build a shortlist of four to six schools in the areas where you are likely to live. Where you live and where your child goes to school are closely linked, so research them together.
• Find each school's application window, deadline, fees and year-group availability.
• Book virtual tours or online information sessions. Many schools run them in October and November.
• Check whether your employer offers school-fee support, a debenture or corporate place. Our guide to what to ask your employer about your relocation package covers how to raise this.

November 2026: open days and first applications

• Attend open days in person if you have a look-see trip. If not, ask for a live video call with admissions and, ideally, a teacher from your child's year group.
• Submit applications to your top two or three schools. Many popular schools set their main deadline between November and January.
• Pay application fees. These are usually non-refundable.
• Ask your child's current school for reports and teacher references. Give teachers at least four weeks' notice, and more if the request lands near exams or holidays.

December 2026 to January 2027: assessments and interviews

• Schools arrange entrance tests, English or language assessments, and interviews. Many can be done online for families abroad.
• Send any missing documents promptly. An incomplete file is a common reason for delay.
• Keep in touch with admissions, especially if your moving date or employer changes.

February to March 2027: offers arrive

• Many schools send offers between January and March for their main intake.
• Offers usually come with a deadline to accept, often two to four weeks. Accepting normally means paying a deposit, an enrolment fee or both.
• If you are on a waiting list for your first choice, decide whether to accept a place elsewhere as a back-up. Check what that back-up would cost you if you later withdraw.

April to May 2027: accept, pay and plan

• Accept one offer and withdraw politely from others. That frees places for other families.
• Sign the contract only after reading the refund and notice terms carefully.
• Apply for any student pass or school-related permit the country requires.
• Order uniforms, check transport options and ask about summer transition events.

June to July 2027: paperwork and handover

• Request final reports, leaving certificates and records from your current school.
• Make sure vaccination records are complete and translated if needed. Our guide to vaccinations for children moving abroad explains what schools often ask for.
• Share any updated learning-support reports with the new school.

August 2027: arrival and first weeks

• Attend orientation days and meet the class teacher or tutor.
• Complete medical forms, emergency contacts and any local registrations the school needs.

For how school fits into the rest of your move, from notice periods to shipping, see the relocation timeline: a month-by-month countdown.

What if the school year starts in January?

In much of the southern hemisphere, the school year runs roughly from January or February to December. If you are moving to one of these countries, the timeline shifts by about six months. For a January 2027 start, you are already in the final stretch. For January 2028, you have time.

• South Africa: public schools run from mid-January to early December. The official 2027 calendar has term 1 starting on 13 January 2027. Public-school applications for the following year are handled by each province and open early. For 2027 entry, the Western Cape's main window ran from March to April 2026. Independent schools set their own dates, and some well-known schools have long waiting lists, so contact them a year or more ahead where you can.
• Australia: the school year starts in late January or early February. In Victoria, government-school students start on 28 January 2027. In several states, children of some temporary visa holders pay fees at public schools. In New South Wales, for example, the 2026 fee for a primary pupil on the Temporary Residents Program was AUD 6,400 a year. Check your state's rules for your visa type.
• New Zealand: term 1 starts in late January or early February, and the year ends in December.
• Brazil: Brazilian schools start in late January or February. Many international schools in cities such as São Paulo follow an August-to-June year instead, so check each school.
• Zambia: the calendar is mixed. Government schools start in January. Private schools, including many that teach the Cambridge curriculum, choose their own calendar: some run from January to November, while others, particularly in Lusaka, follow an August-to-July year, as do American and IB schools. Ask each school directly. Our guide to moving to Zambia with family covers schools in more detail.

If you are moving between hemispheres, think about which year group your child will join. A child who moves from a January-start system to an August-start system (or the other way) may repeat half a year or skip ahead. Ask schools how they place children by age and by previous learning, and do not assume the year number will match.

From experience: [[E1 – to be filled: what you have noticed about how families in Lusaka choose between January-start and August-start schools, and what you are thinking about for later]]

Planning your own move? Get our free 120-task family relocation checklist and cost planner, so you can see every step before you start. Get the free checklist

Can your child join in the middle of the year?

Yes, in most international schools. They are built for mobile families and usually accept students at any point, as long as there is a place. Mid-year entry is more common than many parents expect.

Mid-year entry works best when you:

• apply two to four months before your arrival date, and earlier for popular year groups;
• ask for a start date just after a holiday, so your child begins with everyone else after a break;
• ask about a buddy system or a phased start for younger children;
• check how fees are charged for a part-year. Some schools charge by the term, others by the month.

Local and state schools are a different matter. Many assign places by address, so you often cannot apply until you have a local address and, in some countries, a residence permit.

What do application fees and deposits cost?

Fees vary widely. Almost every school charges something to apply, and more to accept. The examples below show typical structures, taken from official school or regulator pages for the 2026/27 year.

Place	To apply	To accept a place	Notes
Dubai (all private schools, KHDA rules)	Up to AED 500	Registration deposit of up to 10% of annual tuition, taken off the first fees	The application fee is refundable if no place is offered
Singapore (UWCSEA, one campus)	SGD 627, non-refundable	SGD 4,992 enrolment fee plus one term billed in advance	A development levy of SGD 9,537 in year one
Hong Kong (ESF primary and secondary)	HK$2,800	Deposit of two months' fees	Plus a non-refundable capital levy of up to HK$38,000
United Kingdom (independent schools)	Usually £100 to £500, non-refundable	Deposit: a fixed sum or a term's fees	Some schools ask overseas families for a much larger deposit

Three things are worth checking at every school:

• Is the deposit refundable, and when? Some are returned after the first term, some only when your child leaves, and some not at all.
• Is it deducted from fees? Some deposits are a prepayment. Others are held separately.
• What are the one-off charges? Enrolment fees, building or capital levies, uniform, transport and trips can add a large amount in the first year.

How do debentures, corporate places and sibling priority work?

Sibling priority is the most common advantage. Many schools give priority to brothers and sisters of current pupils. If you have more than one child, ask whether applying together helps, and whether a place for one child means a place for the other.

Debentures are large, sometimes refundable payments that buy priority or a guaranteed place. They are most common in Hong Kong. ESF, for example, sells Individual Nomination Rights for HK$500,000, which give a faster route into its schools if the child meets admission requirements.

Corporate places are debentures or nomination rights held by a company. The employer can nominate staff children for priority. If you are moving with a large company to a city with tight school places, ask HR directly whether they hold any. This can make more difference than any other step.

What happens at assessments and entrance tests?

This depends on the school and your child's age. Selective schools test hard. Many international schools assess mainly to place your child in the right class and to plan support.

• Young children: usually a play-based session or an informal observation.
• Primary and secondary: often maths, reading and writing tests, sometimes a computer-based reasoning test, plus an interview.
• English or other language assessment: if your child is learning in a new language, the school will check their level. Some schools offer English as an Additional Language (EAL) support. Ask whether it costs extra and whether there is a limit on how many EAL students a class can take.

Which documents will you need?

Start collecting these early. Some take weeks.

• School reports from the last two years, translated if they are not in the school's language
• One or two teacher references, sent directly by the current school
• Copies of passports for your child and parents
• Birth certificate
• Vaccination records
• Passport photos
• Any visa or residence permit, or proof that you have applied
• Any learning-support, educational psychology or speech-therapy reports

How do waiting lists work?

A waiting list is rarely a simple queue. When a place opens, schools usually look at their criteria again: siblings, assessment results, language support needed, sometimes gender balance, and how soon the family can start. The date you applied may matter less than you think.

In some cities, such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, popular year groups at well-known schools can have waiting lists of a year or more. Offers from a waiting list often come with a very short deadline, sometimes just a few days.

To give yourself the best chance:

• keep two or three schools "live" instead of relying on one list;
• tell each school whenever your dates or plans change;
• check that your file is complete;
• decide in advance which offers you would accept, so you can say yes quickly.

What if your visa has not been granted yet?

This is very common. Schools see it every year. Tell them early and ask:

• Can you hold a place while our visa is processed?
• Will you accept proof that we have applied?
• If the visa is refused or the move is cancelled, will we get the deposit back?
• What is the latest date we can withdraw without losing money?

Some rules to know. In Dubai, KHDA rules require written notice at least 60 days before the start date to get a full refund of the registration deposit. In Singapore, children who hold a Dependant's Pass do not need a separate Student's Pass for full-time, non-religious study. In South Africa, non-citizen pupils need passports and permits, or proof that an application has been made. Check the rules for your destination with the school and your immigration adviser.

Should you tell the school about special educational needs?

Yes. It protects your child. A school that does not know about your child's needs cannot plan for them, and some contracts allow a school to withdraw a place if important information was left out.

Be aware that international schools vary a lot in how much support they offer, and many are private businesses that can decline a pupil if they cannot meet their needs. Rules differ by country. In Dubai, for example, KHDA policy says schools must accept students of determination (the local term for students with special needs) or notify KHDA when they refuse, and any extra fee must reflect the actual cost of support.

Ask specific questions: how many learning-support staff are there, who pays for extra support, and can you speak to a parent whose child has similar needs?

What questions should you ask admissions?

• How many places do you expect in my child's year group, and how long is the waiting list?
• When will you make offers, and how long will we have to accept?
• What exactly do we pay, when, and what is refundable?
• How do you place children who arrive from a different curriculum or calendar?
• What support do new students get in their first weeks?
• What happens if our move is delayed?

For deeper questions about teaching, wellbeing and fit, see choosing a school abroad: the questions that actually matter. If you also have a baby or toddler, nursery waiting lists can be just as long, so read our guide to childcare abroad before you land.

Your school application checklist

Task	For an August 2027 start	For a January 2028 start
Agree priorities and build a shortlist	September to October 2026	March to April 2027
Ask employer about school support or corporate places	October 2026	April 2027
Virtual tours and open days	October to November 2026	April to May 2027
Request reports and references	November 2026	May 2027
Submit applications and pay fees	November 2026 to January 2027	May to July 2027
Assessments and interviews	December 2026 to February 2027	June to August 2027
Receive offers and accept one	February to April 2027	August to October 2027
Student pass or permit, if needed	April to June 2027	October to November 2027
Final reports, records and vaccinations	June to July 2027	November to December 2027

Frequently asked questions

When do international schools open applications for 2027?

Many open in September to November 2026 for an August or September 2027 start. Some, such as ESF in Hong Kong, run fixed windows for the first year of primary: ESF's Year 1 window for August 2027 runs from 1 to 30 September 2026, with later applications going on the waiting list. Others accept applications all year.

Is it too late to apply for a school place in 2027?

Usually not. Many international schools admit students all year round. Starting late may mean fewer choices in popular year groups, or a waiting list, but most families still find a place.

How many schools should we apply to?

Two or three is common. Applying to more costs more in fees, but in cities with long waiting lists a back-up place is worth having.

Do we need a visa before applying?

Not normally to apply. Schools usually need the visa, or proof of application, before your child starts. Ask each school what it needs and when.

Are application fees refundable?

Usually not. In Dubai, the fee must be refunded if no place is offered. Deposits vary more, so read the terms before you pay.

Still deciding where your family should move? Take the 2-minute family destination quiz to see which countries fit your children, your work and your budget, before the school deadlines decide for you.

Want the whole move in the right order? The Global Relocation System takes your family through all five stages, Decide, Prepare, Transit, Arrive and Thrive, with a master checklist, planning templates and a budget tool. See what is inside the system

Choosing a school? Our International Schools Guide compares curricula, fees and waiting lists, with the questions to ask on a school visit.