10 of the Best International Schools in Europe for Expat Families

How we chose this shortlist

A 'best' school cannot be chosen from a brochure alone. We looked for a clear international curriculum, an identifiable admissions route and an official fee schedule, then considered what a relocating family would need to ask. The schools span major cities and different price points; they are examples worth investigating, not a claim that every family will find a place. Availability, assessment requirements and support for additional needs must be established directly with each school.

For comparisons, read the fee label carefully. A school's 'annual tuition' may exclude lunch, buses and examinations, while another's 'year' column includes registration. The ranges here follow each school's published figures and are not currency conversions. Do not compare the lowest early-years figure at one school with a senior-school fee at another without accounting for your child's grade. Links to the schools' own schedules are provided with each entry so you can check current terms.

Spain: International College Spain

International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes

Approximately €12,648–€26,610 annual tuition (2026–27; three published term fees)

International College Spain in the Madrid area offers an IB route from the younger years through the Diploma. That continuity can appeal to a family expecting another international move: the framework, inquiry-based language and assessment style may be recognisable at another IB school. It is still important to ask how a child arriving from a different curriculum would be placed, especially in the examination years.

The school's 2026–27 fee document lists termly tuition from €4,216 in kindergarten to €8,870 in Grades 11–12; multiplying by three gives the approximate annual range above. Educational materials, application and enrolment charges, bus services and some support are separate. Ask whether the campus in La Moraleja works for your actual home and work routes, and what language support is available for a child who is new to English or Spanish.

France: International School of Paris

IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes

Approximately €25,500–€39,000 annual tuition (2026–27)

The International School of Paris is a non-profit school offering a full IB continuum. For a child joining from abroad, the attraction is an English-language international learning environment in a city where the local state-school experience may be very different. Ask about mother-tongue provision, French-language learning and the practical journey between the school's age-specific campuses before deciding where to live.

Its published tuition runs from €25,500 for nursery or pre-kindergarten to €39,000 for Grades 10–12. A new pupil in Grades 1–12 also faces a €10,000 one-time entry fee, and the application fee is separate. Those first-year costs change the comparison substantially. Transport and some support services may also cost extra. Confirm grade placement and the school's response to any learning or language needs early, rather than treating an IB label as a guarantee of identical support everywhere.

Portugal: Oeiras International School

IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes

Approximately €13,980–€22,406 in the school's published annual 'Year' column (2026–27)

Oeiras International School offers an IB pathway in the Lisbon area. Its location may suit families looking beyond the centre of the capital, but Oeiras is not automatically a short commute from every Lisbon address. Visit the campus and test the route at school-run time. Ask how Portuguese is taught, how new pupils settle into an IB class and whether the relevant year group has space.

The published 2026–27 'Year' figures run from €13,980 for the younger school years to €22,406 for the Diploma years; the table also shows a registration amount, so its headline year figure should not be treated as directly equivalent to another school's tuition-only figure. New students may owe a capital levy and an application fee, with certain examinations billed separately. Obtain a full first-year and continuing-year quote before using the published range in a household budget.

Italy: St George’s British International School

British curriculum, IGCSEs and IB Diploma in the later years

Approximately €13,900–€27,000 annual parent-paid tuition, including lunch (2026–27)

St George's offers a British educational pathway in Rome, leading through IGCSE study and into the IB Diploma. It can be a useful option for a child already familiar with British year groups, but a family moving from an American or IB middle-years programme should discuss subject choices and placement rather than assuming an automatic match. The school has more than one campus; confirm which site your child would attend.

For 2026–27, its parent-paid annual schedule ranges from €13,900 at the youngest level to €27,000 in Years 12–13, with lunch included. Employer-paid rates differ. A one-off admission fee, transport and examination charges are separate, so request an itemised quote. Families should ask whether subject options at GCSE and Diploma level accommodate a child's previous studies and future university plans, especially if another move is likely before graduation.

Greece: ACS Athens

American-style school programme with an IB Diploma option

Approximately €9,050–€16,348 published total tuition and fees (2026–27)

ACS Athens provides an American-style route with an IB Diploma option for older pupils. That combination is useful to explore if your family is weighing US higher-education routes against internationally recognised IB study. It does not mean every pupil takes the same examination path, so ask which courses are available in the year your child would enter and how prior transcripts are evaluated.

The 2026–27 schedule's total tuition-and-fees examples range from €9,050 in pre-school to €16,348 in high school. These totals include several school charges, but registration, some learning or English-language support, daycare and IB programme fees may be additional. Ask for a personalised estimate with every relevant charge identified. Housing and traffic patterns in Athens can make the daily journey as consequential as a difference in headline tuition.

Cyprus: American International School in Cyprus

American-style education with an IB Diploma pathway

Approximately €5,900–€14,700 annual tuition (published 2025–26 schedule)

The American International School in Cyprus is a Nicosia option for families seeking an English-language international setting and a route toward the IB Diploma. The Nicosia location matters: a school that looks attractive in a country-wide search may involve a demanding journey from a home in another city. Ask what academic and social support is offered when a child joins after the year has started.

The latest fee schedule located for this comparison is for 2025–26, not 2026–27. It lists tuition from €5,900 for the youngest pupils to €14,700 for Grades 11–12. The annual development and technology charges, one-time capital levy and possible support services are separate. Do not use this older range as a current offer: request the new year's schedule and confirm admissions availability directly before including the school in a final shortlist.

Belgium: International School of Brussels

International pathways, including the IB Diploma and other secondary options

Approximately €22,995–€51,105 annual published grade-level fees (year not stated on linked page)

The International School of Brussels is an established option in a city where many internationally mobile families live and work. Its range of secondary pathways makes it particularly important to ask which qualification and subject combination a specific pupil would pursue. Do not assume an IB option means that every student follows the Diploma; discuss learning support, languages and graduation plans with admissions.

The school's public tuition page lists €22,995 for preschool and €51,105 for Grades 10–12, with intervening grades priced differently. The page does not clearly label the academic year, so these are only indicative figures until the school confirms the schedule. An application charge and optional services may add to the bill. For families working across Brussels, the real school-run route and after-school arrangements deserve as much attention as the published academic offer.

Ireland: Nord Anglia International School Dublin

IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes

Approximately €16,561–€25,296 annual tuition (2026–27)

Nord Anglia International School Dublin offers an IB continuum in the Leopardstown area. It is worth considering for families who want a recognisable international curriculum while living in an English-speaking country. Ask how pupils are supported when they arrive from a different school system, and how the school balances academic demands with settling into a new city.

The 2026–27 fee schedule lists €16,561 for the youngest early-years groups and €25,296 for Grades 11–12. A one-time enrolment fee is payable when a place is accepted, with half of it deducted from the first tuition invoice. Discuss any support, transport or activity costs before committing. Dublin housing choices should be tested against the journey to the actual campus, not just the distance between neighbourhoods on a map.

Denmark: Copenhagen International School

IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes

Approximately DKK 155,000–215,000 annual tuition (2026–27)

Copenhagen International School provides an IB route from the early years through the Diploma. The school's published material gives a clear starting point for a family comparing Danish living costs with tuition. Ask how a child moving into an IB middle or senior year will be placed and what opportunities they will have to learn Danish while studying in an international setting.

For 2026–27, the school's fee document lists DKK 155,000 for kindergarten through Grade 5, DKK 178,000 for Grades 6–10 and DKK 215,000 for Grades 11–12; pre-kindergarten is DKK 194,000. Application, registration, lunch, activities and some support can be extra. The range is kept in Danish kroner to avoid a misleading exchange-rate conversion. Confirm whether any local subsidies apply to your circumstances rather than assuming eligibility.

Germany: BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School

IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes

Approximately €15,300–€25,100 standard published annual fees (2026–27)

BBIS offers an IB continuum just outside Berlin, in Kleinmachnow. Families relocating for work in the capital should not overlook the address: depending on where you live, the school run may cross a substantial part of the metropolitan area. Ask how the school supports pupils arriving from another curriculum and what German-language learning is available alongside IB study.

Its 2026–27 schedule shows €15,300 for younger early education and up to €25,100 for Grade 12 under the standard figures. For some grades, the school publishes a means-related fee reduction framework, so the amount payable may differ from those headline levels. A registration fee, bus, meals, trips and IB examination fees may be separate. Discuss both eligibility and the complete annual bill with admissions rather than treating the maximum as a universal charge.

What to check before you apply

First, ask for a grade-placement conversation using your child's actual transcripts, age and language history. 'Year 7' and 'Grade 7' are not interchangeable labels everywhere. For an older pupil, find out whether their current subjects can continue into the new school's examinations and whether a mid-course transfer is realistically possible.

Second, ask for a written first-year cost and a typical following-year cost. Include application and entry fees, refundable deposits, buses, meals, devices, learning support, examination charges, activities and possible annual increases. If an employer contributes, clarify which fees it will reimburse. Check withdrawal notice periods too: an international move can change suddenly.

Third, visit the school or arrange a live conversation. Ask about safeguarding, wellbeing, class size, specialist learning support and communication with families. Speak to your child about the campus and their interests. A celebrated programme is little use if its daily environment does not help them belong. Then test the commute from a realistic home address in the direction you would actually travel.

Make the shortlist your own

Start with curriculum continuity, a realistic budget and a school-run route. Use this shortlist to narrow the questions, not to outsource the decision: schools can change fees, admissions rules and available places between publication and application. Each school's linked schedule is the first place to check, followed by a direct admissions conversation.

Moving within the EU? EU guidance explains school enrolment rights and the possibility that certificates may need recognition. It covers public-system rights for EU citizens, not admission to the private international schools above. Families moving from outside the EU should check their own residence and education arrangements with the relevant national authorities.