Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most international cities, and for families arriving from abroad, one question tends to come first: where will the children go to school?
The city and neighbouring Amstelveen are home to a dense cluster of international and bilingual schools, offering everything from the International Baccalaureate in English to the full French, Japanese and Dutch-international curricula.
This guide walks through the main options; you can also browse them all, with map and contact details, in our International Schools directory.
English-language and IB schools
The largest group teaches in English, most of them offering the globally recognised International Baccalaureate (IB).
The Amsterdam International Community School (AICS) is a publicly funded option running all four IB programmes; it operates a Southeast campus in the former ING “Sandcastle” building in Zuidoost as well as its South campus in Buitenveldert.
Because it is government-subsidised, its fees sit well below the private schools.
At the private end, the International School of Amsterdam (ISA) in Amstelveen was the first school in the world to offer all IB programmes, and remains one of the most established, with close to 1,200 students from more than 60 nationalities.
Amity International School, also in Amstelveen, is a newer IB World School set in the green De Braak area.
Families who prefer an English rather than IB framework often look at The British School of Amsterdam, which follows the English National Curriculum through to IGCSE and A-Levels from its base in Oud-Zuid.
National-curriculum schools
Several schools serve specific language communities.
The Lycée Vincent van Gogh and the International French School Amsterdam both teach the French curriculum, the former as part of the state-linked AEFE network and the latter with a more bilingual, international slant.
The Japanese School of Amsterdam, founded in 1980, follows the Japanese national curriculum for the region’s Japanese families.
For parents from these communities, a national-curriculum school can make an eventual move home far smoother.
Bilingual and Dutch-international schools
A middle path has grown quickly: schools that blend Dutch with an international, English-language education.
DENISE (De Nieuwe Internationale School Esprit) in Amsterdam-West teaches in both English and Dutch and is publicly funded, making it a popular, affordable choice.
ALASCA on Zeeburgereiland pairs Dutch havo/vwo tracks with the IB Diploma for secondary students.
For younger children, Winford Bilingual Primary School near Museumplein and Amstelland International School in Amstelveen both offer bilingual primary education in small classes.
Practical notes for parents
A few things are worth knowing before you apply.
First, there is a broad split between subsidised international schools (such as AICS, DENISE and ALASCA), where fees are relatively modest because the Dutch state funds them, and fully private schools (such as ISA, Amity and the British School), where annual fees can run to tens of thousands of euros.
Some subsidised places also require that at least one parent hold a valid reason for temporary residence in the Netherlands.
Second, waiting lists are real.
The most sought-after schools can be full months ahead, so it is wise to register as early as your move allows, and to apply to more than one.
Third, consider location and commute: Amsterdam’s international schools are spread from the centre out to Amstelveen and Zuidoost, and a daily cross-city journey adds up quickly for a young child.
Every school listed here has its address, website, phone number and a map pin in our International Schools directory, so you can compare locations at a glance and reach out directly.
If your family is still weighing a move, our other guides to moving to Amsterdam cover the wider practicalities of settling in.
