International School Admissions: From Your First Question to the First Day

Published 13 September 2026 · AI-assisted SchoolMatch Europe editorial · Sources and approach

To apply to an international school, first confirm the right year group and whether the school can consider your child. Then gather the required records, complete the application, and check the terms of any offer before you accept it.

An application is not a place. A place on a waiting list is not a start date. An offer may still have conditions. Keeping these stages separate can save a lot of confusion during a move.

This guide gives you a practical plan for Spain, Portugal, Croatia and other school searches. The process belongs to each school. There is no single deadline or document list for all international schools.

Know which stage you have reached

Use these words in your notes:

Schools may use different names. If an email says “accepted,” ask what that means in practice. Does it mean the child meets the entry rules, or that the place is now secured?

Begin with a short, useful enquiry

Give the school enough detail to answer. Include your child's age, current year group, current school system and planned start month. Name the campus if there is more than one.

Explain the languages your child uses and any school support they need. At this stage, ask how to share detailed records safely. There is no need to put private reports in a general enquiry box unless the school requires them through an appropriate process.

You can write:

We are looking for a place from [month and year]. Our child is [age] and is now in [year or grade] in the [school system]. They learn in [language] and use [other languages]. Please confirm the likely year group, whether applications are open, and the next steps for this campus. We would also like to discuss [support need] with the right member of staff.

This is more useful than “Do you have spaces?” It helps the school answer for a particular child and date.

Confirm the year group before you pay

Do not assume that Grade 5 in one system means Year 5 in another. Give the child's date of birth and recent school record. Ask the school how it uses age, past study and its own entry rules.

Get the proposed placement in writing. Ask what happens if an assessment suggests a different group. You want to understand the decision before you make plans around it.

For an older pupil, ask whether the intended course can still be joined. A school place and a place in the right subjects can be separate questions. Moving during a course may also mean that the two schools have taught topics in a different order.

Gather documents using the school's list

Start with the checklist from the school itself. The items below are things to ask about, not a universal legal requirement.

Ask before paying for a translation. A school may accept the language you already have. If a translation is needed, ask what kind. A simple translation and a certified translation are different services.

Keep a copy of what you send. Use clear file names such as “School report — Spring term — 2026.” A tidy folder makes it easier to spot a missing page and reply to a request.

Two real examples of how the steps differ

The British School of Barcelona starts with contact and a visit. Its application asks for school records and identity documents. An assessment or interview depends on the child's age. After an offer is accepted, more documents and the joining payment are needed to secure admission. Source: BSB admissions process.

CAISL accepts applications all year, subject to space. Its page asks for recent school history and explains that only complete applications are reviewed. It also says space may be needed in both the grade and any specialist programme. Its wait pool does not guarantee that a place will open. Source: CAISL application process.

Use these as examples of why you should read each school's own process. Do not treat either school's steps as the rules for all schools in Spain or Portugal.

Prepare for an assessment without turning it into a performance

Ask what the assessment is for. It may check entry requirements, help with year placement, or show the school what support a child needs. These aims are not identical.

Ask which subjects or language skills are covered, how long it takes, and whether it is online or in person. Ask whether your child needs any materials or a device.

Explain the day in plain words. You might say: “The school wants to see what you have learned and how it can help you.” Do not promise that there will be no test or that the result does not matter unless the school has said so.

Let your child answer in their own words. Practising a calm introduction is different from teaching a set of answers they think adults want to hear. Honest information helps both sides judge the fit.

If the child uses agreed help in tests at the current school, ask how to discuss that before the assessment. Do not wait until the test starts.

A waiting list needs a backup plan

Ask the school what its waiting system means. Is it ordered by date, or does the school use other rules? Has your child already met the entry requirements, or is part of the review still open?

Also ask:

• Is the application valid for this school year only?
• How will you contact us if a place opens?
• How much time would we have to reply?
• Should we send updated records later?
• Are there any fees while we wait?

Keep other suitable options open. A school may be unable to predict a departure. Avoid building a housing or travel plan around a place that has not been offered.

If siblings are applying, track each child separately. One offer does not prove that the other place is available. Ask how the school handles this situation before accepting terms you cannot use.

Joining in the middle of the year

Start with the exact month, not just “mid-year.” Ask whether the school can admit a pupil then, which course would be available, and how it plans to handle missed work.

For a younger child, ask how the teacher will learn what the child has already covered. For an older child, ask for a subject-by-subject check. Which topics, books, projects and exams will be different?

Do not assume that the same programme name means the same course order. Ask the current school to help prepare a clear record of work already completed.

Agree who will make the transition plan. It should say what needs to happen before arrival, what can wait, and when staff will review progress. A list of tasks with no named contact can be hard for a new family to use.

Read the offer as a set of actions

When an offer arrives, slow down enough to read it fully. Highlight the start date, year group, campus, conditions, acceptance deadline and required payments.

Ask whether the offer includes the support or subject choices you discussed. If the letter is silent on an essential point, ask for a written answer.

Then check the terms about withdrawal, notice and refunds. This guide cannot tell you what your agreement means. If wording has a serious cost or legal effect and is unclear, get it explained before you sign.

Keep a copy of the exact terms you accepted. Do not rely only on a web page that may change later.

Make your own timeline

This is a suggested planning order, not a set of school deadlines. If your move is close, ask admissions which tasks can happen at the same time.

Put each school in a separate row in your own tracker. Include the next action, the person responsible and the date. “Waiting” is too vague. “Waiting for the school to confirm the test date” tells you what to follow up.

Plan the first day before the last box is ticked

Ask where to arrive, who will meet your child and what to bring. Check uniform, device rules, meals, pickup and any bus details.

Ask who will be your contact in the first few weeks. If the child has a support plan, confirm that the teacher and support staff have received it.

Try to avoid a first morning full of small unknowns. A clear picture of the entrance, classroom and pickup point can make the day easier to explain at home.

Keep the decision separate from the paperwork

A quick offer can feel like relief. Still, ask whether this is a school your child can use well. The easiest application is not always the best match.

Check the learning route, language support, full cost and daily trip before making your final choice. If one of these remains unclear, follow up with the right person.

The SchoolMatch directory can help you find schools and their source pages. The school itself must confirm the place, terms and start date. Your last goal is a clear written plan for your child to arrive and begin learning.