Good to know
Good to Know
- Most of Dublin's international/bilingual schools sit in southern suburbs (Leopardstown, Foxrock, Clonskeagh, Kilternan, Booterstown) rather than the city centre, so proximity to your chosen school is worth weighing when picking accommodation, especially given Dublin's peak-hour traffic.
- Language-specific schools (St. Kilian's German School, the French Lycée) are meaningfully cheaper than the full IB schools because they receive partial funding from the German and French governments respectively.
- Ireland's free state school system is a genuine option many expat families use, particularly for younger children, before switching to a paid international school later if a specific overseas curriculum is needed for university abroad.
- Ireland does not offer income tax relief on primary/secondary school tuition fees, so if your employer isn't covering an education allowance, budget for the full fee out of pocket.
- Registration/enrolment fees are usually a separate one-time charge (roughly €500–€2,000 depending on the school), and most schools charge extra for uniforms, transport, camps and residential trips on top of tuition.
- If you're relocating to Dublin on a fixed timeline, start international-school applications 9-12 months ahead where possible — waitlists at popular schools like Nord Anglia Dublin can be long, especially for primary year groups.
- Schools like NAIS Dublin and ISD advertise rolling, year-round, non-selective admissions, which is genuinely useful if you're arriving on short notice — but don't assume every school works this way; selective Irish private schools prioritise siblings and past pupils.
- If your relocation package doesn't cover it, ask about the enrolment/registration deposit early — this can be a significant upfront cost at IB and other fee-paying schools.
- Kids can attend a free state school while you wait for an international-school place to open up, which is a real safety net if you arrive unexpectedly.
- Homeschooling is fully legal and constitutionally protected in Ireland, but it requires formal registration with Tusla (not just a personal decision) — don't skip this step, as unregistered home education is not legally recognised.
- If your child won't sit the Leaving Certificate, plan ahead for university admissions, since Irish and many international university entry pathways rely on it or an equivalent.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Dublin's free state school system means most international/bilingual options are a handful of dedicated private schools plus a few established language-specific schools, rather than a huge international-school market like Dubai or Singapore. Most of these campuses are located in southern Dublin suburbs (Leopardstown, Foxrock, Clonskeagh, Kilternan, Booterstown) rather than the city centre, so factor in commute time from your accommodation.
- Free Alternative
- Ireland's public primary and secondary schools are free for all residents (including work-permit holders' children), and many expat families use this route, sometimes switching to a private international school only at secondary level if a specific overseas curriculum pathway is needed.
Schools
Nord Anglia International School Dublin (NAIS Dublin)
- Ages
- 3 to 18
- Details
- Part of the global Nord Anglia Education network; the only school in Ireland accredited to deliver the full IB continuum, with collaborations tied to MIT, The Juilliard School and UNICEF.
- Location
- Leopardstown, South County Dublin
Tuition
- Early Years
- €16,000
- Diploma Programme
- €25,000
- Notes
- Fees rise by grade level; early years is cheapest, IB Diploma years are the most expensive.
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
- IB Diploma Programme (DP)
- Cambridge IGCSE
SEK Dublin (SEK International School Dublin)
- Ages
- Day and boarding students, roughly 3/12 to 18 depending on programme
- Details
- Part of the Spanish SEK Education Group; draws students from over 40 nationalities.
- Location
- Kilternan, South Dublin
Tuition
- Range
- €10,000
- Range High
- €20,000
- Notes
- Estimated annual range across sources; fees vary meaningfully by grade level.
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
- IB Diploma Programme (DP)
International School of Dublin (ISD)
- Ages
- 3 to 12
- Details
- A small, independent school offering only the IB Primary Years Programme, with smaller class sizes aimed at younger children settling into a new country.
- Location
- Dublin (suburban campus)
Tuition
- Range Low
- €8,000
- Range High
- €14,000
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
St. Kilian's Deutsche Schule Dublin (St. Kilian's German School)
- Ages
- 4 to 18
- Details
- Co-educational German/Irish school partly supported by German federal funding, which keeps fees notably lower than the IB-curriculum schools; offers bilingual German-English education from primary through Abitur.
- Location
- Clonskeagh, South Dublin
Tuition
- Range Low
- €5,000
- Range High
- €8,000
Curricula
- German national curriculum leading to the Abitur
- Irish Leaving Certificate track
Lycée Français International Samuel Beckett (Lycée Français d'Irlande / LFI)
- Ages
- 3 to 18
- Details
- The only school in Ireland offering the full French curriculum from Petite Section to Terminale, in operation for over 50 years; AEFE-linked scholarships are available for French or bi-national families.
- Location
- Foxrock, with the secondary Eurocampus programme run jointly at the St. Kilian's Clonskeagh campus
Tuition
- Range Low
- €4,500
- Range High
- €7,500
- Notes
- Fees are subsidised via the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad) network, making this one of the more affordable options; primary-level fees are lowest, with fees rising at secondary/Eurocampus level. Sources show some variation by exact grade, so treat as an approximate range.
Curricula
- French national curriculum (maternelle to Terminale)
- French Baccalauréat and Brevet (DNB)
- Irish Junior Certificate (via Eurocampus partnership with St. Kilian's from age ~12)
St Andrew's College
- Ages
- Primary through secondary (roughly 4 to 18)
- Details
- One of Dublin's most established private schools; not an international-curriculum school, but included because roughly 30% of its student body is from overseas and it runs a dedicated International Student Programme easing the transition for children arriving from abroad.
- Location
- Booterstown, South Dublin
Tuition
- Notes
- Precise current tuition figures were not published in the sources reviewed; families should contact the school directly for fees.
Curricula
- Irish curriculum (Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate)
Homeschooling
- Process
- Parents submit an application form (the R1 form) to AEARS along with a certified copy of the child's birth certificate and written consent of all legal guardians; a separate application is required per child. An AEARS assessor then typically arranges a preliminary assessment — commonly an interview, often at the family's home — to determine whether the child is receiving a 'certain minimum education' covering intellectual, moral, social and physical development; if the assessor is unsure, a more comprehensive assessment/observation follows. Home education can begin once Tusla confirms the application is complete and registration is granted.
- Legal Basis
- Home education is a constitutional right in Ireland under Article 42 of the Constitution, which recognises the family as the primary and natural educator of the child, and the practical registration mechanism is set out in Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Exams And Progression
- Homeschooled children can sit the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate as external candidates through the State Examinations Commission, but if a child does not sit state exams their options for university entry in Ireland become more limited.
- Curriculum Flexibility
- Ireland does not require home-educating families to follow the national curriculum; parents can choose any curriculum, including international programmes, as long as the child meets the broad 'certain minimum education' standard.
- Registration Requirement
- Parents/guardians who want to educate a child at home must register the child with Tusla (the Child and Family Agency) via its Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS); registration is a legal obligation, not automatic, and the onus is on the parent to apply. This applies to children who have reached age 6 and are not yet 16 (or are 16-18 and have not completed three years of post-primary education).
Local Community
- Name
- Home Education Network (HEN Ireland)
- Source Basis
- Confirmed via HEN Ireland's own website (henireland.org) and corroborated by Ireland's official Citizens Information portal, which independently names HEN as the recognised support and advocacy group for home educators.
- Description
- HEN Ireland is a genuine, nationwide support and advocacy organisation for home-educating families, providing guidance on the Tusla/AEARS registration process, organising local meetups and activities, and connecting families around the country, including in the Dublin area.
International And Bilingual School Admissions
- Overview
- Dublin's international/bilingual school sector is small compared to larger expat hubs (a handful of dedicated schools such as Nord Anglia International School Dublin, SEK Dublin, the International School of Dublin (ISD), Lycée Français d'Irlande, and St Kilian's German School, plus IB-offering Irish private schools like St. Andrew's College), and demand has risen in recent years.
- Fallback Option
- Because state schools are free and open to any child regardless of visa status, families who move to Dublin unexpectedly can enrol a child in a local state school while they wait for an international-school place to open up.
- Waitlist Reality
- Waiting lists are real and most pronounced at established, popular schools (Nord Anglia Dublin is frequently cited as running waitlists, particularly for primary year groups) and at selective Irish private schools, which tend to prioritise siblings and past pupils' children over new applicants. Some schools, notably NAIS Dublin and ISD, describe themselves as non-selective with rolling, year-round enrolment, which gives more flexibility for families arriving unexpectedly, though desirable year groups can still fill.
- Assessment And Interview
- Many schools use an informal admissions interview, school tour, or 'pilot' school morning for young children and first-time enrollees; formal entrance assessments (English, maths, reasoning) and interviews are more common at secondary level, and IB schools may assess suitability for the Middle Years or Diploma Programme based on prior academic record.
- Priority Criteria Example
- At Lycée Français International Samuel Beckett (LFI), when a class is over-subscribed, applicants go on a waiting list ranked by priority: siblings of current students first, then students from French-speaking families or an AEFE/French-school background, then children of LFI staff and French diplomatic personnel, with remaining places ranked by application date.
Application Timing
- School Year
- The Irish school year runs September to June.
- Admissions Windows
- Most international schools open admissions in the autumn of the preceding year with deadlines falling between January and March, and hold open days between October and January, though several (e.g. NAIS Dublin, ISD, SEK when capacity allows) run rolling, year-round admissions that can accommodate families relocating mid-year at short notice.
- Recommended Lead Time
- Apply as early as possible, ideally 9 to 12 months before the intended start date; for popular schools such as SEK, NAISD and St. Andrew's, 6 to 12 months ahead is the practical minimum.
Required Documents
- Completed application/pre-enrolment form (often one per child), typically with a registration fee
- Two years of prior academic reports/transcripts
- A reference from the child's current school
- Certified proof of the child's age (birth certificate) and, at some schools (e.g. Lycée Français), proof of specific age cut-offs for entry into given year groups
- Proof of the family's legal right to reside in Ireland (e.g. work permit, employer letter, visa/immigration status) for non-EU families
- For non-native English speakers, disclosure of language-learning needs; some schools require English proficiency assessment
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.