Good to know
Good to Know
- ISK is generally regarded as the most established and academically prestigious option and sits at the top of the local fee range, while schools like Da Vinci's and Embassy are positioned as lower- to mid-market alternatives.
- Several schools (Open Future, CIS, Wawel, the International Trilingual School, and sometimes ISK on third-party directories) do not publish full fee schedules online — get a direct, current quote from the school's admissions office rather than relying on aggregator sites.
- Budget beyond tuition: registration fees, enrolment deposits, lunch, transport and exam fees are usually charged separately and can add a meaningful amount per year.
- Many multinational employers in Kraków include a schooling allowance in relocation packages, and school fees paid by an employer can sometimes be structured tax-efficiently in Poland — worth checking with your employer/HR.
- Places at the more established schools (especially ISK and BISC) can fill up well in advance, so apply early if you're planning a move.
- Apply to Kraków's established international schools as early as possible — ideally before relocating — since waiting lists for popular year groups are commonly reported to fill 12-18 months in advance.
- If you arrive without a confirmed international school place, budget for the possibility of several months in temporary schooling arrangements while a seat opens up.
- Placement/English-math testing is standard at international schools regardless of a child's prior curriculum, so gather school records and a completed medical form well ahead of applying.
- Homeschooling in Poland is a genuinely legal, mainstream route (not a grey area), but it works through formal enrollment with a Polish school whose director grants written permission — you cannot simply 'declare' homeschooling independently of a school.
- A 2021 legal reform removed the old requirement to homeschool through a school in your own region, so families in Kraków can choose any homeschool-friendly school in Poland, which widens options considerably for foreign families.
- If pursuing homeschooling, look specifically for schools with an established 'edukacja domowa' program (several exist in and around Kraków) rather than a generic local school, since support, exam scheduling, and community/co-op activities vary a lot between schools.
Schools And Curricula
International School of Kraków (ISK)
- Ages
- PreK (Early Years) to Grade 12
- Accreditation
- Not-for-profit, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), authorized by the IB, supported by the U.S. Department of State's Office of Overseas Schools, and a member of the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA).
- Tuition Note
- One source citing 2025/2026-era figures put IB Diploma-year fees in the PLN 75,000–90,000 per year range, broadly consistent with the school's own published Grades 0–12 figure; a monthly instalment plan (9 payments, 10% surcharge) is also offered.
- Location Note
- Lusina campus, southern Kraków
- Curriculum Notes
- International School of Kraków is a not-for-profit PreK–12 international school offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and a certified American high school diploma. In Grades 11–12, students may pursue the IB Diploma Programme or the American High School Diploma, with the option to take IB courses for certificates.
Tuition
- Annual Early Years
- PLN 45,683
- Annual Grades 0 To 12
- PLN 74,868
- Registration Fee Early Years
- PLN 2,500
- Registration Fee Grades 0 To 12
- PLN 6,350
Curricula
- International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP)
- American curriculum (AERO standards, Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards) leading to a certified American High School Diploma
British International School of Cracow (BISC)
- Ages
- 3 to 18/19
- Accreditation
- Accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organisation, Cambridge International, COBIS and AQA; the school has been an IB World School since 2006 and has about 30 years of history delivering British education.
- Location Note
- Central Kraków
- Curriculum Notes
- Foundation Stage follows British Early Years Foundation Stage, with English National Curriculum guiding Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Secondary, Cambridge IGCSE, and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
Tuition
- Registration Fee
- PLN 3,000
- Note
- Published for the 2025/2026 academic year as monthly instalments (September–June); exact per-grade monthly amounts were not fully retrievable, but the school is generally described as sitting in the mid-range of Kraków's international school market, below ISK's fee level.
Curricula
- English National Curriculum / EYFS
- Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Secondary, Cambridge IGCSE
- International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP)
Open Future International School
- Ages
- 3 to 18
- Accreditation
- First school in the Lesser Poland (Małopolska) region to gain PYP authorization; IB World School (DP authorization code 050654) since June 2, 2023.
- Location Note
- Kraków (day school)
- Curriculum Notes
- It offers the International Baccalaureate continuum—PYP in the early years and primary grades, followed by MYP and DP—alongside a bespoke curriculum, with bilingual English/Polish instruction.
Tuition
- Note
- Exact tuition figures were not publicly listed in the sources checked; families should request current fee schedules directly from the school.
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) — candidate
- IB Diploma Programme (DP) — authorized since June 2023
- Polish national core curriculum
Cracow International School (CIS)
- Ages
- 2.5 to 18
- Accreditation
- Cambridge International Examination Center (PL027).
- Location Note
- Two campuses: Olsza and Błonia (central Kraków)
- Curriculum Notes
- Offering a bilingual education that skilfully integrates the Cambridge International Programme with the Polish national curriculum in small classes of no more than 20 students, preparing students for both international qualifications and the Polish Matura.
Tuition
- Note
- Specific tuition figures were not found in the sources reviewed; contact the school directly for current fees.
Curricula
- Cambridge International Programme (Cambridge Primary, Lower Secondary, A Levels)
- Polish national curriculum, including preparation for the Polish Matura
Da Vinci's International Schools (DVIS)
- Ages
- 2 to 18
- Location Note
- Near the Mogilskie Roundabout, Kraków
- Curriculum Notes
- DVIS combines the Polish curriculum with the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework, equipping students with strong language skills, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding.
Tuition
- Note
- Described by one review source as being at the lower end of Kraków's international-school fee range; exact published figures were not found.
Curricula
- Polish national curriculum
- IB Primary Years Programme (Candidate), Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme (with Pre-IB preparation)
Embassy International School Kraków
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Location Note
- Kraków city centre
- Curriculum Notes
- Embassy International School delivers a British curriculum in the heart of Kraków city centre with a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:8, emphasising inquiry-based learning through the International Primary Curriculum.
Tuition
- Note
- Positioned as a mid-market option; specific published fee figures were not found in the sources reviewed.
Curricula
- International Primary Curriculum
- English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels
- Polish National Curriculum
Wawel International School
- Ages
- 3 to 14 (expanding)
- Location Note
- Central Kraków
- Curriculum Notes
- Wawel International School is a private bilingual school for ages 3 to 14, delivering the Cambridge Programme alongside a bespoke curriculum, with all activities taught in English except Polish language, history and geography.
Tuition
- Note
- Fees not publicly listed in the sources checked.
Curricula
- Cambridge Programme
- Bespoke/international curriculum, English-medium with Polish language, history and geography taught in Polish
International Trilingual School of Cracow
- Ages
- Nursery to primary
- Location Note
- Kraków (nursery, preschool, primary)
- Curriculum Notes
- International Trilingual School of Cracow is a unique trilingual nursery, preschool and primary school in Cracow with full immersion in English, French and Polish.
Tuition
- Note
- This school does not make its fees public, per the review directory checked.
Curricula
- Trilingual immersion program: English, French and Polish
Typical Additional Costs
- Description
- Costs commonly charged on top of tuition across Kraków's international schools
Items
Registration/application Fee
Range
- Amount USD Low
- 132
- Currency Local
- PLN
- Amount USD High
- 396
- Amount Local Low
- 500
- Amount Local High
- 1500
Enrolment Deposit
Range
- Amount USD Low
- 1320
- Currency Local
- PLN
- Amount USD High
- 3960
- Amount Local Low
- 5000
- Amount Local High
- 15000
Capital Levy / Development Fee (Some Schools)
Range
- Amount USD Low
- 1320
- Currency Local
- PLN
- Amount USD High
- 5280
- Amount Local Low
- 5000
- Amount Local High
- 20000
School Lunch (Annual)
Range
- Amount USD Low
- 1584
- Currency Local
- PLN
- Amount USD High
- 2640
- Amount Local Low
- 6000
- Amount Local High
- 10000
Transport (Annual)
Range
- Amount USD Low
- 1320
- Currency Local
- PLN
- Amount USD High
- 3168
- Amount Local Low
- 5000
- Amount Local High
- 12000
IB Exam Fees per Subject Group (Diploma Years)
Range
- Amount USD Low
- 792
- Currency Local
- PLN
- Amount USD High
- 1320
- Amount Local Low
- 3000
- Amount Local High
- 5000
Homeschooling
- How It Works
- A child must first be formally enrolled in a Polish public or non-public school; that school's director issues an administrative decision (zezwolenie) permitting the child to be taught outside school. Parents submit a written declaration that they will provide adequate learning conditions and that the child will sit annual classification exams (egzamin klasyfikacyjny) administered by the enrolling school; passing these exams promotes the child to the next grade, while day-to-day teaching content and pace are left to the family.
- 2021 Reform Relevant To Foreign Families
- A reform in force from 1 July 2021 simplified the process significantly: there is no longer any requirement for an opinion from a psychological-pedagogical counselling centre, and the old rule limiting families to a school in their home voivodeship was abolished, so a family anywhere in Poland — including Kraków — can choose any homeschool-friendly ('umbrella') school nationwide.
- Prevalence Context
- As of the most recent commonly-cited Ministry of Education figures, there are roughly 14,000 homeschoolers in Poland, a small fraction (around 0.3%) of the total student population, and only a small number of these are foreign-origin families.
- Legal Status Description
- Home education (edukacja domowa) is explicitly legal nationwide in Poland. It is governed by Article 37 of the 2016 Prawo oświatowe (Education Law Act), which allows parents to apply for permission to have a child fulfil compulsory kindergarten, school, or education duty outside of a school setting.
- Practical Note For Foreign Families
- Because the child must be enrolled with a specific Polish school that supports edukacja domowa before the director can grant permission, foreign families intending to homeschool in Kraków should identify and contact a homeschool-friendly school first, rather than assuming any local school will accommodate the arrangement.
Krakow Specific Community And Co Op Evidence
- Fundacja Edukacji Domowej (Foundation for Home Education), one of Poland's primary home-education advocacy and support organizations offering application document templates, legal advice, and a directory of homeschool-friendly schools, is headquartered in Kraków, at ul. Szlak 20/7.
- Centrum Nauczania Domowego (Home Teaching Centre), a Kraków-based organization, is cited by local Kraków parenting media as a point of contact for home-education support in the city, and describes its 'command centre' as being in Kraków while working with partner schools nationwide.
- At least one Kraków school running a home-education program (Liceum Montessori, part of the Ziarnko Maku school group) organizes a structured biweekly in-person co-op-style group for homeschooled secondary students, meeting every other Thursday during the school year at its Kraków campus on ul. Pawlickiego.
- A Kraków Montessori primary school (Aktywna Mała Szkoła) also describes actively supporting home-education families with shared resources and mixed-age group learning sessions for enrolled homeschoolers.
International And Bilingual School Enrollment
- Waitlist Reality
- Waitlists are managed on a rolling, first-come-first-served basis once a school's official priority categories (e.g. at International School of Krakow, dependents of certain sponsoring organizations get priority) are satisfied. At ISK specifically, all students already enrolled as of the end of the previous school year are automatically re-enrolled for the following year, so new-applicant openings depend heavily on attrition; new applicants are then considered strictly in the order their application was received.
- How Far In Advance To Apply
- Realistic planning window is well over a year for the most established schools. According to a 2026 local relocation guide, international school waiting lists in Krakow fill 12-18 months out, and popular year groups at the two most established international schools fill months in advance. Multiple sources advise applying before actually relocating, since both major international schools accept applications from families still abroad.
- Risk Of Arriving Without A Placement
- Local guidance warns against assuming a place will be available on arrival — families that arrive without a confirmed school place may face several months of temporary provision while a permanent seat opens up.
- Cost Context Note
- Pricing is included here only as market context for planning, not as a regulated fee schedule.
- Employer Allowance Note
- Many multinational employers in Kraków's shared-services-center sector include an education allowance in relocation packages, which can offset the tuition ranges above.
Documents Typically Required
- Completed application form
- Records/transcripts from the child's previous school
- Health/medical information form completed by a qualified physician
- Payment of application and enrollment fees
Indicative Annual Tuition Ranges
- Segment
- Established international schools (e.g. British-curriculum school in central Kraków)
- Amount Local Low
- PLN 40,000
- Amount Local High
- PLN 75,000
- Segment
- Bilingual private Polish schools with significant English instruction
- Amount Local Low
- PLN 12,000
- Amount Local High
- PLN 35,000
Citywide average across compared international schools
Typical Application And Admission Steps
- Contact the school and schedule a campus visit (in person or virtual) to assess fit.
- Submit a complete online application with previous school records and a medical/health form completed by a physician.
- Placement testing — many schools require English and math placement tests, and some use MAP testing depending on the child's age.
- Admissions review and decision by the school's professional admissions staff.
- Finalize enrollment by paying required fees once accepted.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.