Good to know
Good to Know
- NOVA International School and QSI International School of Skopje are the two most established full K-12 options (IB and American-curriculum respectively); the other listed schools are smaller and have far less transparent, publicly-posted pricing — always confirm current rates directly with the school.
- Most of these schools bill tuition in euros even though the official local currency is the Macedonian denar (MKD); the denar has long traded in a stable, informal peg near 61.5 MKD per €1, so euro-denominated tuition is effectively stable in denar terms too.
- At NOVA, North Macedonian citizens pay a lower 'Reduced Tuition' tier than international/foreign citizens — worth asking about if your child holds or is eligible for local citizenship.
- Tuition is usually just the starting cost — factor in one-time enrollment/application/capital fees (sometimes several thousand euros) as well as optional bus and lunch fees.
- Apply to Skopje's international schools well before your move — 6-12 months ahead is safest, especially for NOVA and QSI, since class sizes are small and popular grades can fill up.
- Expect to pay a non-refundable registration/application fee at the time of applying, separate from tuition.
- Homeschooling is not a legal option in North Macedonia — compulsory school attendance is required by law, so plan on enrolling your child in a local or international school rather than homeschooling during an extended stay.
- Gather previous school transcripts and immunization records before applying — schools request these as standard parts of the application packet.
Schools And Curricula
NOVA International School Skopje
- Area
- Residential neighborhood near city center (Ljubljanska / Prashka area)
- Curriculum
- International Baccalaureate World Continuum school (PYP, MYP, DP) combined with an American-style, college-preparatory program; accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA-CESS) and the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia.
- Grades Offered
- Pre-kindergarten (age 3) through Grade 12
- Tuition Notes
- NOVA uses a two-tier model: 'Regular Tuition' for international/foreign citizens and a lower 'Reduced Tuition' for North Macedonian citizens; the reduced-tier amount is not publicly published.
Additional Fees
Enrollment fee (grades 1-12)
- Enrollment Fee (Grades 1 12)
- MKD 27,675
Capital fee (grades 1-12)
- Capital Fee (Grades 1 12)
- MKD 184,500
Application fee
- Application Fee
- MKD 6,150
Non-refundable deposit (deducted from tuition)
- Non Refundable Deposit (Deducted From Tuition)
- MKD 61,500
Tuition 2023 2024 Regular
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 264,450
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 787,200
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 805,650
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 861,000
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 864,075
QSI International School of Skopje (QSIS)
- Area
- Skopje (part of the global Quality Schools International, QSI, network)
- Curriculum
- American-style, college-preparatory, English-language, outcomes-based/mastery-learning curriculum; accredited K-12 by the Middle States Association and by the Macedonian Ministry of Education; testing center for SAT/AP/PSAT and IGCSE.
- Grades Offered
- Preschool through Grade 12
Additional Fees
Annual capital fund fee (K-12)
- Annual Capital Fund Fee (K 12)
- MKD 430,400
Registration fee
- Registration Fee
- MKD 16,140
Bus transportation (per year)
- Bus Transportation (Per Year)
- MKD 121,050
Catered lunch (per school day)
- Catered Lunch (Per School Day)
- MKD 269
Tuition 2023 2024
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 161,400
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 231,340
per year
- Per Year
- MKD 914,600
International Balkan University High School (IBU)
- Area
- Makedonsko-Kosovska Brigada, Skopje (IBU campus)
- Curriculum
- English-language high school program run alongside International Balkan University, oriented toward university-preparation; not IB/American-branded, but taught fully in English with access to university facilities.
- Grades Offered
- High school
- Tuition Estimate
- MKD 246,000
American School of Macedonia (ASM)
- Area
- Nikola Parapunov area, Skopje
- Curriculum
- American-style curriculum taught entirely in English in small-group classes; accredited by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation; prepares students for SAT and TOEFL, the Macedonian State Matura, and University of Cambridge ESOL exams (FCE, CAE, CPE).
- Grades Offered
- Not fully specified in available sources
Tuition Estimate
per year (low end)
- Per Year (Low End)
- MKD 236,775
per year (high end)
- Per Year (High End)
- MKD 249,075
American High School Skopje (AHSS)
- Area
- Treta Makedonska Brigada boulevard, Skopje
- Curriculum
- American-style high school program in English; described by the school as fostering critical thinking and freedom of expression.
- Grades Offered
- High school
- Tuition Notes
- Tuition not published; school states rates are available on inquiry only.
International High School (IHS) Skopje
- Area
- Gjuro Gjakovigj street, Skopje
- Curriculum
- Private high school delivering instruction in both Macedonian and English (bilingual model).
- Grades Offered
- High school
- Tuition Estimate
- MKD 135,300
British Children's Academy
- Area
- Vasil Stefanovski street, Skopje
- Curriculum
- English-language nursery/early-years program, with additional French, Italian, or German language options available.
- Grades Offered
- Nursery / early years only (not a full K-12 school)
- Tuition Estimate
- MKD 300
ÉCole Française Internationale De Skopje (EFIS)
- Area
- Nikola Parapunov area, Skopje
- Curriculum
- Follows the French National Education curriculum with bilingual French-English instruction, plus early introduction to Macedonian.
- Grades Offered
- Preschool through middle school
- Tuition Notes
- Tuition not published; school states rates are available on inquiry only.
Maarif International School Skopje
- Area
- Kiro Gligorov street, Skopje
- Curriculum
- Run by the Turkish Maarif Foundation; instruction in English, following a blended National & Oxford curriculum, with Turkish language instruction also offered.
- Grades Offered
- Kindergarten, primary, middle school, and high school
- Tuition Notes
- Specific tuition figures were not publicly available; school lists a 'Tuition and Fees' page but no amounts were found in the sources we checked — contact school directly.
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Legal Basis
- The Constitution of North Macedonia mandates free and compulsory primary and secondary education, and the Law on Primary Education requires all children aged 6 to 15 to attend school for a compulsory 9 years, with the Law on High School Education requiring attendance through age 19; there is no documented statutory exception allowing home-based instruction in place of school enrollment.
- Legal Status
- illegal
- Local Homeschool Community
- No genuine, documented homeschooling community, co-op, or support network specific to Skopje or North Macedonia was found. One general expat-guide article claims homeschooling is legal and that cooperatives/support groups exist, but this contradicts the more specific legal-status sources and the underlying compulsory-education law, so it is not treated as reliable here.
- Practical Implication For Nomad Families
- Foreign families planning an extended stay in Skopje with school-age children should plan on enrolling in a local, bilingual, or international school rather than homeschooling, given the compulsory-attendance law and lack of a documented homeschool framework or community.
- Practical Note
- Multiple homeschooling-law reference sources classify North Macedonia's homeschooling status as illegal, describing public education as mandatory without a recognized homeschooling exception.
Application Timing And Process
- Example Fee QSI
- MKD 16,216
One-time, non-refundable registration fee charged directly in USD by QSI International School of Skopje at the time of application.
- Waitlist Realities
- There is no published, standardized waitlist system across Skopje's international schools comparable to larger hubs. In practice, expect that popular grade levels (especially early primary and the IB Diploma years) at NOVA and QSI can fill up, so families are advised to apply as soon as a move to Skopje is confirmed rather than waiting until arrival. Smaller schools such as the American School of Macedonia, International High School, and the French international school appear to have more day-to-day flexibility on space, but this varies by year and grade.
- How Far In Advance To Apply
- For Skopje's main international schools (NOVA International School Skopje, QSI International School of Skopje, American School of Macedonia), realistic practice is to start the enrollment process 6-12 months before the intended start date, and ideally before/during the preceding spring for an August/September start, since the school year runs on the same late-August-to-mid-June calendar as Western international schools.
- School Year Calendar Reference
- NOVA International School's school year runs on a schedule typical of international schools in the region.
- General Process Notes
- Admission and enrollment procedures vary from school to school, and space is often limited, with some schools giving preference based on nationality mix (to keep a balanced international student body) rather than strictly first-come-first-served.
Documents Commonly Requested
- Completed school application form
- Previous school records / transcripts or report cards
- Immunization/vaccination records
- Copy of child's and parents' passports/IDs
- Proof of residence or visa/work-permit status in North Macedonia
- Non-refundable registration/application fee paid at time of application
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.