Good to know
Good to Know
- Warsaw splits its English-medium schooling into four broad tracks — full British curriculum, American curriculum, IB World Schools, and bilingual Polish-English schools — so it's worth deciding on target university destination (UK, US, or international) before shortlisting.
- Most one-time registration/capital fees run separately from tuition, typically PLN 800-6,000 depending on the school; always ask what's included (lunches, transport, uniforms are frequently billed separately).
- Bilingual Polish-English schools are meaningfully cheaper than the flagship British/American/IB campuses and are the better fit if you expect to stay in Poland long-term, since they build genuine Polish-language fluency alongside English instruction.
- Top schools (ASW, The British School Warsaw, IAS) run waiting lists for Reception/Year 1 and Year 7/Grade 6 entry — apply 6-12 months ahead of a September start if possible.
- The flagship American and British campuses (ASW, The British School Warsaw) are located in the southern suburbs (Konstancin-Jeziorna, Sadyba), so factor in a 25-40 minute commute if you're not based nearby; several IB and bilingual options sit more centrally in Mokotów and Wilanów.
- Reception/Year 1 and Year 7 are the tightest entry points at Warsaw's popular international schools — apply 8–12 months ahead if you want real choice.
- Don't wait for your PESEL number or residence registration to be finalized before applying to schools — most accept a pending/provisional status, and waiting can cost you a year-group place.
- Public Polish schools are free for foreign children with valid (or pending) residence and come with extra government-funded Polish lessons — a genuinely viable, low-cost option worth comparing against international-school fees.
- If you plan to homeschool, remember your child must still be formally enrolled at a Polish school that agrees to grant permission (zezwolenie) — it isn't a fully independent, off-the-books process.
- Since July 2021, Poland's homeschooling process no longer requires a psychological-pedagogical counselling opinion, which simplified applications considerably from the older process some foreign guides still describe.
- Warsaw-specific homeschooling community infrastructure is thin compared to the national homeschool movement — most support comes from nationwide foundations or informal Facebook groups rather than a large local network.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Warsaw's English-medium school market splits into four broad groups: full British-curriculum schools (EYFS through A-Levels), American-curriculum schools with IB and/or AP options, IB World Schools running the PYP/MYP/DP continuum, and bilingual Polish-English (or trilingual) schools that follow the Polish state core curriculum alongside English-medium instruction.
- General Fee Context
- Across Warsaw's international/bilingual sector, typical annual tuition runs roughly PLN 25,000-90,000 depending on age and school tier: nursery/early years around PLN 25,000-55,000, primary around PLN 35,000-70,000, and secondary around PLN 45,000-90,000. Bilingual Polish-English schools with a strong Polish curricular base sit at the lower end and are the most cost-effective option for families planning a long-term stay, while premium British- and American-curriculum campuses sit at the top.
Schools
American School of Warsaw (ASW)
- Location
- Konstancin-Jeziorna (southern suburbs)
- Notes
- The largest and longest-running American curriculum school in Poland; not-for-profit, PK-12.
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 35,000
- High
- PLN 72,000
- Range Note
- Annual tuition, varies by grade/programme
Curricula
- American
- IB (PYP, MYP, DP)
The British School Warsaw (Nord Anglia)
- Location
- Two campuses: Early Years in Mokotów, Primary/Secondary in Sadyba
- Notes
- Founded 1992, part of the Nord Anglia network; over 800 students from 50+ nationalities.
Tuition
- Range Note
- Exact published fee schedule not publicly itemised online at time of research; broadly falls within Warsaw's premium-school band
Curricula
- British (EYFS, IPC, National Curriculum)
- Cambridge IGCSE
- Cambridge A Levels
- IB Diploma Programme
Thames British School Warsaw
- Location
- Multiple campuses: Włochy, Ochota, Mokotów Primary, Mokotów High
- Notes
- Part of the Dukes Education family.
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 44,000
- High
- PLN 85,500
- Range Note
- Annual tuition, varies by campus/grade
Curricula
- Cambridge Primary/Secondary
- Cambridge IGCSE
- Cambridge AS/A Levels
- IB Diploma Programme
International American School Warsaw (IAS)
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- Founded 1989; triple-accredited by IBO, Cognia, and the Polish Ministry of Education; the only Warsaw school offering all three diploma pathways side by side.
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 62,000
- High
- PLN 92,000
- Range Note
- Annual tuition, 2026/2027
Curricula
- IB
- American High School Diploma
- Polish Matura
Lycée Français De Varsovie René Goscinny
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- French international school, ages 2 to 18.
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 38,546
- High
- PLN 50,894
- Range Note
- Annual tuition, 2025/2026
Curricula
- French national curriculum
The International School Warsaw
- Location
- Two campuses near Kabacki Forest (Działkowa St. for grades 0-3, Jagielska St. for grades 4-8)
- Notes
- Bilingual day school for ages 5-14; awards a double primary diploma recognized in Poland, the USA and Canada.
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 30,250
- High
- PLN 64,500
- Range Note
- Annual tuition, varies by grade
Curricula
- Canadian programme
- Polish core curriculum (bilingual)
Polish British Academy of Warsaw (PBAW)
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- Non-public primary school and reception, ages 5-14; member of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS).
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 44,203
- Range Note
- First year of enrolment including one-time fees, for a 5-year-old, 2025/2026
Curricula
- British curriculum
- Polish curriculum (bilingual)
International Trilingual School of Warsaw
- Location
- Two campuses: Karowa and Styki
- Notes
- Opened 2001; delivers trilingual education in English, Polish and a third language (Spanish, French, Chinese, or Japanese) from nursery through grade 8.
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 40,000
- High
- PLN 65,000
- Range Note
- Approximate annual fee band
Curricula
- American Common Core
- British National Curriculum
- Finnish curriculum
- French curriculum
- Polish core curriculum
- IB (PYP, MYP)
International European School Warsaw (IES)
- Location
- ul. Wiertnicza 140, Warsaw
- Notes
- Serves preschool through high school, ages 3-18.
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 47,250
- High
- PLN 61,950
- Range Note
- Annual tuition by year group (Kindergarten to Grade 3); one-time registration fee of PLN 5,250 also applies
Curricula
- Accredited European School (AES) framework
- bilingual English-Polish
Akademeia High School
- Location
- Warsaw area
- Notes
- Academically-selective private day and boarding high school with a strong Oxbridge/Ivy League placement track.
Tuition
- Range Note
- Fee schedule not itemised in sources reviewed; boarding fees are separate and all-inclusive
Curricula
- British curriculum: IGCSE, A Level
Canadian School of Warsaw (CSW)
- Location
- Three campuses in Mokotów district
- Notes
- Preschool, Elementary and Middle School community combining Polish and IB programmes.
Tuition
- Range Note
- Fees not publicly disclosed in sources reviewed
Curricula
- Polish curriculum
- International Baccalaureate
Monnet International School
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- One of the few Warsaw schools offering the full IB continuum from kindergarten through Baccalaureate.
Tuition
- Range Note
- Fees not publicly disclosed in sources reviewed
Curricula
- IB (all levels, kindergarten to Diploma)
British Primary School of Wilanow (BPSW)
- Location
- Wilanów district
- Notes
- Preschool and Primary School for ages 3-14 (Nursery-Year 9); accredited COBIS member and Cambridge Assessment provider, part of International Schools Partnership (ISP).
Tuition
- Range Note
- Fees not publicly disclosed in sources reviewed
Curricula
- English National Curriculum
British International School
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- High school specialising in upper-secondary GCSE/A-Level qualifications.
Tuition
- Range Note
- Fees not publicly disclosed in sources reviewed
Curricula
- IGCSE
- A Level
TE Vizja Warsaw
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- Accredited UCAS, Cambridge International, Edexcel (Pearson) and AQA exam centre for GCE A Levels; also runs an SAT/ACT prep course for US-bound applicants.
Tuition
- Range Note
- Fees not publicly disclosed in sources reviewed
Curricula
- Bilingual, internationally recognised programmes
Multischool International School
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- Bilingual Polish-English school for ages 6-14; English classes taught by native-speaking teachers from English-speaking countries.
Tuition
- Range Note
- Fees not publicly disclosed in sources reviewed
Curricula
- British
- Polish (bilingual)
Vancouver School (Niepubliczna Polsko-Angielska Szkoła Podstawowa)
- Location
- Warsaw
- Notes
- Bilingual primary school; tuition covers the Polish core curriculum, English-medium content, afternoon care until 18:00, and support services (psychologist, speech therapy).
Tuition
- Low
- PLN 37,500
- Range Note
- Annual tuition, grades 7-8
Curricula
- Polish core curriculum
- English (bilingual)
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Caveat
- We could not confirm a large, formally organized homeschool co-op or umbrella-school network specifically headquartered in Warsaw beyond the micro-school noted above; most structured support in Poland is organized by voivodeship (province) or nationally rather than by city.
- Legal Basis
- Home education (edukacja domowa) is explicitly permitted under Poland's Education Law (Prawo oświatowe, Article 37); a child fulfils compulsory education from home rather than in a classroom under a formal permission (zezwolenie) issued by a school principal.
- How It Works
- The child must be formally enrolled in a Polish school (public or non-public), and it is that school's principal who issues the administrative decision permitting learning outside school. Parents submit declarations that they will provide suitable learning conditions and that the child will sit annual exams; each year the child takes classification exams (egzamin klasyfikacyjny) in the school's national-curriculum subjects, and passing promotes them to the next grade.
- Legal Status
- legal
- Warsaw Specific Community
- We found one genuinely Warsaw-based, documented option rather than a generic regional claim: LAB Learning and Being is a Warsaw micro-school/learning space explicitly built for homeschooling families who also want their children to socialise, offering extra classes (music, chess, languages) open to homeschooled children alongside its own small-group program. Beyond this, support for homeschoolers in Warsaw is mostly nationwide rather than city-specific — organisations such as Fundacja Edukacji Domowej and Stowarzyszenie Edukacji w Rodzinie operate at the national level, and families otherwise connect through Facebook groups searchable under 'edukacja domowa'.
- Scale And Foreign Families
- Nationally, Ministry of Education data (from 2018) counted around fourteen thousand homeschoolers, about 0.3% of all students, and only a small share of that group were of foreign origin.
- 2021 Reform Note
- A reform in force from 1 July 2021 simplified the process: there is no longer a 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 parents can choose any homeschool-friendly school anywhere in Poland.
International Bilingual School Enrollment
- Overview
- Warsaw's international school market has tightened as the city's expat population has grown, and applying is more competitive than many relocating families expect, particularly for popular entry years.
Typical Costs
Capital Fee
- Max
- PLN 10,000
- Min
- PLN 0.00
- Note
- one-off building/capital levy at some schools; less common in Warsaw than in cities like Geneva or Doha
Annual Extras
- Max
- PLN 18,000
- Min
- PLN 8,000
- Note
- uniform, bus, lunch, trips per year
Annual Tuition
- Max
- PLN 110,000
- Min
- PLN 35,000
- Note
- per academic year; varies by school tier and year group
One Off Enrollment Fee
- Max
- PLN 10,000
- Min
- PLN 2,500
- Note
- one-time, non-refundable in most cases; sources vary slightly on the exact range (roughly PLN 2,500–10,000 depending on school)
Practical Tips
- Apply to two or three schools in parallel and only pay deposits once your first-choice offer is firm.
- Ask each school what proportion of the cohort turns over year-on-year — Warsaw's expat turnover is real and shapes classroom continuity.
- If a relocation package covers education costs, confirm in writing whether it covers the enrolment fee and transport, not just tuition, before shortlisting schools.
- Public Polish schools are a free, valid alternative: enrollment is free for foreign children with valid or pending residence, and schools provide extra free Polish-language lessons for non-native speakers.
- A residence card that hasn't been printed yet should not block enrollment — a pending application receipt or visa is generally accepted as proof of legal stay.
Required Documents
- Completed application form plus a non-refundable enrollment/registration fee to activate the file (and waitlist place, where applicable)
- School reports/transcripts from the last two years of study; non-English/non-Polish documents generally need certified (sworn) translation
- A teacher reference
- Passport copies and ID photos for the child
- Birth certificate, often required with apostille and certified translation for the full residence/registration process
- PESEL number (Polish personal ID) and proof of address (zameldowanie) or rental contract — most schools accept provisional/pending registration so paperwork delays don't need to hold up the school application itself
Waitlist Mechanics
- How It Works
- Warsaw's most popular international schools operate waiting lists, particularly for entry at Reception/Year 1 and at Year 7/Grade 6.
- Example Policy 1
- At one large American-curriculum school, the waiting list is activated only once the enrollment fee is paid; the school operates on a merit basis and the fee is reimbursed if the school cannot offer a place within two months.
- Example Policy 2
- At another major school, students are placed on the waiting list by priority group as defined in the admissions policy, and within each group by date of application; admission decisions for August enrolment are taken in set rounds starting from April each year.
- Practical Note
- Deposits are sometimes applied as a credit against first-year tuition rather than being separate — always get this in writing before signing an enrolment contract.
Application Timeline
- General Window
- The admission timeline typically runs from October to March for the following September intake, though rolling admissions exist for mid-year arrivals.
- Typical Sequence
- For a September start, the typical sequence runs October to January for applications, school visits and family interviews; December to March for entrance assessments (English/maths from Year 3 up) and interviews; February to May for offers issued in rounds with two-to-four-week response windows; then May to July for contracts, deposits and residence paperwork.
- Recommended Lead Time
- Apply 8 to 12 months ahead of your target start date for popular year groups. Families with confirmed relocation dates are advised to begin the process as early as possible, ideally six to twelve months before the intended start date.
- Hard Deadline Guidance
- Families should apply by November at the latest for a September start; premium schools cap waiting lists by April for that following September.
- Hardest Years To Get Into
- Year 12 IB Diploma and Year 7 senior entry fill earliest, often by January, while mid-year entry is possible at many schools because Warsaw's expat population rotates frequently.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
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