In this guide
When the window opens
Beijing international schools follow a northern-hemisphere year beginning in mid-August, and the priority window for that intake opens around September of the preceding year. So for an August 2026 start, families are realistically applying from autumn 2025 onward. The window is not a hard gate, because most schools keep accepting applications through the year, but it is the point at which the broadest set of year groups is still open. Once January arrives, the popular cohorts, Reception, the early primary grades and Year 7, start to close, and senior IB Diploma places follow in spring. For the precise window and intake points by school, our Beijing admissions deadlines 2026 page carries the detail.
Intake months that matter
Two intakes anchor the year. The major one is the August start, when the whole school year begins and new families join their peers. A smaller second intake falls in January at the start of the second semester, which suits families whose relocation lands mid-year. The table below shows the confirmed pattern at two of the largest schools.
| School | When offers are made for 2026 |
|---|---|
| Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) | A limited number of places offered as early as February, the bulk of offers April to June, and places continuing until the mid-August start. |
| International School of Beijing (ISB) | Applications accepted year-round, places offered where available; an August start with peers or a January second-semester entry is recommended. |
The pattern shows why autumn matters even at rolling-admission schools: WAB makes its first offers in February and the bulk between April and June, so an application filed in the autumn sits ahead of the queue when those offers go out.
See which schools have your year open
The school finder filters Beijing schools by curriculum, district and entry year, so you can apply where your child's year group is still available.
Use the school finderRolling admission, explained
Several Beijing schools describe their admissions as rolling or year-round, and it is easy to read that as relaxed. It is not. Rolling admission means there is no single citywide deadline, not that places are unlimited. The International School of Beijing accepts applications throughout the year and offers places where available, which is exactly the point: availability is the constraint. An early application in a rolling system still beats a late one for the same year group, because the seat is allocated when the file is complete and the assessment is passed, not at a fixed date. Schools that concentrate entry at defined grades, such as Dulwich College Beijing with its preschool, Grade 1, Grade 6, Grade 9 and Grade 10 intakes, add a second constraint: a non-intake year only opens when a place is vacated.
Why you need a long lead time
Even where applications open late, the documentation does not move quickly. Beijing schools require the child's birth certificate and the last two school reports to be notarised and apostilled in the issuing country, then translated into English or Chinese, and that chain takes four to eight weeks. Add the time to research and visit schools, and a sensible lead time is nine to twelve months before an August start. Families who begin the document process when a move looks likely, rather than once it is signed, are the ones who keep their first-choice year group open. Our step-by-step how to apply to international schools in Beijing guide sets out the full order, and the international school fees in Beijing guide covers the costs that fall alongside the application.
Frequently asked questions
When do international school applications open in Beijing?
For an August start, the priority window typically opens around September of the previous year. Many Beijing schools accept applications year-round, but submitting in the autumn gives the widest choice because popular year groups fill from January onward.
What months are the main intakes in Beijing?
The main intake is the August start of the academic year, with a smaller second-semester intake in January. The Western Academy of Beijing offers a limited number of places as early as February, with the bulk of offers made from April to June.
Can I apply to a Beijing school all year round?
At many schools, yes. The International School of Beijing accepts applications throughout the year and offers places where available, recommending an August start with peers or a January second-semester entry. Rolling admission does not mean unlimited availability, so early applications still win popular year groups.
How early should I apply before an August start in Beijing?
Aim to apply nine to twelve months ahead, from the previous autumn. That lead time covers the document apostille and translation chain, which takes four to eight weeks, and keeps your first-choice year group open before the January rush.