The Lycée Vincent van Gogh and AEFE
Amsterdam's French curriculum provision rests on a single AEFE accredited school, the Lycée Vincent van Gogh. Founded in 1984 and now occupying an Amstelveen campus close to the International School of Amsterdam, the Lycée covers the full French Ministry of Education programme from petite section maternelle, age 3, through to terminale, age 18. The sister campus, the Lycée Français de La Haye, sits in The Hague, around 55 minutes by direct train, and acts as a fallback for families whose Amsterdam place is not immediately available.
AEFE accreditation gives the Lycée direct equivalence with schools inside France, which matters in practice in two ways. First, a family returning to France finds the child slots into the equivalent class without a transition examination. Second, the French Baccalauréat is sat onsite and recognised by every French university and grande école, as well as Dutch and global universities. The Lycée typically posts a Baccalauréat success rate above 98 percent each year, in line with strong AEFE schools globally.
Amsterdam's French community is the smallest among the major Western European capitals, perhaps 3,500 households on residence permits in 2026. The Lycée serves around 950 of those students, with the remainder in the IB, British or Dutch national schools. The result is a smaller cohort than at the Lycée International in Paris or the Lycée Charles de Gaulle in London, but a tightly knit community with strong continuity from maternelle through to terminale.
Fees and the AEFE bourses
French curriculum fees in Amsterdam sit at a different level from the city's IB and British schools. The Lycée Vincent van Gogh charges between EUR 6,400 for petite section maternelle and EUR 9,800 for terminale in 2026, before the registration and parents' association levies that add roughly EUR 600. The school is partially funded by AEFE which keeps fees well below the EUR 22,000 mid-range IB tier. For French nationals on lower incomes, AEFE bourses scolaires can cover up to 100 percent of tuition on a means tested basis, applied for through the French consulate in The Hague.
Non-French families pay the standard rate but receive the same subsidised level. There is no separate international fee structure as some AEFE schools elsewhere now use. Our Amsterdam fees guide walks through the full cost-of-place arithmetic across all curricula for comparison.
Is the Lycée right for your family?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We map the AEFE Baccalauréat pathway against IB and British alternatives based on where your child is heading after school.
Illustrative example options
The settings below are illustrative rather than a ranking. The French curriculum supply across the Amsterdam metropolitan area is thin, so the menu is more about choosing between full lycée and supplementary models than between competing schools.
Lycée Vincent van Gogh Amsterdam, in Amstelveen, is the main option. AEFE accredited, full maternelle to terminale, around 950 students. The international section runs reinforced English for families who anticipate moving on to an English-medium university.
Lycée Français de La Haye in The Hague is a sister campus under the same AEFE administration. Used by Amsterdam families when their Amsterdam place is delayed or when the family lives further south. 55 minutes by direct train from Amsterdam Centraal.
FLAM Amsterdam is the supplementary Saturday French programme funded by AEFE for francophone families whose children attend non-French schools during the week. Useful for IB and British school families who want to maintain French literacy without committing to the full Lycée.
Where French families live in Amsterdam
French families in Amsterdam cluster around three districts, shaped almost entirely by Lycée access. Amstelveen, particularly Kronenburg, Buitenveldert and Stadshart, for proximity to the campus. Amsterdam Zuid, particularly the Apollolaan area and the Rivierenbuurt, for the easy southern access on the metro line. Haarlem and the western commuter belt, popular with families on Total Energies, BNP Paribas and L'Oréal Netherlands postings who find the Lycée bus route from Haarlem acceptable. For a wider relocation picture see our Amsterdam city hub.
Admissions and the curriculum match
The Lycée Vincent van Gogh opens applications for the September 2026 academic year between December 2025 and March 2026. AEFE prioritises French nationals first, then EU citizens, then other nationalities. In practice, the Lycée is rarely full at primary stages but the Amstelveen lycée section (seconde, première, terminale) can be tight, particularly for students seeking the specialised mathematics or scientific tracks. Late applications are usually directed to the La Haye campus rather than denied outright.
For families weighing the curriculum choice rather than the school choice, the question is portability. The French Baccalauréat is the natural fit if a return to France or to French-speaking universities is likely. The IB Diploma at AICS or ISA is more portable to UK, US and global English-medium universities. The French curriculum hub covers the global picture, and the cost calculator covers the full Netherlands relocation arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a French school in Amsterdam?
Yes. The Lycée Vincent van Gogh runs the Amsterdam Amstelveen campus, accredited by AEFE, the French Ministry of Education's overseas network. It delivers the full maternelle to terminale curriculum and prepares students for the French Baccalauréat. The sister campus in The Hague, Lycée Français de La Haye, is a 55 minute train commute away.
Is the Lycée Vincent van Gogh AEFE accredited?
Yes. The Lycée Vincent van Gogh is fully accredited by AEFE, the Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger. The accreditation gives equivalence with French national education, allows direct return to schools in France without re-examination and enables students to sit the French Baccalauréat onsite.
How much does the French school in Amsterdam cost?
The Lycée Vincent van Gogh charges between EUR 6,400 for maternelle and EUR 9,800 for terminale per year in 2026. AEFE bourses scolaires are available for French nationals on means tested grounds. The fees are substantially below the city's IB and British school tiers.
Can non-French speakers join the Lycée?
The Lycée Vincent van Gogh accepts non-French speaking pupils in maternelle and the early primary years, when language immersion is most successful. From CE2 onward, the school requires a working level of French and an entrance assessment. The international section follows the French curriculum with reinforced English.
How does the French Baccalauréat compare to the IB Diploma?
Both qualifications are widely accepted by Dutch universities, French universities and most international universities. The French Baccalauréat is the natural choice if the family expects to return to France or to a French-speaking system. The IB Diploma is more portable to UK, US and global English-medium universities.
