The Taipei primary landscape
Greater Taipei lists between thirty and forty Year 1 to Year 6 settings delivering an English-medium or substantial bilingual primary programme. The market splits into three groups. The first is the Foreign Schools, anchored by Taipei European School on Yangmingshan and Taipei American School in Tianmu, plus a smaller cluster of foreign-passport-only schools including Dominican International School and Taipei Adventist American School. These schools serve a foreign-passport, dual-national and returnee Taiwanese cohort under the Taiwanese Ministry of Education Foreign School framework. The second is the bilingual experimental school cluster, which has roughly doubled in capacity since 2018 and now anchors most New Taipei City families. KangChiao Linkou, KangChiao Xiugang, Wagor New Taipei and a number of newer entrants run the IB Primary Years Programme or Cambridge Primary alongside the Taiwanese national curriculum. The third is the standard Taiwanese private primary with a strong English programme, sitting at the entry tier of fees and admitting Taiwanese nationals freely.
For the wider Taipei context see our Taipei city hub, and for the cohort moving in from the early years see the Taipei nursery and preschool hub.
The four primary curriculum routes
Four primary curriculum routes dominate. The British route runs through Taipei European School British section, which uses EYFS in early years and the National Curriculum for England across Year 1 to Year 6, with IGCSE at Year 10 and 11 and the IB Diploma at sixth form. The American route runs through Taipei American School Lower School and Dominican International School, both of which deliver US Common Core-aligned primary content. The IB Primary Years Programme runs at KangChiao Linkou and Xiugang and a small number of other experimental schools, with inquiry-based learning organised around six transdisciplinary themes. The Cambridge Primary route is the fastest-growing, with a widening cluster of bilingual experimental schools using the framework to anchor English-medium delivery across Year 1 to Year 6. For curriculum-specific entry routes see our Taipei British curriculum hub, Taipei American curriculum hub and Taipei IB hub.
Foreign School Year 1, or experimental Year 1?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Taipei primary options based on your passport, your district and your university targets a decade out.
Fees across the primary tiers
Primary fees in Taipei range from roughly TWD 300,000 at standard Taiwanese private primaries with an English programme to TWD 850,000 at the most expensive Foreign School Year 6. Foreign School primary fees specifically sit at TWD 700,000 to TWD 850,000 a year, with TES at the upper end and TAS slightly above for the Lower School. Bilingual experimental school primary fees sit at TWD 450,000 to TWD 700,000, with the larger experimental schools such as KangChiao Linkou and Wagor New Taipei sitting near the upper end. Capital fees of TWD 80,000 to TWD 200,000 apply on first entry at most settings, transport runs TWD 35,000 to TWD 60,000, lunch is around TWD 25,000 and after-school programmes add a further TWD 30,000 to TWD 60,000 across the school year. For the wider fee picture see our Taipei international school fees guide and the cheapest international schools in Taipei guide.
Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each shows a different point on the Taipei primary spectrum.
Taipei European School Primary on Yangmingshan in Shilin District runs three national sections, British, French and German, each delivering its own national curriculum framework with English shared as a partner language. The single largest European primary in the city, with a strong British EYFS through Year 6 pathway.
Taipei American School Lower School in Tianmu is the largest primary in Taipei, with a US Common Core-aligned programme. Single-site, with deep parent community and a natural Year 7 transition into the TAS Middle School and AP-anchored high school.
KangChiao International School Linkou Primary in New Taipei delivers the IB Primary Years Programme alongside Taiwanese national curriculum, with bilingual classrooms throughout. Strong Mandarin alongside English-medium subject delivery from Year 1.
Admissions and the Year 1 entry route
The Year 1 entry route depends on licensing. Foreign Schools restrict admission to foreign passport holders, dual nationals and qualifying Taiwanese returnees. Applications typically open in November for the following August intake, with English readiness screening from January onwards and priority places allocated by February. Bilingual experimental schools run a test-based entry with English reading and writing, Mandarin reading and writing, a numeracy section and a parent interview. The strongest experimental schools have meaningful application-to-place ratios and run admissions on a tighter calendar. For the planning view see our Taipei nursery and preschool hub, our best international schools in Taipei guide and the wider Taipei bilingual hub.
Where primary families live in Taipei
For Foreign School families, Tianmu in Shilin District is the natural anchor. Three-bedroom apartment stock west of Zhongshan North Road runs TWD 80,000 to TWD 140,000 a month, with larger villas on the Yangmingshan slope considerably higher. The Tianmu cluster has the deepest international family community in Taipei, with multiple feeder preschools and an established expatriate social network. Inside Taipei City, Da'an and Xinyi hold a smaller Foreign School cohort using the TES coach network, with three-bedroom apartments at TWD 90,000 to TWD 160,000 a month. Across the Tamsui River, Linkou and Xiugang in New Taipei dominate the bilingual experimental school primary cohort, with newer apartment stock at lower rents than central Taipei. For the residential map see our Taipei neighbourhood guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many international primary schools are there in Taipei?
Greater Taipei lists between thirty and forty primary schools delivering an English-medium or substantial bilingual primary programme. The cohort splits between Foreign Schools, including Taipei European School and Taipei American School, and a wider bilingual experimental school market across Taipei City and New Taipei. The supply has roughly doubled since 2018.
What are the main primary curriculum choices?
The dominant primary curriculum routes in Taipei are British EYFS plus National Curriculum at Taipei European School, US Common Core plus American programmes at Taipei American School and Dominican International School, IB Primary Years Programme at KangChiao Linkou and Xiugang and a small number of other experimental schools, and Cambridge Primary across a growing cluster of bilingual experimental schools.
How much do primary schools in Taipei cost?
Foreign School primary fees in Taipei sit at TWD 700,000 to TWD 850,000 a year. Bilingual experimental school primary fees sit at TWD 450,000 to TWD 700,000. Stand-alone Taiwanese private primaries with strong English programmes sit at TWD 300,000 to TWD 500,000. Capital fees, transport, lunch and after-school programmes add roughly TWD 80,000 to TWD 150,000 a year.
Can Taiwanese nationals attend international primary schools?
It depends on the licensing. Foreign Schools, including Taipei European School and Taipei American School, restrict admission to foreign passport holders, dual nationals and Taiwanese returnees who qualify. Bilingual experimental schools and standard private schools admit Taiwanese nationals freely. This is the main filter shaping which primary route is available to a Taipei family.
Do primary schools test on entry?
Most Taipei international primary schools run an informal entry assessment from Year 1 onwards, with reading and writing screening, numeracy and a short interview with the child. Foreign Schools focus on English readiness for non-native speakers. Bilingual experimental schools include both English and Mandarin sections in the assessment. Year 1 admissions are competitive at the strongest settings.
Which neighbourhoods are strongest for primary schools?
For Foreign School families, Tianmu in Shilin District is the natural anchor, with multiple feeder preschools, the TAS campus and the Taipei European School coach network. For bilingual experimental school families, Linkou and Xiugang in New Taipei dominate, with newer apartment stock close to the larger experimental school campuses.
