International schools in the Netherlands, 2026

The Netherlands international school market in 2026

The Netherlands has around 35 schools formally classified as international, educating roughly 14,000 children. The market is concentrated around Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and the smaller technology cluster cities (Leiden, Delft, Utrecht). The Hague has historically been the largest single hub because of the diplomatic and international court community, with Amsterdam catching up over the past decade as the city has consolidated its position as the European base for US technology companies and the corporate beneficiary of the post Brexit relocation wave from London.

The defining feature of the Dutch international school market is the two tier structure. The first tier, the Dutch International Primary Schools (DIPS) and International Secondary Schools (ISN), receives partial funding from the Ministry of Education. The second tier is fully private. The two tiers serve different families and operate on different cost bases. Parents new to the Netherlands typically discover this structure only after starting their school search, and it is the single most useful early input to the decision.

For city level detail, see our Amsterdam city guide and The Hague city guide. Both cities have their own dynamics around housing, commute and school clusters.

The two tier structure: DIPS, ISN and the fully private

The Dutch International Primary School network (DIPS) consists of around 25 primary schools attached to mainstream Dutch schools but operating an English medium international stream. These schools receive partial funding from the Ministry of Education on the basis that they educate the children of internationally mobile employees who have a defined home country and onward plan elsewhere. Tuition fees are correspondingly low, typically 5,000 to 8,000 euros per child per year, against around 25,000 to 32,000 at the fully private equivalents. The International Secondary Schools (ISN) network operates on the same basis at secondary level, with around 12 schools across the country.

The eligibility for DIPS and ISN places is governed by the Ministry of Education and not by individual schools. The rule is that the family must be in the Netherlands for a defined posting connected with international employment, that at least one parent must hold a non Dutch passport, and that the family must have a credible onward plan to leave the Netherlands at some point. In practice the test is generous. The 30 per cent ruling tax beneficiaries (who by definition meet the international employment test) are routinely admitted. Diplomatic and international court families have specific quotas. Local Dutch families with no international background are generally not eligible.

The fully private schools sit outside the subsidy framework and accept any family that can pay. They include the British School in the Netherlands, the American School of The Hague, the International School of Amsterdam, Amity International School Amsterdam, the European School Bergen and a small cluster of others. These schools operate on the same financial basis as international schools elsewhere in Europe, which is to say their fees are 4 to 6 times the subsidised DIPS rate.

The 30 per cent ruling and what it means for school choice

The 30 per cent ruling is a Dutch tax facility that allows qualifying employees from outside the Netherlands to receive 30 per cent of their gross salary tax free for a defined period (currently five years, with some legacy regimes still on a longer term). The ruling is a meaningful incentive for skilled overseas recruitment and is the principal reason that the Netherlands attracts senior corporate roles from competing European hubs.

For school choice, the 30 per cent ruling matters in two ways. First, it materially increases your net household income, which makes the fully private schools more accessible. A family on the ruling can typically absorb 30,000 to 50,000 euros in school fees per child without changing their housing position. Second, the ruling is one of the routes to DIPS and ISN eligibility, because it certifies that the family is in the Netherlands for an international assignment. Most families with the 30 per cent ruling are admitted into the subsidised system without difficulty.

The interaction is important to plan. A family on the 30 per cent ruling that wants the lowest cost option goes into DIPS or ISN. A family on the ruling that wants the most established international brand and the broadest curriculum choice goes private. A family without the ruling that wants the subsidised option must demonstrate eligibility on other grounds. The right choice depends on the family's circumstances and the schools available in the specific city.

The best known names

At the fully private level, the British School in the Netherlands (BSN) is the largest and most established. It operates a junior school and senior school across two campuses in The Hague (Voorschoten and Vlaskamp), educating around 2,200 children. Strong A Level and IB Diploma outcomes; broad extracurricular programme; UK independent school management style. Tuition in 2026 is around 26,000 to 31,000 euros for the senior school. The American School of The Hague (ASH) is the equivalent American curriculum operation, with AP courses and a strong US college pipeline.

The International School of Amsterdam (ISA) is the dominant fully private international school in Amsterdam. IB Continuum (PYP, MYP, DP), strong academic outcomes, capacity for around 1,400 children. Located in Amstelveen, southwest of the city centre. Amity International School Amsterdam, opened in 2018, is the more recent fully private entrant in the Amsterdam market, with British curriculum at primary and IB at secondary.

The European School Bergen sits in a distinct category. It is one of the European Schools network funded by the European Union for the children of EU staff and accredited institutions. The fees are partially subsidised on a sliding scale. It is the only European School in the Netherlands.

The DIPS and ISN tier is too large to list comprehensively but the schools to know in Amsterdam are AICS (Amsterdam International Community School, primary and secondary), the De Nieuwe Internationale School Esprit (DENISE), and a cluster of subsidised primaries attached to mainstream Dutch schools. In The Hague, the International School of The Hague (ISH), the Rijnlands Lyceum (Oegstgeest) and the Rivers International School Arnhem complete the picture in the wider Randstad. In Eindhoven, the International School Eindhoven is the consolidated subsidised provision.

Fees at a glance

Published 2026 to 2027 annual tuition. The 30 per cent ruling, if you have it, materially changes the net cost calculation. Use the fee comparison tool for like for like comparison across schools, and the cost calculator for the multi year all in projection.

Admissions reality

The subsidised DIPS and ISN schools operate on a centrally coordinated admissions framework with a mix of waiting list management and capacity allocation by school. Demand in the Amsterdam and The Hague cluster is high. The most popular DIPS schools maintain waitlists of 6 to 18 months, depending on year group. Apply as soon as you have a confirmed move date, and apply to several schools simultaneously because eligibility does not guarantee a place at your first choice.

The fully private schools operate their own admissions processes. BSN, ASH and ISA all run year round rolling intake, with peak demand for the August or September start. Tier 1 fully private schools have waitlists of 3 to 12 months for popular year groups. The application process is the standard international school template: school report from the current school for the past two academic years, two academic references, parent statement, passport copy, residence permit or work permit copy, and the application deposit.

The Dutch academic year runs from late August or early September to early July. Mid year entries are possible at most schools where capacity exists. The decision cycle is faster than in the Asian markets; offers typically arrive within 4 to 8 weeks of application for most year groups.

Cities and the school cluster picture

The Hague is the centre of the international school market in the Netherlands by historical convention and by current weight. The diplomatic community, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the OPCW and the broader cluster of international institutions concentrate families with school aged children in a relatively small geographic area. BSN, ASH, ISH and a cluster of DIPS primaries are all within a 25 minute drive of central The Hague. Housing is comparatively affordable against Amsterdam, particularly in the Wassenaar, Voorschoten and Bezuidenhout corridors that surround the main international schools.

Amsterdam has overtaken The Hague over the past decade as the largest concentration of fully private international school enrolment, driven by the relocation of corporate roles from London, the growth of the technology and financial services sectors, and the consolidation of the European headquarters function across multiple global companies. The two main names are ISA in Amstelveen and Amity in the southeast Buitenveldert cluster. Housing in the central canal districts is expensive and family unfriendly; most international families settle in Amstelveen, Buitenveldert, Diemen or the suburbs along the metro lines.

Eindhoven sits in a distinct position as the technology cluster of the Netherlands. ASML, Philips and the wider deep tech ecosystem attract a different international family profile: engineering led, mid career, often arriving from Germany, Switzerland, Israel and Taiwan. The International School Eindhoven serves this community as the main consolidated provision. Smaller subsidised provisions exist in Maastricht, Tilburg and the southern cluster.

Rotterdam, Utrecht and the smaller cities each have one or two DIPS or ISN schools, with the fully private options thinly distributed. Families based in these cities typically commute to either the Amsterdam or The Hague clusters for the fully private options, accepting a 40 to 60 minute commute as the price of the school choice.

Things to know before you commit

First, the Netherlands has high quality Dutch state schools and they educate the children of many internationally established families. If you are likely to stay in the Netherlands for more than five years and your children are aged below seven, the Dutch state system is a credible long term option, with strong outcomes and zero tuition cost. The trade off is that the curriculum is Dutch and the children become Dutch educated rather than internationally mobile. Many families take this route after a transition period.

Second, the 30 per cent ruling has been tightened in recent years and is scheduled for further reform. The duration of the benefit has been reduced and the salary threshold has been raised. Confirm your eligibility under the current rules with a Dutch tax adviser before factoring it into your school fee calculation.

Third, school transport is much less organised than in Asian markets. Most Dutch international schools do not run school buses on the scale familiar from Singapore or Dubai. Cycling, public transport and the school run by car are the norm. Plan housing within reasonable cycling or public transport distance of the school.

Fourth, university destination matters for curriculum choice. For families anticipating Dutch university entry, the IB or the Dutch VWO are both directly recognised. UK A Levels are also accepted but with a one year preparatory module at some Dutch universities. For onward UK, US or Australian university entry, the IB is the most travelable single qualification. Read our IB versus British curriculum guide for the wider comparison.

Fifth, sibling priority is real at most international schools. If you have one child already enrolled, the second and subsequent children have priority access. Plan the family entry around the eldest child's year group, and the rest typically follows.

FAQ

Are international schools in the Netherlands cheaper than other countries? Yes, when you qualify for the subsidised DIPS or ISN system. Tuition is 5,000 to 12,000 euros per year, against 20,000 to 31,000 at the fully private equivalents.

Do I need to be on the 30 per cent ruling to send my child to an international school? No, but it helps both for net household income and as a route to DIPS or ISN eligibility. Families outside the ruling can still use the fully private system.

Which is the best international school in the Netherlands? There is no single best. BSN, ASH, ISA and the strongest DIPS or ISN schools are all consistently strong. The right choice depends on curriculum preference, city and fee bracket.

Can my child move from a DIPS school back into the Dutch state system? Yes. The DIPS framework is designed to be compatible with the Dutch state primary curriculum. Transitions happen routinely. The earlier the transition, the smoother the integration.

Bilingual streams in the Dutch state system

Outside the international school market and the subsidised DIPS network, a third route exists for international families: the bilingual stream at a Dutch state Gymnasium or HAVO. Around 130 Dutch state secondary schools now run a Tweetalig Onderwijs (TTO) stream, where 50 to 70 per cent of the curriculum at lower secondary is taught in English. The IB Middle Years Programme is sometimes used as the framework, and the IB Diploma is offered at sixth form at around 30 state schools.

The TTO route is fully free for residents and produces credible bilingual children. The trade off is that the route requires meaningful Dutch language proficiency by Year 9 or Year 10 because the senior years revert to Dutch language teaching for many subjects. For families with younger children arriving in the Netherlands, the TTO route is increasingly the most cost effective long term option. The transition is harder for older children arriving with no Dutch language base.

University destinations and onward planning

Dutch international schools deliver strong onward university outcomes across multiple routes. The IB Diploma graduates from BSN, ASH, ISA and the strongest DIPS senior schools travel cleanly to UK Russell Group universities, Dutch research universities (Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Delft, Rotterdam), and the top 50 US universities. The British curriculum schools place strong A Level graduates at UK universities, with growing numbers at Dutch English medium programmes which have become a credible value option for international families.

The Dutch English medium university programmes are the structural opportunity of the past decade. Around 30 per cent of Dutch undergraduate programmes are now taught in English, at materially lower fees than UK or US universities. For families with children educated in the Netherlands and a willingness to continue in the Dutch higher education system, the route delivers a top tier European education at a third or a quarter of the UK or US cost. This consideration alone often changes the school choice calculation.

Recent Dutch government policy has tightened the English language access at some universities, with stricter Dutch language proficiency rules for several undergraduate programmes from 2025 onwards. The framework remains in flux. Families counting on the Dutch English medium route as a low cost university option should verify the current rules at the specific universities under consideration. The IB Diploma route from a Dutch international school still travels well to the Dutch system, but the picture is less stable than it was three or four years ago.

The Amsterdam and the Hague clusters each contain at least one IB World School at primary and secondary level, plus several British curriculum providers at senior school, plus the bilingual stream alternatives in the Dutch state Gymnasien. The depth of the choice has grown over the past decade as the post Brexit relocation, the technology sector growth and the wider European headquartering function have brought larger numbers of international families into the country. The choice is therefore broader than the family research often suggests; spend the time exploring all the options before committing to a single school.

Related guides

• Amsterdam city guide
• The Hague city guide
• Hidden fees at international schools