Beijing is a large, historic and well ordered capital with a settled community of international schools concentrated in the north and east of the city. For a relocating family the main decisions are eligibility, since foreign passport schools admit only non Chinese nationals, along with whether to live in the family friendly Shunyi district or closer to the centre in Chaoyang.
The school landscape in Beijing
International schooling in Beijing is well established and generously resourced, so families usually compare several campuses. International School of Beijing teaches an international programme on a large campus in the Shunyi district. Western Academy of Beijing offers the International Baccalaureate continuum in the Chaoyang district. Dulwich College Beijing provides a British pathway to families in the north of the city. There are further American, British and IB schools across Shunyi and Chaoyang. As across China, foreign passport international schools generally enrol only children holding foreign nationality, while private bilingual schools serve local families under separate rules, so confirm a school's category before applying.
How to move to Beijing with children, step by step
Relocating with school aged children rewards early planning. These five steps mirror how the GlobalSchoolGuide relocation desk sequences a family move, so nothing critical slips through the gaps between the offer, the housing search and the first day of term.
- Set your relocation timeline. Fix your move date against the start of the school year in Beijing and work backwards, allowing several months for shortlisting and applications.
- Shortlist and apply to schools. Match two or three schools in Beijing to your child's age, curriculum and budget, then apply early because the leading schools have limited capacity.
- Confirm fees and admissions. Request the current fee schedule and admissions requirements directly from each school, since published figures are reset every academic year.
- Choose a neighbourhood near school. Pick housing within a reasonable commute of your shortlisted school, since Beijing is large and school location shapes daily life.
- Settle the practical set up. Arrange visas, banking, health cover and the physical move, and time everything to the school calendar so your child starts with the year group.
Fees and budgeting
Fee paying international schooling in Beijing sits towards the upper range for Asia, reflecting large campuses and specialist English medium teaching. Fees vary by school and year group, and many schools add registration, capital or transport charges on top of tuition, so a single figure rarely captures the full picture. Because schedules are reset each academic year, request the current fee list and the full breakdown of extra charges directly from each school. Foreign passport schools are the standard route for expatriate families given limited access to the public system.
Free Beijing family relocation checklist
Download our step by step checklist covering the admissions timeline, documents, housing and the first month settling in. Browse the full library on our guides hub, or start with the Beijing city guide for school listings.
Neighbourhoods and housing
The Shunyi district in the northeast is the traditional heart of family life for expatriates, with villa compounds, international schools and a large English speaking community within a compact area. Families who prefer to be closer to the centre often choose Chaoyang, including the Lido area and the districts around the embassies and Central Park, trading space for proximity to the city. Because Beijing is large and traffic can be heavy, most families choose their home around the school and rely on school buses where distances are longer.
Language and settling in
Mandarin Chinese is the national language, and daily life beyond the expatriate areas runs largely in Chinese. Children in international schools learn in English and usually study Mandarin alongside, which is a lasting benefit. Practical life is manageable with translation apps and the support of school communities, and Shunyi in particular is set up for families who function mainly in English. A little Mandarin goes a long way, and the city's services are used to international residents.
Curriculum continuity
Curriculum continuity is usually the decisive factor, and in Beijing it sits alongside eligibility. A child midway through an American, British or IB pathway will settle most easily by continuing in the same system at a foreign passport school. Because access to the local public system is limited for non residents, most expatriate families stay within international provision for the whole posting. The closer a child is to a leaving examination, the more important it is to keep the same curriculum. Our IB curriculum hub is a helpful reference for the International Baccalaureate route.
Fees by stage
To ground your budgeting, compare typical fee bands by school stage rather than relying on a single headline number. Our stage guides set out what families pay at each level and how charges build up across the years. See the Beijing primary school fees guide and the Beijing secondary school fees guide, and always confirm the current figures with each school directly.
Visas, healthcare and admin
Practically, confirm your visa and residency status early, since your category shapes your access to services and your children's school registration. Arrange health cover for the settling in period before your status and registration are complete, and set up local banking soon after arrival, since school fees, deposits and daily life all run more smoothly once a domestic account is open. Sequencing status, housing and the school offer carefully makes the first month in Beijing far less stressful than handling everything at once.
The admissions timeline
The leading schools in Beijing accept applications ahead of the school year, and because capacity is limited, individual year groups can fill well before any published deadline. Applying early is the single most effective way to protect your first choice. Where a year group is already full, ask to join the waiting list and keep a realistic second option open in parallel. Keeping copies of school reports, immunisation records and identity documents ready will speed up every application.
Is Beijing a good place to raise children?
Beijing rewards families who plan the school place and housing before they arrive. Like any major relocation, it brings an adjustment period, but families who sequence the essentials early tend to settle quickly and find plenty for children to enjoy. The most useful habit is to treat the school decision as the anchor for everything else, from where you live to how you budget, and to build the rest of the move around it.
Your first weeks: what to prioritise
In your first weeks, confirm the school place and start date in writing, then settle the essentials that everything else depends on: residency status, a local bank account, health cover and a domestic mobile and internet plan. With those handled, the wider routines of family life fall into place quickly. Many families also register early for after school activities and any language support on offer, both of which help children build friendships and settle into the rhythm of the school year. Keeping a simple shared checklist of registrations, deadlines and documents is the most useful habit in a first term.
Frequently asked questions
Does Beijing have English speaking schools?
Yes. Beijing has several well established English medium international schools, including the International School of Beijing, the Western Academy of Beijing and Dulwich College Beijing. Many enrol only foreign passport holders, so confirm eligibility and places with each school.
Are international schools in Beijing expensive?
Fee paying international schooling in Beijing sits towards the upper range for Asia. Fees vary by school and year group and often carry extra charges, so request the current schedule and full breakdown directly from each school.
Where do international families tend to live?
The Shunyi district in the northeast is the traditional base for expatriate families, with villa compounds and schools, while those wanting to be nearer the centre often choose Chaoyang areas such as Lido.
Can expat children attend local Chinese schools?
Access to the public system is limited for non residents, and foreign passport international schools are the usual route. Private bilingual schools serve local families under separate rules.
When should we apply?
Apply well ahead of the school year and earlier for competitive year groups, because the leading international schools have limited capacity and popular years fill first.
Plan your move
Use these free tools and guides to turn this overview into a shortlist and a working plan for your family's move to Beijing.