Santiago sits in a valley between the Andes and the coastal range, and it has become one of Latin America's most settled destinations for relocating families, with a compact cluster of long established international schools serving a diplomatic and corporate community. For a family arriving with school aged children, the first decision is the school, because the strongest schools in Santiago hold limited places and the calendar question, southern or northern hemisphere, shapes the whole timeline.
The school landscape in Santiago
International provision in Santiago is smaller than in some capitals but well regarded, so most families weigh a handful of strong options. Santiago College is one of the city's best known bilingual schools, offering an English and Spanish programme with an international pathway. Nido de Aguilas, formally The International School Nido de Aguilas, follows an American curriculum taught in English and is the main school running the northern hemisphere calendar. The Grange School offers a British rooted education with routes to the International Baccalaureate. Alongside these sit German, French and Italian schools and a large field of Chilean private schools, most of which teach in Spanish and follow the southern hemisphere year.
How to move to Santiago 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 Santiago and work backwards, allowing several months for shortlisting and applications.
- Shortlist and apply to schools. Match two or three schools in Santiago 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 Santiago is spread out 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 Santiago sits in the upper range for a Latin American city, reflecting small classes and specialist teaching, and the fully international schools cost more than the bilingual Chilean private schools. Fees vary by school, year group and campus, and several schools add registration or enrolment charges on top of tuition, so treat any single figure with caution. Because schools reset their schedules each academic year, request the current fee list directly from each school. Chilean state and subsidised schools carry little or no tuition and teach in Spanish, and are mainly used by longer staying families comfortable with a Spanish medium education.
Free Santiago family relocation checklist
Work through 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 Santiago city guide for school listings.
Neighbourhoods and housing
International families most often settle in the eastern districts of Las Condes, especially the El Golf area, along with Vitacura, Lo Barnechea and Providencia, choosing housing that combines security with a workable run to school. Because several international schools sit towards the Andean foothills, families frequently pick a home in the neighbourhood nearest their chosen campus to keep the daily commute short.
Language and settling in
Spanish is the language of the city and of daily life outside the international schools. The international schools teach in English or run bilingual English and Spanish programmes, and children usually pick up Spanish quickly once settled. Building the family routine around the school day from the outset makes the settling in period smoother, so that friendships, activities and the commute fall into place together.
Curriculum continuity
Curriculum continuity is usually the decision that matters most, and it carries an extra dimension in Santiago because of the calendar. Most schools follow the southern hemisphere year, starting in late February or March and finishing in December, while Nido de Aguilas runs the northern hemisphere calendar. A child part way through an American, British or IB pathway will find the smoothest transition by staying in the same system and, where possible, the same calendar. Our IB curriculum hub is a useful reference if you are weighing an International Baccalaureate route.
Fees by stage
To ground your budgeting, compare fee bands across several schools rather than relying on a single headline number. Browse our international school fees hub and the Santiago city guide for listings, 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 both your access to services and your children's school registration in Santiago. 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 far less stressful than handling everything at once.
The admissions timeline
The leading schools in Santiago accept applications ahead of the school year, and because capacity is limited, individual year groups can fill well before any published deadline. The calendar makes timing especially important here: a northern hemisphere school such as Nido de Aguilas expects applications months ahead of a September start, while the southern hemisphere schools work towards a February or March intake. Applying early is the single most effective way to protect your first choice, and where a year group is full it is worth joining the waiting list while keeping a realistic second option open.
Your first weeks: what to prioritise
In your first weeks in Santiago, 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 Spanish language support on offer, both of which help children build friendships and settle into the rhythm of the school year.
Frequently asked questions
Does Santiago have English speaking schools?
Yes. Santiago has several established English medium and bilingual international schools, including Santiago College and Nido de Aguilas, alongside British, German, French and Italian options.
When does the school year start in Santiago?
Most schools follow the southern hemisphere calendar, starting in late February or March and finishing in December. Nido de Aguilas is the main school running the northern hemisphere calendar with a September start, so confirm the calendar for each school on your shortlist.
Are international schools in Santiago expensive?
Fee paying international schooling in Santiago sits in the upper range for a Latin American city, with the fully international schools costing more than the bilingual Chilean private schools. Fees vary by school and year group and are reset annually, so request the current schedule directly from each school.
Where do international families tend to live?
Las Condes, especially El Golf, along with Vitacura, Lo Barnechea and Providencia, are the districts international families most often choose.
When should we apply?
Apply well ahead of the intake, and earlier for competitive year groups, because the leading schools in Santiago have limited capacity and the calendar difference between schools makes timing important.
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 Santiago.