International School Admissions in Phnom Penh: 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

Quick answer: How do international school admissions work in Phnom Penh? Most Phnom Penh schools run rolling admissions rather than a single deadline, so you apply when you know your arrival date. Expect a short assessment, previous school reports, passport and visa copies, and vaccination records. Places are usually confirmed within two weeks, with a deposit due to hold them.

Last reviewed: September 2026 by Catherine from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Phnom Penh is one of the easier capitals in the region to move a child into mid year, and that is worth knowing before you spend months planning around an imaginary deadline. International school admissions in Phnom Penh mostly run on a rolling basis, driven by the steady turnover of a mobile expatriate and returnee community rather than by a fixed national calendar.

Easier does not mean casual. The better campuses fill their popular year groups, assessments are real, and the gap between a smooth arrival and a stressful one usually comes down to whether the paperwork was ready. This guide sets out the sequence, what each stage actually involves, and where families lose time.

One calendar note before anything else. International schools here generally run an August to June academic year, while the Cambodian public system under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport runs on a different cycle. If you are arriving from a southern hemisphere school year, plan for the overlap.

Step one: work out your realistic start date

Admissions offices in Phnom Penh will ask for an intended start date early, and a vague answer slows everything down. Visa timing, housing and your employer start date all feed into this, so settle it before you begin enquiries.

Two intake points are busiest. August, at the start of the academic year, is when the largest number of places turn over and when new cohorts form, which matters if your child is joining an entry year. January is the second wave, driven by families whose postings begin in the new calendar year.

Arriving outside those windows is entirely normal here. The trade off is that your child joins an established class, and the pastoral handling of that varies a great deal between campuses. Ask each school directly how they settle a mid year arrival, and whether they assign a buddy.

Step two: assemble the documents

Passport and current visa for the child and both parents
School reports from the last two academic years, translated into English if issued in another language
Vaccination records, which Phnom Penh schools check more carefully than families expect
Birth certificate, sometimes required in certified copy
Any educational assessments or learning support reports, which you should disclose rather than hold back
Passport photographs, still requested by several campuses

Step three: the assessment

Most Phnom Penh schools assess rather than examine, and the distinction matters. For primary applicants this usually means an informal session with a class teacher, some reading and number work, and an observation of how the child interacts in a group setting. For secondary applicants expect written English and mathematics papers, often supplemented by an online adaptive test, plus an interview.

English language level is the main gate at most campuses. Schools will generally take a child with developing English into primary, where immersion does the work, and are more cautious in upper secondary, where a student needs enough language to access a full examination course within a year or two. If English is not your child's first language, ask each school what support it provides and whether that support carries an additional fee, because at several campuses it does.

Assessments can often be arranged remotely before you arrive in Cambodia. It is worth asking, because it removes a stressful week from your first month in the country.

Four Phnom Penh schools to put on the list

Singapore Cambodia International Academy

A Singapore influenced programme with the mathematics emphasis that suggests. Worth asking how they place a child arriving from a very different curriculum, since the sequencing differs from British or American systems. See the Singapore Cambodia International Academy profile on International School Advisor.

Logos International School

An established presence in the city with a North American flavour. Ask about class sizes in the year group you are applying to rather than the school average, which can hide considerable variation. See the Logos International School profile on International School Advisor.

Home of English International School

A large local group with several campuses across Phnom Penh, which gives useful flexibility on location. Confirm which campus your application is actually for, because provision is not identical across sites. See the Home of English International School profile on International School Advisor.

DK School House

A smaller setting, which some children handle far better than a large campus. Visit during a normal school day rather than at an open event if you can arrange it. See the DK School House profile on International School Advisor.

Step four: fees, deposits and what holds a place

Fees in Phnom Penh are quoted in US dollars, which are used interchangeably with the riel across the city. That makes budgeting simpler for most incoming families, though you should confirm which currency the invoice is issued in and whether card payments carry a surcharge.

Annual tuition runs roughly USD 4,000 to 9,000 at mid tier campuses and roughly USD 12,000 to 25,000 at the premium end for secondary. Primary generally sits 20 to 30 per cent below the secondary figure at the same school. These are indicative ranges and every campus publishes its own schedule, so treat them as a sense of the market rather than a quote.

Application fee, roughly USD 100 to 300, not refundable
Enrolment or place deposit, often USD 500 to 2,000, credited against the first invoice
Refundable security deposit, held until the child leaves
Bus, roughly USD 600 to 1,200 a year depending on district
Uniform, books and lunch, together usually USD 500 to 1,500
English language support, charged separately at several campuses

What families get wrong

Waiting for a deadline that does not exist. Rolling admissions means the constraint is capacity, not the calendar. If you know your dates, apply now. Holding off until spring because that is how it worked in your last country simply hands the place to someone else.

Underplaying a learning need. Some families worry that disclosing a diagnosis will cost them an offer. In practice the schools that would decline will decline later, after a difficult term, and the schools that can help need the information to plan. Be straightforward from the first conversation.

Treating the deposit as refundable. Enrolment deposits in Phnom Penh are frequently non refundable if you withdraw, even months before the start date. Read that clause before you pay, particularly if your posting is not yet confirmed in writing.

Compare Phnom Penh schools before you apply

If you want to see the full picture of what the city offers before you narrow down, browse the best international schools in Phnom Penh.

More guides to schools in Phnom Penh

Frequently asked questions

When should we apply to international schools in Phnom Penh?

As soon as your arrival date is reasonably firm. Most schools run rolling admissions, so there is no single deadline, but popular year groups at the established campuses do fill. Families arriving for the August start typically apply between January and May, though later applications are frequently accommodated.

Will my child need to sit an entrance exam?

Usually an assessment rather than a formal examination. Primary applicants have an informal session with a teacher. Secondary applicants sit English and mathematics papers and attend an interview. Many schools will arrange this remotely before you arrive in Cambodia, which is worth requesting.

Are international school fees in Phnom Penh quoted in dollars or riel?

In US dollars, which circulate alongside the riel throughout the city. Confirm with each school whether payment is accepted by card or bank transfer and whether a surcharge applies, since the answer varies and the fees are large enough for the difference to matter.