International School Admissions in Tbilisi: 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

Quick answer: how do international school admissions work in Tbilisi? Schools admit year-round: an online application with a GEL 300 to 1,000 fee, two years of reports, an English and maths assessment, a family interview and an offer within one to two weeks. Places are secured with a one-off entrance fee of GEL 2,000 to 8,000 at the premium schools, and the main intake is late August or early September.

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

Tbilisi has become an unexpectedly busy destination for international families. Remote workers, entrepreneurs, diplomats and staff of the many development organisations based in Georgia's capital have pushed demand for English-medium schooling well beyond what the city offered a decade ago, and ten international schools now appear on the ISA platform. International school admissions in Tbilisi remain refreshingly human in scale: most schools reply within days and interviews are conversations rather than examinations. But places in the youngest classes are tight at the two or three most sought-after schools, and the Georgian paperwork differs from what Western families expect. This guide sets out the process step by step for 2026.

Where the schools are and where families live

Tbilisi's international schools cluster on the western and north-western edges of the city. QSI International School sits in Zurgovani, beyond Digomi; the British International School of Tbilisi and the Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy are near Lisi Lake; the European School is in the Saburtalo district, and New School International School of Georgia is on the Tskneti Highway above Vake. Expatriate families tend to live in Vake and Vera for apartments with cafés and parks on the doorstep, in Saburtalo for value and proximity to several schools, and in the Lisi Lake and Digomi developments or the hillside villages of Tskneti and Tsavkisi for houses with gardens. Traffic across the city has worsened sharply in recent years, so a school on the wrong side of the Mtkvari river can mean a 45-minute journey each way.

Curricula available in Tbilisi

International Baccalaureate: the full PYP, MYP and Diploma continuum at New School International School of Georgia and the European School.
American: QSI's mastery-based US programme, an American high school diploma at the European School and American-style schooling at several Georgian-owned academies.
British: the English National Curriculum with Cambridge IGCSE and A Levels at the British International School of Tbilisi, St George's British-Georgian School and Buckswood International School.
Georgian bilingual tracks: Georgian-medium sections with strong English at the European School and the Zaldastanishvili academy, which suit mixed families planning to stay.

The schools and how their admissions differ

QSI International School of Tbilisi

Part of the Quality Schools International network of more than thirty schools, QSI Tbilisi follows an American mastery-learning model in which students progress unit by unit rather than by year-end grades. Admissions run year-round through the QSI online form; the school asks for previous reports and a short placement assessment, and it is used to receiving diplomatic and corporate families on ten days' notice. Places in the five- and six-year-old classes are the hardest to secure.

British International School of Tbilisi (BIST)

BIST teaches the English National Curriculum from early years to A Levels on a campus in the Lisi Lake area. Applicants from Year 3 upward sit English and maths papers and a reading assessment; younger children join a class for a morning. Offers are usually made within a week, and the school will hold a place against a deposit for families still finalising a move.

European School

The European School is the largest international school in Georgia, combining an IB continuum, an American high school section and a Georgian national programme on one campus in Saburtalo. Each section has its own admissions criteria: the IB and American programmes assess English and maths, while the Georgian sector requires fluent Georgian. Because it is large, mid-year places are more often available here than at the smaller schools.

New School International School of Georgia

New School was the first IB World School in the country and offers the PYP, MYP and Diploma on the Tskneti Highway. Admissions include a portfolio review for older students, an interview with the programme coordinator and a written English task. It attracts a mix of Georgian professional families and long-stay expatriates, and its Diploma classes fill by early spring.

St George's British-Georgian School

St George's offers a British curriculum to IGCSE alongside Georgian language and studies, at fees well below the international flagships. Admissions are straightforward: an application, a meeting with the head of section and a short assessment, with decisions typically within a few days. It is a good option for families who want a British structure and expect to stay in Georgia for several years.

The admissions process step by step

Step 1: shortlist and visit. Every school offers tours, and most will arrange a video call for families abroad. Ask about space in your child's year group first, then about assessment dates.

Step 2: apply. Complete the online application and pay the fee, GEL 300 to 1,000 depending on the school. Upload a passport copy, birth certificate, the last two years of school reports, any learning-support documentation and vaccination records; documents in other languages should be translated into English.

Step 3: assessment. From about age seven children sit English and maths assessments, either standardised tests such as MAP or CAT4 or the school's own papers. Younger children are observed in a classroom. Limited English is rarely a barrier at the international schools, which run EAL programmes, but ask whether support is charged separately.

Step 4: interview and offer. Expect a conversation with the section head and, for teenagers, with the student alone. Offers are made within one to two weeks and held for around ten days.

Step 5: accept and pay. Places are confirmed with a one-off entrance or capital fee of GEL 2,000 to 8,000 at the premium schools and a deposit of one term at some. Annual tuition for 2026 runs roughly GEL 40,000 to 65,000 at QSI, GEL 35,000 to 55,000 at BIST, GEL 20,000 to 40,000 at the European School and New School, and GEL 15,000 to 28,000 at St George's. Georgian law requires prices to be quoted in lari, though several schools index their fees to the US dollar, so ask how exchange-rate movements are handled. Add GEL 3,000 to 6,000 for a school bus, GEL 2,000 to 3,500 for lunches and separate exam fees in IGCSE, A Level and IB years.

Step 6: settle the formalities. Georgia allows citizens of around ninety-five countries to stay visa-free for a full year, so most families enrol before residency is arranged; schools ask only for passports at this stage. Children enter Grade 1 at six, and general education runs for twelve grades, so ask each school where your child would be placed relative to their previous system.

Practical advice for families applying in Tbilisi

Apply before you arrive. The five- to seven-year-old classes at QSI and BIST are the tightest in the city and fill between February and May for a September start. An application from abroad with a video interview is treated exactly like a local one.

Mid-year entry is common. Diplomatic and development postings rotate in January and in the summer, so places appear regularly. Accept a place at your second choice and stay on the waiting list at your first; schools here do not penalise families for switching after a term.

Clarify what the fee is denominated in. A GEL fee that is indexed to the dollar can change between the offer and the first invoice. Ask for the policy in writing and whether fees are fixed for the academic year once paid.

See how Tbilisi schools rank

Once you have offers in hand, compare them against the independent ranking of the best schools in Tbilisi, built from verified profiles, reviews and fee data.

More guides to schools in Tbilisi

Frequently asked questions

When should we apply to international schools in Tbilisi?

Apply between January and May for a September start if your child is aged five to seven, because those classes fill first at QSI and BIST. Older year groups and the larger schools usually have space until the summer, and mid-year entry in January is realistic across the city because diplomatic and development families rotate on fixed cycles.

What documents do Tbilisi international schools require?

Expect to provide a passport copy, birth certificate, the previous two years of school reports, vaccination records, any learning-support or psychological reports and, for older students, a teacher recommendation. Documents in languages other than English should be translated. Residency papers are not required to enrol, since most nationalities may stay in Georgia visa-free for a year.

Are fees in Tbilisi charged in lari or US dollars?

Georgian law requires schools to publish and invoice fees in lari, but several international schools index their tuition to the US dollar and adjust the lari amount when the exchange rate moves. Ask each school in writing how the rate is set, whether the fee is fixed once the year has been paid, and which instalment options are available.