Bilingual Schools in Krakow: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

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

Krakow's international community has grown around the shared services and technology sector, the universities and a steady flow of families returning from years in the UK and Ireland. Many of them arrive with a question that Warsaw families rarely ask: is a Polish-English bilingual school good enough, or do we need a fully international one? Bilingual schools in Krakow offer a real alternative at roughly half the cost, but they are a different product. This guide explains the models, names the schools expat families actually use, gives fees in zloty and lists the questions that show how bilingual a school really is.

Why the bilingual question matters more in Krakow

Krakow has roughly 800,000 residents and a compact international school market: a small number of fully international schools plus a larger set of private Polish schools with bilingual programmes accredited by the Ministry of Education. The city's expats are less often on short corporate rotations than in Warsaw and more often on long or permanent stays, whether as returnees, as employees of multinationals with permanent hubs in the city, or as academics. For those families, a school that produces a child fluent in Polish, able to sit Polish exams and able to move to a Polish university if needed, is genuinely valuable.

Geographically, most bilingual and international schools sit in the southern and western districts, from Dębniki and Ruczaj near the technology parks to Zwierzyniec and Bronowice, with some in the north around Prądnik. The city is compact and tram coverage is good, so the commute is rarely the deciding factor, though the Vistula bridges congest at 8am.

Bilingual and international models available in Krakow

• Polish national curriculum with a bilingual programme: the Ministry's bilingual designation requires at least two subjects taught in a foreign language; good schools go well beyond, with 30 to 50 percent of lessons in English.
• Dual-track schools: a Polish bilingual section and an international section under one roof, often sharing facilities and some lessons.
• Fully international schools: the IB or British curriculum entirely in English, with Polish taught as a host-country language a few hours a week.
• Bilingual pre-schools: English-immersion kindergartens for ages 2 to 6, a common first step and a natural feeder into bilingual primary schools.

Schools in Krakow worth visiting

International School of Krakow

The oldest fully international school in the city, offering an American-style programme with the IB Diploma in English, with Polish available as a host-country language. It admits mainly foreign passport holders and Polish returnees and is the default for diplomatic and corporate relocations. It is not bilingual in the Polish sense, but it is the reference point against which the bilingual schools should be measured.

British International School of Cracow

A British curriculum school following the English national curriculum with IGCSE and A levels, teaching in English with Polish as a subject. Class sizes are small and it is popular with families planning a later move to the UK. Its Polish language provision is solid for a subject, but families wanting real bilingualism should compare it with the bilingual Polish schools below.

Da Vinci's International Schools

A Polish private school group with a bilingual programme that combines the national curriculum with a substantial English-medium component and Cambridge elements. It is one of the more common choices for returnee families and for expats staying long term. Ask for the exact percentage of lessons in English at each stage, because it rises in the upper years.

Cracow International School

Despite the name, this school operates a bilingual model with the Polish curriculum and an English-medium track, aimed at Polish and international families who want both languages at a high level. Fees sit between the bilingual Polish schools and the fully international ones. Check which external qualifications are offered at the end of secondary, since this determines the exit routes.

Fees at bilingual and international schools in Krakow for 2026

• Polish-English bilingual schools: roughly 18,000 to 45,000 PLN per year, lowest in primary and highest in the final years of liceum.
• Dual-track schools, international section: roughly 35,000 to 65,000 PLN per year.
• Fully international schools: roughly 50,000 to 95,000 PLN per year, peaking in the IB Diploma or A level years.
• Registration fee: roughly 1,000 to 3,000 PLN, non-refundable.
• Deposit: up to one term at the international schools; small or none at bilingual Polish schools.
• Lunches, uniforms where required, trips and clubs: budget roughly 10 percent above tuition.

Two verifiable points affect the bill. Education services are exempt from VAT in Poland, so quoted tuition is final. And Polish bilingual schools accredited by the Ministry receive a per-pupil subsidy from the state, which is the structural reason they can charge half the fee of a fully private international school for a comparable number of teaching hours.

Practical advice for expat families in Krakow

Ask for the timetable, not the label. The Ministry's bilingual designation is a minimum. Ask the school for the actual weekly timetable of your child's year group and count the lessons taught in English. Thirty percent and fifty percent are both called bilingual and produce very different outcomes.

Think about exams before you think about fees. Bilingual schools prepare children for the Polish eighth-grade exam and the matura. If your family may leave before those exams, ask whether the school also offers Cambridge or IB qualifications that transfer abroad, and at what additional cost.

Use the early years to your advantage. A child who enters a bilingual pre-school or first grade with no Polish will normally be fluent within two years. The same child arriving at twelve will struggle. The bilingual route is a decision best made early or not at all.

Compare the best international schools in Poland

Use the independent ranking of the best schools in Poland to compare Krakow schools with those elsewhere on languages, curricula, fees and parent reviews.

More guides to schools in Krakow

• How to Choose an International School in Krakow: 2026 Guide
• International School Fees in Krakow: 2026 Cost Guide
• International School Admissions in Krakow: 2026 Guide
• Best schools in Poland ranking

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a bilingual and an international school in Krakow?

A bilingual school in Krakow follows the Polish national curriculum, prepares students for Polish exams and teaches a substantial share of lessons in English, often 30 to 50 percent. An international school follows the IB, British or American curriculum entirely in English and treats Polish as a subject. Bilingual schools cost roughly half as much and integrate children into Polish life; international schools transfer more easily abroad.

How much do bilingual schools in Krakow cost in 2026?

Roughly 18,000 to 45,000 PLN per year for Polish-English bilingual schools and roughly 50,000 to 95,000 PLN for the fully international schools. Registration fees of roughly 1,000 to 3,000 PLN, a deposit at some schools, lunches, uniforms where required and extracurriculars add roughly 10 percent. Education is exempt from VAT in Poland, so the quoted tuition is the final tuition.

Can a child with no Polish join a bilingual school in Krakow?

Yes in the early years and lower primary, when schools routinely admit non-Polish speakers and provide Polish as a second language classes. From roughly age ten it becomes harder, because Polish carries half the curriculum and the national exams at the end of primary and secondary are in Polish. Older children without Polish usually do better at an international school.