Moving to Amsterdam with kids: schools, areas and costs

Quick answer: What should families know before moving to Amsterdam with kids? Register with the municipality within five days of arriving, and plan school places early: education is compulsory from the month after a child turns five. In 2026-27 the subsidised AICS charges EUR 6,025 to EUR 9,168 a year, while The British School of Amsterdam charges EUR 20,461 to EUR 22,976 from Reception to Year 13.

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

Key takeaways

Under article 3 of the Leerplichtwet 1969, a child must be enrolled in school from the first school day of the month after turning five.
Article 2.38 of the Wet basisregistratie personen requires anyone staying at least two thirds of the next six months to register in person with the municipality within five days of arrival.
From 1 January 2027 the expat tax ruling drops from 30% to 27% of salary for rulings that started in 2024 or later, under the Belastingplan 2025.
Free-sector rents averaged EUR 28.68 per square metre in Amsterdam in the fourth quarter of 2025, against EUR 23.91 in Amstelveen and EUR 22.52 in Haarlem, according to Pararius and Huurwoningen.nl.

At the Amsterdam International Community School, a place in the queue is fixed by the day a family pays its EUR 200 registration fee. That one rule explains why the flat and the school have to be solved together: a subsidised international school can cost a quarter to a third of a private one, but its places go in order of application, and rents shift sharply between Amsterdam, Amstelveen and Haarlem.

This guide to moving to Amsterdam with kids sets out the order that works: where families live, the paperwork in the first week, how Dutch International Schools differ from private ones, what each costs in 2026-27, how waiting lists work and what changes for the expat tax ruling in 2027.

Which areas suit families in and around Amsterdam?

Most international families settle south of the centre or in the towns around it, close to the schools they choose.

Amsterdam Zuid and Oud-Zuid: the shortest commute to The British School of Amsterdam on Havenstraat, Winford Bilingual on Jan Luijkenstraat and the AICS South campus on A.J. Ernststraat. Also the most expensive rents.
Amstelveen: a separate municipality south of Amsterdam, home to The International School of Amsterdam on Sportlaan and Amity International School on Amsterdamseweg.
Zuidoost: the AICS Sandcastle campus at Bijlmerplein.
Haarlem: west of Amsterdam, with International School Haarlem, which opened in 2017 and now runs three sites in the city, and Winford Bilingual Haarlem.

Rent is where the areas really differ. At the fourth-quarter 2025 averages above, a 90 square metre free-sector flat works out at roughly EUR 2,580 a month in Amsterdam, EUR 2,150 in Amstelveen and EUR 2,030 in Haarlem, before service charges. Nationally, free-sector rents averaged EUR 20.94 per square metre in the second quarter of 2026, according to the same platforms. Treat these as averages: family-sized homes near schools often sit above them.

What do you need to do in the first week?

Register with the municipality, in person, within five days. Article 2.38 of the Wet basisregistratie personen applies to anyone expected to stay at least two thirds of the next six months. Registration gives you a citizen service number (BSN), which employers, health insurers and the tax office all use.

School comes next. Under article 3 of the Leerplichtwet 1969, compulsory education starts on the first school day of the month after a child turns five and lasts until the end of the school year in which they turn 16; after that, young people without a basic qualification must stay in education until 18. In practice Dutch primary schools take children from four, which is why international schools start Group 1 at that age.

What kinds of school can you choose from?

Dutch state-funded schools: taught in Dutch, with no tuition fees.
Dutch International Schools (DIS): international schools that receive government funding and charge lower fees set under national guidelines; AICS runs the IB.
Private international schools: independent and unsubsidised, with British, IB or other curricula.
Private bilingual primary schools: Dutch and English taught together, aimed at families who may stay.

Three schools to compare

The British School of Amsterdam

BSA teaches children from 3 to 18 on a British model, with GCSEs and A Levels in the senior school. Its 2026-27 fees are EUR 20,461 in Year 1 and EUR 22,976 in Years 10 to 13, plus a EUR 250 application fee and a EUR 2,000 enrolment fee from Year 1. The school says a place is guaranteed only once that enrolment fee is paid. Lunches are invoiced separately. A fit for families on a UK track or likely to move to another British school.

Winford Bilingual Primary School

Winford's Amsterdam school is a private Dutch primary for ages 4 to 12 that combines the Dutch and UK national curricula, with two teachers per class according to the school. From age 9 families can switch to a Dutch-only stream, and pupils keep direct access to the lottery for Dutch secondary schools. Ask for current fees, which are sent on request. A fit for families who expect to stay and want a route into Dutch secondary education.

Amsterdam International Community School

AICS is a Dutch International School and an IB World School with the PYP, MYP, Diploma and Career-related Programme on two campuses, South and Sandcastle, each with about 1,200 to 1,400 students. Children stay on one campus through primary and MYP, and the CP runs only at South. A fit for families on a corporate package or a single salary who want the IB at DIS prices.

How much do Amsterdam schools cost in 2026-27?

Expect roughly EUR 6,000 to EUR 9,200 a year at a DIS and EUR 20,000 to EUR 33,000 at private international schools.

School	Type	Primary	Final years	Joining costs
AICS	DIS, subsidised	EUR 6,025 (Groups 1 to 5)	EUR 9,168 (DP2, exams included)	EUR 200 plus EUR 500 deposit
The British School of Amsterdam	Private, British	EUR 21,077 (Years 2 to 6)	EUR 22,976 (Years 10 to 13)	EUR 250 plus EUR 2,000
Amity International School	Private, IB	EUR 21,785 (Primary Years)	EUR 26,905 (Diploma)	EUR 580 plus EUR 2,500 deposit
The International School of Amsterdam	Private, IB	EUR 27,710 (Grades 1 to 5)	EUR 32,755 (Grades 11 and 12)	See fee schedule

Annual fees for new students from each school's 2026-27 schedule; AICS figures include activities, lunch supervision and exam fees. Our guide to international school fees in Amsterdam covers more schools.

Deposits: AICS keeps EUR 500 and Amity EUR 2,500, refundable when you leave with fees paid.
Lunch: extra at BSA; covered by lunch supervision fees at AICS primary.
Buses: The International School of Amsterdam runs a door-to-door service through an outside operator, charged by zone.
Learning support: BSA charges EUR 46,554 a year for a full-time assistant on top of fees.

What changes for the 30% ruling in 2027?

The tax-free allowance falls to 27% of salary from 1 January 2027 for employees whose ruling started on or after 1 January 2024, and the minimum salary rises. Rulings that began before 2024 keep 30% for their five years. The cut comes from the Belastingplan 2025, which amended article 31a of the Wet op de loonbelasting 1964, and the government's business portal confirms it applies from 2027.

The same article lets employers pay school fees tax-free on top of the percentage. The implementing decree defines them as primary or secondary fees at international schools or international departments of Dutch schools, so ask your employer whether fees are paid directly before you choose a school.

How do waiting lists work?

At AICS, your place in the waiting pool is set by the date you pay the EUR 200 registration fee, and primary applicants are invited to an intake. Amity takes pupils at any point in the year if places are free, and BSA reviews an application only once the application fee is paid. Our guide to international school admissions in Amsterdam sets out each step.

Apply before you sign a lease. If the move is certain, register with two or three schools in different areas, then rent near whichever offers a place first.

Ask about campus rules. At AICS a child cannot transfer between campuses in primary or MYP, so the campus you accept fixes the commute for years.

Test the commute. Do the school run at rush hour, by bike and by tram or train, before committing to a street.

Compare schools in Amsterdam

To compare curricula, fees and locations side by side, see our ranking of the best international schools in Amsterdam.

Sources: Leerplichtwet 1969, Wet basisregistratie personen, Wet op de loonbelasting 1964 and Uitvoeringsbesluit loonbelasting 1965 (wetten.overheid.nl); Belastingplan 2025 (Staatsblad 2024, 434); Ondernemersplein (RVO) on the 27% ruling; AICS School Guide 2026-27; The British School of Amsterdam fees 2026-27; Amity International School fee structure; The International School of Amsterdam fees 2026-27; Winford Bilingual Amsterdam; International School Haarlem; Pararius and Huurwoningen.nl rent figures reported by NH Nieuws and NL Times.

More guides to schools in Amsterdam

Frequently asked questions

At what age must children go to school in the Netherlands?

Under article 3 of the Leerplichtwet 1969, school is compulsory from the first school day of the month after a child turns five, until the end of the school year in which they turn 16. Young people without a basic qualification then stay in education until 18. Dutch primary schools, and international schools such as AICS, take children from four.

Are international schools in Amsterdam expensive?

It depends on the type. For 2026-27, the subsidised Amsterdam International Community School charges EUR 6,025 a year in Groups 1 to 5 and EUR 9,168 in the final Diploma year. Private schools charge more: EUR 21,077 a year in Years 2 to 6 at The British School of Amsterdam and EUR 32,755 in Grades 11 and 12 at The International School of Amsterdam.

Is Amstelveen or Haarlem cheaper than Amsterdam for families?

For renting, usually yes. Pararius and Huurwoningen.nl put free-sector rents in the fourth quarter of 2025 at EUR 28.68 per square metre in Amsterdam, EUR 23.91 in Amstelveen and EUR 22.52 in Haarlem. Both towns also have international schools of their own, such as Amity in Amstelveen and International School Haarlem, which shortens the school run.