Can my child start with no English?

In the lower and middle grades, at most schools, yes. Munich International School runs EAL in Grades 1 to 8, Frankfurt International School accepts beginners through Grade 8, Bavarian International School has a Newcomer Centre for Grades 6 to 8 and says English is not necessary before attending, Ecolint says the same, and ISB Basel welcomes children with little or no English. From Grade 9 the answer changes.

What level is needed for Grade 9 or 10?

Intermediate English, in the schools' own words. Frankfurt International School requires it from Grade 9 with a placement test; Inter-Community School Zurich states it cannot support beginners in Grades 9 or 10; Zurich International School runs EAL in those two grades only. In CEFR terms, B1+ to B2 is the realistic target before the move.

We arrive in Grade 11 and English is weak. What happens?

The school assesses English before offering a place: Danube International School's ELD coordinator does so for Grades 11 and 12, and ISD requires sufficient English for IB level. Where a place is offered, the student is usually placed in English B rather than English A, as Bavarian International School describes. Prepare academic English before arrival; the Diploma does not wait.

Is English support free?

It varies. Zurich International School includes it in the fees; Vienna International School charges €870 per semester, Danube International School €1,605 per semester, and AMADEUS €9,000 per year for its English Academy. Several schools publish no fee. Ask directly, and ask at which grade the support stops.

Do the schools recommend outside tutoring?

None of the schools we read recommends it publicly, and most do not mention it. The gap outside tutoring fills is the one the schools describe themselves: the grades where in-school support has ended and the entry points where a level is required. Our MYP English and IGCSE English pages set out what that looks like.

Does MYP or IGCSE change the English requirement?

Both are taught in English, so the entry level is the same. The difference is the exam at 16: MYP English ends in school-awarded criterion grades, while IGCSE ends in an external exam where the school chooses between English as a Second Language and First Language English, and in four German Länder only First Language counts towards the Mittlerer Schulabschluss according to Cambridge's 2019 guide. Ask an IGCSE school which it will enter your child for.

Guide

How much English does a child need to enter an international school in Germany, Austria or Switzerland?

By Michael Thompson - Head of Teaching Excellence; 15 years as an IB Coordinator

Published 17 October 20269 min read

In short: Up to about Grade 8, often none: Munich International School, Frankfurt International School, Bavarian International School, Ecolint and the International School Basel all take beginners in the lower grades and teach English alongside. From Grade 9 most schools expect intermediate English, and from Grade 11 academic English for the IB Diploma; several say they cannot support beginners in Grades 9 and 10. English support (EAL) is included at some schools and charged at others, from €870 a semester to €9,000 a year.

The question arrives with the job offer: the family is moving to Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna or Zurich in August, the children speak school German or none, and the international school's website says something reassuring about 'language support'. What it rarely says is at which grade that support ends, what the placement test looks like, or what it costs.

We read the admissions and support pages of 25 international schools in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and summarise here what 20 of them publish about English on entry, by grade and school by school. All quotations and figures are from the schools' own pages as read on 17 October 2026; policies change, so confirm with the school before you decide.

The pattern across the schools

Germany has 79 IB schools, Switzerland 54 and Austria 19, by the IB's country listings, and most of the international schools below teach the IB Middle Years Programme for ages 11 to 16 (14 of 25 in our sample) or Cambridge IGCSE (9 of 25), followed by the IB Diploma at 24 of the 25. In every case the language of instruction is English, and the Diploma in Grades 11 and 12 assumes academic English from the first week.

Three things hold almost everywhere. Beginners are welcome in the lower grades. In-school English support thins out between Grade 8 and Grade 10: Munich International School offers it in Grades 1 to 8, Frankfurt International School accepts beginners only through Grade 8, the International School of Düsseldorf supports English learners up to Grade 10, Zurich International School runs EAL in Grades 9 and 10 only, and Inter-Community School Zurich states it cannot support English beginners in Grades 9 or 10. And entry to Grades 11 and 12 is conditional on English: Danube International School assesses it, ISD requires it, and Bavarian International School places late entrants into English B.

By grade

Grade	What schools expect	Support available	Examples
1 to 5	Usually no English required	EAL or English language acquisition classes built into the week	MIS: EAL Grades 1 to 8; Ecolint: no need to speak English or French before joining; ISB Basel welcomes little or no prior English
6 to 8	Beginners still accepted at most schools; a placement test decides the class	Newcomer groups or MYP Language Acquisition phases 1 and 2, often timetabled against a second foreign language	BIS: Newcomer Centre for Grades 6 to 8; BBIS: Language Acquisition programme Grades 6 to 10, Learning Lab during French, Spanish or Drama; FIS: beginners accepted through Grade 8
9 to 10	Intermediate English expected; beginners refused at several schools	English for academic purposes, exam-track ESL (IGCSE) or MYP Language Acquisition phases 3 to 5	FIS: intermediate English and an ELA placement test from Grade 9; ICS Zurich: cannot support beginners in Grades 9 or 10; ZIS: EAL in Grades 9 and 10 only
11 to 12	Academic English sufficient for the IB Diploma; assessed on application	English B instead of English A; limited or no EAL	ISD: sufficient English for IB level required; DISV: ELD coordinator assesses applicants to Grades 11 and 12; BIS: Grade 11 EAL entrants placed in English B

School by school

What each school publishes about English on entry and the support it offers. 'Not published' means we found no statement on the school's pages, not that there is no policy.

School	City	Curriculum (11 to 16, 16 to 19)	English on entry	Support and fee
Munich International School	Starnberg	MYP Grades 5 to 10; DP or High School Diploma	Grades 9 to 12 need a certain level of English proficiency	EAL in Grades 1 to 8; no fee published
Bavarian International School	Haimhausen	MYP; DP and CP	Not necessary to speak English before attending; online placement test, writing task and interview for Grades 6 to 12	Newcomer Centre Grades 6 to 8; Language Acquisition Grades 6 to 10; Grade 11 entrants placed in English B; no separate EAL fee on the fee page
Frankfurt International School	Oberursel	Own programme Grades 6 to 8; DP	Beginners accepted through Grade 8; intermediate English and a placement test from Grade 9	ELA from pre-primary to Grade 8, assessed with WIDA
ISF Internationale Schule Frankfurt	Frankfurt	IGCSE; DP and AP	Students can join without prior knowledge of English or German	Structured language support; a paid extra-English option appears in third-party listings (unverified)
Metropolitan School Frankfurt	Frankfurt	Cambridge Lower Secondary and IGCSE Grades 6 to 10; DP	Not published	ESL offered (per school listings)
BBIS Berlin Brandenburg	Kleinmachnow	MYP Grades 6 to 10; DP	Not published	English Language Acquisition programme in Grades 6 to 10; Learning Lab timetabled during French, Spanish or Drama
Berlin International School	Berlin	Bilingual middle years with the German MSA in Grade 10; DP	Very good English skills needed with increasing class level; entrance test	Not published
International School Hamburg	Hamburg	MYP; DP	Placement tests in English for all applicants to Grades 6 to 12	ELA classes at Emergent, Capable and Proficient levels (per school listings)
International School of Düsseldorf	Düsseldorf	MYP; DP	Grades 11 and 12 need sufficient English to study at IB level	EAL support up to Grade 10
International School of Stuttgart	Stuttgart	MYP Grades 6 to 10; DP	Not published	Intensive and individual EAL programme (per school listings)
Vienna International School	Vienna	MYP Grades 6 to 10; DP	Not published	ELA fee €870 per semester, waived for families of Vienna-based international organisations and diplomats
Danube International School	Vienna	MYP; DP	Grades 11 and 12: English proficiency assessed by the ELD coordinator; not required for younger students	ELD lessons €1,605 per semester, required for students in Language Acquisition phases 1 and 2
AMADEUS International School	Vienna	MYP; DP	English support set in the admissions process as a condition in the offer letter	English Academy Grades 6 to 9, €9,000 per year, in place of Spanish and English lessons
Zurich International School	Zurich	Own curriculum Grades 6 to 8; DP or AP	New applicants may be asked to complete a placement assessment	EAL in Grades 9 and 10 only; included in fees (CHF 36,450 to 39,700 a year)
Inter-Community School Zurich	Zurich	MYP; DP	Online assessment; cannot support English beginners in Grades 9 or 10; DP needs proficient academic English	English Language Acquisition Grades 6 to 8; English for Academic Purposes Grades 9 and 10
Ecolint	Geneva	MYP, own programme or IGCSE by campus; DP	No need to speak English or French before joining	Language support after entry
Collège du Léman	Geneva	IGCSE; DP, CP, AP, French Bac, Swiss Maturité	May ask for an online English placement test; cites a Grade 9 entrant at A1 and a Grade 10 entrant at B1	15 periods of English a week in groups of 5 to 8, plus EAL-adapted subject classes
International School Basel	Basel	MYP Grades 6 to 10; DP	Welcomes students with little or no prior English; expectations vary by section and programme	EAL in three stages: Emerging, Developing, Consolidating
Leysin American School	Leysin	US diploma with AP; DP	English placement test, or IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo scores	ELA in three levels with sheltered content courses; Bridge programme
Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz	Zuoz	IGCSE from Grade 9; DP, CP, Swiss Matura	Assessed for English on entry	EAL coordinator arranges support where required

Fees and policies are the schools' own as published for 2024-25 to 2026-27; several schools publish no EAL fee, which may mean it is included or that it is quoted on request.

What the placement test looks like

Schools do not use IELTS or Cambridge for entry. Bavarian International School describes an online English placement test, a writing task and an interview for applicants to Grades 6 to 12. Inter-Community School Zurich uses an online assessment it calls IDAT. Frankfurt International School assesses English learners with WIDA, the framework many American-curriculum schools use. International School Hamburg tests every applicant to Grades 6 to 12. The pattern is a reading and listening test at the child's grade level, a short piece of writing, and a conversation, and the result places the child in a language-acquisition phase or a newcomer group rather than refusing entry, except at the top of the school.

What English support costs

Included: Zurich International School states that EAL support is included in its fees. Bavarian International School lists no separate EAL fee; Munich International School, ISD and ICS Zurich publish no fee.
Charged per semester: Vienna International School €870, Danube International School €1,605, the latter compulsory for students in the lowest two Language Acquisition phases.
Charged per year: AMADEUS International School Vienna €9,000 for its English Academy in Grades 6 to 9, replacing Spanish and English lessons.
Ask before you sign: whether support is included, how many lessons a week, which subjects it replaces, and the grade at which it stops.

Planning the move

Moving in Grades 1 to 8: enrol, let the school place the child, and use the summer before for everyday and classroom English so the first weeks are less tiring. School support will do the rest.
Moving in Grade 9 or 10: aim to arrive at B1+ to B2. Ask the school in writing whether it accepts the child's level, and if the answer is 'intermediate English required', plan a block of 20 hours or more before the placement test. Where the school teaches IGCSE, ask whether the child will sit English as a Second Language or First Language English, because that choice affects recognition in Germany.
Moving in Grade 11: this is the hardest entry. The Diploma starts immediately and most schools expect academic English; expect to be placed in English B rather than English A, and prepare the reading and essay writing of the subjects the child will take before arrival.
Whatever the grade: send the school the child's current English grades and any certificate (Cambridge for Schools exams are widely understood), and ask what the placement test covers.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child start with no English?: In the lower and middle grades, at most schools, yes. Munich International School runs EAL in Grades 1 to 8, Frankfurt International School accepts beginners through Grade 8, Bavarian International School has a Newcomer Centre for Grades 6 to 8 and says English is not necessary before attending, Ecolint says the same, and ISB Basel welcomes children with little or no English. From Grade 9 the answer changes.
What level is needed for Grade 9 or 10?: Intermediate English, in the schools' own words. Frankfurt International School requires it from Grade 9 with a placement test; Inter-Community School Zurich states it cannot support beginners in Grades 9 or 10; Zurich International School runs EAL in those two grades only. In CEFR terms, B1+ to B2 is the realistic target before the move.
We arrive in Grade 11 and English is weak. What happens?: The school assesses English before offering a place: Danube International School's ELD coordinator does so for Grades 11 and 12, and ISD requires sufficient English for IB level. Where a place is offered, the student is usually placed in English B rather than English A, as Bavarian International School describes. Prepare academic English before arrival; the Diploma does not wait.
Is English support free?: It varies. Zurich International School includes it in the fees; Vienna International School charges €870 per semester, Danube International School €1,605 per semester, and AMADEUS €9,000 per year for its English Academy. Several schools publish no fee. Ask directly, and ask at which grade the support stops.
Do the schools recommend outside tutoring?: None of the schools we read recommends it publicly, and most do not mention it. The gap outside tutoring fills is the one the schools describe themselves: the grades where in-school support has ended and the entry points where a level is required. Our MYP English and IGCSE English pages set out what that looks like.
Does MYP or IGCSE change the English requirement?: Both are taught in English, so the entry level is the same. The difference is the exam at 16: MYP English ends in school-awarded criterion grades, while IGCSE ends in an external exam where the school chooses between English as a Second Language and First Language English, and in four German Länder only First Language counts towards the Mittlerer Schulabschluss according to Cambridge's 2019 guide. Ask an IGCSE school which it will enter your child for.

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Facts on this page were last checked on 17 October 2026. Exam fees and formats change; confirm them with the exam provider before booking a test.