Austria · Vienna
AIS Vienna is an English-medium day school from age four through Grade 12. Every graduate earns its US High School Diploma, while eligible pupils may also pursue the IB Diploma. Entry depends on academic readiness, English level, support capacity and the school's priority order.
The American International School Vienna, usually called AIS Vienna or AISV, is a co-educational day school in Vienna’s 19th district. Its single campus serves Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. The school publishes no boarding or residential programme.
The main fit is clear. AIS suits a pupil who can follow an American, English-medium curriculum and wants a US diploma, with the IB Diploma available in the final two years. It is less suitable for a high-school applicant who still needs English-language support.
The school is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. It also has Austrian public-law status and recognition from the Austrian education ministry. The IB organisation records AIS as a Diploma Programme school since 1977.
AIS divides the school into Elementary, Middle and High School:
Every AIS graduate receives the school’s US High School Diploma. The 2026/27 handbook requires 24 credits: four in English; three each in mathematics, laboratory science and social studies; and two each in languages, physical education/health and arts. Five elective credits complete the total.
A pupil transferring into High School may receive at most eight AIS credits for each previous school year. A Grade 12 pupil must attend AIS for the full academic year to graduate. Families should request a written credit audit before accepting a late secondary offer.
Most Grade 11 and 12 pupils choose the two-year IB Diploma Programme, but it is not the only graduation route. The IB requires six subjects, Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service. Pupils may also take individual IB courses while completing the US diploma.
Do not describe AIS as an IB continuum school. The IB’s own directory authorises only the Diploma Programme, not the Primary Years or Middle Years Programmes.
The school’s High School page says it offers the IB instead of an AP programme. Its newer 2026/27 handbook lists AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. It also permits selected external Global Online Academy courses. Ask which AP courses will actually run before relying on one.
The US diploma, IB Diploma and Austrian Matura are different qualifications. Austrian and other European universities set their own subject, language and recognition rules. Ask each intended university to confirm eligibility before choosing Grade 11 subjects.
English is the main teaching language. The point at which a pupil enters matters because the available English as an Additional Language (EAL) support narrows with age.
| Entry stage | Published English rule |
|---|---|
| Pre-Kindergarten–Kindergarten | Beginners may apply. Developing English speakers are limited to 30% of each year. |
| Grades 1–5 | Beginners may apply. Developing English speakers are limited to 20% of each grade. |
| Grades 6–8 | Applicants need intermediate or advanced English. EAL places are about 20% of each grade; pull-out groups have at most 12 pupils. |
| Grades 9–12 | Applicants need advanced or native-level English, stated as C1. High School provides no EAL programme. |
EAL in Elementary can combine small-group pull-out teaching with support in the mainstream classroom. Middle School provides an intermediate or advanced EAL Core class and specialist small-group sessions. Admission still depends on available EAL places.
German is present from the early years. Elementary pupils receive German instruction, and Middle School includes German in the ordinary subject programme. High School offers German at several levels, including IB language routes. Austrian passport holders must study German in Grade 9.
The handbook says French or Spanish ab initio may require private tutoring when the school’s basic courses do not cover the needed IB preparation. The family pays that tutor. Approval is required from the language department, counsellors and IB coordinator.
AIS accepts pupils who are likely to meet its academic requirements in mainstream classes. Records, references, tests, English level and support needs all matter. An academically suitable pupil can still be waitlisted when a grade or support programme is full.
The published priority order applies until 1 April:
The order does not create an offer. A place is secure only after the school approves the file, a place is available, and the family signs the contract and pays the required reservation amount.
Age cut-offs are fixed at 1 September. A child must be four for Pre-Kindergarten, five for Kindergarten and six for Grade 1. A secondary pupil must be on course to graduate before turning 20.
Contact Admissions before paying. Confirm both the intended grade and current availability, especially when transferring from a southern-hemisphere calendar.
The application asks for the latest current-year report, the previous two final reports, available standardised test scores, passport and photo. Relevant support plans and assessments must also be included. The €700 application fee is non-refundable but remains valid for two years.
Reference requirements vary by stage. Grades 6–12 require confidential references from a school leader or form tutor, the mathematics teacher and the English teacher. Applicants in Grades 6–8 write a self-evaluation; Grades 9–12 write an essay.
Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grade 1 applicants complete an in-person early-childhood screening. Grades 2–8 may be screened in English and mathematics, online or in person. High School applicants take mathematics placement and, when required, an online English assessment.
An applicant may receive an offer, a waitlist place or a refusal. Waiting pools last one school year. A family may carry the application into the next year while the original fee remains valid.
The school’s undated general policy says applications for the next school year open in the preceding autumn. It sets 1 February as the best-consideration date, keeps the priority order until 1 April, and sends decisions from 1 April.
Applied to 2027/28, those recurring rules would mean 1 February and 1 April 2027. This is an inference, not a published 2027/28 calendar. On 4 September 2026, the application page still said only that 2026/27 applications were being accepted.
Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8 admissions can continue during the year if places remain. Grades 9–11 normally admit by semester. The general page gives 1 August and 1 December as the two application dates for Grades 9–12.
After an offer, the family normally has ten days to pay the reservation amount, accept school policies and sign the contract. Medical forms are due by 31 May for August entry. The final school report is due by 31 July.
AIS supports documented mild and moderate learning differences when the pupil can remain in the mainstream curriculum. Provision can include classroom accommodations, small-group or individual intervention, Study Skills and help from instructional assistants.
The limits are consequential. AIS does not modify the Middle or High School curriculum. It does not accept needs beyond its staffing or facilities, significant cognitive impairment, or significant behavioural or emotional challenges. Support capacity can be a reason for refusal.
Before applying, send Admissions the latest report, IEP or accommodations plan, and recent psychoeducational evaluation. Ask for a written description of frequency, group size, staffing and any external services. The public 2026/27 fee schedule states no separate learning-support charge.
IB assessment arrangements need early planning. The handbook says a psychoeducational evaluation must be no more than three years old at the examination date. It also advises making the accommodation request at least 18 months before the exams.
These are the school’s published full-payment rates. Full payment was due on 31 August 2026 for pupils starting in the first quarter.
| Grade | Annual tuition |
|---|---|
| Pre-Kindergarten | €15,892 |
| Kindergarten–Grade 5 | €24,816 |
| Grades 6–8 | €27,536 |
| Grades 9–10 | €28,640 |
| Grades 11–12 | €29,065 |
The following compulsory charges determine the actual first-year budget:
| Charge | Amount and condition |
|---|---|
| Application | €700; non-refundable; valid for two years |
| New-pupil deposit | €3,000 within ten days of the offer; non-refundable; credited against tuition |
| Enrollment | €3,300 for new Kindergarten–Grade 12 pupils; also charged when a returning pupil enters Kindergarten |
| New-pupil capital assessment | €7,000 for new Grade 1–12 pupils; also charged when a returning pupil enters Grade 1 |
There is no enrollment charge for a new Pre-Kindergarten pupil. The new-pupil capital assessment does not apply in Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten. Enrollment and capital charges are billed with the first tuition payment and are never prorated.
Returning pupils pay a €3,000 deposit by 1 March. It is credited against tuition and refundable until 1 April. Payment after 1 April does not guarantee the place. Returning pupils in Grades 1–12 also pay an annual €1,556 capital assessment, non-refundable after 14 June.
An approved leave of absence costs €3,000. The request must be approved before 1 March, the pupil must return at the next academic year’s start, and the fee is neither prorated nor refundable. A return after more than one year attracts new-pupil fees.
A withdrawn pupil who returns within one year pays the ordinary re-enrollment charges, whether or not the family bought the leave guarantee. A return after more than one year is treated as a new enrollment.
The school mentions special rates and conditions for US Tri-Mission families but publishes no amounts. It publishes no general sibling discount, scholarship scheme or means-tested fee reduction.
The plan adds €970, or €630 for Pre-Kindergarten, and applies only to tuition. A written request had to reach the business office by 15 October 2026.
| Grade | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Nov 2026 | 1 Mar 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Kindergarten | €7,781 | €4,768 | €3,973 |
| Kindergarten–Grade 5 | €12,137 | €7,445 | €6,204 |
| Grades 6–8 | €13,361 | €8,261 | €6,884 |
| Grades 9–10 | €13,858 | €8,592 | €7,160 |
| Grades 11–12 | €14,049 | €8,720 | €7,266 |
A missed due date cancels the instalment agreement automatically. The full outstanding amount becomes payable, and the payer loses access to future instalment plans.
School fees must be paid in euros. The payer also bears bank charges. A company, embassy or other third-party payment arrangement does not remove the parent or guardian’s liability.
Application, deposit, enrollment and capital charges remain due in full. Tuition is charged at 100% before 19 October, 75% from 27 October to 22 January, 50% from 25 January to 9 April, and 25% for later entry before 17 June.
A pupil entering from 12 to 22 January pays a daily amount for the remaining second-quarter days plus each complete later quarter. Ask for a dated invoice because the table leaves the October and January school-break dates outside its stated ranges.
The public schedule does not define every tuition inclusion. It expressly separates bus, lunch, examinations, optional activities, sports clothing, some electives and international travel from annual tuition.
The 2026/27 bus service uses eight planned routes. It is not a home-address service, so a child may need to walk or use public transport to a stop.
| Full-year bus option | Price |
|---|---|
| Return | €3,050 |
| One-way morning or afternoon | €1,525 |
| Grade 12 return | €2,520 |
| Grade 12 one-way morning or afternoon | €1,260 |
| Household pass for three or more children | €7,500 return; €3,750 one way |
| Single journey | €11 |
Bus refunds are calculated only by quarter, and any started quarter is charged in full. The separate activities shuttle at 17:20 is free, but its published route is limited.
Lunch is optional. The standard daily menu costs €7.60 in Pre-Kindergarten–Grade 1, €7.80 in Grades 2–3 and €8.40 in Grades 4–12. A Pre-Kindergarten–Grade 5 breakfast box costs €4.10.
The annual prepaid lunch totals are €1,285.16, €1,318.98 and €1,420.44 for those three grade bands. Adding prepaid milk raises them to €1,496.98, €1,530.36 and €1,625.14. The annual breakfast programme costs €693.31.
Annual and semester prepayment uses a stated 5% discount; quarterly payment uses 3%. Drinks and ice cream are excluded. From 2026/27, pupils pay by prepayment or a funded Gold Card, not cash.
A family can suspend prepaid lunch for at least one week by giving five days’ email notice. Full withdrawal requires written notice and ends after the following month. The provider then recalculates used days at the regular, undiscounted price before returning any balance.
The school schedule lists IB examination fees from €92 per exam and AP fees from €145 per exam. SAT charges vary. It also says activities, sports uniforms, electives and international travel can cost extra.
The current High School handbook gives several examples. Model United Nations travel is estimated at €600–€800, the Fine Arts city course costs €300, and a graphics calculator costs about €110 through the school. Private language tutoring is paid by the family.
After-school activities are fee-based. After-school care runs on full school days until 17:00 for Pre-Kindergarten–Grade 5. Prices for both programmes sit behind the family portal, so obtain them before building a childcare budget.
Refunds depend on the date the school receives a completed Student Withdrawal Form. The application fee and new-pupil deposit are never refundable.
Every pupil must live with a parent or an AIS-approved guardian. A guardian must provide evidence of guardianship and power of attorney. The pupil must be allowed to attend school, and at least one parent or guardian must be lawfully resident in Austria throughout enrollment.
AIS can ask for evidence at any time and can require withdrawal when it is not provided. Admission is not an Austrian residence decision. Third-country families should check the appropriate family or pupil route with the Austrian authorities before paying non-refundable fees.
The campus is at Salmannsdorfer Strasse 47, 1190 Vienna, near the edge of the Vienna Woods. Test the journey at school arrival time. The bus network may help, but its limited stops do not remove the need for a workable daily route.
The main constraints are equally clear. High School has no EAL, learning support is limited to mainstream access, and new Grade 1–12 families face large compulsory charges beyond tuition. There is no boarding solution.
Continue with our Vienna school guide and Austria admissions guide for local alternatives and system context.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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