Denmark · Copenhagen
CIS is Copenhagen’s large, established full-IB day school. Its Nordhavn campus offers the PYP, MYP and Diploma in English, but admission also depends on language readiness, support capacity and a nationality limit whose wording differs between two official sources.
Copenhagen International School (CIS) is a co-educational day school at Levantkaj 4–14 in Nordhavn. It has no boarding provision. The school teaches in English and offers all three International Baccalaureate programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP).
The school’s March 2026 profile describes about 850 students from 80 countries. That scale brings broad subject choice and a substantial international community, but it does not make admission automatic. The school considers English, previous schooling, learning or social-emotional needs, available support and its nationality limit before making an offer.
CIS is a strong fit for a family that expects another international move and wants one English-medium curriculum from early childhood through university entrance. It is especially useful when an older child needs the IB Diploma or when siblings span several phases.
It is less straightforward for a family that needs boarding, extensive specialist support that has not yet been agreed, or a Danish upper-secondary qualification. The IB Diploma is internationally recognised, while the parallel US high school diploma is accredited through NEASC. Neither is a Danish studentereksamen. If a Danish university may be the destination, ask the school counsellors how the proposed subjects meet the relevant entry requirements.
The nationality policy needs a written answer. The live admissions page says that no nationality may exceed 25% of the whole school. The school’s 2024 admissions procedures say 25% in any grade, with exceptions decided by the Director. Those are materially different rules. Ask admissions which definition they are applying to your child’s grade and nationality. Do not rely on a historic percentage in the school profile.
The youngest entry point is 2 years 10 months. Pre-K and primary follow the PYP. English is preferred but is not an entry requirement from Pre-K through Grade 4. Grade 5 applicants are expected to have roughly A2 English, and the Primary Principal assesses this during admission.
Grades 6–10 follow the MYP. From Grade 6, applicants who have not spent at least five years in English-medium education take an English as an Additional Language assessment. A child who arrives after December or January may also be assessed for the grade they would enter in the following school year. This avoids placing a student according to age alone when only part of the year remains.
In Grades 11 and 12, most students take the full IB Diploma. CIS describes the Diploma as open access for enrolled students, rather than restricting it to a small selected group. All secondary students also work toward the school’s NEASC-accredited US high school diploma. That diploma requires at least 22 credits plus CAS; students who do not take the full IB Diploma follow high-school courses that largely use IB content.
A Grade 12 transfer is usually realistic only when the student is already in the IB Diploma and the subject combination matches. Ask about this before paying an application fee.
Danish is taught as the host-country language, and the school says its Danish programme prepares students for the FP9 Danish examination. That is useful evidence of progression, but it is not the same as daily Danish-medium schooling. Ask which Danish group your child would join, how many lessons it receives and whether the route to FP9 is appropriate for that child. Other language options vary by phase and demand.
Admission is rolling while places remain. A statement that a grade has space is time-sensitive, so confirm it directly before planning a move. The process is:
Reports should be supplied in the original language and with an English translation where needed. Include the grading scale if it is not obvious. Give the school all relevant learning, behavioural and social-emotional reports. The admissions policy says that an offer may be withdrawn, without refund, if important information was withheld. It also says that a family must accept any required Tier 2 or Tier 3 support and its fees for the support plan to proceed.
Qualified applicants may enter a waiting pool. The published order gives priority first to returning students, then siblings. It next considers applicants linked to diplomatic missions, governments, NGOs, multinational organisations or alumni, followed by former CIS students and certain applicants transferring from an IB school outside Denmark. Other qualified applicants follow. Ask how your child is categorised; submitting first does not necessarily mean receiving the next offer.
The figures below come from the school’s 2026/27 General Financial Conditions.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | 3,000 DKK |
| Registration fee after an offer | 40,000 DKK |
| Instalment-plan administration fee | 3,000 DKK |
| Pre-K annual tuition | 194,000 DKK |
| Kindergarten–Grade 5 annual tuition | 155,000 DKK |
| Grades 6–10 annual tuition | 178,000 DKK |
| Grades 11–12 annual tuition | 215,000 DKK |
Tuition includes teaching, curriculum materials and books. It does not cover lunch, trips, sport, after-school activities, English-language support or specialised learning support. Ask for an individual support quotation before accepting if either is likely.
For Kindergarten through Grade 3, part of the annual amount is invoiced as SFO (skolefritidsordning, after-school care) so the school can receive the relevant state subsidy. The fee document says this is a split invoice, not an additional fee. Pre-K families may be able to obtain a municipal private-childcare subsidy, but the application is made to the family’s municipality and CIS does not administer it.
Pre-K care until 17:00 is included. For Kindergarten–Grade 5, optional after-school care costs 1,100 DKK a month until 16:00 or 2,000 DKK a month until 16:55. Activities are generally 1,500–2,800 DKK per semester. Sports and travel have separate charges. Independent speech therapy, occupational therapy and external evaluations are billed by the provider.
Families can pay tuition once on 1 April, with no administration fee. The quarterly plan charges 25% on 1 April, 1 August, 1 November and 1 February. The eight-instalment plan charges 30% on 1 April and then 10% monthly from August through February. Both instalment plans add the 3,000 DKK administration fee. A mid-year entrant is charged by the quarter and must pay at least 25% within five business days of accepting.
Withdrawal is made through the parent portal; an email alone is not sufficient. The amount due rises as the year approaches and progresses: no annual tuition is due for withdrawal by 30 April, 10% is due during May, 25% from 1 June, 50% from 10 October, 75% from 16 January and 100% from 20 March. The non-refundable application and registration fees remain non-refundable. Check the precise date bands in the PDF before signing, particularly if an employer may end a posting early.
The school’s force-majeure clause says fees remain payable in full and no refund is due if events beyond its control interrupt provision. Employer-funded families should compare that wording with the employer’s education policy.
CIS has learning specialists and can require additional English or learning support. The important issue is capacity for the particular child, not whether a department exists. Send current professional reports and ask four direct questions: what support is required, who delivers it, how often it is delivered and what it costs. The admissions policy allows the school to decline when it cannot meet a need.
The policy also expects full disclosure of behavioural and social-emotional history. Families should ask how information is shared between classroom teachers, counsellors and specialists, and what happens if needs become clearer after enrolment.
CIS publishes a merit- and means-based scholarship route for external applicants entering Grade 11. It begins with a mandatory financial review. The award may recognise academics, art or sustainability and is a reduction based on financial need, not an automatic full scholarship. The published deadline for 2026/27 was 30 January 2026 and has passed. Ask whether a new cycle will be offered before preparing an application.
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.
Institut Sankt Joseph is most distinctive for its Danish–English bilingual route: about half the timetable follows Danish national goals, while maths, English and science follow Cambridge programmes in English. It requires real Danish as children get older.
HellerupInternational School of Hellerup offers the full IB continuum in English across campuses in Hellerup and Østerbro. Its Østerbro high-school site also houses a separate Danish-medium STX programme. The school publishes detailed fees, but its 2026–27 documents contain conflicting years in the CPR-subsidy rules, so families near the deadline should obtain a written fee decision.
FrederiksbergLycée Français Prins Henrik follows the French national curriculum from early childhood to the baccalauréat. Older pupils can pursue the Danish-French baccalaureate, which preserves access to both systems. The 2026–27 rules distinguish the school’s 2 September CPR submission deadline from the fee table’s 5 September subsidy date.
CopenhagenN. Zahles Skole is an umbrella for two Danish private schools and a fee-paying STX gymnasium. Choose the exact unit before applying: their waiting lists, interviews and upper-secondary admissions are not interchangeable.
Copenhagen offers IB, British, French and Danish routes. Check the child’s later qualification, actual campus and CPR-related fee rules before comparing schools.
5 minAn American-style school may offer a familiar curriculum, but its diploma, courses, language support, and admissions rules need individual checks. Start with the child’s next educational step.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.