Finland · Helsinki
Deutsche Schule Helsinki combines Finnish schooling with the German international-school system. Its German and Finnish routes converge before the Deutsches Internationales Abitur. The decisive questions are which language route fits your child and whether they meet its entry standard.
Deutsche Schule Helsinki is a private, co-educational day school. Grades 1–12 study at Malminkatu in central Helsinki. The associated German kindergarten and preschool use two separate sites.
The school calls itself both a German school abroad, or Auslandsschule, and a Finnish school for basic and upper-secondary education. It is therefore not an English-medium international school with German lessons added.
The model suits families seeking a sustained German-Finnish education and a German university-entry qualification. Language readiness matters from the first admission decision, especially for transfers after Grade 1.
Grades 1–12 are at Malminkatu 14, 00100 Helsinki. The school is in Kamppi and publishes no boarding provision.
The German kindergarten and preschool operate Monday to Friday, 07:30–17:00, at two addresses:
Families with young children should visit the relevant kindergarten site as well as Malminkatu. The setting and daily journey are different.
The primary school has two language routes. Classes 1A and 1C are German-language classes. Class 1B starts in Finnish and does not require previous German at Grade 1 entry.
That beginner opening applies only to the start of Grade 1. From Grade 2, applicants to the Finnish route need Finnish as a first language and German at the expected grade level.
Applicants to the German route in Grades 2–5 normally arrive from a German-speaking country or have first-language German. Both routes also require secure knowledge of the subjects already taught at that grade.
The same German and Finnish routes continue through Grades 6–9. They converge in the upper-secondary programme, where German must be strong enough for academic study and the final examinations.
Grades 10–12 lead to the Deutsches Internationales Abitur, usually shortened to DIA. Grade 10 is the introductory year; Grades 11–12 form the qualification phase.
The DIA is a German Abitur-equivalent university-entry qualification. The school says it also gives access to Finnish university applications. It is not the Finnish ylioppilastutkinto, or Matriculation Examination.
Some pupils take Finnish Matriculation Examination papers in Swedish or Finnish as a foreign language. Those results appear on a separate certificate and are not part of the DIA.
Optional qualifications include Cambridge C1 Advanced in English and DELF in French. The school also lists Latinum for Latin and CertiLingua for multilingual and intercultural skills. Ask which options will run for your child’s cohort.
Kindergarten and preschool applicants have a trial visit, or a Teams meeting when an in-person visit is impossible. Parents first provide their own assessment of the child’s German.
For August entry, kindergarten decisions are made in March by the kindergarten leadership. Preschool decisions come from the school leadership, with answers due by the end of March.
The current page does not publish an application deadline. It says language, the trial visit and group composition may affect selection; an exact tie is decided by lottery.
Later entry to the five-year-old preschool group requires some German. The six-year-old group requires good German.
The current primary page publishes these dates:
Children must turn seven during the calendar year of entry and have preschool preparation. German competence is central to 1A and 1C selection, and applicants must reach the published minimum assessment score.
If qualified demand exceeds places, the school ranks assessment results. A sibling at DSH then has priority in a tie, followed by a lottery.
Class 1B is for children whose first language is Finnish and who have no previous German. Its assessment covers first-language skills and problem-solving. The same sibling and lottery rules settle tied results.
For Grades 2–5, the current page gives 5 March 2027 for documents and 1 April 2027 for the entrance assessment. The relevant route’s language standard and grade-level subject knowledge both apply.
The middle-school page prints an open day on 16 January 2027, documents by 5 March, and an assessment on 1 April. However, it labels these dates for school year 2026–27. Confirm the intended start year before relying on them.
DSH pupils who pass Grade 9 are admitted to the upper-secondary programme. The following requirements apply to applicants transferring from another school.
External applicants to Grades 10–11 need eligibility for the German gymnasiale Oberstufe. That normally means passing Grade 9 in a 12-year system or Grade 10 in a 13-year system.
They also need good German, normally demonstrated by the Deutsches Sprachdiplom I (DSD I) language certificate or an equivalent standard. Finnish basic-school graduates require DSD I or a German test approved by the head.
External applications are due by the end of February, with assessment in spring. Pupils from Finnish or other non-German schools should first arrange two or three trial days.
Grade 12 entry is normally unavailable. Guest or exchange pupils in Grades 10–11 must attend for at least one semester.
If the parents do not live in Finland, the school board decides the case. The public page does not explain what guardian arrangement it will accept, so resolve this before applying.
The current admissions pages quote €336.50 per semester for preschool and every school grade. The application form dated 17 November 2025 says lunch is included.
That form also quotes €170 per month, including lunch, for a guest pupil staying longer than two weeks. Ask whether both figures will remain unchanged for your entry year.
| Charge | Current published amount | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| School and preschool fee | €336.50 per semester | Includes lunch under the November 2025 application form |
| Guest pupil | €170 per month | Stay longer than two weeks; lunch included |
| Kindergarten, under three | €1,400 per month | Rate from 1 March 2026; Lauttasaari site |
| Kindergarten, ages three or four | €1,034 per month | Rate from 1 March 2026 |
| Kindergarten, age five | €1,034 per month | Plus about €337 per semester for preschool |
| Kindergarten, age six | €555 per month | Plus about €337 per semester for preschool |
| Afternoon care, Grades 1–2 | €100 monthly to 16:00; €120 to 17:00 | Application through the City of Helsinki |
| Afternoon care, Grades 3–4 | €145 monthly to 16:00; €165 to 17:00 | Direct DSH application; place subject to capacity |
The kindergarten page explains that eligible families may receive Kela private-care support. The amount depends on entitlement, income and municipality, so the school does not publish one net fee for every family.
Helsinki residents may also qualify for the city’s sibling reduction. Families registered elsewhere must check their own municipality’s support.
After preschool ends in June, complementary full-day care can reach 48 hours weekly and is charged at the normal full-day rate. The July monthly fee remains unchanged.
Families pay school transport or accompaniment themselves. DSH states that Helsinki does not reimburse these costs because DSH is a private rather than municipal school.
Afternoon care operates at Malminkatu for Grades 1–4. Grades 1–2 apply through the City route and have an entitlement to a place. Grades 3–4 apply directly to DSH and depend on capacity.
Care includes a snack and supervised homework time. The school makes clear that this is not individual tutoring or remedial teaching.
During the school day, the support offer is more substantial. The multidisciplinary student-welfare team includes special educators, psychologists, health staff, social work and guidance.
Part-time special education can be temporary or continuing. The school lists support for learning, learning skills and attention difficulties, alongside German and mathematics workshops.
Time-limited remedial teaching is free for pupils who temporarily need subject help or risk a poor report grade. The school identifies a grade of 5 as a trigger for support.
This support is not intended for ordinary homework, test coaching or catching up after a private holiday. Pupils must attend the remedial teaching assigned to them.
Choose DSH if the German-Finnish model is the point of the move, not merely an inexpensive international option. The strongest fit is a child who meets one language route now and can reach academic German for the DIA.
For a Finnish-speaking beginner in German, Grade 1B is the clearly published starting point. It should not be assumed to create an equivalent beginner route for later transfers.
Use the Helsinki city guide for local school context and the Finland guide for the wider education system.
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.
HRSK is a Finnish state school in Munkkivuori offering education in Finnish and French from pre-primary to upper secondary. It follows the Finnish curriculum and leads to the Finnish matriculation examination. Tuition is free, but families pay for travel and preschool afternoon care. Admission depends on the entry stage and, in most cases, language tests.
HelsinkiSYK is a privately run Finnish school in Etelä-Haaga that charges no pupil fees. It begins at grade 3 and offers both the Finnish matriculation route and an English-medium IB programme at upper secondary level. The admissions routes have different language requirements and timetables: the published basic-school dates below concern 2027, while the IB information concerns the completed 2026 intake.
HelsinkiISH offers English-medium education for ages 4–19 in Ruoholahti, with IB programmes from the early years to the Diploma. Annual tuition for 2026–27 ranges from €12,432 to €16,608 when paid in one sum. Families should check the child’s language placement, any non-residency surcharge and the support available before applying.
HelsinkiRessu is a City of Helsinki upper secondary school with a Finnish programme on Kalevankatu and an English-medium IB programme on Ruoholahdenkatu. The main 2026 application closed on 17 March. Families should distinguish the admissions route for Finnish comprehensive-school certificates from discretionary admission, and confirm whether the tuition rules introduced in August 2026 apply.
Compare English-medium IB, bilingual Finnish schools and German education in Helsinki. Check the actual campus, admissions route and residence-based fees before choosing.
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.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.