European School Brussels IV: eligibility, language sections and fees

European School Brussels IV (EEB4) is a day school in Laeken within the official European Schools system. It is not an International Baccalaureate (IB) school: pupils follow the European Schools curriculum and can finish with the European Baccalaureate.

Can your child get a place?

Only if the family is eligible and the central allocation points to Laeken. EEB4 does not run its own admissions: the Brussels Central Enrolment Authority places pupils across all Brussels European Schools, and the child’s language section usually matters more than the home address. Category I has priority but no guaranteed place. Category III is limited to siblings of current EEB4 pupils, in classes below 24.

The main 2026–27 rounds are over. Until 18 March 2027, only the restricted fourth phase described in the 2026–27 policy remains. For how categories, phases, Language 1 and SWALS work across Brussels, read our European School admissions guide.

Language sections and the planned EEB5 move

The EEB4 enrolment page lists Bulgarian (BG), Dutch (NL), English (EN), Estonian (ET), French (FR), German (DE), Italian (IT) and Romanian (RO) sections.

For Estonian, use the current policy rather than the older school-page label: the section runs through Secondary 5. From Secondary 6, Estonian pupils, like Croatian pupils, are treated as SWALS (Students Without a Language Section): they join a German, English or French section and receive mother-tongue teaching. Ask how the child’s age and year affect the provision.

The 2026–27 policy schedules EEB5 to open in 2030–31. It plans a transfer of the EEB4 Italian and Dutch sections from nursery through Secondary 5 inclusive to the new school. This is a planned timetable, not a completed move; confirm the latest arrangement before making a long-term housing decision.

Age, support and daily arrangements

Nursery admission begins in September of the calendar year in which a child turns four. The campus is at Drève Sainte-Anne 86, 1020 Laeken. Test the journey at school-run times, especially if the family will live in southern or eastern Brussels.

Canteen, transport and extracurricular charges may sit outside school fees. The public pages reviewed do not give a meal price. Ask both the school and parents’ association for current schedules.

The European Schools system publishes an educational-support policy, but families should verify actual provision at EEB4. Ask who will deliver the required support, how often, in which language and at what cost.

Fees

Tuition depends on the admission category, not the campus, so EEB4 charges what any Brussels European School charges. Category I pays none. For Category III pupils enrolled from 2013–14, the 2026–27 guidance rates are €4,457.80 for nursery, €6,129.55 for primary and €8,358.46 for secondary. The admissions guide lists the Category II, NATO/UN and older protected rates. Even for Category I, budget for meals, transport and activities.

Our view

EEB4 is a strong fit when the family is eligible for the European Schools system and the central allocation places the child’s language section in Laeken. Bulgarian, Estonian and Romanian provision can make this campus particularly relevant.

Italian- and Dutch-section families should also plan for the stated future transfer to EEB5. Obtain the expected campus in writing before choosing a home or accepting a place.

It is not the right comparison for a family simply seeking an English-medium private school. Compare private international schools separately because their admissions rules, curriculum and fees work differently.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.