Austria · Graz
GIBS is a public Austrian Gymnasium for pupils aged about 10–18. English is central to teaching, but German and the Austrian curriculum remain important. Entry after the first year depends heavily on space, prior learning and residence in Styria.
Graz International Bilingual School, usually called GIBS, is a public, state-funded Austrian Gymnasium. It occupies one campus at Georgigasse 85 in Graz and teaches pupils from Grade 5 to Grade 12. It is co-educational and has no boarding.
This is not a private international school following an overseas curriculum. GIBS combines extensive English-medium teaching with the Austrian Gymnasium programme. Its upper school also includes an authorised International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).
GIBS calls Grade 5 Year 1. Its eight school years therefore run from Austrian Grades 5–12, normally ages ten or eleven to eighteen.
The Austrian route leads to the Standardisierte Reifeprüfung, commonly called the Matura. IB preparation takes place in Grade 10, and the two-year IBDP runs in Grades 11–12.
The school presents the IB route as leading to both the IB Diploma and the Austrian Matura. That outcome is not automatic for every international entrant. A pupil admitted with außerordentlich status cannot initially receive ordinary Austrian grades in every subject.
GIBS reviews that status at the end of the school year. The principal and subject teachers decide whether the pupil may continue in pre-IB or IB. Ask the school to confirm the intended qualifications and assessment status in writing.
IB pupils still attend Austrian-curriculum subjects beyond their six IB subjects. German is compulsory within the IB programme as German A, German B or German ab initio. The official IB record lists GIBS as a state, co-educational day school authorised for the Diploma Programme since 2017.
English is a principal language of teaching and communication, while the programme remains German-English bilingual. Year 1 begins with three months of intensive English. English lessons and co-teaching then support language development in other subjects.
Pupils choose French or Spanish in Year 3, which is Grade 7. From Year 5, or Grade 9, they add Latin, French, Spanish or Russian. This sequence matters for pupils transferring from another Austrian school.
German as a second language, known as DaZ, is offered from levels A1 to C1. New pupils have an informal placement interview. Morning groups at A0, A1 and A2 can be used for no more than two years.
The aim is progression into ordinary German lessons from about B1 and eventual preparation for the Matura. The school does not publish a single English-language CEFR threshold for all entry stages. Older applicants are assessed instead.
The latest published Year 1 timetable was for 2026/27. Applications ran from 1–20 December 2025, interviews were held on 9–10 January 2026, and decisions were due by 22 February 2026.
Those dates have passed. As of 4 September 2026, GIBS had not published its 2027/28 timetable. Families should wait for a dated notice rather than rolling the old calendar forward.
The 2026/27 intake comprised three classes of 25. Applicants submitted the relevant Austrian primary-school reports. Children educated outside Austria supplied their two latest reports.
Every timely applicant was invited to interview. Children living abroad could receive an individual date and, where necessary, an online interview. Pupils presented as bilingual were interviewed in English and German.
Primary-school grades formed part of the decision. A sibling at GIBS brought priority only when the applicant met the normal requirements. The school also warned that capacity prevented it from admitting every applicant.
The school did not publish a Year 1 application fee.
The school’s transfer page covers Years 2–6, or Grades 6–10. It says most classes are full and every year group has a waiting list. Assessments are arranged only when a place may become available.
Families submit recent reports, a passport copy and evidence of current or intended residence in Styria. A Styrian employment offer may support evidence of a planned move.
Assessment covers mathematics and English, followed by a short interview. It normally takes place at school, although the school may arrange an online assessment in exceptional circumstances.
Strong assessment performance and an employment-related move to Styria receive priority. A suitable pupil without a place is waitlisted, not admitted automatically.
Pupils moving from another Austrian school into Year 4, or Grade 8, and above also face language assessments. Their previous French, Spanish and later additional-language study must match the GIBS sequence closely enough.
The pre-IB and IB page accepts enquiries for Grades 9–11. Placement depends on academic and language readiness, available space and residence. It does not advertise direct Grade 12 entry.
The pupil must be fluent in English or German. Assessment includes mathematics and English, plus German where applicable. The written and oral assessment costs €50 per candidate and is non-refundable.
The school requires the pupil and a parent or legal guardian to live physically in Styria. Applicants first provide reports, school contact details and evidence of residence, planned residence or employment. A successful family later supplies both Styrian residence-registration certificates, or Meldezettel.
Current GIBS pupils apply in Grade 9, two years before the Diploma Programme starts. International applicants may enquire at any time. Limited space means offers for the coming school year are normally made only near the end of the current academic year.
Published support includes school counsellors, access to a Styrian school psychologist and free peer tutoring. These services cover study choices, exam anxiety, social conflict, integration and personal difficulties.
DaZ provides structured German-language support, but its beginner morning groups end after two years. The public site does not define special educational needs capacity or guarantee particular adjustments. Discuss any assessment, therapy or classroom support before applying.
ACE, the school’s English-language after-school service, is described in a current-linked flyer as serving Years 1–4 until 16:25. It combines lunch, supervised study, core-subject help and activities. A listed service is not the same as a confirmed place, so ask about capacity.
GIBS charges no tuition. Its international and IB route still creates several possible costs:
The late-entry rule needs particular care. The school gives an example of a pupil entering Year 6 paying earlier contributions for Grades 5–9. Ask for an itemised calculation and the rate applied to each year before accepting a place.
The live ACE page lists the following monthly prices, but its registration link still says it opened in September 2025. Confirm that these figures apply to the intended school year.
| ACE attendance | Supervision per month | Lunch per month |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days a week | €52.80 | €92.00 |
| 4 days a week | €70.40 | €120.00 |
| 5 days a week | €88.00 | €146.00 |
The parents’ association offers means-tested help with trips, events and school-related expenses. Its September 2025 scale is guidance, not an entitlement. Applications normally arrive at least four weeks before the event, and requests above €300 require income evidence.
No school deposit or tuition contract is published. The deregistration form requires borrowed library material to be returned before the principal signs it. It contains no fee notice period, refund schedule or withdrawal charge.
GIBS does not provide boarding, a residential guardian or visa sponsorship. A family moving from outside the European Union must arrange residence permission independently.
Austria’s pupil-permit page says ordinary pupils at public schools may qualify. For a first permit, some außerordentlich pupils at public schools may also qualify. The current government application fee is €218.
A first application is generally made in person abroad before entry. Evidence includes accommodation, comprehensive health insurance, sufficient funds and, for non-compulsory schooling, written school acceptance.
A minor also needs evidence of care by an adult resident in Austria. Provincial care permission may be required. These immigration rules do not replace the stricter GIBS condition for pre-IB and IB.
For that route, the school requires the pupil and a parent or legal guardian to live in Styria. Confirm both school eligibility and residence permission before relying on an offer.
Its practical limits are equally clear. Places are scarce after Year 1, language sequencing affects transfers, and the upper-school route is not detached from Austrian requirements. It is unsuitable for a pupil who needs boarding or a school-appointed guardian.
See the Graz school guide and Austria education guide for the wider 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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ViennaAMADEUS combines English-medium International Baccalaureate programmes with a music and arts academy in Vienna’s 18th district. Day pupils can start at age 3; boarding is for ages 11–18. Budget for entry fees and a security deposit as well as annual tuition.
ViennaAIS 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.
SalzburgAmerican International School–Salzburg is a small English-medium school for Grades 7–12. Pupils work toward an American high school diploma and may take Advanced Placement courses and examinations. Families can choose day attendance, five-day boarding or full boarding.
Both schools are publicly funded Austrian academic secondary schools. GIBS offers extensive English-medium teaching and an IB Diploma option alongside the Austrian curriculum. Akademisches Gymnasium’s Project English Plus adds English in selected subjects, within a predominantly German-language school.
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.