Austria · Vienna
Vienna International School offers an English-medium IB education from age three, but it is not a simple pay-and-enter option. Priority groups, academic English, support capacity and substantial one-time fees can all decide whether it works for a family.
Vienna International School (VIS) is a large, non-profit day school beside the Vienna International Centre in the 22nd district. It teaches in English and requires every student to study German.
The school is strongest for internationally mobile families who want the International Baccalaureate (IB) from early childhood through Grade 12. Its admissions priorities particularly favour international-organisation, diplomatic and international-business families.
It is a weaker fit when a child needs boarding, substantial English support in Grades 11–12 or guaranteed intensive learning support. The published first-year cost is also much higher than the annual tuition figure alone.
VIS teaches about 1,400 students aged 3–19 at Straße der Menschenrechte 1, 1220 Vienna. The school describes more than 100 nationalities and over 90 home languages.
The International Baccalaureate lists VIS as a private, co-educational day school authorised for the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes. It does not list the Career-related Programme.
The single campus serves all age groups. Published facilities include primary and secondary libraries, seven science laboratories, five gymnasiums, outdoor sports space, three art studios, seven music rooms and a 220-seat theatre.
The U1 journey from Stephansplatz to Kagran takes about 13 minutes, according to the school. The admissions FAQ recommends public transport or the school bus because nearby parking is difficult.
Lessons start at 08:30. Primary, including the Early Learning Centre, finishes at 14:55. Secondary finishes at 15:15.
The age structure is straightforward:
The IB Diploma is the internationally portable qualification. Students take six subjects, normally three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level, plus the IB core.
The VIS High School Diploma is awarded by the school. VIS requires at least 25 credits across Grades 9–12, 80% attendance and a passing school grade of 3 or above.
English must be taken in every high-school year, while English and mathematics continue in Grades 11–12. Creativity, Activity, Service is also required.
Students may add individual IB course results, but the school warns that its diploma alone does not open every national European or UK university route. Full IBDP students usually earn the VIS Diploma too.
VIS says students can pursue either graduation route with or without its package for Austrian Matura equivalence. This is not a second Austrian school-leaving examination.
For that package, the school lists substantial subject conditions. They include Austrian history and geography, German B at Higher Level, English, mathematics and a laboratory science in Grades 11–12.
The published grade threshold is three Higher Levels and three Standard Levels, no assessment below 3, and at least 24 points. It combines final external IB grades with internal VIS grades.
The earlier requirements also matter. Grades 9–10 must include all VIS subjects and three separate sciences at grade 3 or above.
A third language must run for four years through Grade 10. The student must reach the stated level-two objectives and pass an external examination or hold an IB certificate in that language.
Do not rely on the phrase “Matura equivalence” alone. Austrian law recognises a qualifying full IB Diploma as evidence of general university entrance, but individual programmes can still impose subject, selection and language requirements.
The University of Vienna currently requires the full IB Diploma, at least 24 points, six examination subjects and three Higher Levels. It does not accept an IB Course certificate instead.
For German-taught study there, German within the IB is normally accepted only as A2 evidence. The university still requires C1 German at admission, unless its stated mixed-language IB exception applies.
English is the teaching language. Academic English is therefore an admissions issue, not just a subject choice.
VIS offers English Language Acquisition (ELA) support in primary and lower secondary. In Grades 9–10 it is limited to four hours per week.
There is no ELA support in Grades 11–12. Applicants to Grades 9–12 must show enough English to access the programme, and the school may request an assessment, writing sample or interview.
All students study German. In secondary, French and Spanish are available to students who are not in ELA, subject to prior study and placement.
The after-school Mother Tongue Programme runs from Grade Primary to Grade 12. Private teachers set their own individual or small-group prices, which parents pay directly.
The secondary curriculum page says about 30% of Diploma students take a mother-tongue subject. The dedicated programme page says about 10–20%, so families should ask which figure is current.
Start with the school’s inquiry form. Admissions then arranges a virtual meeting or campus tour before the family submits an OpenApply application.
The published timetable says VIS starts reviewing 2027–28 applications in September 2026. Offers begin from March 2027 and continue through July and August while vacancies remain.
There is no single application deadline and no offer guarantee. The school also accepts mid-year entrants when a suitable place is available.
A complete application normally includes:
The FAQ additionally requests identity documents and photographs for parents or guardians. The admissions policy also refers to an online assessment from the current school when deciding when a file became complete.
Psychoeducational reports should be no more than three years old. Full disclosure matters because VIS assesses whether its programme and support resources can meet the child’s needs.
VIS uses four admissions categories:
For Category 4, the school considers the following factors without ranking them:
Re-entrants returning within two years and siblings receive special priority within each category. Category 4 factors are not ranked against one another.
Once those rules are applied, the date when the application became complete also matters. Approval of the application places the child on a waiting list; it is not an offer.
An offer is accepted through OpenApply and requires the admission fee by the stated deadline. Grade 11 entrants must confirm their Diploma Programme subject selection before accepting.
VIS normally places by age and school history. ELC applicants must be three and toilet-trained by 31 August. The school makes the final grade-placement decision.
The FAQ publishes year-group ceilings rather than current vacancies:
| Stage | Published capacity |
|---|---|
| ELC | 2 classes of 16–18 |
| Grade Primary | 3 classes of 20 |
| Grades 1–4 | 92 students across 4 classes |
| Grade 5 | 110 across 5 classes |
| Grades 6–8 | 114 across 5 classes |
| Grades 9–10 | 132 across 6 classes |
| Grades 11–12 | up to 140 in each grade |
These figures do not show whether a particular grade or support category has space. Ask admissions about the child’s exact year before paying the application fee.
VIS offers classroom support, targeted intervention, Skills Lab or Resource Studies, and Individual Learning Plans or Accommodation Plans. Admission depends on the school being able to meet the need without undermining support for other students.
One-to-one Individual Learning Assistant (ILA) places are limited. The current terms allow VIS to make re-enrolment conditional on parents accepting the proposed ILA agreement and cost.
The linked handbook adds an important restriction. It says ILA support is principally available only through Grade 8 and that Grades 9–12 must access the curriculum without a one-to-one assistant.
That handbook was revised in June 2023 and was due for review in June 2025. Its reader-and-scribe table is labelled 2023–24, so those figures are not current fees.
The 2026–27 terms instead quote €52,480 for 100% ILA support. Partial support, including readers or scribes, is charged according to the percentage of ILA time assigned.
VIS has not published its 2027–28 terms. The application page expects them by the end of January 2027, while the current contract promises publication only before the end of March. Budget to the later date.
| Charge | Amount | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Application | €670 | Paid with each application; non-refundable, including re-applications |
| Admission | €5,760 | Due by the offer deadline; non-refundable |
| Capital | €5,040 | Due within 14 days of invoice; non-refundable |
| Capital for eligible Vienna-based international-organisation (VBO) or diplomatic families | €3,500 | School-defined category |
| Deposit | €620 | Refundable after clearance, subject to the conditions below |
A student returning within two years pays half the admission fee and no second capital fee. The application fee still applies.
The deposit is returned without interest after leaver clearance and return of school property. Parents must provide refund instructions within three years of leaving.
The deposit is forfeited if the family misses the annual re-enrolment response deadline. It is also forfeited if a confirmed “yes” becomes “no” after that deadline.
| Grade | 2026–27 tuition | Instalment option |
|---|---|---|
| ELC half day, 08:30–11:45 | €9,253 | €2,313 three times, then €2,314 |
| ELC full day, 08:30–14:55 | €15,896 | €3,974 four times |
| Grade Primary–Grade 5 | €23,675 | €5,919 three times, then €5,918 |
| Grades 6–10 | €27,997 | €6,999 three times, then €7,000 |
| Grade 11 | €29,160 | €7,290 four times |
| Grade 12 | €29,160 | €9,720 three times |
Tuition covers instruction and agreed category A and B school trips. Category C and D trips, extracurricular activities, external tests and IB resits are billed separately.
ELA costs €870 per semester. The fee is waived for children whom VIS classifies within its VBO or Diplomatic Corps categories.
The school publishes no scholarship or fee reduction. Students in Grades 5–12 must provide their own laptop, and the public pages give no current device allowance.
As a calculation, a new standard-fee Grade 6 student costs €40,087 before ELA, lunch, transport, private language lessons and other extras. That total includes tuition and all four one-time charges.
Tuition is due in full on 30 August. Families may instead choose four instalments through 30 March, while Grade 12 uses three instalments ending on 30 January.
Mid-year tuition is calculated by full month across a ten-month school year. The first payment is due on enrolment.
A payment more than 30 days late attracts a €15 charge for each reminder. VIS may accelerate the remaining balance, withhold reports or diplomas, refuse re-enrolment or terminate enrolment.
Grade 12 students can be unenrolled during the year if the payment schedule is not met. Collection and legal costs are also charged to the parent.
A company, embassy or other third party may pay the fees, but the parent remains liable for any shortfall. The contract provides no tuition refund for days lost through events outside the school’s control.
Early withdrawal requires written notice. It takes effect at the end of the second calendar month after the month when VIS receives the notice.
Fees remain payable through that effective date. If termination takes effect at the end of May, the whole school year remains payable.
Sodexo runs the optional cafeteria. Students may bring food from home or pay per meal.
| Lunch plan | ELC | Grades 1–5 | Grades 6–12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily menu | €4.60 | €5.90 | €6.80 |
| Published annual prepayment | €764.75 | €980.88 | €1,130.50 |
Annual prepayment reflects a 5% discount; semester prepayment gives 2%. Drinks, snacks and several extras are outside these prices.
Missed prepaid lunches are not refunded. Withdrawal is possible only by semester, after which the discount is reversed and ordinary daily prices apply.
The FAQ refers families to a registration and cancellation policy on page 15, but the linked FAQ PDF has only nine pages. Obtain the operative deadline before prepaying.
For the first semester, the caterer says invoices are sent from 14–17 September 2026 and are payable immediately. That does not resolve the missing registration or cancellation deadline.
Blaguss operates the optional 2026–27 bus service. Published VAT-inclusive prices are:
Annual and first-semester orders are due by 15 September 2026; second-semester orders are due by 15 February 2027. Payment is online.
Only a regular full-price subscription guarantees a seat. Written cancellation produces a refund from the first day of the following month.
The provider’s current 2026–27 page still links a route sheet headed 2025–26. Do not choose housing from that timetable without confirming the current stop and journey time.
After-school activities and the Extended Day Programme are available, but the public pages do not publish current 2026–27 prices. Mother-tongue teachers also set their own charges.
VIS is a day school and provides no boarding or residential guardian service. The application asks for parent or guardian identification, but the public admissions pages do not describe an unaccompanied-minor arrangement.
An offer is not a residence permit. Austria has a temporary “Pupil” residence route for eligible third-country nationals at qualifying schools, with separate insurance, funds and accommodation requirements.
Families should ask VIS which school-status evidence it supplies and confirm the correct permit with the Austrian authority. This should happen before accepting a place or paying non-refundable charges.
Use our Vienna school guide to compare local options. The Austria guide explains the wider school and qualification 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.
AMADEUS 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.
ViennaDanube International School Vienna is an English-medium IB day school in Leopoldstadt. It offers the PYP, MYP and Diploma Programme and gives admissions priority to families linked to international organisations or diplomatic missions. Its detailed public fee schedule remains dated 2025/26.
ViennaLFV offers French education from age three through the baccalauréat. Budget for the published annual tuition, then add registration, compulsory meals and applicable programme or examination charges.
Vienna offers English-medium IB and American schools, a French-system lycée, and German-medium Austrian Gymnasiums. Start with the qualification and teaching language, then test admissions, support, cost and the daily journey.
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.