Frequently Asked Questions

The VIS educates ca. 1,400 students, aged 3-19, from around the world. They represent more than 100 nationalities.

Lessons start at 08:30. The academic day in Primary school (ELC, Grade Primary and Grade 1-5) finishes at 14:55 and Secondary school ends at 15:15.

Our students do not wear school uniforms, as we are encouraging them to live out their individual personalities and exercise freedom of expression.

Candidates for admission at VIS will be placed by age and as suggested by our Placement Policy. Once you have completed an online application for your child at our school you have also indicated the anticipated Grade at entry and the anticipated Start Date. When a child’s application is waitlisted the Admissions Coordinator will review all information provided and request more information from the parent/s if need be. When a discrepancy between our Placement Policy and the requested anticipated Grade at entry occurs the Admissions Coordinator will ask the Placement Committee to review the application. Once the Placement Committee has made a decision the Admissions Coordinator will communicate the decision to the parent/s.

Yes, when necessary. As an international school, VIS has a continuous turnover of students. This means that when you apply, our classes may be full and we will open a waiting list according  to the VIS Admissions Policy for the respective grade level concerned.

We have 2 parallel classes in our ELC (16-18 per class), and 3 parallel classes in Grade Primary (20 per class). In Grades 1 to 4 we enroll a maximum of 92 students in 4 parallel classes. In Grade 5 we run 5 parallel classes with a maximum of 110 students. G6 to G8 have 5 parallel classes with 114 students, Grades 9 and 10 has a maximum of 132 students in 6 parallel classes. In G11 and G12 we can have up to 140 students per grade level.

The annual re-enrolment process will be initiated by VIS to all current parents/guardians. For a student's attendance in the next school year, an online re-enrolment form will need to be completed by the indicated deadline, usually mid or end of February.

Our school organizes a 'New Family Orientation' morning for all new students and parents/guardians before school begins. More details on the schedule will be shared with families after they have accepted an offer for their child at our school.

New students joining during the academic year will participate in an individual orientation. 

When filing an application for admission at VIS through our online OPEN APPLY system a copy of the following will need to be uploaded to the online application form:

• Student identification (passport) and student passport photo of high quality, ratio 3:4
• Parent/guardian identification (passport) and passport photo high quality, ratio 3:4
• 2 most recent School reports (originals and if reports are not in English, an English translation is compulsory)
• Credit Card to make the online application fee payment.

If applicable, you must also upload copies of the following documents to the application form so our school can review all available documents accordingly and inform you whether an academic programme can be offered. If the original report is not in English an official translation must be uploaded as well:

• Psycho-educational reports (no older than 3 years)
• Speech-language or occupational therapy reports 
• Individual Learning Plan (ILP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• Additional Educational Support assessments
• Medical reports

Vienna International School is an authorised International Baccalaureate school, a programme of international education designed to help students ages 3 to 18 to develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills necessary to participate actively and responsibly in a changing world.

Please click here to find out more about the curriculum.

Vienna International School delivers the IB curriculum in English. For students whose native language is not English we offer an extensive English Language Acquisition Programme (ELA). All our students must also study the language of the host country, German. Please see more information on this subject on the following links - Primary German and Secondary German. Secondary Students who are not enrolled in the ELA programme have the opportunity to take French or Spanish as beginners from Grade 6. Please see more information on this topic by clicking on the following link - Romance Languages in Secondary School.

For students whose native language is not English we offer an extensive English Language Acquisition Programme (ELA). In ELA, our aim is to provide the language support students need to be successful in their academic work as well as in everyday communication. Secondary School students applying for admission in Grades 6-8 may be asked to provide an English Writing sample upon request to assess English language and numeracy proficiency for placement purposes. Students applying for admission to high school Grades 9-11 will need to provide evidence of academic English proficiency, including a standardized English reading MAP assessment. A minimum level of academic English language proficiency is a requisite for admission.

• Students in ELC & Grade Primary have access to shared school-owned iPad trolleys.
• Each student in G1 to G4 has access to their own school-owned iPad.
• Students in G5 to G12 are expected to bring their own laptop device.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) examination is accepted for entrance to all Austrian Universities / Fachhochschulen (64 Abs. 1 Z.7. Universitaetsgesetz, BGBI. Nr. 131/2015)

Our alumni have joined universities all over the world, including Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, McGill, Warwick and many more highly ranked institutions. See the list of university acceptance as well as other relevant information on our School Profile.

We are not able to grant any scholarships or reductions in fees.

The Application Fee and the Admissions Fee are both one-time and non-refundable fees. Re-entering and re-applying students must also pay the Application Fee. 

Students who are re-entering our school within two years after withdrawal must pay 50% of the Admissions Fee.

Please see our General Terms and Conditions of Enrolment for more information.

VIS is located very close to the Vienna International Centre, VIC, in the 22nd district of Vienna. Our school is easily accessible by subway (U1 line, stop is called ‘Kagran’) and is roughly 15 minutes away from the city centre (Stephansplatz). Our school bus services or public transportation is recommended as parking around school is difficult.

Every visitor must report to the Security Office at the school gate; after showing an ID the visitor will be issued a visitor's ID which the person will have to wear on the school premises and submit to the Security Office again when leaving the premises. All parents and staff are facilitated with an ID card by the Security team when joining VIS.

We offer a high-quality, freshly prepared, and seasonal selection of international meals to help our students' mental and physical performance. The daily menu contains a culinary variety of meals and at least one vegetarian alternative. Our Catering Team will be happy to inform you about allergens in our ingredients and products.

The VIS and its partner Sodexo operate a full-service cafeteria during the lunch and break hours, and user-friendly vending machines. 

Students are welcome to bring their own food and drinks if preferred. 

 For more information, please click here.

Within our private Mother Tongue programme we offer up to 40 mother tongues; these classes are privately taught, and paid for by parents directly. These classes are arranged between parents and MT teachers and are held at VIS.

Vienna International School offers a diverse after school activity programme for our students. The Sports and Activities department works hard to make sure that our student community has an authentic, unique and interesting extension to their school day to take part in. We are proud to offer a wide assortment of fun academic and sport activities for all abilities and ages. We encourage all students to take part and to challenge themselves by trying something new.

VIS offers an After School Care Programme, the Extended Day Programme (EDP), for children from the Early Learning Centre to G5. 

In the event that your child will be in need of Learning Support or Counselling Services at VIS, please read the available information and LS Handbook on our website or by clicking on the following links – VIS Counselling Services and VIS Learning Support Services. We have a limited capacity for how many students with 1:1 need we can support as a school.

When filing an application for admission at VIS through our online OPEN APPLY system a copy of the following will need to be uploaded to the online application form:

• Student identification (passport) and student passport photo of high quality, ratio 3:4
• Full school reports for the two most recent academic years (originals and if reports are not in English, an English translation is compulsory)

If you have received any of the following documents, you must also upload copies to the application form. If the original report is not in English an official translation must be uploaded as well:

• Psycho-educational reports (no older than 3 years)
• Speech-language or occupational therapy reports 
• Individual Learning Plan (ILP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• Additional Educational Support assessments

1. Submit an enquiry form: To submit an enquiry, you will be asked to create an account and complete an online enquiry form via Open Apply. 
2. Virtual Meet and/ or School Tour: Once an enquiry form has been received, we will reach out to you to arrange a virtual meeting so we can ensure to answer any questions you might have before submitting an application. We would also be delighted to receive you and your family in person for a tour of our school campus. It is important to us to dedicate time specifically to your family so that we can help you find the most suitable educational match for your children, which we hope will be Vienna International School.
3. Submit the Application: Submit the online application via Open Apply.  After completing the application pages, you will be asked to pay the one-time, non-refundable application fee via credit card online. 
4. Internal Review > Waitlisted - Once all sections of the online application form have been completed and uploaded, we can start the internal reviewing process of your child’s application. Additional information may be requested for making a final admissions decision. Once the application is approved, we will be able to waitlist your child according to our Admissions Policy. In case our school is unable to offer the candidate an appropriate academic programme, the application will be declined.
5. Receive Admissions Decision: When a place is available, an offer of a place will be extended by email via the online application tool, Open Apply. Acceptance of a place is confirmed via Open Apply and includes the payment of the admission fee for the respective year within the given deadline.

1. Submit an enquiry form: To submit an enquiry, you will be asked to create an account and complete an online enquiry form via Open Apply. 
2. Virtual Meet and/ or School Tour: Once an enquiry form has been received, we will reach out to you to arrange a virtual meeting so we can ensure to answer any questions you might have before submitting an application. We would also be delighted to receive you and your family in person for a tour of our school campus. It is important to us to dedicate time specifically to your family so that we can help you find the most suitable educational match for your children, which we hope will be Vienna International School.
3. Submit the Application: Submit the online application via Open Apply.  After completing the application pages, you will be asked to pay the one-time, non-refundable application fee via credit card online. 
4. Internal Review > Waitlisted - Once all sections of the online application form have been completed and uploaded, we can start the internal reviewing process of your child’s application. Additional information may be  requested for making a final admissions decision. Once the application is approved, we will be able to waitlist your child according to our Admissions Policy. In case our school is unable to offer the candidate an appropriate academic programme, the application will be declined.
5. Receive Admissions Decision: When a place is available, an offer of a place will be extended by email via the online application tool, Open Apply. Acceptance of a place is confirmed via Open Apply and includes the payment of the admission fee for the respective year within the given deadline.

1. Submit an enquiry form: To submit an enquiry, you will be asked to create an account and complete an online enquiry form via Open Apply. 
2. Virtual Meet and/ or School Tour: Once an enquiry form has been received, we will reach out to you to arrange a virtual meeting so we can ensure to answer any questions you might have before submitting an application. We would also be delighted to receive you and your family in person for a tour of our school campus. It is important to us to dedicate time specifically to your family so that we can help you find the most suitable educational match for your children, which we hope will be Vienna International School.
3. Submit the Application: Submit the online application via Open Apply.  After completing the application pages, you will be asked to pay the one-time, non-refundable application fee via credit card online. 
4. Complete MAP Growth reading test and/ or English Assessment (G9-12): Referring to our Admissions policy, students applying for admission to the VIS Secondary School in Grades 9 to 12 are asked to complete the standardized NWEA MAP Reading test to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency to successfully access the IB curriculum. Whilst English Language Acquisition (ELA) is available to support students in Grades 9 and 10 (up to a maximum of 4 hours per week), no ELA support is available for Grade 11 and 12 students. Students who do not demonstrate the required English level will not be considered for admission.For students who are not available in Vienna for onsite testing, we request the help of their current school to administer and supervise the testing online. This can be arranged directly through the student application profile on Open Apply. The result of this assessment is mandatory, and the Secondary Admissions Team will not consider your child for possible admission until it is made available.  The school reserves the right to request a written sample or ask for an interview with our ELA Department in order to determine your child’s placement in an appropriate English course.
5.  Internal Review > Waitlisted - Once all sections of the online application form have been completed and uploaded, we can start the internal reviewing process of your child’s application. Additional information may be requested for making a final admissions decision.Once the application is approved, we will be able to waitlist your child according to our Admissions Policy. In case our school is unable to offer the candidate an appropriate academic programme, the application will be declined.
6. Receive Admissions Decision: When a place is available, an offer of a place will be extended by email via the online application tool, Open Apply. Acceptance of a place is confirmed via Open Apply and includes the payment of the admission fee for the respective year within the given deadline. Students applying for Grade 11 will be asked to confirm their IBDP course selection before accepting an offer of a place.