International, local and Korean schools: how they differ

This guide is for parents who plan to move abroad or return to Korea. Each type of school has its own way of enrolling children and having their study recognised. Everything below comes from official material, and each source has its own as-of date, listed below. Rules can change, so please confirm the latest details yourself.

Three broad groups

1. Local schools: public schools and similar in the country you move to. That country or region sets the enrolment steps.
2. Korean schools abroad: Korean schools approved by the Ministry of Education. As of 1 April 2025, 34 are on the list.
3. Foreign schools in Korea: located in Korea and classed as 'miscellaneous schools' under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Local schools enrol differently in each country

• United States: you enrol through the local school district. Schools may ask for proof of address, proof of age and immunisation records, and districts list the documents online. The US Department of Education says all children have equal access to free public education.
• England: one county's 2025/26 scheme says any parent can apply at any time to any school. Families moving house send proof of the new address, such as a tenancy agreement. That document has no general rule for families arriving from overseas, and procedures differ by council.
• Japan: MEXT's guide says public elementary and junior high schools accept foreign children who wish to attend, free of charge. Families pay for school lunches and supplies. Children enter elementary school in the April after they turn six.
• Canada: there is no federal education department; each province and territory runs its own system. Contact the local school board to enrol, and register before the end of August because popular schools have waiting lists. Newcomer children are assessed for level and language support.
• New Zealand: every student enrols as domestic or international, and international students pay tuition and other fees. Check the Ministry of Education's guidance for which category applies.

Korean schools and weekend schools

Transfers from Korean schools abroad apply only to Korean schools approved by the Ministry of Education. Weekend schools teach Korean language, history and culture, and the Overseas Koreans Agency supports teacher training and operations. In August 2025 it toured weekend schools in California with teacher coaching, demonstration classes and parent sessions. Check whether your new city has one.

Foreign schools in Korea have entry conditions

Besides foreign children, Korean nationals who have lived abroad a total of three years or more may enrol. They may take up to 30% of places, or 50% if the superintendent allows. Designation for recognition in Korea differs by school, so check. Korean students' study is recognised when they complete 102 hours a year each of Korean language and social studies (Korean history).

Your Korean record and documents on return

Seoul's 2026 plan for returning students (in force 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027) says:

• Primary and middle-school pupils on recognised study abroad are exempted from compulsory schooling after reporting departure and stay. Unrecognised study abroad counts as unauthorised absence, and high-school students withdraw.
• Recognised schools are regular or officially recognised schools outside Korea. Foreign schools inside Korea are excluded in principle, with exceptions such as the Jeju international schools.
• Study at a regular school abroad must last at least six months, and grades are placed on Korea's 12-year system.
• Pupils returning mid-term must apply within one month of their last day at the foreign school.

Documents matter too. Documents not in Korean or English need a notarised translation. Schools on the Ministry of Education list need no apostille or consular confirmation for school records. The list does not vouch for teaching quality and does not apply to university admission. Schools not on the list need an apostille or consular confirmation, or must show they are regular schools. Provincial offices may set different details.

Checklist

• Have you found the enrolment contact (district, education office, council) where you are moving?
• Have you gathered proof of address, proof of age and immunisation records?
• Do you know how the school decides which fees apply?
• If you may return, do you know how your Korean school record is handled (exemption, off-roll, withdrawal)?
• Have you checked whether the school's study is recognised in Korea?
• Do you collect transcripts and enrolment certificates every term?
• Have you asked the receiving school whether an apostille or notarised translation is needed?
• Have you checked whether your new city has a Korean weekend school?

Ask the school

• Which tuition and extra fees apply to our child's status?
• Which documents are needed for admission, and by when?
• (For foreign schools in Korea) Is the school designated for recognition? What share of places goes to Korean nationals?
• In what form, and signed or stamped by whom, are enrolment and transcript documents issued?
• How do you place a newly arrived child in a grade and provide language support?

Rules differ by school type and region and may change from year to year. Please confirm directly with the education office, the official body and the school.

Always confirm your own situation with the official authority or an immigration professional.