Posted abroad by your company: getting the children's schooling ready

Getting a posting notice from your employer often raises one worry first: the children's school. This guide is for families with primary-to-high-school children who are about to move abroad on a company posting. It lays out what to do and what to keep, in order. Rules differ by region and school and change often, so treat this as a starting point and confirm everything with the official body or the school.

Step 1: Check the Korean school record first

Before you leave, find out what happens to your child's Korean school record. 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 their departure and stay.
• When the whole family leaves (emigration, overseas work or posting), the duty to attend compulsory schooling may be exempted.
• If only one parent goes, strict conditions apply.
• High-school students withdraw.

Details can differ by region. Ask your local education office and your child's current school which procedure applies to you.

Step 2: Work out the grade in the new country

Countries draw grade lines differently. Korea groups children born January to December into one grade and starts the year in March. A child starts primary school in March of the year after turning 6 (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Article 13).

• United States: Kindergarten is followed by Grades 1-12. Which grades make up elementary, middle and high school, and the age cut-off date, depend on state and district.
• British-style: Reception is followed by Year 1, so the number is one higher than the US Grade. UK Year 7 equals US Grade 6.
• Japan: Public schools start in April. Children born between 2 April and the following 1 April share a grade.
• Philippines: Kindergarten plus Grades 1-12. Grades 1-6 are elementary, 7-10 junior high and 11-12 senior high.
• Thailand: According to the Thai Ministry of Education's English translation of the National Education Act, the state provides at least 12 years of free basic education, and nine years are compulsory (from about age 7 to about 16). Ask the school how grades are divided.

Children born September to December are the ones most likely to sit one grade apart from Korea. For example, a child born January-August 2019 is in UK Year 2 from September 2025. In a US district with a 1 September cut-off the child is in Grade 1, and in Korea starts primary year 1 in March 2026. A child born in October 2019 is in UK Year 1 and in kindergarten in the same US district, yet also starts Korean primary year 1 in March 2026. Schools decide placement from birth date and prior schooling, so always confirm with the school.

Step 3: Research schools and apply directly

A 2015 article in the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) journal says international schools set their own admissions policies, so contact each school and follow its application process. If your move does not fit the school calendar, online or home-school programmes with rolling starts are an option. It says some high-school students consider boarding for continuity. The article also advises checking IB and AP offerings and the order of maths courses, since integrated maths can complicate transfers. For children who need learning support, it says to ask whether support is offered, whether there is space and whether it will continue next year. It also advises learning the conditions of any employer education allowance early.

Local public schools may also be an option. Japan's education ministry (MEXT) guide says public elementary and junior high schools accept foreign children who wish to attend, free of charge. Tuition and textbooks are free, and families pay for lunches and supplies. The steps are to register the move at the municipal office, tell the office and the board of education you want to enrol, and choose a school. A child with limited Japanese may be placed temporarily in a lower grade.

Step 4: Keep records and think about the return

The AFSA journal advises keeping school records and lists of textbooks and syllabi at every move, so the new school can place your child and award credit. A 2022 supplement says it is the family's job to ask the overseas school to make course titles and descriptions match standard grade-level courses. It also reports that some districts read IB transcripts unfavourably.

Look at the return rules in advance as well. Under Seoul's plan, on return the grade is set by mapping the foreign school years and transcripts onto Korea's 12-year system. Without regular schooling abroad, or with under six months of study, placement by the completion assessment is not possible. A pupil returning mid-term must apply within one month of the last day at the foreign school. Documents from overseas schools normally need an apostille or consular confirmation. Schools on the Ministry of Education's simplified-procedure list (as of 14 November 2025) are exempt. That list does not vouch for school quality and does not apply to university admissions. The specifics follow the regional education office's guidelines.

Checklist

• I asked the local education office how to report departure and handle the school record.
• I estimated my child's local grade from the birth date. The school makes the final placement.
• I contacted each school directly about its application steps and deadlines.
• I looked up the conditions of the company's education allowance.
• I gathered report cards, school records and lists of textbooks and syllabi.
• If my child needs learning support, I asked whether it is offered and will continue.
• I checked the Korean re-entry rules and document steps (such as the apostille) in advance.

Ask the school

• Which grade will my child be placed in from their birth date, and what is the age cut-off date?
• Can my child join mid-year, and what is the application deadline?
• Are IB and AP offered, and does the maths sequence make a later transfer manageable?
• Is learning support available, is there space, and will it continue next year?
• In what form will you issue transcripts and documents when we return to Korea?

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