Schools in Cyprus: questions and answers

Yes. Every child living in Cyprus has the right to a state school place, whatever their nationality or their parents’ residence status. Teaching is in Greek, but for 2026/27 the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MoESY) publishes separate programmes and guides for teaching Greek as a second language, both for DRA.S.E.+ schools and for schools outside the programme.

What this means in practice: children are grouped according to their level of Greek, and teaching follows proficiency levels and a separate Greek as a Second Language programme. DRA.S.E.+ schools provide extra Greek lessons in the morning, including outside the regular class, as well as support within the class. The DRA.S.E.+ programme itself offers a wider set of measures: extra tuition, creative activities after school, psychosocial support and intercultural mediation, Greek lessons for parents, and additional equipment and learning materials.

DRA.S.E.+ stands for Actions for School and Social Inclusion+, a MoESY state programme for selected schools. It aims to reduce educational and social inequality; schools are chosen against set criteria, not at parents’ request.

The usual model is a regular class plus lessons in Greek as a second language. In September 2026 the ministry updated its guides for DRA.S.E.+ schools and for all other schools; each has a section on a child’s first days at school. Support is provided everywhere, but how it is organised and how many hours it offers depends on the school.

In lessons, English. Outside lessons children choose for themselves: when they come from different countries, English usually becomes the common language; when several share a mother tongue, they often switch to it among themselves. So in a single school you may hear English, Greek, Russian and other languages at the same time.

Children start Grade 1 if they have turned 6 by 1 September. In 2026/27 compulsory pre-primary starts for children who are 4 years and 4 months old by 1 September. This threshold is changing as part of a reform, so check it again for the following school year.

At a state primary school the class is set in writing by the District Education Office, which goes by age, using the birth certificate and a report from the previous school. A child who does not speak Greek may be placed one class lower, even if that means pre-primary, provided they receive language support and their age still allows them to finish primary school on time. No child is placed above the class that matches their age. Secondary and private schools have their own rules.

There is no universal table. English schools in Cyprus may name their stages differently. Age is a useful guide, but the final Year has to be confirmed with the school itself.

In state schools the calendar is set by MoESY. For primary schools in 2026/27 the Christmas holidays are 23 December–6 January, the Easter holidays 26 April–7 May and the summer holidays for pupils 17 June–12 September 2027 (lessons start on 13 September). Private schools publish their own calendars, so half-term breaks, days when staff work but pupils have no lessons and the start and end dates of the year may differ.

Yes. State primary and secondary education is free. Day-to-day and extra costs are best checked with the school.

• an application form;
• a birth certificate, ARC or other official document;
• proof of address;
• vaccination records;
• for Grade 1, an official document showing that the child has completed pre-primary.

If some documents are still missing, that does not always stop registration: ask the school or the District Education Office how to proceed.

After the standard January registration period for state primary schools, contact the District Education Office. For secondary school, when moving from abroad, it is also best to start with the District Office, with records of previous schooling and proof of address to hand.

Usually not. Children are registered at the school of their own educational region or catchment area. If you want a different state school, register in your own area first and then ask the District Education Office for a transfer.

All state primary schools keep the same timetable: 07:45–13:05, with seven 40-minute lessons and three breaks totalling 40 minutes. The timetable is the same for every class.

Yes, but not in every school. At Optional All-Day Schools it runs from the fourth Monday in September until lessons end in June: after the normal day, which finishes at 13:05, children stay until 15:05 or 16:00. Parents pay for lunch, which the ministry subsidises for some families. At Compulsory All-Day primary schools, lessons run until 15:05 or 16:00 four days a week, depending on the school, and until 13:05 on Wednesdays.

Yes, but the class is not decided by age alone. You will need records of previous schooling, and for some transfers the rules provide for exams. Each case has to be agreed with the District Education Office.

Check six things:

• the curriculum and the final qualification;
• the language of instruction;
• admission rules and how children are placed in classes;
• support with English (EAL) and SEN, if needed;
• the full cost, not just the tuition fee;
• the journey, transport, meals, after-school activities and the calendar.

The word International does not automatically mean IB, a British curriculum or any particular qualification. Check the school’s official status, its curriculum and what certificate the child receives at the end.

Not always. It depends on the school and the child’s age. Heritage Private School in Limassol sets English and maths exams and holds an interview for Years 7–11, while for Years 12–13 it looks at IGCSE or equivalent results and also interviews. PASCAL schools hold entrance exams for the first year of secondary school and may use a diagnostic test at other entry points.

Yes, at some schools. American Academy Larnaca states clearly that children can join mid-year if there is a place and after an individual assessment; for some classes there are placement exams. Heritage takes new pupils every year into Pre-Nursery, Pre-Reception, Years 1, 7 and 10–13; in other classes a place opens up only when a current pupil does not re-enrol. So joining mid-year does happen, but a place is not guaranteed in advance.

Yes, often, but the class is not decided automatically. The receiving school or the District Education Office looks at age, previous curriculum, documents, language and sometimes test results. Plan the move with particular care before GCSE/IGCSE, A-level or IB, or in the upper years of the lyceum.

The cost depends on the city, the school, the year group and the curriculum. Below are examples of tuition fees for 2026/27, taken from the schools’ published fee lists.

These are tuition fees, not the full cost of the year. The registration fee, deposit, meals, transport, uniform, textbooks, devices and external exams may be charged separately.

Entrance and registration fees, a deposit, meals, transport, uniform, textbooks, devices, trips and external exams may all be charged separately. Terms vary: one school includes some of these costs, another charges for them on top.

It depends on the school and the type of payment. A deposit may be returned only if you have given the required notice of leaving, and a place reservation fee may be non-refundable or count towards tuition. Before paying, ask for the written rules on refunds and on leaving the school.