Criteria and Process

The criteria for admission to the European School Copenhagen have been set by the Municipality of Copenhagen. The European School Copenhagen is funded by the Municipality, and the school is therefore free of charge.

The European Schools must first and foremost ensure schooling and education of children of EU institution staff members. At the European School in Copenhagen, this means that approximately 20% of the places are assigned to this group of applicants. The remaining places are allocated according to the admission criteria below.

The European School Copenhagen has three language sections: Danish, English and French.

In order to be admitted to the school, the pupil must speak the language of the language section on a mother tongue level, and the language must be anchored in everyday life.

The child must be placed in the language section that best corresponds to their dominant language, and where the child has the highest level of proficiency for the purpose of education.

The European School Copenhagen only enrols pupils at the grade levels presently established at the school, and it is not possible for the child to be placed on a waiting list.

Below, you can read more about the admission criteria and process:

Admission criteria

Admission of pupils to the European School Copenhagen takes place according to the following criteria, in order of priority:

a. Children of EU institution staff members (whose education is funded by the EU Commission) are entitled to admission. Please contact the school for verification before you apply.

b.1. Children of whom one or both parents are international employees who have come to Denmark with the purpose of working in Danish or international companies, organisations and educational institutions.

b.2. Children of whom one or both parents are returned Danish employees working in Danish or international companies and organisations, and who have had a permanent workplace outside Denmark for a total of one year within the last five years.

b.3. Children moving here from another European school.

b.4. In case of extra places, these may be offered to local applicants who meet the necessary language requirements for admission.

Click here to apply

Step 1: Application

If your child is in the target group and you wish to apply for the school, you must submit an application and provide the following supporting documentation:

A passport photo/copy of the passport photo page of the child
Copy of passport or birth certificate of the parents/legal guardians
Proof of employment (copy of contract, letter from employer and/or pay slip)
Copy of the school report/evaluation from last year

Please note that if your child has a permanent disability, be it long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment that has required special assistance during school or will require reasonable accommodation at the screening, this must be noted in the application.

Step 2: Selection

Based on the admission criteria above and the applicants’ language and general competencies, applicants will be short listed and invited to complete a screening of language ability.

If your child has a permanent disability, it will be taken into consideration in the selection process to prevent any distinction, exclusion, or restriction on the basis of the disability.

Step 3: Screening

It will be a short written test in language 1 (English, French or Danish) and language 2 (French, English or German).

Step 4: Admission

The admission will be based on an overall evaluation of the level in language 1 and 2, general competencies and the written test. The level in language 2 is important since pupils at the European School should be able to follow courses taught in language 2 early on. The class formation will also be taken into account in the evaluation. The final decision will be taken by the European School Copenhagen’s admission committee. The admission committee is the Director of the European School Copenhagen, Øzkan Güleryüz, and Ingrid Brandt, Expert Consultant at the Municipality of Copenhagen. None of the members of the admission committee have been a part of the screening process.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application.

Last updated October 13, 2022