Application Guidelines & Requirements

Siblings of current ISB students and Alumni may be given priority if the student meets our academic requirements and a seat is available in the appropriate grade level and program. Applicants who are not offered a seat due to lack of space in a grade or program will be placed in a wait pool until a space becomes available.

ISB accepts students that hold valid non-immigrant visa or a Thai passport. Please read below to identify which application stream you should use to apply:

• THAI : Please select “Thai” if the child and both parents have Thai nationality.
• DUAL : Please select “Dual” if at least one parent holds only a non-Thai passport and the child has Thai nationality AND also has one or more additional nationalities.
• EXPAT : Please select “Expat” for applicants who parent(s) are non-Thai and have a current or future employment in Thailand.
• ED VISA : Please select “Edu Visa” if your child will require an educational visa (ED) to attend ISB. Please note that at least one parent will require a dependent visa (O) attached to the child's ED visa. Details about the student visa application process

All students must hold a Thai passport or have a valid non-immigrant visa to attend ISB.

• Are you moving for employment in Thailand?
  Your employer should sponsor your family's visas. You should receive a work visa (B visa), your family would need the dependent visa (O visa). If you are a diplomat, your whole family should receive the diplomatic visa (F visa).
• Are you moving for your child’s education?
  Your child will require an educational visa (ED visa) and a parent will require a dependent visa (O visa) which is attached to the child's visa. Click to view the steps for how to apply to ISB to receive support with the educational visa process. Please note there are deadlines for applying to ISB for applicants who will need support with ED and Guardian visas. These are available on the Key Admissions Dates page.
• Do you have another type of visa?
  Please know that students cannot attend schools in Thailand on a Tourist or Elite visa as per Thai law. If you plan for your child to have another type of visa, please contact Admissions for guidance.

Tourist or Elite visas are not non-immigrant visas and students cannot attend schools in Thailand on such visas as per Thai law. 

Our Admissions Team can only work in direct partnership with the Parents or Legal Guardians of a child. Due to our student safeguarding policies, our office cannot engage with personal assistants, educational consultants, extended family members, etc. on behalf of the family. 

ISB does not offer boarding and requires that all students must be in full-time residence with at least one parent or a school-approved legal guardian while enrolled at ISB. This applies to extended family members who must have legal guardian status to be recognized as such. 

English is the language of instruction at ISB, and English language proficiency is essential for a student’s academic and social success at our school and community. 

ISB offers support to students who are not yet proficient in English through our English as an Additional Language (EAL) support program. Please note this program has limited availability per grade level.

No minimum English language proficiency is required for entry to Pre-K through Grade 4 but there is a minimum English language proficiency level for entry to Grades 5-12 which increases by division. Students applying to Grades 5-12 must meet the required threshold to be eligible for admission consideration. 

An English language proficiency assessment is part of the admissions process for all non-native speakers applying for entry in grades Kindergarten through Grade 12.

ISB’s Student Support Services department provides academic and/or speech/language support to identified students with mild to moderate learning differences.

Each applicant who is identified as needing support services to be successful at ISB, will be considered for admission based on whether ISB can meet their learning needs and if there is space in the program in their grade level. Please note this program has limited availability per grade level.

If your child is currently receiving any support services, we will require complete documentation, including past evaluations, individual educational/learning plans, and medical reports when reviewing your child’s application.

ISB unfortunately cannot support students that would require multiple types of support e.g. Learning Support and EAL support.

Selecting the appropriate grade level
ISB follows the American grade level configuration and our application portal will help determine the age-appropriate placement for your child at ISB. If you are unsure whether the system has selected the correct grade level, please view our Grade Level Equivalency Chart for guidance. You may be moving from a school with a different school calendar and in these instances, we typically recommend that you select the grade level your child is currently in.

How is grade placement determined?
Grade placement is a careful consideration for each student and takes into account their schooling journey and the child's academic standing or their social and emotional well-being and development, which are mapped against our curriculum, school culture, and available resources in our student support services.

What if my child repeated or skipped a grade level?
For students entering grades 2-12, if they have skipped or repeated, we typically encourage that they continue to the next grade level if it is in the best interest of the student which is determined by the review of their application.

For families with children applying to Pre-K1 / Pre-K2 / Kindergarten / Grade 1, placement is strictly based on their age and your child must be 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 years old on or before September 1st of the enrollment year. We do not encourage students of these ages to skip grade levels and students cannot join Pre-K 1 if they turn 3 years old during the school year.

Can ISB make placement exceptions?
Exceptions to grade placement for students may be made under special circumstances and are subject to approval by the Divisional Principal and the Admissions Committee. Please let our team know if you have any questions or would like to request an exception for your child’s grade placement. Please use the recommended grade level by the system to apply and inform our team separately.

We do not recommend for students to repeat or skip a grade level unless there is a clear and significant reasoning for the child's academic performance or their social and emotional well-being to repeat or skip a grade level. 

For students admitted to Grades 10-12, and the second semester of Grade 9, an official, signed/sealed/stamped (unopened) transcript is required for submission during your first meeting with the counselor. Credits can neither be applied nor transferred if the official transcript is not available on or before your child's first day of school. High school grade classification will be based on number of years completed, number of credits earned, and time of year of arrival. Please view our program of studies (available on High School page) to view our credit requirements for graduation. Students who may be missing credits in certain areas will either need to make up those credits over the course of the time they are at ISB or may not be offered a seat if there is no pathway to make up those classes.