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UK school admissions for international families: state and private routes
School admission and immigration permission are separate decisions. Families moving to England need to understand both before relying on a place.
Children already resident in England
Children of compulsory school age living in England are required to receive suitable full-time education.
Foreign-national children resident in the UK will normally have the right to attend state-funded or independent schools, subject to the family’s immigration conditions.
On this page
Applying from overseas
Parents moving or returning to England can have state-school applications considered even before they live in the local area.
Authorities may request evidence of the intended move and need an address to apply distance or catchment rules, but official guidance says an application should not be rejected simply because the family is currently abroad.
State-school process
Apply through the relevant local authority for the normal admissions round; in-year routes may be coordinated by the council or handled by schools.
Offers depend on published criteria and available places. Where a place is refused, the decision should include the route to an independent appeal.
Independent and boarding schools
Contact the school directly.
Admissions may include reports, references, tests, interviews and English assessment. Child Student applicants need a licensed Child Student sponsor and a CAS.
The usual school route is independent education; GOV.UK also specifies an Erasmus+ exception, described below.
Visa status matters
A visitor cannot normally enter the UK to enrol at a state-funded school.
Children entering as dependants of a parent with suitable permission may usually attend school. GOV.UK’s Child Student course page, checked 15 October 2026, also permits Erasmus+ participants at a state-funded school or academy where the course follows the national curriculum and is at RQF level 3 or below.
This is a specific exception, not general access under a Child Student visa; check the licensed sponsor, CAS and exact route.
Build a safe application file
Keep birth and identity records, school reports, SEND information, vaccination and health records, proof of address or intended move and certified translations where requested.
Send sensitive documents only through the school, council or visa authority’s official channel.
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