How do I enrol my child in a state school in Paphos?

Register in January at the school for your address using form YPAN DDE 11, with a birth certificate or ARC, two address bills and the vaccination record. After January, apply to the District Education Office instead.

Do Paphos private schools have entrance exams?

Most assess new pupils. ISOP charges €115 for its entrance assessment. Lumio charges nothing for Grade 1, €20 for Grade 2 and €50 from Grade 3. TLC interviews parents and pupils.

Can I get a refund on a school deposit?

Often not. ISOP's €1,000 reservation deposit is non-refundable, though it's credited to fees. Lumio's €500 deposit is forfeited if you leave without a term's notice. Ask before you pay.

Are there English-speaking state schools in Paphos?

No. Every public school in Cyprus teaches in Greek, with extra Greek classes for children whose first language is different. The four English-medium schools in Paphos are all private.

Can I choose which state school my child goes to?

Not freely. Your child registers at the school for your home address. You can ask for a transfer on form YPAN DDE 33 after registering locally, and results come out by the end of January.

When does the school year start in Cyprus?

Early September, and it runs to late June in three terms. Private schools set their own exact dates, and the spring holiday follows Orthodox Easter, which is 2 May in 2027.

School Admissions in Paphos: 8 Mistakes UK Parents Make

School Admissions in Paphos: 8 Mistakes UK Parents Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Most school admissions problems in Paphos come from timing, not a shortage of schools. State schools register pupils in January for September, private schools want deposits of €500–€1,000, and your residence permit and school place depend on each other. Here's what goes wrong and how to get it right.

JJason 8 min read Last verified 27 September 2026

Get school admissions help Read the schools guide

The short version

State schools: register in January for September, at the school for your address.

Private schools: apply 6–9 months ahead, and read the fee contract before you pay a deposit.

Permits and places go together. A school-age child's visitor permit file asks for proof of school enrolment.

Check the year group. Cyprus Grade 1 starts at 6, a year later than Year 1 in England.

How school admissions in Paphos work

Paphos has two admissions systems running side by side. Greek-language state schools take registrations once a year, in January, through the Ministry of Education. The four English-medium private schools, ISOP, Aspire, TLC and Lumio, run their own admissions all year round, subject to space.

British parents usually get the private-school side right and the timing wrong. Below are the eight mistakes we see most, in roughly the order families make them. For the basics first, read our schools in Paphos guide; the rest of our Cyprus relocation resources cover the wider move.

1. Treating the school place and the residence permit separately

Your school place and your residence permit depend on each other. The Migration Department's document list for a school-age child on a visitor permit asks for proof of attendance or enrolment at a school in Cyprus. Some Cyprus private schools, in turn, ask for proof of legal residence.

The fix is to run both at once. Get a written offer from the school as early as you can, then use it in the permit application. If you haven't chosen a permit route yet, start with the relocation route finder.

Watch out

UK-only passport? No yellow slip for your children

Since Brexit, children with only a British passport can't get a yellow slip. Each child needs their own temporary residence permit, with Plan A health insurance and, for under-15s, a Mantoux skin test. Assuming otherwise is one of the common yellow slip mistakes. The families guide compares the routes.

Empty primary school yard in Paphos on a sunny winter day — State school registration happens in January, long before term starts.

2. Missing the January window for state schools

State-school registration for all primary grades happens in January, online and/or in person. After that, head teachers aren't allowed to enrol more pupils. Late applications go to the District Education Office, which places your child at the nearest school with space, not necessarily the one down your road.

You also have to confirm the place, usually in April. Miss confirmation and you can lose it. If you're arriving mid-year, contact the Paphos District Education Office as soon as you have an address.

3. Choosing a house before a school

Your address decides your state school, because pupils must register in their educational region. For private schools, it decides your school run. Peyia to ISOP in Anavargos and back twice a day is a lot of driving. It's one of the best reasons to rent before buying in Paphos.

Shortlist schools first, then rent near them. Our best areas for families guide matches areas to schools, and renting in Paphos covers leases and deposits.

4. Assuming the Cyprus year group matches England's

A child joins Grade 1 of a Cyprus state primary only if they turn 6 before 1 September. In England, that child would already be in Year 2. So a child who'd be in Year 2 in England is Grade 1 age in a Cyprus state school, and a Year 6 child is Grade 5 age.

The British-curriculum private schools use English year groups, so there's no shift there. Lumio uses grades. Always ask the school which year your child will join, and why, before you accept.

5. Paying a non-refundable deposit too early

Private schools ask for a deposit to hold a place. ISOP's is €1,000, non-refundable, and set off against fees. Lumio's is €500, set off against the third term, and you lose it if you withdraw without a full term's notice.

That's fine if your move is certain. It's a risk if your permit, house sale or job isn't settled yet. Ask the school what happens to the deposit if your permit is refused, and get the answer in writing.

Parent and teenager walking along a shaded colonnade on a Paphos school tour — Visit before you pay: a school tour in Paphos.

Myth

Myth: you can leave mid-year and stop paying

Reality

Not at every school. ISOP's 2026-27 terms say a pupil who withdraws during the year is still liable for the entire year's fees, and fees can rise by up to 6% a year. Read the payment terms page of the fee schedule, not just the price list.

Before you pay a deposit

Have the fee contract checked first

An independent education advisor reads the deposit, withdrawal and fee-increase terms for every school on your shortlist, and tells you what happens if your permit is delayed.

Get school admissions help How to vet an education advisor

6. Budgeting for tuition only

Tuition is the headline, not the bill. At ISOP, a new primary pupil also pays a €115 assessment fee, a €260 admissions fee, a €250 composite fee and €340 for books in 2026-27. Lumio's fees exclude meals, buses, trips, uniform and IB exam fees.

Then there are the discounts that work in your favour: ISOP gives 10% off a second child and 5% for paying the year by 31 May. Lumio gives 10% off a second child and 3% for paying by 1 August. Our international schools comparison has the full fee tables.

7. Arriving without the right documents

Cyprus wants originals or certified copies. For state schools, the Ministry asks for form YPAN DDE 11, a birth certificate or Alien Registration Certificate (ARC), two proof-of-address bills (refuse and electricity, or your lease plus an electricity bill) and a copy of the vaccination record. Grade 1 also needs a pre-primary leaving certificate.

Before you leave the UK, get each child's birth certificate apostilled and translated, and pack their last two school reports and the Red Book. Most UK children haven't had hepatitis A or MenACWY, which Cyprus gives toddlers. See healthcare for children.

8. Moving a teenager in the middle of a GCSE course

Moving between Year 10 and Year 11, or in the middle of A levels, is hard in any country. IGCSE syllabuses and exam boards differ from school to school, and coursework may not transfer.

Two teenagers with backpacks walking along the Kato Paphos seafront — After school on the Kato Paphos seafront.

If your child is in an exam year, ask each school which boards and syllabuses it uses and compare them with your child's current subjects. Sometimes the right answer is to time the move for the start of Year 10 or Year 12. And if you want the IB Diploma instead of A levels, Lumio is the only school in Paphos that offers it.

Your Paphos school admissions countdown

Work back from the September you want your child to start. Private schools take pupils later if there is space, but this is the order that avoids every mistake above.

1
Pick your permit route
12 months before
Your permit decides the paperwork your school offer has to support. Use the relocation route finder.
2
Shortlist schools, then areas
9–12 months before
Compare curriculum, fees and school runs. Our international schools comparison has the 2026-27 fee tables.
3
Register for a state school
January
Form YPAN DDE 11 at the school for your address, or a transfer request on YPAN DDE 33 by the end of January.
4
Apply and book assessments
6–9 months before
Send reports and passports. ISOP charges €115 to assess; Lumio charges €0–€50.
5
Accept the offer and pay the deposit
Once your move is certain
€1,000 at ISOP, €500 at Lumio. Get the withdrawal terms in writing first.
6
Confirm the state-school place
April
Parents must confirm registrations, usually in April, or risk losing the place.
7
Put the offer letter in the permit file
At your permit appointment
A school-age child's visitor permit file asks for proof of enrolment.

Founder note

“Pick the school, then the house, then book the flights. Do it the other way round and the school run decides your first year for you.”

JJasonFounder, Paphos Advisor

Children running towards a village primary school gate near Paphos while a parent waves — The first day at a new school.

School admissions in Paphos: quick answers

State schools register pupils in January for the following September. Private schools accept applications all year; apply 6–9 months ahead for the best chance in popular year groups.

Free introduction

Let an education advisor handle the applications

Tell us your children's ages, year groups and move date. We introduce you to an independent education advisor in Paphos who can manage deadlines, visits and paperwork while you're still in the UK.

Deadlines for your year groups
Deposit and contract terms checked before you pay
Free introduction; the advisor quotes their own fee

Founder-led. Replies within one working day.

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If this post didn’t answer your question, ask it here. I read every one myself and reply by email, usually within a working day.

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Written by

Jason

Founder, Paphos Advisor

British founder who moved his family from the UK to Paphos in 2025. I write down what I learned doing it properly — the tax, the residency and the living-here detail — and introduce people to the specialists I’d use myself.

How I research and fact-check

School Admissions in Paphos: 8 Mistakes UK Parents Make (and How to Avoid Them)

How school admissions in Paphos work

1. Treating the school place and the residence permit separately

2. Missing the January window for state schools

3. Choosing a house before a school

4. Assuming the Cyprus year group matches England's

5. Paying a non-refundable deposit too early

6. Budgeting for tuition only

7. Arriving without the right documents

8. Moving a teenager in the middle of a GCSE course

Your Paphos school admissions countdown

Pick your permit route

Shortlist schools, then areas

Register for a state school

Apply and book assessments

Accept the offer and pay the deposit

Confirm the state-school place

Put the offer letter in the permit file

School admissions in Paphos: quick answers

When do school admissions open in Paphos?

How do I enrol my child in a state school in Paphos?

Do Paphos private schools have entrance exams?

Can I get a refund on a school deposit?

Are there English-speaking state schools in Paphos?

Can I choose which state school my child goes to?

When does the school year start in Cyprus?

Let an education advisor handle the applications

Ask Jason about this

Sources checked for this page

Keep reading

How school admissions in Paphos work

1. Treating the school place and the residence permit separately

2. Missing the January window for state schools

3. Choosing a house before a school

4. Assuming the Cyprus year group matches England's

5. Paying a non-refundable deposit too early

6. Budgeting for tuition only

7. Arriving without the right documents

Your Paphos school admissions countdown

Pick your permit route

Shortlist schools, then areas

Register for a state school

Apply and book assessments

Accept the offer and pay the deposit

Confirm the state-school place

Put the offer letter in the permit file

School admissions in Paphos: quick answers

When do school admissions open in Paphos?

How do I enrol my child in a state school in Paphos?

Do Paphos private schools have entrance exams?

Can I get a refund on a school deposit?

Are there English-speaking state schools in Paphos?

Can I choose which state school my child goes to?

When does the school year start in Cyprus?

Let an education advisor handle the applications