We're moving in six weeks. Is it too late?

Not necessarily. Private schools take pupils during the year if there's space, and TLC's policy lets pupils start at any point on an agreed date. For a state school after January, the District Education Office places your child.

Does the advisor get paid by the schools?

The advisors we introduce must be independent of the schools, or disclose any school commission to you in writing before you start.

Can the advisor help with our residence permit?

They can get you the school offer letter your child's permit file needs. The permit itself is a job for an immigration lawyer: see immigration lawyers in Cyprus.

What if my child has special educational needs?

Tell us when you enquire. The advisor will check what each school can actually provide before you apply. There's no Cyprus equivalent of an EHCP, so support depends on the school.

Do you handle Greek state school registration?

The advisor can take you through it: January registration, form YPAN DDE 11, your educational region and the documents. You or your advisor submit it to the school.

How much does it cost to apply to a school in Paphos?

Between nothing and a few hundred euros per child. For 2026-27, ISOP charges a €115 assessment fee and a one-off €260 admissions fee; Lumio charges no application fee and €0–€50 to assess. State-school registration is free.

What documents do I need to enrol my child in a Cyprus school?

For a state school: form YPAN DDE 11, a birth certificate or ARC, two proof-of-address bills and the vaccination record. Private schools usually want the passport, the last two years' reports and the Red Book.

Services · Education

School Admissions in Cyprus: Get Your Child's Paphos School Place Sorted from the UK

An independent education advisor in Paphos can shortlist schools, book assessments, check fee contracts and handle state-school registration for you. We make the introduction for free, and the advisor gives you a written fee quote before you commit.

Vetted, licensed partners
Free introduction
Referral fees disclosed

Request an introduction

Free. I reply personally within one working day.

The short version

State schools: register in January for September at the school for your address; confirm the place in April. After January, the District Education Office places your child.

Private schools (ISOP, Aspire, TLC, Lumio) admit all year if there's space. Apply 6–9 months ahead for Reception and Year 7.

Budget for the application: assessment fees of €0–€115, ISOP's one-off €260 admissions fee, and deposits of €500–€1,000.

The school offer goes into your permit file. A school-age child's visitor permit application asks for proof of enrolment.

Our introduction is free. The advisor quotes a fixed fee in writing before you commit.

Who school admissions support is for

School admissions in Cyprus are manageable if you live here. From the UK, the deadlines, deposits and paperwork are easy to get wrong. This service suits you if you're:

Moving within 12 months and need places confirmed before you arrive
Moving mid-year and need a school that can take your child in the next few weeks
Choosing between a Greek state school and a private school and want an honest view for your child's age
Moving a child with special educational needs, where the support on offer varies a lot between schools
Placing two or more children in different year groups, or different schools
In an exam year and need to match IGCSE or A level boards and syllabuses

New to the system? Read our guide to schools in Paphos first, and the eight admissions mistakes UK parents make.

Child holding a parent's hand at a school entrance gate in Paphos — Morning drop-off at a school gate in Paphos.

What the advisor does, from shortlist to first day

1
Shortlist
Week 1
A call about your children's ages, curriculum, reports, needs and budget, then a shortlist from ISOP, Aspire, TLC, Lumio and your local state school, with honest trade-offs.
2
Fees and terms checked
Week 1–2
The latest fee sheet from each school, including deposits, extras and withdrawal terms. ISOP's 2026-27 terms, for example, make a leaver liable for the whole year.
3
Visits or video calls
Weeks 2–6
Tours booked around your scouting trip, or virtual meetings with admissions teams if you can't travel.
4
Applications and assessments
Weeks 3–8
Forms, the last two years' reports, passports and assessment bookings. ISOP's assessment costs €115; Lumio's is free for Grade 1 and €20–€50 above.
5
Offer, deposit and contract
On offer
Deposit and contract checked before you pay: €1,000 non-refundable at ISOP, €500 at Lumio. The offer letter goes into your residence permit file.
6
Start-date logistics
Before arrival
Uniform, books, bus routes and the first-day timetable. If you haven't rented yet, check the school run against our best areas for families.

Cyprus school admissions timeline

Private schools admit all year subject to space. State schools follow the Ministry of Education's fixed calendar.

When	Private schools	State schools
9–12 months before	Shortlist, visits, first enquiries	Check your likely educational region
January	ISOP's 2026-27 reservation deposits were due by 31 January	Registration for September, online and/or in person
End of January	Assessments and offers continue	Transfer decisions published
April	Offers continue; Lumio term 3 fees fall due on 1 April	Parents confirm registrations
Mid-year	Direct to the school, if there's space	Via the District Education Office

Sources: Ministry of Education primary registration rules; ISOP and Lumio fee terms for 2026-27.

Documents to gather before you apply

Get UK documents apostilled and translated into Greek or English before you leave. It's slower to do from Cyprus.

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1 Private school application

Child's passportPlus parents' passports for the contract.
Last two years of school reportsInclude any SEN plans, EHCP or assessment reports.
Vaccination record (the Red Book)Most UK children lack hepatitis A and MenACWY, which Cyprus gives toddlers. See healthcare for children.

2 State school registration

Form YPAN DDE 11Application for registration in a primary or pre-primary school.
Birth certificate or Alien Registration Certificate (ARC)Copies must be certified by an official.
Refuse bill and a recent electricity billOr your lease plus an electricity bill if you rent.
Copy of the vaccination recordWith your child's name on it.
Pre-primary leaving certificateFor Grade 1 only, from a Ministry-approved pre-primary school.

Moving in nine months or in six weeks: what changes

How the admissions job changes with your timeline. Both are doable; the late move needs more phone calls and less choice.

Step	Nine months or more ahead	Six weeks or less
State school	Register in the January window at your local school	Apply to the Paphos District Education Office, which places your child where there is space
Private school	Full shortlist, visits and assessments	Ask which year groups have space this week, then assess by video if needed
Deposit risk	Pay once your permit route and house are settled	Pay quickly to hold the place, so read the withdrawal terms first
Residence permit	Offer letter ready well before your appointment	Ask the school for an enrolment letter as soon as the place is confirmed
Where you live	Rent near the school you chose	Choose the school near the rental you could get

Short on time?

Get an advisor working on your application this week

Tell us your children's ages and arrival date. We introduce you to one independent advisor who can call the schools for you.

Introduce me to an admissions advisor Use the family move checklist

What school admissions support costs

Our introduction is free, as with every education service we offer. If you hire the advisor, they pay Paphos Advisor a referral fee, which doesn't go on your bill. See our referral disclosure.

The advisor quotes their own fee in writing before you commit, usually as a fixed price for a defined package. Ask what's included: number of schools, visits, state-school registration, and whether they'll attend meetings with you.

You pay the schools directly. Budget for assessment fees, deposits of €500–€1,000, and 2026-27 tuition of €3,250–€13,850 a year at the schools that publish fees. Our international schools comparison has year-by-year tables.

Family walking along a quiet Paphos street in September with children carrying new backpacks — The new school year starts in September.

Why timing matters

January

state-school registration for September

Ministry of Education

€1,000

ISOP's non-refundable deposit

Credited to 2026-27 fees

Age 6

for Cyprus Grade 1, by 1 September

€0

cost of our introduction

Education advisors we introduce

Each advisor is independent of the schools (or discloses any school commission in writing), knows the Paphos private and state systems, and quotes a fixed fee up front.

Licensed and regulated

Registered with the right Cyprus body — Bar Association, ICPAC, CySEC or the Estate Agents Council.

Fluent with UK clients

They know HMRC, UK pensions and how British clients expect to be kept in the loop.

Vetted in person

I’ve worked with them or checked their work with people I trust. No paid listings.

Fees disclosed

If a partner pays a referral fee, I tell you before the introduction.

Partner profiles are shared privately, matched to your situation.

Request an introduction

School admissions support: common questions

No, and be wary of anyone who says they can. Schools make admissions decisions. The advisor makes sure your applications are complete, on time and aimed at schools with space in your child's year.

Free introduction

Get introduced to a Paphos school admissions advisor

Tell us your children's ages, current year groups, any support needs and your move date. We match you with one independent advisor and send you their details.

Independent of the schools
Fixed written fee quote before you commit
Private and state admissions covered

Founder-led. Replies within one working day.

Sources checked for this page

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

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Schools in Paphos: Private and State Options for UK Families (2026)

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Eight school admissions mistakes British parents make in Paphos, from missing the January state-school window to paying a non-refundable deposit too early.

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What an education advisor in Paphos does, when it's worth hiring one, how to check they're independent, and how we introduce you to one.

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ISOP, Aspire, TLC and Lumio compared school by school: curriculum, ages, year-by-year 2026-27 fees, deposits and the extras that aren't in the headline price.

School Admissions in Cyprus: Get Your Child's Paphos School Place Sorted from the UK

Who school admissions support is for

What the advisor does, from shortlist to first day

Shortlist

Fees and terms checked

Visits or video calls

Applications and assessments

Offer, deposit and contract

Start-date logistics

Cyprus school admissions timeline

Documents to gather before you apply

Moving in nine months or in six weeks: what changes

What school admissions support costs

Why timing matters

Education advisors we introduce

School admissions support: common questions

Can you guarantee my child a school place?

We're moving in six weeks. Is it too late?

Does the advisor get paid by the schools?

Can the advisor help with our residence permit?

What if my child has special educational needs?

Do you handle Greek state school registration?

How much does it cost to apply to a school in Paphos?

What documents do I need to enrol my child in a Cyprus school?

Get introduced to a Paphos school admissions advisor

Sources checked for this page

Keep reading

Who school admissions support is for

What the advisor does, from shortlist to first day

Shortlist

Fees and terms checked

Visits or video calls

Applications and assessments

Offer, deposit and contract

Start-date logistics

Cyprus school admissions timeline

Documents to gather before you apply

Moving in nine months or in six weeks: what changes

What school admissions support costs

Why timing matters

Education advisors we introduce

School admissions support: common questions

Can you guarantee my child a school place?

We're moving in six weeks. Is it too late?

Does the advisor get paid by the schools?

Can the advisor help with our residence permit?

What if my child has special educational needs?

Do you handle Greek state school registration?

How much does it cost to apply to a school in Paphos?

What documents do I need to enrol my child in a Cyprus school?

Get introduced to a Paphos school admissions advisor