Apply for Secondary

We offer three language sections - Danish, French, and English.

We expect the applicants to master their section language (L1) on a mother tongue/ dominant language level.

Choose which section you wish to apply for.

Click here if you need help with grade placement.

Choose the category that best applies to your situation.

We prioritise based on the following admission criteria:

• Category a: EU staff members’ children 

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. 

• Category b1: International employees’ children 

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

• Category b2: Returned Danish employees’ children 

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. 

• Category b3: Children from other European Schools

Children moving here from another European School. 

• Category b4: Local applicants

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

List of documents we need for the application:

• Photo
  A recent photo of your child
• ID 
  Copy of parents’/legal guardians’ passport or birth certificate
• Employment
  Proof of employment (contract, letter from employer, pay slip)
• Academic records 
  Latest school or kindergarten report

Disabilities

• If your child has a permanent disability, be it long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment that has required special assistance at their current school or will require reasonable accommodation at the screening, this must be noted in the application. It can be noted under the field special support requirements. Medical documentation must be uploaded under other documentation. If your child does not have a diagnosis, you must attach a statement from the kindergarten/school describing the child’s special needs.
  
  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.
  
   

Siblings (for new Primary 0 classes only)

• Siblings of pupils already enrolled in the European School Copenhagen are always invited to a screening and will be assessed in each category (b.1.-b.4.) on an equal footing with the other applicants. Siblings cannot skip a category. Siblings are only admitted if they meet the academic, linguistic, and social criteria. Otherwise, there is a risk that the child may not thrive academically and socially.

After the application deadline, we review all applications and check how many places are available in each class. 

The applicants who best meet our admission criteria (based on category, age, and language proficiency) are then invited for a screening.

We assess language proficiency using the information you give in the application and the reports we receive from your child’s current school or kindergarten.

If your child is invited for a screening, you will receive an e-mail from us.

Screenings take place in week 46 (2026) and week 21 (2027)

The screening takes places at European School Copenhagen in person. Online screenings are not possible.

During the screening, a teacher will assess your child’s language skills to see if they can thrive in the language section they are applying for. Strong language skills are important for your child’s social life, learning and general well-being at school.

If a child does not attend the screening at the agreed time, and the school has not been informed in advance, the screening offer will lapse and the application will be rejected.

Please note that screening staff do not give individual feedback after the screening. 

All families will be informed by e-mail once the admission process is complete.

How long is the test?

The screening for S1 – S4 is a written screening in 2 parts.

Part 1: Screening in student’s L1 (language section applied for) for 30 minutes
Part 2: Screening in student’s L2 for 30 minutes
In total: 1.5 hours including reading time and break

There is a possibility that the student will be called in for an additional oral screening.

All families will be informed of our decision by e-mail once the admission process is complete.

All children who are screened will be assessed by a group consisting of school management, screening teachers and pedagogues. The final decision on admission is made by an admissions committee with a consultant from the City of Copenhagen, the school’s Director and the school’s Deputy Director.

The committee bases its decision on the screening results and looks at, for example, school readiness, language skills, age and the overall composition of the class.