Can children start school in the Netherlands without speaking Dutch in 2026?

Complete address registration in the BRP, then contact a preferred neighbourhood primary school or the secondary school pathway your municipality names. Bring passports, proof of address, vaccination evidence where asked, and previous school reports. Translations help staff place an older child in the right year.

Many municipalities treat a nieuwkomer as a child who has lived in the Netherlands for less than about a year and still needs Dutch. In Amsterdam and comparable cities, parents often enrol at a preferred basisschool first; that school or a central newcomer desk then checks whether a nieuwkomersklas place is appropriate. Very young children (around four to six) sometimes enter a regular early class with support, because immersion is expected to work faster at that age. Local practice still varies, so ask the school rather than copying another city's rule.

Primary newcomers often join a nieuwkomersklas or taalklas focused on Dutch, reading, and school routines, usually for about a year before transferring to a regular group. Secondary-age newcomers (roughly 12 to 18) commonly enter an Internationale Schakelklas (ISK) or Eerste Opvang Anderstaligen (EOA) programme. Those classes teach Dutch as a second language plus core subjects, then issue an exit recommendation toward vmbo, havo, vwo, or another suitable track after roughly one to two years, depending on progress.

Ask how the school measures Dutch growth, when regular-subject participation expands, and whether mathematics or prior-language learning continues while Dutch develops. A teenager should not lose subject strength for an undefined period.

Parent letters, portals, and permission forms may stay Dutch. Ask the school about language mediation instead of making the child interpret sensitive decisions: Expat families community.

An international school can make sense for a short posting or when the family already follows an IB or British curriculum, but fees are high and places can be scarce: International school costs. For a longer stay, many families choose local public schooling plus newcomer support so Dutch develops for friendships and later secondary options: Best places for families.

Libraries, sports clubs, and after-school care add social Dutch beyond the classroom: Learn Dutch.