For an August start, begin the Shanghai school search 9–12 months ahead. Several schools opened 2026–27 applications in September 2025. SAS, SCIS and Concordia then ran decision rounds. All three later moved to rolling review, but “rolling” means only while the right grade has space. There is no single deadline across Shanghai's school types.
Watch out
Moving for August 2026? The scheduled SAS, SCIS and Concordia rounds have passed. All three now describe later applications as rolling or capacity-based, but that is not a promise of a place. Ask the school about your child's grade before spending time on a full application.
What does the 2026–27 calendar look like at selected foreign-passport schools?
The detailed table below covers five schools that publish their own August-start admissions calendars. These are the dates each school published for the 2026–27 year, checked on 17 July 2026; they are not a universal Shanghai deadline.
| School | Application timeline |
|---|---|
| SAS | Round 1: complete by 27 Oct 2025 → update Dec 2025 Round 2: complete by 5 Jan 2026 → update Feb 2026 Round 3: complete by 2 Feb 2026 → update Mar 2026 After the rounds: ad hoc / rolling |
| SCIS | Round 1: apply by 21 Nov 2025 → decision by 19 Dec 2025 Round 2: apply by 30 Jan 2026 → decision by 6 Mar 2026 Round 3: apply by 20 Mar 2026 → decision by 17 Apr 2026 From 21 Mar 2026: rolling admissions, decided on a rolling and capacity basis |
| Concordia | Round 1: complete by 10 Nov 2025 → update Dec 2025 Round 2: complete by 28 Feb 2026 → update Mar 2026 From 1 Mar 2026: rolling |
| Dulwich Pudong | 2026–27 applications opened: 1 Sep 2025 Current-year route: rolling when space is available; no fixed update date is published on the checked page |
| Wellington | August 2026 applications opened: 1 Sep 2025 After a complete application: assessment, then a status usually within 3 working days; busy year groups may take several weeks |
The dates show why the exact school matters. In the same cycle, completed-file dates ran from October to February. Each school then moved to rolling review on its own schedule.
How do other Shanghai school routes time admissions?
The short answer: not on the same clock. The route determines whether a family is following an annual Shanghai registration window, a school's own admissions calendar or a national-school cycle.
| Route | Timing and next move |
|---|---|
| Local public and private bilingual schools (compulsory stage) | Shanghai publishes an annual city and district schedule. For 2026, primary information registration ran 13–26 Apr; public-school registration ran 7–11 May; private-school registration ran 7–9 May. Public places use district/proximity rules; private places use the municipal registration and randomized-admission process where applicable. A school such as Dehong also asks families to use its own information form and admissions team, so check both layers. |
| Public-school international divisions | Do not assume the foreign-passport table applies. Shanghai lists these as a separate route and says their enrollment criteria are the same as for international schools. For high-school international-curriculum classes inside the citywide system, 2026 included testing on 1–3 Jul, pre-admission signing on 5 Jul and supplementary admission on 27 Jul. Confirm the exact school and grade. |
| Shanghai Japanese School | April-start cycle. The Pudong campus says the new-year (April) notice is usually published around mid-November; families then apply online, attend the designated briefing/interview and start on the school-assigned date. Transfer entry follows a separate notice. |
| Shanghai Korean School | Uses its own Korean-school selection schedule. The official table lists fixed windows for the 2026 second semester and 2027 first semester, plus ongoing selection outside those windows. The detailed dates are below. |
| German School Shanghai | Admissions are possible throughout the year when a place is available and the child meets the requirements. Start with the school's online registration and admissions consultation; there is no single annual round to wait for. |
| Lycée Français de Shanghai | Applications for 2026–27 opened on 3 Nov 2025. There is no final deadline: current-year applications are accepted year-round, subject to places and qualifications. For 2026–27, Qingpu and Yangpu cover TPS–Grade 6; Yangpu covers Grades 7–10; Qingpu covers Grades 11–12. |
| Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS) | School-specific process: OpenApply account → complete documents → application fee → assessment → matriculation fee. The official process page does not publish one citywide deadline; ask for the grade's assessment date and availability. |
That is why I would not add every school row to the main table. A detailed row is useful only when the school publishes dates in a comparable format. For the other routes, first identify which calendar governs your child, then confirm the exact intake date with the school or district.
What dates does Shanghai Korean School publish?
The school's admissions page separates its schedule by semester. It also says that selection is conducted on an ongoing basis outside the listed periods.
| Intake | Application window | Processing and next steps | School opening |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 second semester | 22–26 Jun 2026 | Processing 29 Jun–7 Jul; result 8 Jul; payment 8–10 Jul; registration confirmation 13 Jul; school-life session 19 Aug | 20 Aug 2026 |
| 2027 first semester — window 1 | 3 Nov–11 Dec 2026 | Processing 14–22 Dec; result 23 Dec; payment 23–29 Dec; confirmation 31 Dec | 2 Mar 2027 |
| 2027 first semester — window 2 | 4–8 Jan 2027 | Processing 11–15 Jan; result 18 Jan; payment 18–21 Jan; confirmation 24 Feb | 2 Mar 2027 |
When should your family start?
The dates above support a practical planning window. This is our relocation timetable, not a rule issued by the schools.
| Time before entry | What to do | What not to do yet |
|---|---|---|
| 12–9 months | Check eligibility, choose the curriculum route and make a short list. Note when each school's next cycle opens. | Do not choose an apartment around an unconfirmed school. |
| 9–6 months | Submit to the schools you would genuinely accept. Complete only the documents and recommendations each school requests. | Do not assume that an incomplete online form holds a place. |
| 6–3 months | Complete interviews or assessments. Compare offers, wait-pool outcomes, fees, support and campus location. | Do not treat an assessment invitation as an offer. |
| 3–0 months | Accept one place by its stated deadline. Then organise bus, uniform, medical forms and housing around the confirmed campus. | Do not pay two sets of non-refundable fees without understanding the terms. |
For 2027–28 entry, official dates were not yet published when this guide was checked. Use the 2026–27 pattern to prepare, then replace it with the schools' new dates as soon as they appear.
What makes an application “complete”?
Usually, submitting the first online form is only the beginning. The exact next steps belong to the school, not to a universal Shanghai checklist.
At SAS, the school opens its document checklist after the online application is submitted. For a child already attending school, SAS currently asks for the present school-year report and the previous two full years. Recommendation requirements change with grade. SAS marks the application complete only after it has the required eligibility documents, academic records and application fee.
At YCIS Shanghai, the current checklist asks for school records in English for the most recent two years, including the current year when available. Its government-document list changes according to the family's eligibility category.
At Wellington, review starts after the online application, the school's requested documents and its application fee are complete. The school then arranges an age-appropriate assessment.
These examples are deliberately named. Do not turn them into a single checklist for every school.
Note
Use the school's official application portal for identity documents. If your eligibility is unclear, begin with a short written summary of the family's citizenship, the child's place of birth and entry document, and the parents' Shanghai work status. Do not send unrequested passport scans to a general inbox.
Before doing any of this, use the passport-first eligibility guide to work out which school types are realistic for your family.
Do you need to be in Shanghai for the assessment?
Not always. SAS says overseas families may complete interviews and assessments online. Wellington also says it can assess remotely when the family is outside Shanghai.
That flexibility helps with relocation timing. It does not change the admissions standard, and it does not guarantee that every assessment can happen on your preferred date. SAS notes that its sessions can take up to four hours, depending on grade.
Dulwich publishes another important warning for older students. It normally does not consider Year 11 transfers during terms two and three, and generally does not consider Year 13 applications. Families moving with an older teenager should check course continuity before making any other relocation decision.
What happens after the assessment?
An assessment is not the same as an offer.
SAS places qualified applicants into a wait pool and reviews them in rounds. The school says this is not a first-come, first-served waitlist. Space, the strength of the applicant pool and the child's fit with the programme still affect the outcome.
Wellington publishes three possible outcomes: an offer, an unsuccessful application or a waiting-pool decision. It aims to provide a status within three working days after the completed process, although busy year groups may take several weeks.
If an offer arrives, read the acceptance deadline and payment terms carefully. The amount and timing differ by school. Use the 2026–27 Shanghai school fees guide to see the difference between application fees, deposits, resource fees, capital fees and tuition.
What if you are applying late or moving mid-year?
Start with availability, not paperwork.
Send the admissions team five facts:
- The child's date of birth and current grade.
- The intended start month.
- The curriculum and school calendar the child is leaving.
- A short eligibility summary, without attaching identity scans unless requested.
- Any language or learning support the child would need from the first day.
Ask whether the school is currently considering that grade and start date. Then follow its official application process. This prevents a family from building a relocation plan around a grade that is already full.
Late entry can still work. The honest downside is that the decision may become availability-led. You may need a longer commute, a different campus or a temporary school plan while waiting for your preferred option.
Why should the school decision come before housing?
In our relocation planning, a confirmed school place is the point where the housing search becomes concrete. An offer fixes the campus, and the campus fixes the realistic commute. SAS has Pudong and Puxi campuses. Other school groups also operate in more than one part of the city. A place at one campus is not automatically transferable to another.
Choose the school route first. Then test the school-bus area and rush-hour journey. Only then choose the apartment. The full reasoning is in why school choice comes before the apartment.
For the wider decision, use the complete map of Shanghai school types. It compares foreign-passport schools, private bilingual schools, public-school international divisions, local schools and national systems.
When the timeline is not the real problem
Starting early cannot solve every case.
- A school may not be legally open to the child's passport or family status.
- A grade may already be full.
- The school may not provide the language or learning support the child needs.
- A late secondary-school transfer may break the sequence of IGCSE, IB, A-Level or AP courses.
- The available campus may create an unreasonable daily commute.
In those cases, applying earlier is not enough. Change the shortlist or the school route.
Common questions
Shanghai school admissions: quick answers
When should I apply to an international school in Shanghai?
For an August start, begin 9–12 months ahead. Several schools opened 2026–27 applications in September 2025, while SAS, SCIS and Concordia ran formal rounds before moving to rolling review. The exact date is school-specific.
Do bilingual and public schools use the same calendar as international schools?
No. Local public and private schools in the compulsory years follow Shanghai's annual city and district schedule. Foreign-passport schools and national-system schools publish their own calendars. Identify the route first, then check the school or district notice for the exact intake date.
Can I apply after the school year has started?
Sometimes. Several schools consider current-year or mid-year applications when a grade has space. Ask about the child's exact grade and start month before relying on that route.
Can my child complete the assessment from overseas?
Some schools allow it. SAS and Wellington both publish remote options for families outside Shanghai. Confirm the arrangement for the child's grade directly with the school.
What documents do Shanghai international schools require?
There is no universal list. Each school sets its own eligibility, academic-record and recommendation requirements in its official application portal or checklist. Follow the named school's current instructions.
Does a wait pool mean we will eventually receive a place?
No. SAS says its wait pool is not first-come, first-served, and SCIS says offers depend on qualifications and capacity. Keep a realistic second option until a place is confirmed.
Sources & last verified (July 2026):
- 2026–27 application rounds, wait-pool process and application steps — Shanghai American School: saschina.org
- 2026–27 rounds, rolling start and admissions criteria — Shanghai Community International School: scis-china.org
- 2026–27 opening date and rolling availability — Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong: shanghai-pudong.dulwich.org
- Assessment timing, review outcomes and remote assessment — Wellington College International Shanghai: shanghai.wellingtoncollege.cn
- 2026–27 decision rounds, rolling review and application process — Concordia International School Shanghai: concordiashanghai.org
- Grade-specific documents, reports and remote assessment — Shanghai American School application process: saschina.org
- School-record and category-specific document examples — YCIS Shanghai application checklist: ycyw.com
- Grade-specific assessment length and upper-year transfer limits — Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong admissions criteria: shanghai-pudong.dulwich.org
- 2026 compulsory-education registration dates and citywide enrollment rules — Shanghai Municipal Education Commission: shanghai.gov.cn
- Public/private routes and international-division overview — Shanghai government: shanghai.gov.cn
- 2026 district rules and published local-school details — Shanghai Municipal Education Commission: sh.gov.cn
- 2026 high-school international-curriculum admissions schedule — Shanghai Education Examination Authority: shmeea.edu.cn
- 2026–27 bilingual-school application form, transfer route and Shanghai-policy alignment — Dehong Shanghai: dehong.cn
- April-entry notice timing and transfer process — Shanghai Japanese School Pudong: srx2.net.cn
- Semester selection windows, ongoing selection and opening dates — Shanghai Korean School: skoschool.com
- Year-round admissions when places are available — German School Shanghai: ds-shanghai.de
- 2026–27 application opening, year-round intake and campus-by-grade availability — Lycée Français de Shanghai: lyceeshanghai.cn
- School-specific OpenApply, assessment and matriculation process — Shanghai Singapore International School: ssis.asia
Admissions dates, capacity and document lists change. Recheck the intended school's own page before applying.
Keep reading
- GuideShanghai schools for expat kids: the honest mapThe five kinds of Shanghai school open to expat families, who each can actually enrol, the curricula and where they lead, and how to choose by fit. A 2026 map.→
- GuideWho can attend a Shanghai international school?A clear guide to Shanghai school eligibility for foreign, Chinese, mixed-nationality, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan families.→
- GuideShanghai international school fees: the real 2026 billPublished 2026–27 tuition for 25 Shanghai schools, by type — plus the deposits, capital fees, bus and extras that set the real first-year bill.→
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