Yokohama International School serves the educational needs of the international community in Yokohama and the Tokyo metropolitan area by offering learning in English. We welcome students of all nationalities, particularly those from families on temporary assignments for whom the local Japanese education system may not be a suitable option. This includes Japanese nationals who have been primarily educated in non-Japanese schools overseas or at other accredited international schools in Japan.
Start Your Application After Reading Statement Below
Yokohama International School is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. The school does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admissions or employment policies. We may take into account factors including an applicant’s prior educational and linguistic background for purposes of admission in order to fulfill the school’s mission of providing education in the English language to the international community.
Furthermore, as an international school founded in 1924 and arising out of the spirit of internationalism that prevailed following the formation of the League of Nations, Yokohama International School supports the principles of the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Please read the document linked below for further details regarding our admissions policy before starting the application process.
The application process for the 2027 – 2028 school year will open in early November 2026.
Before starting the application process, please make sure to review our Admissions Policy, in particular the sections on Eligibility, and review the Application Timing tab. If you are unsure about whether your child is eligible for admission or have questions regarding any other aspect of the admissions process, please contact our Admissions Office at
[email protected]
If you do not have any children enrolled at YIS, when you are ready to start the applications process, go to our Pre-application Form to provide some basic information regarding your child(ren) who wish to apply, your family and to create an account for the Admissions Portal. After setting up your account, you will return to the portal to complete a few additional steps and submit the pre-application.
For families that already have a child(ren) enrolled at YIS and wish to apply for another child, please log into your Veracross Parent Portal, click on the “Change Portal” tab at the top-center of your screen (displayed beside the “Parent Portal” logo), then click on the “Admissions” icon in the dropdown menu that appears. Your application process will then begin in the Veracross Admissions Portal.
The school year runs from August to June.
The application process for the 2027 – 2028 school year will open in early November 2026.
Once you have completed all the requested information for the pre-application, our Admissions Team will review your submission to confirm eligibility to apply and any additional information that may be required. Should we have any questions regarding eligibility, we will follow up with you by email. If there are no issues regarding eligibility, we will notify you to return to the Admissions Portal to complete your application.
When you return to the Admissions Portal, you will see a further checklist of forms to fill out and documents to upload. This may take some time to complete, as we wish to get as full a picture as possible about your child(ren) to ensure their suitability for our learning program and our ability to support and help them thrive at YIS. You will also be guided in this process to provide names and email contact information for the teachers and/or other school staff at your child(ren)’s current schools who will be providing confidential recommendations directly to us via online forms. In order to complete the application stage so that we may begin screening your application, you will also need to pay the non-refundable ¥50,000 Application Fee via secure online payment by credit card.
Be Ready to Submit:
Applicants with Learning Support Needs
Japanese Applicants
For the online enrollment process, you will be asked to view and confirm household information, including emergency contacts; acknowledge various school policies and indicate permissions; and complete an enrollment agreement. You will also receive an invoice and information for paying the non-refundable Registration Fee. After completing the online enrollment process and paying the one-time, non-refundable Registration Fee, enrollment will be complete.
Applicants already in Japan may apply to enroll at the beginning of the school year. Under special circumstances (such as transfer from schools running on a Japanese school calendar), and at the discretion of the relevant principal, mid-year enrollment may also be allowed. Japan-resident applications for certain grades (ELC, Kindergarten and high school) are reviewed in bulk and decisions announced per the table below.
| ELC | Kindergarten | Elementary | Middle School | High School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Application Deadline* |
February 12, 2026 | February 12, 2026 | No deadline (advised by March 31, 2026) | No deadline (advised by March 31, 2026) | January 30, 2026 |
Play Session |
March 2, 2026 | March 2, 2026 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Notification |
End of March 2026 for initial notification | Mid March 2026 for initial notification | Rolling notification for grades with ample space availability; early May 2026 for grades with limited spaces | Rolling notification for grades with ample space availability; early May 2026 for grades with limited spaces | End of February 2026 for initial notification |
