The school system in Austria

Compulsory schooling lasts for nine years and applies to all children whose main place of residence is in Austria. Compulsory schooling starts on 1 September following a child's sixth birthday. To comply with compulsory schooling requirements children can attend one of the following school types:

• Years 1 to 4: primary school (Volksschule): the first four years of elementary school or special-needs school (for children with special needs)
• Years 5 to 8: new middle school (Neue Mittelschule), academic secondary school (Allgemeinbildende Höhere Schule - AHS or Gymnasium) or the secondary level of a special-needs school (for children with special needs)
• Year 9: pre-vocational school (Polytechnische Schule), upper cycle of an academic secondary school or an intermediate or higher-level VET school (Berufsbildende Mittlere Schule and Berufsbildende Höhere Schule - BMS and BHS)

Apart from their educational programmes, many schools also offer additional activities, such as summer and winter sports weeks, skiing courses and project days or weeks. We recommend that your children take part in as many of these activities as possible, as they are not only fun, but also promote children’s successful integration in school. If needed, families are offered financial support. Further information is available from the website of the Federal Ministry of Education (German).

If your child comes to Austria during an ongoing school year, has a mother tongue other than German or needs special support, please contact the information centres of the Vienna Board of Education.

• Primary school (elementary school)
  • Registration for primary school
• Secondary schools
• Guidance on education facilities and services in Vienna