Edited by Nik Higgins · Co-founder & CEO
International schools in Timor-Leste are small in number and largely concentrated in the capital, Dili, serving a mix of expatriate and local families seeking English-medium pathways alongside the national system. Curricula you will commonly find include IB Primary Years, Australian curriculum programmes and senior Australian certificates such as the VCE, while a separate Portuguese international school offers Portuguese-language provision - individual schools publish their own accreditations and curricula. English is the usual language of instruction at private international schools, but Tetum and Portuguese are the country’s official languages and many schools include Tetum, Portuguese or Indonesian in their language programmes; national initiatives also promote mother-tongue and multilingual education in the early years. Fees for international provision are substantially higher than for public schools and are not always published openly; independent family guides and school material indicate that preschool places and primary/secondary tuition can run into the thousands of US dollars per year, and places are managed on a term/semester basis so families should contact schools well before arrival to check availability and enrolment procedures.
Compare 8 international schools in Timor Leste. Filter by curriculum, fees (average USD 7,032), location, and more to find the right international school now.
There are 8 international schools in Timor Leste covering 9 curricula. The most widely offered are Bespoke Curriculum (4), Cambridge (Primary) (2), IB (PYP) (1), Australian Curriculum (1), Advanced Placement (AP) (1). If your child may move countries again, an internationally-portable curriculum (IB, or Cambridge/British) keeps options open; if you're likely to settle, a curriculum matching your home or target university system can be the better fit.
Annual tuition across Timor Leste runs from about USD 300 to USD 26,700, averaging roughly USD 9,375. Budget for one-off costs on top — application and enrolment fees, a refundable deposit, uniform, transport and exams.
Sought-after schools in Timor Leste run waiting lists, so apply early — ideally a term or two ahead. Most admissions involve an application, prior school reports and an assessment or interview, with entry points often tied to the school year. Each school's profile shows term dates, open days and how to enquire.
Most schools here are day schools; check individual profiles for any boarding options.
doris lists every international school in Timor Leste we can find — not only those that pay. We take no placement fees and sell no rankings or "top school" spots, so the schools above aren't ordered by who paid most. Details come from the schools' own information and public sources, and you can compare any of them side by side.
