Schools in Bali: Australian curriculum, IB, Green School and what it all costs

Short answer: Bali has real choice for Aussie kids, including an Australian-curriculum school, but the good options cluster in the south and the fees look a lot like a Sydney private school.

The short version

• The Australian Independent School (AIS) Bali teaches the Australian Curriculum, then the IB Diploma in the senior years [2].
• Bali Island School in Sanur is a full IB school. Its 2026–27 tuition runs from about IDR 55 million for half-day preschool to about IDR 302 million for Grades 11–12, plus a capital levy [3].
• Green School's published 2025–26 tuition ranged from about IDR 178 million to IDR 319 million a year, with a further IDR 40 million in one-off admission fees for new families in 2026–27 [4][5].
• Your kids need their own stay permit. A child under 18 can usually join a parent who holds an ITAS (KITAS) [6].
• Distance education from home is an option for some families on shorter stints. Victoria's rules, for example, cap it at about two years overseas [7].

The main schools, by area

Bali's international schools are spread across the south of the island, from Sanur to Canggu, with a few up near Ubud. Pick your school and your house together, because the school run in Bali traffic can eat an hour each way.

Source for curricula and ages: a 2026 school directory [1], plus each school's own documents where we cite them. Always check age ranges and year levels with the school, because several are adding senior years.

The Australian option

AIS is the obvious first call for most Aussie families. It's part of a group that also runs campuses in Jakarta, and in Bali it has recently moved into a purpose-built site with new high school buildings, according to a May 2026 report [2]. Kids follow the Australian Curriculum through the primary and middle years, then can take the IB Diploma. That combination makes moving back easier: the junior years line up with what their mates are doing at home, and the IB is accepted by Australian universities, which convert it into a rank comparable with the ATAR [8].

Sanur Independent School also lists the Australian curriculum alongside Cambridge and Indonesian programmes, but only up to about age 14 [1].

The IB and Cambridge schools

If you might move on to another country after Bali, an IB school is the most portable choice. Bali Island School in Sanur runs all three IB programmes [3]. Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School in Renon is also IB [1]. The British-style schools (Canggu Community School, ProEd, Dyatmika) mostly lead to IGCSE and A Levels, and Canggu Community School also offers the IB Diploma.

Green School

Green School is the one your friends back home have heard of. Bamboo buildings, a jungle campus near Ubud and a focus on sustainability and hands-on learning. It's not the right fit for every kid, and it's not cheap. Visit, ask how they report progress, and ask what past students did after leaving.

What school costs in Bali in 2026

Fees are usually quoted in rupiah, rise every year and come with extra one-off charges. Here are two schools that publish their schedules.

At roughly 12,000 to 13,000 rupiah to the Australian dollar, IDR 210 million is somewhere around A$16,000 to A$17,000 a year. That's a primary school year, before uniforms, excursions, buses or lunches. Paying by semester or term usually costs more over the year than paying upfront; Green School, for example, adds 3% for semesters and 8% for terms in 2026–27 [4].

We haven't listed AIS fees because we couldn't find a current official schedule to check. Ask the school for its 2026–27 fee sheet and compare it line by line with the table above.

Waitlists

Popular year levels fill up, especially in Canggu and Sanur, and especially for mid-year arrivals. Apply before you've signed a lease. Most schools ask for previous school reports, a copy of passports and sometimes an assessment or interview.

Choosing a school: a step-by-step plan

1. Decide how long you'll stay. One or two years? Australian curriculum or distance education keeps the move home simple. Open-ended? Look harder at IB.
2. Shortlist by area, not just by reputation. Do a trial school run at 7am on a weekday before committing to a villa.
3. Ask for the full fee schedule. Tuition, levies, deposits, bus, lunch, uniforms, camps and any exam fees.
4. Check the senior pathway. Does the school go all the way to Year 12, and does it offer the IB Diploma or A Levels?
5. Ask about learning support and EAL. Support for kids with additional needs varies a lot between schools.
6. Check the visa letter. Ask whether the school will provide what immigration wants for your child's stay permit.
7. Visit in term time. Watch a few classes, look at the toilets and the shade, and talk to parents at pick-up.

Visas for kids

Children don't ride on a parent's tourist visa for long. Indonesia's immigration directorate says an unmarried child under 18 can get a limited stay permit (ITAS, commonly called a KITAS) by joining a parent who holds one [6]. You'll typically need the child's passport, birth certificate, the parents' marriage certificate (where relevant), the parent's passport and ITAS, a sponsor letter and a domicile letter [6]. ITAS holders who come in on a limited-stay visa must apply within 30 days of entry [6].

So the order is usually: parent's visa first, then the kids as dependants, then school enrolment. If neither parent has a long-stay permit, talk to the school before you book flights. Our long-stay visas and villas guide covers the parent's side.

Homeschooling and Australian distance education

Plenty of Bali families mix and match: a local co-op or learning centre for social time, plus an online programme for the academic side.

If you're keeping things Australian, start with your own state. Virtual School Victoria, for example, accepts Victorian residents who are temporarily travelling, including overseas, for at least two consecutive terms or six months in a school year. Students based overseas for more than two years are expected to enrol in a school where they live, and they must return to a mainstream Victorian school afterwards [7]. Other states run their own distance programmes with different rules.

A few things to weigh up:

• Time zones help. Bali is on Central Indonesia Time (WITA), the same as Perth and two to three hours behind Sydney, so live lessons are easy.
• Internet matters. Get fibre or a backup connection before you commit to online school.
• Social life. Kids often want a real school after a year at the kitchen table.

The Australian angle

• Coming home. Kids who studied the Australian Curriculum slot back in most easily. IB Diploma students apply through admissions centres like UAC, which convert the IB into a rank [8]. Our schooling Australian kids abroad guide covers re-entry in more detail.
• No public option for most foreigners. Unlike moving to the UK or New Zealand, most expat families in Bali don't use local state schools, so budget for private fees from day one.
• Citizenship paperwork. If you have a baby in Bali, register Australian citizenship by descent early; it makes school and visa paperwork simpler later.

Want first-hand reports on teachers, waitlists and school runs? Ask in Cooee Indonesia, our Facebook group for Australians in Indonesia, where parents compare notes all year.

Sources

1. 15 top international schools in Bali (2026) – Little Steps Asia
2. AIS Bali's new high school campus – NOW! Bali, May 2026
3. Fee schedule and terms, school year 2026–2027 – Bali Island School
4. 2026–27 tuition fees schedule – Green School Bali
5. 2025–26 tuition fees schedule – Green School Bali
6. FAQ on stay permits (Izin Tinggal) – Directorate General of Immigration
7. 2026 Direct Enrolment Handbook – Virtual School Victoria
8. Admission criteria: IB applicants – Universities Admissions Centre

Keep reading

• Moving to Bali from Australia: the complete guide
• Getting around Bali without a scooter: drivers, Gojek and the airport
• Cost of living in Bali vs Sydney and Melbourne
• Schooling Australian kids abroad and coming home