Schools in Northern Cyprus: A Guide for Foreign Families (2026)

Schools in Northern Cyprus: A Guide for Foreign Families (2026)

For families moving to Northern Cyprus, schooling often decides where to live. This guide covers the options and what to check before you commit. An earlier version listed fee tables, school-by-school claims and university statistics that we could not verify. We have removed them. Always confirm curriculum, accreditation and fees directly with each school.

Northern Cyprus has its own education system, separate from the Republic of Cyprus. Schools and qualifications in the north are regulated by TRNC authorities, not by the education ministry in the south.

The three main options

• State schools: free and taught in Turkish, following the TRNC national curriculum. They are realistic only for children who already speak Turkish well or have time to learn it.
• Private Turkish-medium schools: smaller classes and often stronger English teaching, but the main language and curriculum are Turkish.
• English-medium private schools: British-style or international curricula taught in English, with Turkish usually taught as a subject. Most expat families choose this route. These schools are concentrated in and around Kyrenia, with others in Nicosia and Famagusta.

The English School of Kyrenia

The English School of Kyrenia (ESK) is the best-known English-medium school in the north. According to the school’s own information:

• Early Years follow the UK EYFS curriculum.
• Primary follows the Cambridge International Primary Programme.
• Secondary follows the British National Curriculum, leading to GCSE/IGCSE at the end of Year 11.
• In the sixth form (Years 12–13), students choose between the IB Diploma Programme and A-Levels.

Other English-medium and bilingual schools families often shortlist include Necat British College, GAU American College, Levent College and Doğa schools. We have not independently verified their current curricula, exam boards or fees, so ask each school for this in writing.

Fees

No official comparison of private school fees is published, and fees change every year. Some schools charge in lira; others quote GBP, EUR or USD. Education prices rose 52.84% in the year to June 2026, the fastest of any price category, according to the TRNC Central Bank bulletin. When you compare schools, ask for:

• the current year’s fee schedule and the currency it is charged in
• whether fees can rise during the year
• registration and exam fees, transport, uniform and books, which are usually charged separately

Qualifications and university entry

Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level qualifications are awarded by Cambridge International, and the IB Diploma by the International Baccalaureate. The awarding body is the same wherever the exams are taken, so these qualifications are used for university applications in the normal way. Before you choose a school, check:

• which exam boards it uses
• that students sit the official external exams at a registered centre
• the school’s recent university placement record

Universities in Northern Cyprus are a separate question. They are not part of the European Higher Education Area, and recognition of their degrees is decided country by country and sometimes by professional body. If your child may study at a TRNC university, check recognition with the ENIC-NARIC centre in the country where the degree will be used, and with the relevant professional regulator for fields such as medicine or law. YÖDAK, the north’s higher education authority, listed 23 universities in operation in 2023.

Practical steps for relocating families

• Contact schools early. Popular year groups can fill up.
• Expect a placement assessment, especially for children moving from a different curriculum.
• Prepare passports, previous school reports, vaccination records and proof of address. The school will tell you which documents need translating.
• Ask about school bus routes before you choose a home. Areas such as Esentepe, Tatlısu and İskele are a long way from the main campuses.
• School holidays follow TRNC public holidays, not the UK or EU calendar.

Sources

• The English School of Kyrenia: key information
• TRNC Central Bank, Bulletin 2026 Q2 (education price inflation)
• YÖDAK: 40 years of TRNC higher education

Last reviewed: 24 October 2026