1. Number of Entrants
- Start dates for transfer students
Term 1 Enrollment: April 8th, 2025
Term 2 Enrollment: August 28th, 2025
Enrollment After Winter Break: January 14th, 2026
- Number of Students to be Admitted
Grades 1~6: Approximately 20 students per class
2. Eligible Applicants
Applicants must be of the following age/grade at the time of application:
Grade 6: Born between April 2, 2013 and April 1, 2014
Grade 5: Born between April 2, 2014 and April 1, 2015
Grade 4: Born between April 2, 2015 and April 1, 2016
Grade 3: Born between April 2, 2016 and April 1, 2017
Grade 2: Born between April 2, 2017 and April 1, 2018
Grade 1: Born between April 2, 2018 and April 1, 2019
New Students: Born between April 2, 2019 and April 1, 2020
We may request you to submit your child’s birth certificate for age verification.
Students who meet either criteria 1 or 2, or 3 will be eligible to take the entrance examination as a Special Limited Overseas Returnee Student.
- The applicant has lived overseas for three years or longer in total, and has been enrolled in a school in which classes were taught in English for a duration of three years or longer.
- And the period between the date of return to Japan and the date of enrollment must be within six months.
Even if the applicant has not lived abroad for three years or more, he/she may still be eligible for the entrance examinations as long as the applicant has completed a third year of studies at an overseas school (which may include nursery school and kindergarten).
For example, if the applicant went abroad in August and has completed three years of school from September and returned to Japan during July, the applicant has lived abroad for two years and eleven months but is eligible for the entrance examination.
- The applicant meets either of the following two prerequisites regarding his/her school and language environment while attending school abroad or within Japan.
A The applicant must have been enrolled in an English-speaking local school or an international school abroad, where they primarily studied in English, and have completed at least three years of that curriculum.
*Note: Attendance at a supplementary Japanese school does not affect eligibility.
B The applicant is enrolled in a full-day Japanese school, but the language used at home is English. For example: The applicant has at least one parent whose native language is English, and English is the main language used in the home.
- The applicant must have at least one parent whose native language is English, and the main language used at home is English.
- The entrance examination date for new students will be the same as the dates for the general entrance examination.
- The transfer student examination date will be scheduled after the school receives the application and a letter of recommendation from your child’s current school. Then a date will be arranged after mutual consultation.If the school deems it necessary, we may ask the entrant to take supplementary Japanese programs after entering (additional fees apply).
3. Documents to be Submitted:
Applicants must submit the following documents when applying:
- Progress Reports
Progress reports/school reports from the past three years, including the current year.
- Study Records
Most recent standardized test results if applicable
Copies of classroom work or notes in English and Japanese (two subjects each)
- School recommendation
School recommendations will be shared directly with Kansai International Academy from the school your child is currently attending.
We will ask for the names and contact email addresses of people who know your child very well, such as the homeroom teacher, principal and/or counselor.
- Physician’s certificate of health
Please provide a report that proves your child does not have any health-related issues that would interfere with their school life.
- Assessment Chart (if applicable)
Please provide an assessment chart if your child has received any assessments from a specialist such as a developmental psychologist.
- Birth Notification
Please provide a report card of the school your child is attending with their birth date, and a scan data or a photo data of your child’s health insurance card.
- Photos
Digital photos of the applicant, and parent 1 and 2. *(taken within the last three months / a snapshot is not allowed / shows the applicant/parent pictured alone / no hat ) In case of circumstances, one of the parents/guardians is acceptable. Please note that the person indicated here will be required to take the interview.
4. Applications
We accept applications online. The application process is as follows:
- Please register your email from the application page on the Kansai International Academy website.
*We will use the email address you have registered to contact you about the details regarding the entrance examination as well as the results. Please whitelist the domain to receive emails from the KIA email address (@faculty.kansai-intlschool.jp). Please note that unless whitelisted, there is a chance that our emails may not reach you, as it may get filtered out from your regular inbox.
- We will send you details such as the necessary documents and entrance examination fee payment to the email you have registered.
Please submit the following documents and make the payment.
- Entrance Examination Fee
Please transfer the entrance examination fee to the designated bank account.
Kansai International Academy Elementary School (Kobe): ¥25,000
*We do not refund any fees incurred during the application process, including the entrance examination fee, under any circumstances.
Name of bank: Japan Post Bank
Account number: 00990-4-177363
Account holder’s name: 株式会社関西国際学園
Payer: name of the applicant *Please enter the name of the applicant for the name of the payer
From transfers from banks other than Japan Post Bank (A transfer fee will be charged)
Branch number: 099
Branch name: 〇九九
Account type: Current account
Account number: 0177363
5. Entrance Examination Details
- Examination Date
We will arrange the examination date based on the enrollment date for each family. - Entrance Examination & Interview
Applicant Assessment (English & Japanese)
The entrance examination interview will be conducted with the applicant in English and Japanese.
The entrance examination interview with the parents/guardians will be conducted in the language of your choosing.
*If you are living abroad at the time of the entrance examination, it may be held online.
- Selection Method
We will make a holistic judgment based on the submitted documents (school report/past study records/official transcript) and the interview.
- Notification of Acceptance
We will contact you via email by the specified date. We do not respond to inquiries about the examination or its results.
6. Enrollment Process
- Enrollment Process
If you have received an acceptance notification, please pay the enrollment fee via the designated website by the specified date. Please note that payment can only be made via credit card.
We do not offer any refunds on enrollment fees regardless of circumstances.
- New Student Orientation (For parents/guardians)
During the orientation, parents will complete applications for uniforms, gym clothes, and other necessary items. Parents/guardians of accepted applicants are required to participate in the orientation.
*For students entering mid-year, the schedule will be arranged individually to accommodate their enrollment date. - Payment of Tuition and materials
We will provide details about the tuition at the orientation for new students.
7. Tuition Fees for Special Limited Overseas Returnee Students (Partial)
| Enrollment Fee | ¥270,000 |
| Tuition Fee | ¥912,000 |
| Facility Fee (first year) | ¥160,000 |
| Facility Fee (from second year onwards) | ¥21,000 |
Other fees are to be the same as those listed in the tuition for the general entrance examination.
【Sibling entrance fee discount】Enrollment fee: ¥150,000
*This includes a sibling or siblings who entered within the same year. The applicant must have a sibling enrolled in G1-G12 during the same academic year, and who has also been admitted as a Special Limited Overseas Returnee Student.
