SALIS ADMISSIONS

We are delighted that you would you like your child to apply to Salzburg International School!

The simple steps below give you an overview of the application process. 

1. Registration

The registration form is the first step in any SALIS application. It gives us a brief overview of an applicant’s biography and educational history, and ensures that we have the contact information necessary to proceed with the application process. You can find it towards the bottom of this page. Once we have received your form, you will be asked to submit scans of the applicants‘ passport, birth certificate, latest school reports, e-Card (Austrian social security number, if available), and Meldezettel (Meldebestätigung). The deadline* for registration of applicants to Year 1 (grade 5) is normally just before Christmas in the year before the intended year of admission. Applications for Years 2-8 (grades 6-12) may be considered until the end of May before the start of the intended starting academic year, e.g. up to the end of May 2024 for students intending to start in September 2024. Registrations submitted after this time for a September start may not be processed. 

You can find the registration form towards the bottom of this page. Please have the documents listed above for your reference. If you experience any problems or have any questions not answered here, please get in touch with us at office@salis.or.at.

*The deadline for completing the registration step for entry into Year 1 2024/25 is 17:00, Monday 18th December 2023.

Successful SALIS Year 1 candidates will be able to engage fully in learning in at least one of the languages of instruction: English or German. Upon admission, a German-speaking child is therefore not required or expected to have English language skills beyond those taught in primary school.

2. Assessment

Once we have received your registration documents, it will be time to arrange admissions assessments. Year 1* assessments normally take place in mid-January. Assessments for Years 2-8 normally take place 3-6 months before an applicant’s intended starting date. The assessments your child will complete will depend on the class they are applying for:

*The oral and written parts of the 2024/25 Year 1 admissions assessment will take place at SALIS from 12th – 16th January 2024. Assessment appointments will be sent to all registered applicants following the registration deadline in December 2023.  

For Year 1 candidates, the test should be written in the strongest academic language.

3. Pupil Assesment Form (PAF)

After the admissions assessments have been completed, we will send you (the applicant’s parent or guardian), our Pupil Assessment Form. This form allows us to get a more rounded and up-to-date impression of our applicants. It gives us further insight into your child’s school experience, challenges and talents. This form is completed by the applicant’s current school, with the permission of the applicant’s parent or guardian. We do not normally require PAFs for students applying to join a Year 1 class. 

An invoice for the admissions assessment fee will also be sent by email at this time. Payment is to be completed using online banking services. 

4. Decision

Once an applicant has completed the above steps, we should be able to make an informed decision about their application. To assist us in this final decision making process, we may ask applicants, especially those applying for Years 6-8 (grades 10-12), to submit a 350-word personal statement outlining their motivations for joining SALIS. We may also ask any applicant and their families to visit SALIS for an informal discussion about their application at any point during the admissions process. Please note: meetings are by appointment only. 

Should an applicant be a suitable candidate for SALIS, but a place not be available in the appropriate* class, we will offer to place the applicant on a waiting list. We would get in contact should a position become available. We will compare candidates and offer the strongest a position in their respective SALIS class. Successful students will not only have to demonstrate excellent academic ability but also values embedded in the SALIS ethos and IB learner profile. 

No official decision will be given on any application until all requested documents have been received (except in extraordinary circumstances, at SALIS‘ discretion), and any outstanding assessment fees have been paid in full.

Decisions on applications from candidates starting Year 1 in September 2024 will be shared by the end of January 2024.

 *Class placement is generally based on date of birth: students are placed according to their age on 1st September of their year of entry. Where it is considered to be of benefit to the student, they may be placed in a lower grade than requested.

Regular Year 1 candidates („ordentliche Schüler“) as an Austrian / German primary school must fulfill the legal criteria for entry into an Austrian Gymnasium. For more information, please see the information from the Austrian Ministry for Education, Science and Research, here (link in German). 

Please find the SALIS Registration Form below.

All information provided in the form is kept private and confidential, and will only be used for the purposes of processing applications to SALIS.