Schools for Families with Children: Stages and Private Options

Below are the education stages, the Ministry of Education's structure, private schools named on the Ministry's own list, and how children fit into the residence permit system for a family moving to North Cyprus with children. Tuition and enrolment fees are not covered here.

Education stages

The stage structure published by the Ministry of Education:

• Pre-school — ages 4-5, optional.
• Primary education — for children who turn 6 before 31 December of that school year, 5 years, compulsory.
• Secondary education — at least 6 years: 3 years of middle school, followed by general, vocational, or technical high school.
• Higher education — the university stage; see Studying at a University for how to choose one.

Departments under the Ministry: Curriculum Department, Higher Education and Foreign Relations Department, Primary Education Department, General Secondary Education Department, Vocational and Technical Education Department, Common Educational Services Department.

Ministry of Education contact

• Ministry of Education — Şht. Mehmet Hasan Tuna Sokak No:4,5, Yenişehir, 99010 Nicosia; tel +90 (392) 600 1800; fax +90 (392) 600 1877; site.

Numbers and hours can change; confirm the current details on the institution's own page.

Enrolling in a state school

The Ministry of Education's site does not document a step-by-step process for enrolling a foreign-national child in a state school — residence permit requirements, required paperwork, or language support — and this could not be confirmed from an official source while preparing this guide.

Contact the state school in your area, or the Ministry contact above, to get the current process.

Private school options

The Ministry of Education publishes its recognised private school lists separately by stage, under two departments:

• The Primary Education Department's list of private schools (list) includes Bellapais School, Doğa International Schools, Necat British School Kyrenia, The English School of Kyrenia, and Yakın Doğu İlkokulu.
• The General Secondary Education Department's list (list) includes Dr. Suat Günsel Girne College, TED Northern Cyprus College, Yakın Doğu College, and Necat British College (Kyrenia + Nicosia).

These names come from the Ministry's official list. Each school's own address, phone number, curriculum, and fee information could not be confirmed from a primary source while preparing this guide. For enrolment conditions and current fees, check the school's own site or the Ministry's list pages above.

Children's residence status

Under the Family Residence Permit provision (article 16) of the Residence Permits and Visas Regulation (A.E. 88/2020), a person holding a residence permit, permanent residence permit, work permit, business-establishment permit, or student residence permit in North Cyprus counts as a "supporter." Their unmarried children under 25 qualify for a family residence permit (no upper age limit for daughters). Disabled children over 18 also qualify separately.

Where the supporter holds a work permit, a minimum 1-year tenure is normally required before family members can join; university lecturers, licensed athletes, or those with a monthly income of at least 3 times the minimum wage are exempt from that requirement. For the exact conditions and paperwork for your family's situation, see Residence Permit Types and Income Thresholds and the official source.

Related guides

For the full process of relocating as a family, see Moving to North Cyprus. For residence permit types and income thresholds, see Residence Permit Types and Income Thresholds.