International School Fees in Fukuoka: A Cost Comparison Guide for Foreign Families (2026)

Moving to Fukuoka with school-age kids and weighing international schools? Tuition is the line item that surprises most families.

Published rates only tell part of the story. The fees that blow the budget are the ones nobody quotes you up front.

Short answer: Fukuoka International School publishes ¥1,891,000 tuition for Kindergarten–Grade 5 in 2026/2027, rising to ¥2,286,000 in Grades 11–12; add the mandatory annual fees and you are at roughly ¥2.2M a year, but year one is closer to ¥3.1M because of ¥902,000 in one-off entrance fees. Linden Hall runs about ¥1.6M a year at elementary and ¥2.0M at secondary, plus ¥1.2M+ in one-off entry fees. A Japanese public elementary school charges no tuition at all — and in Chikugo City, school lunch for elementary pupils is fully subsidised to ¥0 in FY2026.

This guide breaks down annual fees at Fukuoka’s main international schools, plus the application and registration costs you pay before day one.

It also covers the recurring extras — bus, lunch, uniforms, capital fees — that turn a “¥2M tuition” into a ¥3M+ all-in number.

Numbers below are taken from each school’s own published fee pages for the current intake (FIS 2026/2027; Linden Hall 2026–2027 admissions; Chikugo City FY2026). Verify directly with the school or your city board of education before you budget — every one of them revises annually.

Relocating before term starts? Many families need a few flexible weeks of accommodation while they finalise school places and housing.

Compare long-stay serviced apartments in Fukuoka on Agoda so you aren’t locked into a 2-year lease before the school decision is made.

Quick comparison: annual all-in cost (Grade 5 example)

School	Tuition/yr	All-in estimate/yr	Curriculum
Fukuoka International School (FIS), Momochi	¥1,891,000 (K–G5)	~¥2.2M recurring; ~¥3.1M in year one (¥902,000 of one-off entrance fees)	IB (English)
Linden Hall Elementary, Dazaifu City	¥1,200,000 (¥100,000/month)	~¥1.6M with materials, meals and trip savings; plus ¥1,200,000 one-off at entry	Japanese–English immersion (MEXT)
Linden Hall Secondary, Chikushino City	¥1,320,000 (¥110,000/month)	~¥2.0M all-in; plus ¥1,250,000 one-off at entry	IB World School (IB / TI courses)
Japanese public school (e.g. Chikugo Minami Elementary)	Free (¥0 tuition)	~¥10–15K for materials and PTA; elementary lunch is ¥0 in Chikugo in FY2026	MEXT, Japanese-medium

Note: Kobe-based schools such as Canadian Academy are sometimes mentioned online, but they are not Fukuoka options and don’t belong in a local budget.

Stick to FIS, Linden Hall and public school unless you’re actively considering a move outside the prefecture — our international vs public school comparison for Fukuoka families covers the non-cost trade-offs.

Fee components explained

Tuition

The headline annual rate, billed in 2–3 installments.

It rises by grade. At FIS in 2026/2027 that is ¥1,855,000 for Early Years, ¥1,891,000 from Kindergarten through Grade 5, ¥2,044,000 for Grades 6–8, ¥2,195,000 for Grades 9–10 and ¥2,286,000 for Grades 11–12. FIS offers one, two or nine instalments.

Application & registration fees

Non-refundable, and much larger than most families expect. At FIS a new student pays ¥52,000 to apply, ¥350,000 on acceptance and a ¥500,000 development fee — ¥902,000 before a single day of class. (A returning student pays a ¥200,000 re-acceptance fee instead.)

Linden Hall works the same way: a ¥30,000 examination fee, then ¥400,000 admission plus ¥400,000 educational-enhancement and ¥400,000 facility fees at elementary (¥430,000 and ¥420,000 at secondary). None of it is refundable if you withdraw after enrolling — there is no “deposit returned at graduation” here.

Capital / facility fee

At FIS this is the ¥200,000 annual Facility Fee, on top of tuition. Alongside it sit several smaller mandatory items: accident insurance ¥4,800, an extension-learning fee of ¥10,000 (elementary) or ¥5,000 (secondary), a library fee ¥5,000, a yearbook fee ¥6,000, a ¥10,000 graduation fee in Grade 12, and a “Week Without Walls” trip billed at roughly ¥50,000–¥120,000.

At Linden Hall the equivalent enhancement and facility charges are one-off payments made at entry rather than annual ones — a different shape of the same cost.

Bus service

Neither school publishes a bus fare on its fee page, so ask admissions for the route list and price for your address before you sign a lease — it is a four- to six-figure annual line item that is easy to leave out of the spreadsheet.

Because route eligibility depends on where you live, choosing your neighbourhood and your school is really one decision.

Read our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Fukuoka for families before you sign a lease.

Lunch / meals

FIS runs lunch as an optional paid service. Linden Hall builds an organic school lunch into the monthly bill at ¥10,000 a month — compulsory through Grade 9 at the secondary school, optional from Grade 10.

Uniforms, materials, trips

An initial uniform set is ~¥50–80K. Books and supplies run ~¥30–50K/yr.

Field trips or overnight programs add another ¥30–100K/yr.

Fukuoka International School (FIS) detailed

• Curriculum: IB (PYP, MYP, DP) — a full International Baccalaureate path through high school graduation
• Tuition, Early Years (age 3–4): ¥1,855,000/yr (2026/2027)
• Tuition, Kindergarten–Grade 5: ¥1,891,000/yr
• Tuition, Grades 6–8: ¥2,044,000/yr
• Tuition, Grades 9–10: ¥2,195,000/yr
• Tuition, Grades 11–12 (DP): ¥2,286,000/yr
• One-off entrance fees: ¥52,000 application + ¥350,000 acceptance + ¥500,000 development fee
• Facility fee: ¥200,000/yr
• Other annual mandatory fees: accident insurance ¥4,800, extension learning ¥10,000 (elementary) / ¥5,000 (secondary), library ¥5,000, yearbook ¥6,000, Week Without Walls ¥50,000–¥120,000
• Uniform: a PHE uniform top is required in Grades 3–10 (bought through the school’s online store)
• Address: 3-18-50 Momochi, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka
• Payment: one, two or nine instalments; late enrolment pro-rated by day, early withdrawal by month

Linden Hall School (Chikushino)

• Two separate campuses, two different cities: the elementary school is at 6-16-58 Gojo, Dazaifu City; the secondary school is at 3-10-1 Futsukaichi-kita, Chikushino City. They are a short bus ride apart, but they are not one site.
• Curriculum: English immersion on the MEXT track at elementary. The secondary school is a six-year lower-plus-upper secondary school and an authorised IB World School (accredited 4 October 2013), running IB and TI courses — not a “non-IB” alternative to FIS.
• Elementary fees (Grades 1–3, published): ¥100,000/month tuition + ¥10,000 materials + ¥2,000 parents’ association, plus ¥10,000/month language-trip savings and ¥10,000/month school lunch — about ¥1.58M a year
• Secondary fees: ¥110,000/month tuition + ¥25,000 global education + ¥2,000 + ¥1,500 association fees, plus ¥15,000/month trip savings and ¥10,000/month lunch — about ¥1.96M a year
• One-off at entry: ¥30,000 exam fee, then ¥1,200,000 at elementary / ¥1,250,000 at secondary (admission + educational enhancement + facility), non-refundable
• The fee foreign families miss: secondary students below JLPT N3/N4 must take supplementary Japanese at ¥100,000 a month — ¥1.2M a year on top of everything above. Dormitory students on a student visa pay a further ¥85,000/month “global student” fee (dorm entry ¥100,000, room ¥75,000–¥85,000/month).
• Entry points: the secondary school admits at Grade 7 only — there is no separate high-school entrance exam — with transfers accepted from Grade 7 term 2 to Grade 10 term 1. Scholarships exist; ask admissions.

Hidden costs to budget

• One-time entrance fee if joining mid-year: prorated tuition + full registration
• After-school programs: ¥10–30K/term (clubs, music, sports)
• Standardized testing fees: MAP, IB exams, and SAT proctoring add ¥20–50K at secondary level
• Tutoring: most expat families budget ¥30–80K/yr for Japanese-language support
• Healthcare/insurance: school accident insurance — ¥4,800/yr at FIS (separate from family health insurance)

Add the facility fee, bus, lunch and these extras together and an ¥1.89M headline tuition at FIS becomes roughly ¥2.2M a year — and about ¥3.1M in the year you join, once the ¥902,000 of entrance fees lands.

Before you commit, it’s worth scouting schools in person. Book a flexible Fukuoka stay on Agoda for tour week so you can visit FIS in Momochi and Linden Hall in Chikushino on the same trip.

Tax deductions and employer support

• Employer education benefit: many Fukuoka-based foreign companies offer a ¥1–3M/yr education allowance — confirm it in your offer letter
• Tax treatment: an education allowance from a Japanese employer is taxable income; some structuring is possible via direct payment
• Spouse-visa families: typically pay full tuition out-of-pocket without employer support

Comparison with public school

Japanese public school is functionally free for foreign residents: there is no tuition, and enrolment is open to any child registered at a local address.

The trade-off is language. Instruction is in Japanese, English-as-a-second-language support varies wildly by ward, and the curriculum follows the MEXT pace.

Many expat families enrol younger kids in public school for language immersion, then switch to international school for upper elementary if they plan to return abroad.

To weigh the full household budget, see our Fukuoka vs Tokyo cost of living guide — and our Living in Fukuoka with Kids expat guide for the day-to-day side of settling in.

Public elementary school fees: the Chikugo Minami example

Searching something like “Chikugo Minami elementary school fees” returns no tuition table — because there isn’t one to publish.

City-run elementary schools across Fukuoka Prefecture, Chikugo Minami Elementary in Chikugo City included, charge ¥0 tuition. What you actually pay looks like this:

• Tuition: ¥0, foreign residents included
• School lunch (kyushoku): in FY2026 Chikugo City covers the entire elementary ingredient cost with national and prefectural grants — the parent share is ¥0. Junior high is ¥4,900 per instalment, ¥53,900 a year. Other cities set their own rate, so check yours.
• Materials, workbooks and PTA dues: ~¥10–15K/yr combined
• Randoseru backpack and gym kit: one-off ¥30–70K before Grade 1
• Transport: most children walk in supervised group routes. Chikugo Minami itself runs a free school bus — four microbuses, thirteen stops, one morning run and two afternoon runs — for pupils in the outlying districts affected by the April 2025 school reorganisation. You apply through the school each year; children who go to after-school club cannot use the return bus.

In Chikugo in FY2026 that lands nearer ¥10–15K per child per year in recurring costs, plus the one-off kit — well under 1% of an FIS bill for the same grade. Elsewhere in the prefecture, where lunch is not subsidised, budget another ¥40–55K a year for it.

Exact amounts are set school by school, so ask the Chikugo City Board of Education (or your own city’s) for the current fee sheet before you budget.

Application timeline

• 12 months before move: contact schools, request fee schedules, virtual tour
• 9 months before: submit application; assessment/interview begins
• 6 months before: confirm seat, pay registration deposit
• 3 months before: uniform fitting (in-person or by post), bus route assignment
• Move-in: first tuition installment due before/at start

Tour week is the expensive part to get wrong. FIS sits in Momochi, Linden Hall is in Chikushino, and public schools like Chikugo Minami are another 30 minutes south — one driving day covers all three.

Book a Fukuoka rental car for your school-tour day, and keep a Japan eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi on hand so admissions offices can reach you between visits.

Frequently asked questions

How much does international school really cost per year in Fukuoka?

At FIS, roughly ¥2.2M a year once the ¥200,000 facility fee and the smaller mandatory charges are added to ¥1,891,000 tuition (Kindergarten–Grade 5) — but about ¥3.1M in your first year, because ¥902,000 of application, acceptance and development fees fall due before term starts. At Linden Hall, about ¥1.6M a year at elementary and ¥2.0M at secondary, after ¥1.2M+ of one-off entry fees.

Is Linden Hall cheaper than FIS?

On recurring fees, yes — roughly ¥0.3–0.6M a year cheaper. But the gap narrows sharply once you count entry: Linden Hall charges ¥1.2–1.25M in non-refundable fees at admission. And it is not the “non-IB” option people assume: the secondary school has been an authorised IB World School since 2013. The real differences are language balance and the MEXT track, not the presence of the IB.

Can foreign kids attend Japanese public school for free?

Yes. There is no tuition for foreign residents. The recurring cost is lunch plus materials and PTA dues, and how much that comes to depends entirely on your city — Chikugo has subsidised elementary lunch to ¥0 for FY2026, while other municipalities still charge ¥4,000–5,000 a month. Instruction is in Japanese and ESL support varies by ward.

What are the fees at a public school such as Chikugo Minami Elementary?

No tuition at all, and no lunch charge either: Chikugo City has set the parent share of elementary school lunch at ¥0 for FY2026. Plan on ¥10–15K/yr for materials and PTA dues and a one-off ¥30–70K for the randoseru and gym kit. The school bus, where you qualify for it, is free.

Related family-life guides

• International Schools vs Public Schools in Fukuoka: A Family Guide
• Living in Fukuoka with Kids: Complete Expat Guide
• Best Neighborhoods in Fukuoka for Families
• Fukuoka vs Tokyo Cost of Living: Family Guide