Application Procedure

Download Admissions Policy 2022-2023
Admissions Outline in Japanese

Application Procedure

When places exist, applications for mid-year entry can be made at any time.  Places mid-year are limited however and parents are encouraged to apply at least one month in advance of the desired enrollment date.  Please note that families applying from Japan and overseas have slightly different procedures. All decisions made by the School in regard to eligibility, entry and admissions are confidential and final.

Application Procedure for Families Residing in Japan

Step 1: Completion of the online application form and Payment of Application Fee.

1. Submission of the online application form. Please prepare the following items to upload onto the application form.  Incomplete application forms will not be processed.

  • Recent photo of your child taken within 6 months.  This should be a jpeg file no bigger than 1.5 MB.
  • PDF or jpeg file of an ID with your child’s date of birth, e.g. a scan or photo of passport.  Dual passport holders must submit a copy of both passports.
  • Files of two recent school reports (if applicable). They must be PDF, doc or docx files.  School report submission is a requirement for Years 2-6 applicants.
2. The Application Fee must be paid at the time of application by bank transfer.  This fee is non-refundable. Applications will not be considered complete until School confirms the fee payment. (Please refer to the Payment Policy for bank details.)
An open disclosure of learning, medical or behavioural problems or disabilities must be made at this time.  If your child has been diagnosed with having learning, medical or behavioural problems or disabilities, documents must be emailed to our Admissions Officer at admissions@smis-mail.org.  Should it subsequently come to light that any relevant information has been knowingly withheld, the school holds the right to review the child’s place at St. Michael’s International School.
Step 2: Confidential Recommendation from Current School:
  • St. Michael’s International School will directly contact your child’s most recent school to obtain a Confidential Recommendation Form and carry out a background check.  To avoid any unnecessary delay, please ensure you have provided accurate details of your current or last school on the online application form.
  • When all of the relevant documents including the Confidential Recommendation Form have been received, our Admissions Officer will contact you to confirm your registration with us and to let you know the status of your application.
  • If the report from your previous or current school is satisfactory, and places are available you will be invited to an interview (Step 3).  If there are no available places you will be placed on our Waiting pool and we will explain this to you in more detail.
Step 3: Interview and Assessment
  • You and your child will be invited to visit St. Michael’s for an interview and initial assessment.  This will give us further information about your child and how well they will fit into our school.
  • A ‘Trial Day’ may be organised in order to make clearer the child’s suitability for entering St. Michael’s International School, as part of the admissions process.
  • If required by the Head of School, an additional interview may be organised with a Learning Enrichment Programme Coordinator, as part of the admissions process.
Step 4: Notification of Application
  • You will usually hear from us within two weeks with the outcome of your application at the parents’ email addresses you provided on the online application form.  If your child has been accepted at St. Michael’s International School, you will receive a letter of acceptance, an “Acceptance of Place Form” and school fees invoice.  Please see Payment Policy for further details.
  • You will be required to submit the online “Acceptance of Place Form” and make the payment as indicated in the letter and invoice to secure your child’s place at St. Michael’s International School.
Application Procedure for Families Applying from Overseas

Step 1 and Step 2 (Same as above)

Families applying from overseas please follow Step 1 described in the above section.

Please note that overseas transfer fees must be covered by the family which is normally about 4,000 yen.

Step 3: Overseas Provisional Acceptance
  • Upon a formal review of the above documents, including the Confidential Recommendation (Step 2), an Overseas Provisional Acceptance will be issued.  An invoice for the Registration Fee and an online “Acceptance of Provisional Place Form” will also be sent with this letter.
  • Families wishing to secure a place must complete the “Acceptance of Provisional Place Form” to the School and pay the Registration Fee prior to the interview and assessment (Step 4) by bank transfer.  This will secure your child’s place at St. Michael’s International School.  The Registration Fee is normally non-refundable.
Step 4: Assessment & Interview
  • The interview and assessment will be conducted upon your family’s arrival in Kobe to formalise the Acceptance.
  • The child may join the class at an agreed date with the Head of School.  You will be invoiced for all outstanding School Fees following a successful interview and assessment.
  • If upon conducting the Assessment and Interview your child is not accepted, the Registration Fee will be returned.  However, please note that if it subsequently comes to light that the family had knowingly withheld any learning, medical or behavioural problems or disabilities at Step 1, this refund will not take place.
  • Please review the Payment Policy for other payment details.