Getting a child into an international school is not a task to be taken lightly. There are fees to calculate, language requirements to consider, entrance tests to prepare for and schools to visit.
Pressure on places has eased in the last two years, making it possible to apply to some schools within weeks of joining. But competition to enter the more sought-after schools is stiff, particularly for the early primary years. For these it is necessary to plan well in advance.
'The sooner you get in the queue the better because the allocation of places is based on the date the application is received,' said Vicky Seehafer, director of admissions at Hong Kong International School (HKIS), one of the most popular international schools.
At the French International School the waiting list for reception classes in the international section runs to 2007. Parents are putting their children's names down at birth.
A spokeswoman for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) said: 'We don't have a strict first come, first served policy but it's better to apply sooner.' ESF takes applications twelve months before a child's anticipated start date.
At HKIS, parents can apply two years before their child is ready to join the school. But being top of the list does not guarantee a place at any school since most administer priority rankings. At HKIS, priority is given to debenture holders, then students of any nationality coming from accredited US schools, and next siblings of children already in the school, returning students, and children of alumni.
Similarly, nationality is taken into consideration at the French and Australian (AISHK) international schools, while German, Swiss and Austrian nationals take precedence at the German Swiss International School (GSIS).