International schools in Malaysia

By the Editorial team · Checked October 2026

Malaysia has a large international school sector, most of it in and around Kuala Lumpur, with groups in Penang and Johor. Fees are generally lower than in Singapore or Hong Kong, which draws families from across the region.

Regulation

International schools are registered with the Ministry of Education Malaysia. Many hold foreign accreditation or inspection, and British schools are often members of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA).

Kuala Lumpur

Schools in the capital cluster in Mont Kiara and Sri Hartamas, around Ampang, and in the Klang Valley suburbs such as Damansara and Subang. The Alice Smith School and Garden International School are among the long-established British schools, and the International School of Kuala Lumpur is the best-known American and IB school. New schools have opened in Cyberjaya and around the Klang Valley.

Curricula

British curriculum schools are the largest group, followed by IB and American schools. A number of schools also teach Malay and Mandarin as languages.

Visas

Children of expatriates usually attend school as dependants of a parent's employment pass. Families coming for schooling alone may look at a student pass for the child, with a parent on a guardian visa, or at the Malaysia My Second Home programme. Each route has its own conditions, so check them with the school and the immigration department.

Questions to ask

• Which inspections or accreditations does the school hold?
• How many students in each class, and how many nationalities?
• What are the one-off fees, such as enrolment and deposit?
• Is school transport available from our area?

Finding schools

See the International Schools DB page on international schools in Kuala Lumpur.