Schools in Crete

This Schools in Crete Page is from the Completely Crete Moving to Crete Section.

Rules and fees last checked: October 2026. Always confirm with the official source before you act.

Schools in Crete, and your children’s education, may be at the top of your list of things to research before moving to Crete and living in Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands.

Of the British children we know who have moved here with their parents from the UK, all have integrated extremely well. The younger ones attending local village schools, joining football teams, attending martial arts classes or dance classes, speak Greek fluently and have many Cretan friends.

The older teenagers again mix well with local teenagers and seem to have picked up the language very easily – more so than their parents!

Their schooling and academic achievements however may not be as good as if they had completed their education in their mother tongue. All lessons are taught in Greek in state schools in Crete and cover the basics of Maths, Science, History, Geography etc. Some schools in Crete also give extra Greek lessons to foreign students to help them catch up.

Foreign children who cannot speak fluent Greek can be placed in younger classes and be held back if they cannot keep up with their peers. Some teenagers may find this a little hard to bear.

Smaller children will assimilate more easily than older ones. So if you have children, perhaps older than 10 years of age, you may have to consider supplementing their basic state education with private lessons or home schooling.

In our experience, the school day begins around 8.00am and finishes around 1.30pm. The school holidays are longer here in Crete than in the UK: about 3 months in the summer, 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 weeks at Easter, plus numerous bank holidays.

Babies and Toddlers in Crete

Private nurseries take babies and toddlers up to the age of five. Even if you do not require childcare for your very young children it might be useful for them to attend a private nursery to mix with local children and pick up the language more easily. The costs are very reasonable compared to UK prices for childcare.

Nursery Schools in Crete

Compulsory education in Greece starts at age 4, with 2 years at a state kindergarten (nipiagogeio) for children aged 4 and 5. The European Commission's Eurydice guide to the Greek education system sets out these ages.

State Schools in Crete

State education in Crete follows the national Greek system. Children attend primary school (dimotiko) for 6 years from age 6, then lower secondary school (gymnasio) for 3 years from age 12 to 15. Upper secondary school (lykeio) follows for older pupils. All children aged 6 to 15 must attend school in Greece, according to GOV.UK's Living in Greece guide.

Options for further and higher education are available in Crete.

How to enrol your child in a Crete school

Enrolment in state kindergartens and the first year of primary school runs online through gov.gr. Parents apply with their personal Taxisnet credentials, which come with a Greek tax number. The gov.gr school enrolment pages cover kindergarten, the first year of primary school and upper secondary school.

• Kindergarten: apply online with your Taxisnet credentials, a mobile phone number and proof of your permanent residence.
• Primary school: apply online for the first year for children who turn 6 by 31 December of the year of enrolment.
• Late applications: contact the school in your area directly if the online window has closed.

The online windows close months before the school year starts. Applications for the 2026–27 school year have already closed, so contact your local school directly if you arrive mid-year. In our experience, the school also asks for your child's birth certificate and vaccination record.

School of European Education in Heraklion

The School of European Education in Heraklion is an Accredited European School with nursery, primary and secondary sections. The European Schools list of accredited schools includes it.

We personally do not know of any child that has attended the school. But we’ve heard it’s very good and well attended by ex-pat children.

The school publishes its own enrolment details and admission rules. See the School of European Education Heraklion website or call the school on 2810 301780.