Membership Application Process
Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Japan Council of International Schools. Please make sure to carefully review our Membership Criteria, Membership Fees and application intake timing before proceeding with the multi-step application process. Please note that due to the thoroughness of the application process and resource constraints, we are only able to consider a limited number of applications each year. For a successful application for membership begun in one academic year, membership becomes effective in the next academic year.
Step 1: Expression of Interest
If you believe that your school is in alignment with the JCIS Membership Criteria and your school’s governance body/ownership is aware and supportive of your wish to apply for JCIS membership, the first step is to submit the Expression of Interest Form for JCIS Membership.
Note: This form must be submitted by the Head of School (not owners, board members or third parties).
Step 2: Formal Application Submission & Payment of Application Fee
After our membership committee reviews your expression of interest submission, we will contact you to let you know whether we are able to invite you to proceed to the next step in the application process. The formal application will require information and documentation covering the full spectrum of the school’s operations, including: governance and leadership, accreditation and compliance, curriculum quality, safeguarding and wellbeing, etc. A non-refundable application fee of ¥100,000 will be due upon submission to cover administrative review.
Note: Submission of formal application and payment of the non-refundable application fee does not guarantee progression to the site visit or ultimate membership decision.
Step 3: Documentation Review and Screening
The membership committee, in consultation with the JCIS Board of Directors, will carefully review all information and documentation submitted. We may ask you for clarification or additional information during this process. Once we have completed this review, we will inform you of one of the following outcomes:
- Invitation to advance to a site visit
- Hold pending further information or action
- Decline application
Step 4: Membership Site Visit
If invited to advance to a site visit, a JCIS team comprising three Heads of School will visit your school to see it in action and engage in conversations with leadership, staff and others. The full-day visit is intended to be a collegial, peer-based and validating (i.e., not inspection-based) experience anchored to our membership criteria.
Note: Applicant schools are required to cover all travel and accommodation expenses for the JCIS visiting team. JCIS will seek to keep these arrangements practical and reasonable wherever possible.
Step 5: Application Decision and Membership Activation
Taking into account the full application materials and the report submitted by the visiting team, the JCIS Board of Directors will carefully consider the application for membership and vote on whether to recommend approval of the application to the JCIS General Meeting of Members (GMM) in April. We will inform you of the decision by the GMM after the April meeting, and if successful, membership will become effective from the start of the next academic year in August.
Note: Membership approval decisions are considered at the JCIS General Meeting of Members (GMM) in April. Successful applicant schools may begin participating in JCIS activities from the start of the following school year in August, with formal ratification occurring at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October in accordance with the JCIS Articles of Incorporation.
Step 6: Payment of Annual Membership & New Member Joining Fee
Annual membership fees, based on student enrollment as of September 1st, are due in mid-October. In addition to the annual membership fee, new members pay a one-time joining fee equivalent to 50% of the annual membership fee. So in the first year of membership, the payment is 1.5 times the regular annual membership fee.