Authorization timeline

The authorization process varies by school and IB programme, but typically takes between two and three years.

It comprises the following phases: Consideration, Request for candidacy / decision on candidacy, Candidate phase, Request for authorization / decision on authorization.

Please note that the authorization process varies for schools authorized for the Diploma Programme (DP) that are seeking to add the CP to their programmes. Therefore, there are two possible timelines related to the CP: One for schools who already offer the DP, and one for those who do not.

Global authorization timelines per programme

Primary Years Programme (PYP)

The below represents the minimum authorization timeline which presumes that the school meets the IB’s expectations and remains in good financial standing at each stage of the process.

Extended authorization timelines may be accommodated. Schools wishing to pursue an extended authorization timeline must inform the IB and be willing to accept the associated risks and possible additional costs and requirements. The final decision on any such request rests solely with the IB.

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 January–1 April
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 September Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 September Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 September Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 2
Verification visit occurs	January – June Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	April – October Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins instantly upon being authorized)	April – November Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 April–1 June
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 March Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 March Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 March Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins instantly upon being authorized)	December Year 2 – July Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 June–1 October
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 March Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 March Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 March Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins immediately upon authorization)	December Year 2 – July Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 October–1 January
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 September Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 September Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 September Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 2
Verification visit occurs	January – June Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	April – October Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins immediately upon authorization)	April – October Year 3

Middle Years Programme (MYP)

The below represents the minimum authorization timeline which presumes that the school meets the IB’s expectations and remains in good financial standing at each stage of the process.

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 January–1 April
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 September Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 September Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 September Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 2
Verification visit occurs	January – June Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	April – October Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins immediately upon authorization)	April – November Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 April–1 June
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 March Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 March Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 March Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins immediately upon authorization)	December Year 2 – July Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 June–1 October
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 March Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 March Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 March Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins immediately upon authorization)	December Year 2 – July Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 October – 1 January
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Trial teaching begins	1 September Year 1
Candidate fee due	1 September Year 2
Minimum requirement of one year trial implementation complete	1 September Year 2
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 2
Verification visit occurs	January – June Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	April – October Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching (begins immediately upon authorization)	April – October Year 3

Diploma Programme (DP)

The below represents the minimum authorization timeline which presumes that the school meets the IB’s expectations and remains in good financial standing at each stage of the process.

Alternative authorization timelines may be accommodated by special request to the IB’s Authorization team. Schools wishing to pursue an accelerated or extended authorization timeline must meet global IB criteria and be willing to accept the associated risks and additional costs and requirements. The final decision on any such request rests solely with the IB.

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 January – 1 April
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 –July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 April – 1 June (for schools beginning their academic year in August - September)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 1
Verification visit occurs	January – March Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	April – July Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 2

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 April – 1 June (for schools beginning their academic year in January - March)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 1
Verification visit occurs	January – June Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	April – October Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 June – 1 October
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 1
Verification visit occurs	April – June Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	August – October Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 October – 1 January (for schools beginning their academic year in August - September)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 October – 1 January (for schools beginning their academic year in January - March)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – October Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – January Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3

Career-related Programme (CP)

The authorization timeline for the Career-related Programme varies, based upon whether the school already has an authorized Diploma Programme. The CP authorization process for schools already offering the DP is streamlined, as it leverages the work done and information gathered during the school’s DP authorization process.

Career-related Programme, for schools already authorized to teach the Diploma Programme

The below represents the minimum authorization timeline which presumes that the school meets the IB’s expectations and remains in good financial standing at each stage of the process.

Application for candidacy and preauthorization fee submitted between 2 January – 1 April
Candidacy officially begins	From 1 June Year 1 (As soon as candidate status letter is issued)
Consultant begins working with the school	From 3rd week of June Year 1 (Dependent on when candidate status letter is issued)
Application for authorization due	1 December Year 1
Verification visit occurs	March–April Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	June–July Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 2

Application for candidacy and preauthorization fee submitted between 2 April – 1 June
Candidacy officially begins	From 1 August Year 1 (As soon as candidate status letter is issued)
Consultant begins working with the school	From 3rd week of August Year 1 (Dependent on when candidate status letter is issued)
Application for authorization due	1 June Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September – October Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – January Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3

Application for candidacy and preauthorization fee submitted between 2 June – 1 October
Candidacy officially begins	From 1 December Year 1 (As soon as candidate status letter is issued)
Consultant begins working with the school	From 3rd week of December Year 1 (Dependent on when candidate status letter is issued)
Application for authorization due	1 June Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September – October Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – January Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3

Application for candidacy and preauthorization fee submitted between 2 October – 1 January
Candidacy officially begins	From 1 March Year 1 (As soon as candidate status letter is issued)
Consultant begins working with the school	From 3rd week of March Year 1 (Dependent on when candidate status letter is issued)
Application for authorization due	1 December Year 1
Verification visit occurs	March – April Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	June – July Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 2

Career-related Programme, for schools not already authorized to teach the Diploma Programme

The below represents the minimum authorization timeline which presumes that the school meets the IB’s expectations and remains in good financial standing at each stage of the process.

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 January – 1 April
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 April – 1 June (for schools beginning their academic year in August-September)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 1
Verification visit occurs	January – March Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	April – July Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 2

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 April – 1 June (for schools beginning their academic year in January - March)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 1
Verification visit occurs	January – June Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	April – October Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 June–1 October
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 March each year they are in candidacy	1 March each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 March Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 October Year 1
Verification visit occurs	April – June Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	August Year 1 – October Year 2
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 October – 1 January (for schools beginning their academic year in August-September)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – March Year 3
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – July Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 August Year 3

Application for candidacy and fee submitted between 2 October – 1 January (for schools beginning their academic year in January - March)
Candidate fee due The school must pay a candidacy fee due on 1 September each year they are in candidacy	1 September each year the school is in candidacy
Candidacy officially begins	1 September Year 1
Application for authorization due	1 April Year 2
Verification visit occurs	September Year 2 – October Year 2
Verification visit report available to the school	December Year 2 – January Year 3
Potential first authorized teaching	1 January Year 3