Boarding School Packing List (Printable)
This boarding school packing list is for parents of children aged 12-18 starting boarding school, especially abroad. It covers clothes, room items, medicines, documents and Austria’s travel rules, not visa applications or school choice.
Boarding School Packing List: The Short Answer
A boarding school packing list covers clothes, toiletries, sportswear, one smart outfit, comfort items, prescription medicines and travel documents. Pack labelled clothes for about 10 days, and only for the seasons before the first trip home. What to pack for boarding school depends first on the child’s school: its own boarding requirements override any generic list. Medicines with paperwork, travel documents and a plug adapter belong in the cabin bag.
Austria uses Type C and Type F plugs at 230 V and 50 Hz.
One school’s answer: at Schloss Krumbach International School (SKIS), the 2026-2027 annual fee includes textbooks, stationery, a rented laptop, a graphical calculator and weekly uniform laundry. Under SKIS rules, personal phones and unauthorised devices are not permitted, and alcohol, tobacco, vaping products and drugs are prohibited.
- School rules beat any generic boarding school packing list.
- Pack to the first trip home, then rotate at each break.
- Medicines, documents and a plug adapter go in the cabin bag.
- Label everything; strike supplied or banned items.
Start With the School's Rules, Then the List
Schools differ on phones, bedding, uniform and electrical items. A boarding school kit list, the UK term for a school’s own required-items list, outranks any generic one. Does the school supply bedding and towels, or do you?
- Before deciding what to bring to boarding school, ask for the boarding requirements, device list and room inventory.
- Strike every line the school supplies or bans.
- Count clothes by the wash cycle, about 10 days’ worth, and pack seasons only up to the first trip home.
- Label what is left.
Pack against the policy: keep an item only if the school neither supplies nor bans it and it is needed before the first break.
What the School Supplies, What You Pack, What Stays Home
SKIS is a full-boarding school for Grades 7-12, with boarding rooms inside a 13th-century castle in Lower Austria. Full boarding is a residential educational model in which students live at school and follow a structured academic and boarding programme. We list what our 2026-2027 annual fee includes, so families know which lines to strike.
| The school supplies (included in the 2026-2027 annual fee) | You pack | Leave at home |
|---|---|---|
| Textbooks, workbooks, stationery and dictionaries | A few favourite books for weekend reading hours | — |
| A rented personal laptop, access to school computers, a graphical calculator for Maths | Chargers and a Type C/F adapter for allowed devices | A personal phone (not permitted); any unauthorised electronic device |
| An en-suite room of 22-40 m², a shared desk with adjustable lighting, magnet walls for decoration | Printed photos for the magnet wall; bedding and towels only if the school’s requirements list them | — |
| Weekly laundry of the school uniform | The school uniform (not included in the annual fee) and the sports uniform (charged extra); own clothes, all labelled | — |
| Six meals a day; diet plans for dietary restrictions; regular medical check-ups | Prescription medicines with paperwork; medical insurance documents (insurance is charged extra) | Alcohol, tobacco, vaping products and drugs |
| Costumes and make-up for school-staged plays | Sportswear, one smart outfit, dancing and walking shoes; swimming, tennis or ski kit only if the student takes part (the three activities are charged extra) | — |
SKIS scans bags and clothing at airport level on every arrival. Ask what students wear for ballroom classes, sport and skiing and the SKIS Annual Summer Ball.
The first and third columns are this school’s inclusions and rules, not boarding norms. The middle column is our suggestion; another school’s papers may differ on every row.
The Printable Boarding School Packing Checklist
Print this boarding school packing list or the graphic below, and strike lines your school supplies or bans. Quantities are a recommendation, not a school rule, and assume a weekly wash plus a few days’ spare (ask how often personal clothes are washed).
Cabin Bag:
- passport and a separate photocopy
- visa or residence-permit papers, if required
- health insurance documents, including any European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
- school admission and boarding papers
- prescription medicines in original packaging, with paperwork
- prescription medicines in original packaging, with paperwork
- written list of family phone numbers
- one change of clothes and a toothbrush
- Type C/F plug adapter
Everyday clothes, about 10 days’ worth:
- T-shirts or tops: 7-10
- trousers, jeans or skirts: 3-4
- jumpers or hoodies: 2-3
- underwear: 10-14 sets
- socks: 10-14 pairs
- pyjamas: 2 sets
- school uniform: per the school's list
Outerwear:
- waterproof jacket: 1
- fleece or warm mid-layer: 1
- winter coat, hat, gloves, scarf: from the first trip home before winter
Shoes:
- everyday shoes: 1-2 pairs
- trainers: 1 pair
- walking shoes or boots: 1 pair
- slippers: 1 pair
- smart dancing shoes: 1 pair
Sport and smart wear:
- sportswear: 3-4 sets, or the school's sports kit
- swimwear: 1, if the student swims
- ski kit: only if the student joins ski trips and the school asks
- one smart outfit for performances and formal occasions
Toiletries
- toothbrush and toothpaste
- shampoo, shower gel, deodorant
- hairbrush or comb
- sun cream and lip balm
- nail clippers
- period products or shaving kit, if used
Room and comfort:
- bedding and towels: only if the school's list asks
- printed photos: 5-10
- one familiar item from home
- books: 2-3 favourites
- notebook or journal
- reusable water bottle
- named laundry bag
Study and devices, as the school allows:
- pencil-case favourites
- calculator: only if not supplied
- chargers for allowed devices
- alarm clock or simple watch: check the device list
- musical instrument, if played; ask about storage
Labels
- name tapes on every item, plus spares
What Not to Bring to Boarding School (and What Replaces the Phone)
- alcohol, tobacco, vaping products and drugs
- unauthorised devices, including phones where banned
- valuables and large amounts of cash
- kettles, heaters and other excluded appliances
| A phone usually… | Pack or ask about instead |
|---|---|
| wakes you up | an alarm clock, if allowed |
| tells the time | a simple wristwatch, if allowed |
| calls home | a written list of family numbers; SKIS rooms have an IP phone for calling parents (calls are charged extra) |
| stores photos | printed photos |
| plays music and fills free time | books, a journal, cards, an instrument |
Medicines and Documents Go in the Cabin Bag
- Keep medicines in original packaging, with the prescription and an English doctor’s letter giving the dosage.
- Carry them in the cabin bag; according to Your Europe, the EU volume restriction on liquids does not apply to medicines.
- Austria’s Federal Ministry of Finance lets travellers resident abroad carry the medicines they need during the trip for personal use; for a longer supply, ask the school and your doctor.
- Narcotic or psychotropic medicines need extra paperwork. Families living in a Schengen state use the certificate under Article 75 of the Schengen Implementing Convention, which covers up to 30 days of treatment. Everyone else asks their doctor what applies.
- Visa requirements vary by nationality; confirm them with the school and an immigration adviser.
SKIS runs a controlled approval and dispensing procedure for medication, so list each medicine for the school before travel. Medical insurance is charged extra; check what the annual fee includes for 2026-2027.
Packing for Austria: Plugs, Liquids and Flights
According to the IEC World Plugs listing, Austria uses Type C and Type F plugs at 230 V and 50 Hz. Pack an adapter if your home plugs differ, and check that each charger label says 230 V or 100-240 V.
| Departing from | Liquids in the cabin bag | Medicines |
|---|---|---|
| Airports applying the EU standard rule | up to 100 ml per container, in a clear bag of up to 1 litre | the volume limit does not apply to medicines |
| Vienna Airport, since 3 July 2026 | containers up to 2,000 ml, left in the bag at screening | exempt under the EU rule |
Flights to Austria leave from the family’s home airport; return flights may leave from Vienna. Pack liquids for the stricter rule on the route, including any connecting airport.
Pack to the First Break, Then Rotate
A suitcase packed to the first trip home is lighter and easier to track. The SKIS year runs from the end of August to the end of June, and all students leave campus for every break.
| SKIS break | Take home | Bring back |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn break (2 weeks) | Summer clothes | Winter coat, hat, gloves, warm boots |
| Christmas (2.5 weeks) | Anything unworn | Extra warm layers; ski kit only if signed up |
| Ski Break (1 week) | Outgrown or unused items | Replacements |
| Easter (2 weeks) | Heavy winter kit | Spring and summer clothes, sun cream |
| Summer (2 months) | Ask what may stay in the room | — |
Mountain skiing (an extra at SKIS) runs as seasonal trips to a nearby slope. Buy ski gear only if the student signs up and the school asks for equipment details and parental consent.
Vienna averages 16.6 °C in September, 6.2 °C in November and 1.1 °C in January (mean daily minimum -1.3 °C). The figures are GeoSphere Austria’s 1991-2020 averages for the Hohe Warte station, published by Stadt Wien. The campus is 90 km from Vienna, so treat them as a guide, not campus readings.
Before You Close the Suitcase: A Five-Point Check
- Supplied and banned lines are struck off.
- Everything is labelled.
- The cabin bag holds documents, medicines with paperwork, the adapter and one change of clothes.
- Liquids follow the stricter airport rule on the route.
- Bedding, travel phone and break storage are cleared with the school.
The school’s papers decide the list; this boarding school packing list gives you the method. At SKIS, boarding questions go to the Boarding Team at boarding@krumbach.school.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pack everyday clothes for about 10 days: 7-10 tops, 3-4 trousers or skirts, 2-3 jumpers, 10-14 sets of underwear and pairs of socks, and 2 sets of pyjamas. That covers a weekly wash with days to spare.
Alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, drugs and unauthorised electronic devices are prohibited. Our rules are designed to create a safe, substance-free and distraction-free environment for students. Families receive the relevant boarding requirements before arrival so that both students and parents understand what can and cannot be brought onto campus.
Usually yes, under the school's own rules. Pack medicines in original packaging with the prescription and a doctor's letter, in the cabin bag. At Schloss Krumbach International School, medication follows a controlled approval and dispensing procedure, so tell the school about every medicine.
Yes. Label clothing, shoes, sportswear and water bottles with sew-in or iron-on name tapes, so every item finds its way back to its owner. At Schloss Krumbach International School, weekly laundry of the school uniform is included in the 2026-2027 annual fee.
During the major school holidays, the school and school hotel close and students leave campus. The academic calendar includes autumn, Christmas, ski, Easter and summer breaks. Austrian public holidays are different: the boarding campus remains open, and academic support, activities or other parts of the normal boarding programme may continue.
