Kindergarten Enrolment

General information

From an early stage, you should begin to think about enrolling your child in the crèche (day nursery), the kindergarten and the after-school centre.

The crèche, kindergarten and after-school centre allow children to be with their peers, and working professionals or students, to pursue their activities in the knowledge that their children will not lack care appropriate to their age.

The crèche is considered for children up to the age of three. From the age of three, children are eligible for kindergarten. The after-school centre is usually for children from the age of six. Here they are supervised after school.

Deadlines

It is recommended to enrol your child in a crèche or kindergarten as early as possible. The enrolment in a crèche will only be necessary once you know which school your child will be going to.

Competent authority

• The municipal office^{German text}
• In statutory cities: the Magistrate^{German text}
  • In Vienna:
    • The MA 10 – Vienna Children's Day Care Centres (→ Stadt Wien)^{German text}
    • The service points of the Vienna Children's Day Care Centres (→ Stadt Wien)^{German text}
• Private childcare facilities

Procedure

Depending on the municipality or childcare facility, the enrolment can be made informally or by means of a form, in person, in writing or, in some cases, electronically. If a registration form is required, you can obtain it from the relevant office or at the bottom of this page.

Required documents

Which documents are necessary for the enrolment of your child, depends on the respective municipality or magistrate or the crèche, kindergarten or after-school centre. Please enquire at the relevant office.

Costs and fees

The enrolment for a place at a crèche, kindergarten or after-school centre is free of charge.

If you have obtained such a place for your child, you usually have to pay a monthly parental contribution. The amount of the contribution depends on the respective municipality or magistrate or the crèche, kindergarten or after-school centre. However, you can receive reductions under certain conditions. Please enquire at the relevant office.

With the beginning of the kindergarten year 2009/2010, it was established that half-day kindergarten attendance (20 hours per week without lunch) in the last year before school entry should be free of charge for parents (so-called free kindergarten).

Initiatives in this regard by most of the federal provinces go far beyond this regulation in some cases. Further information can be found on the page 'Types of childcare'.

Further information

Further Links

• → FamiliyBusiness^{German text}
• → Vienna Children's Day Care Centres^{German text}

Link to form

• Crèche – registration^{German text}
• Kindergarten – pre-registration^{German text}