Kita and school in Germany – childcare rights, school start, all-day care and university fees
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Every child in Germany has a legal right to a Kita place from their first birthday, and children starting school from 2026/27 gain a right to all-day care. What you pay and how you register depend on your Land – here is how it works in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, from daycare to university.
If you are moving to Germany with children, 2026 brings one big addition to the rules on Kita (daycare) and school. From the 2026/27 school year, every child starting Year 1 has a legal right to all-day care until Year 5 begins: eight hours every weekday, lessons included. Land law may allow up to four weeks' closure in the school holidays.
Education is mainly a matter for the 16 Länder (federal states), so fees, registration and school types vary. The rights to a childcare place, however, are federal and apply everywhere.
Does my child have a right to a Kita place in Germany?
Yes, from the first birthday. These rights come from the Social Code (Book VIII); care takes place in a Kita or with a childminder (Kindertagespflege).
| Age of your child | Your right | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Under one | A place only if needed – for example because you work, look for work or are in training – or for the child's development | Kita or childminder |
| One to three | Legal right to early childhood support | Kita or childminder |
| Three to school start | Legal right to a place; youth welfare offices must work towards enough full-day places | Kita (Kindergarten) |
| Years 1 to 4, starting school in 2026/27 or later | Legal right to eight hours of care every weekday, lessons included | School and after-school care |
Source: Social Code Book VIII, section 24 (federal law), read 23 September 2026.
One rule applies everywhere: under the Infection Protection Act, children at a Kita, a childminder or school must show adequate measles protection before care starts – one vaccination from their first birthday, two from their second – or proof of immunity.
What does a Kita cost in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich?
| Land | What you pay | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | Nothing for care since August 2018; €23 a month for meals, waived with a berlinpass-BuT | Since January 2025, extras are capped at €100 a month per child, and every provider must offer a place without extras |
| Hamburg | Five hours a day with lunch, free from the first birthday until school, whether or not you work; childminders free up to 30 hours a week | Up to 12 hours a day if you work, study or attend an integration course; longer hours cost according to income |
| Bavaria (Munich) | Fees set by the municipality or provider, less €100 a month in the Kindergarten years until the end of 2026 | A reform passed on 22 July 2026 folds this subsidy into general Kita funding from 1 January 2027 |
Source: Berlin Senate Department for Education, City of Hamburg and Bavarian Family Ministry, read 23 September 2026.
Families receiving Kinderzuschlag (child supplement for low earners) can also get free Kita and school lunches and a €195 school supplies package, and can be exempted from Kita fees, according to the federal Familienportal. Part 9 covers family benefits.
Berlin: first get a Kita-Gutschein
In Berlin, a publicly funded Kita or childminder needs a Kita-Gutschein (voucher) from the Jugendamt (youth office) of your district. From the first birthday it covers up to seven hours a day without giving reasons; longer hours need proof of need, such as work or study. Apply between nine and two months before care should start. The child must be at least eight weeks old and you must live in Berlin; there is no fee, and processing takes six to eight weeks.
Say Anna moves to Berlin in September with a daughter who turns one in March: once her Anmeldung (address registration) is done, she should apply at once.
When does school start in Germany, and how do you register?
Schooling is compulsory in every Land for at least nine years at a general school, continuing at a general or vocational school; each Land sets the exact length. According to BAMF (the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees), it usually starts at six, and state schools are free. Primary school covers Years 1 to 4, or 1 to 6 in some Länder – in Berlin it normally lasts six years.
In Berlin, children born between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021 are of compulsory school age from 1 August 2027 – and registration is close.
| Step | What | When or cost |
|---|---|---|
| Register your child in person | At the catchment-area primary school – even if you want a private school | 5 to 16 October 2026; no fee |
| Bring | Your passport or ID with a current Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate), and the child's birth certificate | At registration |
| School-doctor examination | Language, motor skills, hearing and sight; bring the yellow check-up booklet and vaccination record | Before school starts; about one hour, no fee |
| Early start | On application, for children born 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 who need no German language support | School year 2027/28 |
Source: Service-Portal Berlin, read 23 September 2026.
Berlin assesses every child's German about one and a half years before school, with 18 months of support for those who need it. Moving with an older child? Register your address first (part 3). The district Schulamt (school office) allocates the place; bring the last two years' school reports and details of languages learned and any special needs. Newly arrived pupils can join Willkommensklassen (welcome classes), designed for a quick move into regular classes.
Secondary, bilingual and private schools
In Berlin, the Integrierte Sekundarschule usually leads to the Abitur after 13 years, the Gymnasium after 12. Since 2025/26, Berlin pupils under 18 who have finished ten school years must show a next step, such as vocational school or an apprenticeship.
Berlin's State European School (SESB) is a free public option teaching German and a partner language from Year 1, at 18 primary and 15 secondary sites; if oversubscribed, places go by lottery. Before choosing a private or international school, check its status: attending an Ersatzschule fulfils compulsory schooling, an Ergänzungsschule does not. Berlin reformed private-school approval and funding by a law of 9 March 2026.
After-school care in Berlin
Berlin's after-school care (eFöB) is free in Years 1 to 3 from 7:30 to 16:00 without proof of need; apply to the Jugendamt at least three months ahead. From Year 4, fees depend on income. Pupils at Berlin schools ride free in fare zone AB with the Schülerticket Berlin.
How much does university cost in Germany?
State universities are generally free of tuition, according to DAAD (the German Academic Exchange Service), though students pay a semester contribution of typically €100 to €350 – and some Länder and universities charge students from outside the EU.
| Where | Per semester | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | €1,500 for international students from outside the EU; €650 for a second degree | Since winter semester 2017/18; no general fees for a first degree; universities decide on exemptions |
| Technical University of Munich (TUM), Bavaria | Usually €2,000 or €3,000 (bachelor's) and €4,000 or €6,000 (master's) | Students from outside the EU/EEA enrolling since winter semester 2024/25, not doctoral candidates; set by the university, not Bavaria-wide |
| TUM semester fee | €97 in Munich, Garching and Weihenstephan (summer semester 2026) | All students |
Source: Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts; Technical University of Munich; DAAD, read 23 September 2026.
DAAD puts average student spending at €842 a month, and a student permit requires proof of €992 a month (€11,904 for 2026), for example in a blocked account (part 2). Students up to 30 pay a special health insurance rate, currently €87.38 a month plus their fund's additional contribution. The anabin database of the Central Office for Foreign Education shows how foreign certificates and degrees are rated.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Register your address – Kita and school need the Meldebescheinigung | Within two weeks of moving in |
| 2 | Collect measles vaccination records for every child | Before care or school starts |
| 3 | Apply for the Kita-Gutschein (Berlin) or contact your youth office | Two to nine months before care should start |
| 4 | Register a school-age child at the catchment school or Schulamt | Berlin: 5 to 16 October 2026 for school start in 2027 |
| 5 | Apply for after-school care | Berlin: at least three months ahead |
| 6 | Check tuition, semester fees and anabin ratings | Before applying to university |
Source: Federal Registration Act, Infection Protection Act and Service-Portal Berlin, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (SGB VIII § 24) · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (IfSG §§ 20, 33) · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie Berlin · berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin · service.berlin.de
- hamburg.de – Behörde für Schule, Familie und Berufsbildung · hamburg.de
- hamburg.de – Behörde für Schule, Familie und Berufsbildung · hamburg.de
- Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales · stmas.bayern.de
- Service-Portal Berlin · service.berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin · service.berlin.de
- Kultusministerkonferenz (now Bildungsministerkonferenz) – Ländervereinbarung Art. 15 · kmk.org
- Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie Berlin · berlin.de
- Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie Berlin · berlin.de
- Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie Berlin · berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin · service.berlin.de
- Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie Berlin · berlin.de
- Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie Berlin · berlin.de
- Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB, owned by the Länder Berlin and Brandenburg) · vbb.de
- Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg · mwk.baden-wuerttemberg.de
- Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg · mwk.baden-wuerttemberg.de
- Technische Universität München (public university) · tum.de
- Technische Universität München · tum.de
- Kultusministerkonferenz – Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (anabin) · anabin.kmk.org
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.