Kindergarten and school in Norway – barnehage fees, school start and free SFO in 2026
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Kindergarten in Norway now costs at most NOK 1,200 a month, and since August 2026 the youngest pupils get 12 free hours of after-school care a week. Here is how barnehage, school start, introductory classes and SFO work when your children arrive, and what you will pay.
Moving to Norway with children means learning two systems: barnehage (kindergarten) for the youngest, and grunnskole (compulsory school) from the year they turn six. Two dates matter for your budget. Since 1 August 2025 the maximum kindergarten fee has been NOK 1,200 a month, and since 1 August 2026 pupils in grades 1–3 have had a statutory right to 12 hours a week of free SFO (skolefritidsordning, the school's out-of-hours care).
Much is decided locally. The right to a kindergarten place applies in the municipality where your child lives, so register your address with folkeregisteret (the National Population Register) early – see part 3. The rules below come from Utdanningsdirektoratet (Udir, the national education directorate) and the laws it interprets.
How much does kindergarten cost in Norway?
The state sets a makspris (maximum price) that applies to public and private kindergartens alike. Your municipality may charge less, but never more. Kindergartens can add kostpenger (food money) on top, so ask what meals cost before you sign.
| Where you live | Maximum fee from 1 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Most municipalities | NOK 1,200 a month – NOK 13,200 in total for the 2025/2026 kindergarten year |
| The least central municipalities (centrality zones 5–6) | NOK 700 a month, down from NOK 1,500 the year before |
| The incentive zone of Finnmark and Nord-Troms | Free |
Source: Utdanningsdirektoratet, read 23 September 2026.
Three national schemes can lower the bill further.
| Scheme | What you get | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Søskenmoderasjon (sibling discount) | At least 30% off for the second child; free for the third and any further children | Siblings in kindergarten in the same municipality |
| Income-based reduction | No household pays more than 6% of its income for one place | For 2025/2026: households with an income of NOK 220,000 or less in 2024 |
| Gratis kjernetid (free core hours) | 20 hours a week free, whether the place is part-time or full-time | 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, and children with delayed school start, in low-income households: income ceiling NOK 692,465 from 1 August 2026, up from NOK 669,050 |
Source: Utdanningsdirektoratet, read 23 September 2026.
When your household income is assessed, studielån (student loans) and NAV's child-care benefit do not count, because neither is taxable income.
When does my child have the right to a kindergarten place?
Under section 16 of the Kindergarten Act (barnehageloven), a child who turns one in September, October or November of the year you apply has a right to a place by the end of the month they turn one, once you have applied. The right applies in the municipality where your child lives. Stavanger, for example, links to its kindergarten application in the English-language section of its website.
Say Anna moves to Norway in spring with a daughter who turns one in October. If Anna applies that year, her daughter has a right to a place by the end of October.
If your child does not attend kindergarten full-time, NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) may pay kontantstøtte (cash-for-care benefit) for children aged 13 to 19 months: NOK 7,500 a month at the full rate, for at most seven months per child. The catch for newcomers is membership. If the child lives with both parents, both generally need at least five years in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme or a similar scheme in another EEA country. Part 9 covers NAV's family benefits.
When do children start school in Norway?
Compulsory schooling starts in the calendar year your child turns six and runs until they have completed the 10th grade, under section 2-2 of the Education Act (opplæringsloven). For a newly arrived child, the duty to attend begins once they have been in Norway for three months, and it lapses if the child later stays abroad for three months.
Schooling must take place at a public school, at a private school approved under the Education Act or the Private Education Act (privatskoleloven), or as home schooling. If your family belongs to a faith community other than the Church of Norway, your child has a right to leave on that community's holy days, as long as you make sure they keep up with the work they miss.
| Topic | What applies |
|---|---|
| School start | The calendar year your child turns six |
| End of compulsory schooling | When the 10th grade is completed |
| Newly arrived children | Duty to attend once they have been in Norway for three months |
| Long stays abroad | The duty lapses after three months abroad |
| SFO in grades 1–3 | 12 hours a week free – a statutory right since 1 August 2026 |
Source: Utdanningsdirektoratet, read 23 September 2026.
Free SFO from August 2026
From 1 August 2026, pupils in grades 1 to 3 have a statutory right to 12 hours of free SFO a week, under a new section 4-5 of the Education Act and section 2-2 of the Education Regulation (opplæringsforskriften). Need more hours? Ask your municipality what they cost.
What are introductory classes for newly arrived pupils?
Children who come to Norway have the right to be taught in ordinary classes. The municipality or county authority may place a newly arrived pupil in innføringsopplæring (introductory education) – a separate group, class or school – but only temporarily and only when it is in the pupil's best interest. Pupils may not be grouped by ethnicity.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How long can it last? | At most two years in total, decided for at most one year at a time |
| Is consent needed? | Normally yes, from the pupil or the parents |
| What about the Ukraine exception? | A temporary rule dropping consent where very many pupils arrived from Ukraine applied only until the end of July 2026 |
| Will my child get grades? | Pupils in introductory education have a right to exemption from graded assessment for the whole period |
| Any exception? | In upper secondary school, the exemption does not cover final (standpunkt) grades |
Source: Utdanningsdirektoratet, read 23 September 2026.
Children and young people also have rights to Norwegian-language support through ordinary schooling under the Education Act, separate from the courses adults get under the Integration Act. Part 11 covers learning Norwegian as an adult.
Can my child go to an international school in Norway?
Yes, if the school is approved. Under section 2-1 of the Private Education Act, a private school can be approved only on set grounds, among them religion or life stance, a recognised alternative pedagogy such as Montessori or Steiner, and an international curriculum. Approved schools receive state grants, and that limits what they may charge you.
| Cost at an approved private school | Limit |
|---|---|
| Skolepenger (school fees) | Up to 15% of the school's funding basis (tilskuddsgrunnlaget) |
| Rent and capital-cost charge, primary school | Up to NOK 3,400 a year |
| Rent and capital-cost charge, upper secondary | Up to NOK 4,500 a year |
| Extra charges for school activities, such as a leirskole (camp school) trip | Not allowed in approved private primary schools |
Source: Utdanningsdirektoratet, read 23 September 2026.
Ask each school for its actual fee before you apply: the cap is a share of its funding basis, not a fixed sum.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Register the family at your Norwegian address (part 3) | First – the right to a kindergarten place follows where your child lives |
| 2 | Apply for a kindergarten place in your municipality | As soon as you know where you will live |
| 3 | Ask about the sibling discount, the income-based reduction and free core hours | When you are offered a place |
| 4 | Contact the local school and ask about introductory education | Soon after arrival – the duty to attend starts after three months in Norway |
| 5 | Sign up for SFO and use the 12 free hours in grades 1–3 | Before the school term starts |
| 6 | Ask NAV about child benefit and cash-for-care (part 9) | Once you are registered |
Source: Utdanningsdirektoratet and NAV, 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.
- Utdanningsdirektoratet (Udir) – Foreldrebetaling for barnehageplass · udir.no
- Utdanningsdirektoratet (Udir) – Nytt til barnehage- og skolestart 2026 · udir.no
- Udir regelverkstolkning – Barnehageloven § 16 Rett til plass i barnehage · udir.no
- Udir / Telemarksforsking – Nasjonale satser til private barnehager i 2026 · udir.no
- Udir regelverkstolkning – Opplæringslova § 2-2 Plikt til grunnskoleopplæring · udir.no
- Utdanningsdirektoratet (Udir) – Søke om å starte en privatskole · udir.no
- Utdanningsdirektoratet (Udir) – Veileder om gratisprinsippet: Gratisprinsippet og privatskoler · udir.no
- Utdanningsdirektoratet (Udir) – Innføringsopplæring · udir.no
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