School: moving to Germany

In Germany, school is compulsory for all children who live there, generally from the year they turn 6 and for nine years of full-time schooling; after that, a young person who does not attend a full-time school goes to a part-time vocational school, generally for three years. Schools are the responsibility of the 16 Länder: age limits, types of school, calendar and procedures change from one Land to another. State school is free; there are also French and Franco-German schools (AEFE network) in about ten cities, with fees set by each school.

Steps

Do the Anmeldung for the whole family (sheet DE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001): the registered address generally determines the catchment school for primary level.
Contact the school or the Schulamt (the school office of the city or district). For a child arriving from abroad, it is the school authority that decides the placement; enrolment is possible during the school year.
Primary school (Grundschule): from grade 1 to grade 4, or up to grade 6 in Berlin and Brandenburg. Children start in the year they turn 6, according to a cut-off date set by the Land.
Secondary school: after the Grundschule, the child is directed towards different pathways. The Gymnasium leads to the Abitur (school-leaving certificate); most Länder have replaced the Hauptschule and the Realschule with schools offering several tracks. Moving up depends on a school recommendation and the Land's rules.
If your child does not speak German, ask about the reception programmes (intensive German classes or courses): they vary by Land and municipality.
For a French or Franco-German school, contact the school directly, often well before the start of the school year: places and fees are specific to each school.
Plan ahead: a baccalauréat or a foreign diploma can be recognised for studies or work (see Costs and timelines).

Documents

Meldebescheinigung (certificate of residence) of the child.
Identity card or passport of the child.
Latest school reports and school attendance certificates, translated if possible.
Vaccination record: federal law requires sufficient protection against measles (vaccination or immunity) for children attending nursery or school (§ 20 IfSG).
The exact list depends on the school and the Land.

Costs and timelines

State school: free. Allow for supplies, trips and canteen (fees set locally).
French and Franco-German schools (AEFE directory consulted on 20/10/2026): Berlin (École Voltaire, Lycée français), Bonn (École de Gaulle-Adenauer), Düsseldorf (Lycée Simone-Veil), Frankfurt (Lycée Victor-Hugo), Freiburg im Breisgau (Franco-German schools and lycée), Hamburg (École Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry, Franco-German lycée), Heidelberg (École Pierre-et-Marie-Curie), Munich (Lycée Jean-Renoir), Saarbrücken (École française de Sarrebruck et Dilling, Franco-German lycée), Stuttgart (Franco-German schools). Tuition fees: ask each school (a 2004 report of the French Senate noted that the three Franco-German lycées then offered free tuition: so do not assume that all of them charge fees).
School holidays: the summer dates are coordinated between the Länder, staggered, and the other holidays are set by each Land; the KMK publishes the calendar of the 16 Länder (year 2026/2027 available).
After-school care: for children starting grade 1 from the 2026/2027 school year, the law provides a right to eight hours of care per day on weekdays until they enter grade 5 (§ 24 para. 4 SGB VIII). As the right follows each new grade 1 cohort, it covers one more grade each year: grade 1 in 2026/2027, grades 1 and 2 in 2027/2028, grades 1 to 3 in 2028/2029, the whole primary school (grades 1 to 4) from 2029/2030 (timetable reproduced by the city of Wiesbaden). Class time counts towards the eight hours, and the Land may provide for up to four weeks of closure during the holidays.
Recognition of qualifications: the ZAB (central office for foreign education) assesses higher-education qualifications and maintains the anabin database. For a secondary-school leaving certificate, there are two cases: to enter university, the university itself decides; for professional use (for example starting an apprenticeship), it is the Land's qualification recognition office (Zeugnisanerkennungsstelle), which you can find in the anabin database, under "Anerkennungs- und Beratungsstellen in Deutschland" (KMK). A single school year cannot be recognised. Example: in Bavaria, it is the Landesamt für Schule, in Gunzenhausen.

Common pitfalls

Counting on home education. The Schulpflicht is an obligation to attend a school: the Länder's school laws say it is fulfilled by attending a school (for example in Bavaria, Art. 36 BayEUG, which lists the accepted schools). Home schooling is not an alternative. Not sending your child to school is an offence punishable by a fine (Bavaria: Art. 119 BayEUG; the amount depends on the Land).
Waiting for the start of the school year to enrol. Report your child as soon as you arrive: the obligation applies to children living in Germany, and enrolment is possible during the school year.
Relying on another Land's system. Starting age, length of primary school, streaming: check the rules of your own Land.
Going on holiday outside the school holidays. Absence must be requested from the school in advance, and going on holiday is generally not an accepted reason. Unauthorised absence is an offence: in Bavaria, parents who fail to ensure the child goes to class can receive a fine (Art. 119 BayEUG). Rules and amounts vary by Land.
Neglecting German. Even in an international school, German helps a great deal with social life and with further studies.

What changes by country of origin

France and French-speaking countries: AEFE network and Franco-German lycées. The Franco-German lycées (Freiburg im Breisgau, Saarbrücken) prepare the baccalauréat franco-allemand, a binational diploma created by the 1972 Franco-German convention. Do not confuse it with the Abibac: a double Abitur and baccalauréat diploma, offered in more than 80 partner schools in each country, which opens the universities of both countries (Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, 2021). Ask each school which diploma it prepares.
All countries: compulsory schooling applies to every child who resides in Germany, whatever their nationality. International schools (English-speaking and others) exist in the big cities; they are private and fee-paying.

In Germany, your child is entitled, from their first birthday, to a childcare place in a Kita (Kindertagesstätte, nursery or kindergarten) or with a Tagesmutter (licensed childminder, Kindertagespflege), and from age 3 to a kindergarten place until they start school. This right is set by federal law, but the organisation, procedures and fees are matters for the Länder and the municipalities. In big cities, places are scarce: register as early as possible.

Steps

Ask the Jugendamt (the child and youth office of the city or district): the law requires it to inform parents about available places and the projects of the facilities. Many cities have an online Kita search portal or a childcare voucher system.
Contact several facilities (public, charitable, church-run, private) and put your child on their waiting lists.
Respect the notice period: federal law allows each Land to require you to announce your need for a place a certain time in advance (§ 24 para. 6 SGB VIII). The deadline therefore depends on the Land: check your city's website. In Berlin, for example, the childcare voucher (Kita-Gutschein) application is made at the earliest 9 months and at the latest 2 months before care begins (Service Berlin, 2026).
Before age 1, a place is guaranteed only if your needs justify it, for example if you work, are looking for a job or are in training.
If no place is offered to you although your child is entitled to one, write to the Jugendamt recalling this right, and keep a record of your searches.
Prepare the settling-in period (Eingewöhnung): many facilities provide a settling-in period of several days or weeks with a parent.

Documents

Meldebescheinigung (certificate of residence): the place generally depends on the municipality where you live.
Birth certificate or passport of the child.
Proof of protection against measles (vaccination or immunity), required by federal law from the child's first birthday (§ 20 paras. 8 and 9 IfSG).
Proof of income if the parental contribution depends on income (depending on the municipality).
Employer's or training certificate for an application before age 1 or for extended-hours care.

Costs and timelines

Fees: set by each Land or municipality, often according to income and the number of hours, and some Länder have made all or part of the Kita free: ask your city or your Jugendamt for the fee. Example, Berlin (2026): care has been free for all children since August 2018; you pay only €23 per month for lunch, and a Kita may ask for at most €100 per month for extra services (sport, organic food, languages), except where the Berlin Senate authorises an exception.
Meals: often charged separately.
Timelines: variable, often several months in big cities.
After starting school: for children starting grade 1 from 2026/2027, a right to eight hours of care per day on weekdays (see DE-ECOLE-TOUS-001).

Common pitfalls

Registering too late. Start your search as soon as you know your arrival date and your future neighbourhood.
Forgetting the proof of measles vaccination. From age one, without it, the child cannot be admitted to a Kita (§ 20 para. 9 IfSG).
Aiming for a single Kita. Apply to several, including Tagesmütter.
Confusing the Kita with the French école maternelle. Kindergarten is not school: it is not compulsory and falls under the childcare sector, not Education.

What changes by country of origin

All countries: the right to a place applies to every child living in Germany, whatever their nationality. For French-speaking families, a few Franco-German nursery schools exist (Freiburg im Breisgau, Stuttgart: see DE-ECOLE-TOUS-001).

Steps

Do the Anmeldung for the whole family (sheet DE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001): the registered address generally determines the catchment school for primary level.
Contact the school or the Schulamt (the school office of the city or district). For a child arriving from abroad, it is the school authority that decides the placement; enrolment is possible during the school year.
Primary school (Grundschule): from grade 1 to grade 4, or up to grade 6 in Berlin and Brandenburg. Children start in the year they turn 6, according to a cut-off date set by the Land.
Secondary school: after the Grundschule, the child is directed towards different pathways. The Gymnasium leads to the Abitur (school-leaving certificate); most Länder have replaced the Hauptschule and the Realschule with schools offering several tracks. Moving up depends on a school recommendation and the Land's rules.
If your child does not speak German, ask about the reception programmes (intensive German classes or courses): they vary by Land and municipality.
For a French or Franco-German school, contact the school directly, often well before the start of the school year: places and fees are specific to each school.
Plan ahead: a baccalauréat or a foreign diploma can be recognised for studies or work (see Costs and timelines).

Documents

Meldebescheinigung (certificate of residence) of the child.
Identity card or passport of the child.
Latest school reports and school attendance certificates, translated if possible.
Vaccination record: federal law requires sufficient protection against measles (vaccination or immunity) for children attending nursery or school (§ 20 IfSG).
The exact list depends on the school and the Land.

Costs and timelines

State school: free. Allow for supplies, trips and canteen (fees set locally).
French and Franco-German schools (AEFE directory consulted on 20/10/2026): Berlin (École Voltaire, Lycée français), Bonn (École de Gaulle-Adenauer), Düsseldorf (Lycée Simone-Veil), Frankfurt (Lycée Victor-Hugo), Freiburg im Breisgau (Franco-German schools and lycée), Hamburg (École Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry, Franco-German lycée), Heidelberg (École Pierre-et-Marie-Curie), Munich (Lycée Jean-Renoir), Saarbrücken (École française de Sarrebruck et Dilling, Franco-German lycée), Stuttgart (Franco-German schools). Tuition fees: ask each school (a 2004 report of the French Senate noted that the three Franco-German lycées then offered free tuition: so do not assume that all of them charge fees).
School holidays: the summer dates are coordinated between the Länder, staggered, and the other holidays are set by each Land; the KMK publishes the calendar of the 16 Länder (year 2026/2027 available).
After-school care: for children starting grade 1 from the 2026/2027 school year, the law provides a right to eight hours of care per day on weekdays until they enter grade 5 (§ 24 para. 4 SGB VIII). As the right follows each new grade 1 cohort, it covers one more grade each year: grade 1 in 2026/2027, grades 1 and 2 in 2027/2028, grades 1 to 3 in 2028/2029, the whole primary school (grades 1 to 4) from 2029/2030 (timetable reproduced by the city of Wiesbaden). Class time counts towards the eight hours, and the Land may provide for up to four weeks of closure during the holidays.
Recognition of qualifications: the ZAB (central office for foreign education) assesses higher-education qualifications and maintains the anabin database. For a secondary-school leaving certificate, there are two cases: to enter university, the university itself decides; for professional use (for example starting an apprenticeship), it is the Land's qualification recognition office (Zeugnisanerkennungsstelle), which you can find in the anabin database, under "Anerkennungs- und Beratungsstellen in Deutschland" (KMK). A single school year cannot be recognised. Example: in Bavaria, it is the Landesamt für Schule, in Gunzenhausen.

Common pitfalls

Counting on home education. The Schulpflicht is an obligation to attend a school: the Länder's school laws say it is fulfilled by attending a school (for example in Bavaria, Art. 36 BayEUG, which lists the accepted schools). Home schooling is not an alternative. Not sending your child to school is an offence punishable by a fine (Bavaria: Art. 119 BayEUG; the amount depends on the Land).
Waiting for the start of the school year to enrol. Report your child as soon as you arrive: the obligation applies to children living in Germany, and enrolment is possible during the school year.
Relying on another Land's system. Starting age, length of primary school, streaming: check the rules of your own Land.
Going on holiday outside the school holidays. Absence must be requested from the school in advance, and going on holiday is generally not an accepted reason. Unauthorised absence is an offence: in Bavaria, parents who fail to ensure the child goes to class can receive a fine (Art. 119 BayEUG). Rules and amounts vary by Land.
Neglecting German. Even in an international school, German helps a great deal with social life and with further studies.

What changes by country of origin

France and French-speaking countries: AEFE network and Franco-German lycées. The Franco-German lycées (Freiburg im Breisgau, Saarbrücken) prepare the baccalauréat franco-allemand, a binational diploma created by the 1972 Franco-German convention. Do not confuse it with the Abibac: a double Abitur and baccalauréat diploma, offered in more than 80 partner schools in each country, which opens the universities of both countries (Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, 2021). Ask each school which diploma it prepares.
All countries: compulsory schooling applies to every child who resides in Germany, whatever their nationality. International schools (English-speaking and others) exist in the big cities; they are private and fee-paying.

Steps

Ask the Jugendamt (the child and youth office of the city or district): the law requires it to inform parents about available places and the projects of the facilities. Many cities have an online Kita search portal or a childcare voucher system.
Contact several facilities (public, charitable, church-run, private) and put your child on their waiting lists.
Respect the notice period: federal law allows each Land to require you to announce your need for a place a certain time in advance (§ 24 para. 6 SGB VIII). The deadline therefore depends on the Land: check your city's website. In Berlin, for example, the childcare voucher (Kita-Gutschein) application is made at the earliest 9 months and at the latest 2 months before care begins (Service Berlin, 2026).
Before age 1, a place is guaranteed only if your needs justify it, for example if you work, are looking for a job or are in training.
If no place is offered to you although your child is entitled to one, write to the Jugendamt recalling this right, and keep a record of your searches.
Prepare the settling-in period (Eingewöhnung): many facilities provide a settling-in period of several days or weeks with a parent.

Documents

Meldebescheinigung (certificate of residence): the place generally depends on the municipality where you live.
Birth certificate or passport of the child.
Proof of protection against measles (vaccination or immunity), required by federal law from the child's first birthday (§ 20 paras. 8 and 9 IfSG).
Proof of income if the parental contribution depends on income (depending on the municipality).
Employer's or training certificate for an application before age 1 or for extended-hours care.

Costs and timelines

Fees: set by each Land or municipality, often according to income and the number of hours, and some Länder have made all or part of the Kita free: ask your city or your Jugendamt for the fee. Example, Berlin (2026): care has been free for all children since August 2018; you pay only €23 per month for lunch, and a Kita may ask for at most €100 per month for extra services (sport, organic food, languages), except where the Berlin Senate authorises an exception.
Meals: often charged separately.
Timelines: variable, often several months in big cities.
After starting school: for children starting grade 1 from 2026/2027, a right to eight hours of care per day on weekdays (see DE-ECOLE-TOUS-001).

Common pitfalls

Registering too late. Start your search as soon as you know your arrival date and your future neighbourhood.
Forgetting the proof of measles vaccination. From age one, without it, the child cannot be admitted to a Kita (§ 20 para. 9 IfSG).
Aiming for a single Kita. Apply to several, including Tagesmütter.
Confusing the Kita with the French école maternelle. Kindergarten is not school: it is not compulsory and falls under the childcare sector, not Education.

What changes by country of origin

All countries: the right to a place applies to every child living in Germany, whatever their nationality. For French-speaking families, a few Franco-German nursery schools exist (Freiburg im Breisgau, Stuttgart: see DE-ECOLE-TOUS-001).

School

Schooling my children in Germany: compulsory education, enrolment, the school system and French schools

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Childcare before school in Germany: Kita, right to a place, procedures and costs

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Other topics

School

Schooling my children in Germany: compulsory education, enrolment, the school system and French schools

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Childcare before school in Germany: Kita, right to a place, procedures and costs

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Other topics