In Romania, school enrolment starts with a question that can surprise foreign parents: which street do you live on? Public schools take children by catchment area, so your address, and therefore your lease and your registration, come before the choice of school. This guide covers schools in Romania for children arriving from abroad: what is compulsory, how enrolment works, how foreign school years are recognised, the calendar for 2026-2027 and the questions our sources leave open, such as language support.
What is compulsory in the Romanian school system?
Education is compulsory for 14 years. It includes the last two years of kindergarten (grupa mijlocie and grupa mare), primary school, starting with the clasa pregătitoare (preparatory class) in the year a child turns six by 31 August, then lower and upper secondary school up to grade 12. From 2030, the first kindergarten year is expected to become compulsory too. That means a child of about four is already in the system, which is earlier than in some countries.
Public school is free, and according to Eurydice it is open to children of EU and Swiss citizens in the same way, whatever their language. Private schools charge enrolment and tuition fees, according to EURES.
How do you enrol a child in school in Romania?
- Register your residence first, because the school asks for your address and CNP. See residence in Romania for EU citizens.
- Find the school for your address. Each public school has a catchment area (circumscripție școlară), set every year by the county school inspectorate (inspectoratul școlar județean). Children living there have priority.
- For the preparatory class, your child must turn 6 by 31 August of the registration year. A child who turns 6 between 1 September and the end of the year can be enrolled with a recommendation on their development. A one-year delay is possible for a legitimate reason.
- File a written request at the school. Registration for the preparatory class follows a calendar fixed each year by the ministry. During the year, you go directly to the school. The director then signs an educational contract with you.
- If your child has been in school abroad, ask the county school inspectorate to recognise the years completed, from grade I to XII.
Between catchment area, the child's birth date, the preparatory-class deadline and the recognition of foreign school years, families often do the steps in the wrong order. Moovy can check the order for your children's ages and list the documents to prepare for the school and the inspectorate. It does not enrol children and has no information about specific schools' places.
Which documents do you need?
Bring the identity documents of the child and the parents, the registration certificate with your CNP, proof of address, and the school reports and certificates from the previous school, with translations. The exact requirement for translation and legalisation was not confirmed in our sources, so ask the inspectorate. Each school can also ask for other items, such as a medical certificate; EURES mentions a medical certificate for nursery, primary and lower secondary admission where relevant. Ask for the school's list before you go.
What about nurseries, kindergartens and food?
Costs and conditions for nurseries (creșă) and kindergartens (grădiniță) vary by municipality and institution, so ask the town hall. A national programme called "Masă sănătoasă" offers a free hot meal or a food parcel every school day in participating schools. According to the ministry, about one school in three offers it. Elsewhere, canteens and prices depend on the school.
What is the 2026-2027 school calendar?
According to ministerial order 3194/2026, classes run from 7 September 2026 to 18 June 2027, 36 weeks. They end on 4 June 2027 for grade 12 and 11 June 2027 for grade 8. The breaks are 24 October to 1 November 2026, 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, 24 April to 4 May 2027 (Easter) and the summer from 19 June to 5 September 2027. Each county sets one week of break between 15 February and 7 March 2027. There are no classes on 5 October, the day set aside for education, or on public holidays. Orthodox Easter dates differ from the Western calendar, as explained in living in Romania.
What about language and international schools in Romania?
Romanian is the language of instruction in public schools, though teaching in minority languages and international languages exists, according to Eurydice. Our sources do not describe support classes in Romanian for foreign pupils, nor do they list international schools with fees. Do not assume support is automatic: ask the school and the inspectorate what exists. For a French-language curriculum, the AEFE lists accredited schools in Romania, notably in Bucharest, but we have not verified their levels or fees. A French family may also apply for a school grant at the French embassy in Bucharest if the child is in a French school.
What changes for British families?
If you lived in Romania before 31 December 2020 and are registered at the IGI, you are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and have the same treatment as EU citizens for access to education and fees. If you arrived later, third-country rules apply, with a specific enrolment procedure at the Ministry of Education. See moving to Romania from the UK.
What are the common mistakes?
- Thinking kindergarten is optional. The last two years are compulsory.
- Choosing an out-of-area school without a plan B. Children from the area come first.
- Arriving without school records. The inspectorate needs them to place the child.
- Assuming Romanian support is automatic.
- Ignoring local holidays, such as the extra February week, which varies by county.
How do you choose between schools in Romania?
Start with the public school for your address, then widen. Ask the school how many places remain, how it handles children who arrive in the middle of the year, and what support it offers for pupils who do not yet speak Romanian. Ask the county inspectorate for the list of schools that teach in other languages. If you are considering a private or international school, ask for the fee schedule in writing: EURES says private schools charge enrolment and tuition fees, but our sources give no amounts.
Practical points weigh on the choice too. A school outside your catchment area is possible only if places remain, so have a second option. Check how your child would reach the school. Ask about the canteen, because the free meal programme reaches only some schools. And ask the town hall about nurseries and kindergartens, since the last two years of kindergarten are compulsory.
What about secondary and university education?
For high school and college, EURES says that allocation is computer-based after national written tests and lower secondary grades. Nursery, primary and lower secondary schools require no entrance exam. Universities may admit by an exam, by the applicant's file or by a file with a cover letter, and public universities charge fees for places that the state does not fund. EURES counts 45 civil state universities, 7 military state ones and 32 accredited private ones. If your teenager arrives from abroad, ask the county inspectorate how the equivalence of earlier years and the national tests apply, and ask the national recognition centre about end-of-studies diplomas. Bring all school records from your home country, as EURES advises.
Where to go next?
Pick the city before the school: best places to live in Romania compares the main ones. Dates, requirements and fees change every year, so confirm them with the school and your county inspectorate.